 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Italy 1943-45
Chapter XVIII |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Shortly after our battalion landed in Italy, at Torre Annunziata, we crossed the Apennine Mountains to the Foggia area, about 25 miles East of the Adriatic Sea The Americans constructed a giant airfield here from which allied aircraft could reach and bomb most European targets. Our battalion was ordered to protect this airfield from enemy air attacks. It became apparent that we would be stationed here for quite some time, so we made our “home away from home” on this open field as comfortable as possible Sergeant Pezzula was by far the army's master scrounger, swapper, brigand, and general poacher that ever wore a uniform. Well, he was not the only scrounger. I “embraced” the sergeant of the photography section of the 15th air force who supplied me with all kinds dark room goodies. I made an enlarging device that really worked. The lens came from a discarded 50 mm anti-aircraft machine gun site. It was glued into the end of an aluminum tube, which fit snugly into another tube but could still slide in and out. The fuselage repair section of the 15th had every conceivable shape of aluminum, nuts, bolts, etc. It was not a difficult task to modify their stock materials to my needs. When the enlarger was completed, I had a fixed focus instrument that printed only one size, 6x6 inches. Larger prints would require more printing paper, the supply of which was limited and grudgingly contributed by the 15th Air Force photo unit.
Below the table, one can see the chemistry bottles and trays that were also the largesse of the air force photo lab. The following prints were made on this device:
Our battalion commander was related to the Wesson family (of the Smith and Wesson Fire Arms company). He was a very pleasant “no nonsense” fellow, with a good sense of humor, ardently patriotic, and very “forgiving” fortunately. Otherwise, I suspect that Sergeant Pezzula and I would have been given a “Section Eight” early in the war. (Discharge For Uselessness) I told him about the enlarger that I made by scrounging the 15th for parts and photo solutions. I also told him that now I can take pictures of the officers and men to send home. I pointed out to him “Wouldn't that be a great moral booster?” He rolled his tongue in his cheek a few times and replied, “OK. Take my picture now, Captain.” He was very formal. He never called me “Doc” The colonel is seen leaning against sandbags, which were set up to test the new anti-tank weapon that was issued to our unit. The muzzle of the firing tube can be seen in the left upper comer of that picture.
The Bazooka was the army's first rocket device with sufficient explosive power to knock out a tank. Preferably of course, one had to be in a position where the enemy tank commander didn't see you first. The procedure of firing this weapon involved two men. One was to carry the bazooka tube, aim, and fire it. The other was to carry the missiles and load the firing tube from behind. His job involved shoving the missile into the back end of the tube and winding the hot battery wire, attached to the missile (so it appeared to me) to the contact on the top of the bazooka tube. He would then pat the soldier that was aiming the instrument on the shoulder twice indicating that it was loaded and ready to fire. Then he would duck down to avoid the back flash of the rocket. Fortunately, the testing went uneventfully. Nobody was blown to kingdom come. But, I still blessed my mother for encouraging me to become a doctor.
Our battalion was sent overseas in the spring of 1942 to Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland was not involved in W.W. II. Here, our men were taught how to use the British 40mm, fast-firing Bofurs anti-aircraft gun. It was to replace our American 50 caliber, anti-aircraft, water-cooled machine gun, which couldn't hit a zeppelin at 500 yards (a “medical” opinion). We were stationed at St. John's Point, which stuck out into the Irish Sea. Here, we could practice shooting at targets pulled by small aircraft. In retrospect, these pilots deserved Medals of Bravery.
This pretty little Italian barefoot girl was seen coming down from a mountain creek holding two bottles of fresh water. Since her hands were not free to grasp it, one of our men stuck a chocolate bar in her partially torn pocket. She smiled. So did we!
While making rounds to the various anti-aircraft gun sites that were spread out for miles in a semi-circle (and well camouflaged), I used many side roads. Along one of them, this Italian farmwoman readily posed for us. She accepted several “K” ration boxes from us and bowed her head repeatedly as she uttered a number of “Gracias.”
Pun not intended. This was not an uncommon site as we passed through small towns previously held by the enemy. It was very likely done by Allied artillery or bombs from Allied aircraft. One wonders why all floors of one side of the building, were cleaved open but left the building standing. Frequently, the undamaged part of the building was occupied
Our unit was usually placed in defensive positions. But from time to time our headquarters company, with medical detachment, was asked to participate in a victory parade in a town, in full dress uniform. Of course the real blood and guts infantry who took the town from the enemy was too busy up ahead to come back for this nonsense, so we filled the bill. I am the guy standing at the extreme left... (There was hair underneath that hat.) Sergeant Pezzula is second from the right. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
||||
|
© 2006 Dr. Jack H. Sanders – All Rights Reserved |
||||||