1943 April - Must be nice to be closer to home!

In the war, on April 4, 1943 ten American POWs escaped from the Davao Penal Colony in the Philippines and broke the news of the Bataan Death March and other Japanese atrocities. The Japanese attempted to transfer 60, 000American and Philippine POWs from a prison camp in Bataan to another camp 60-70 miles away - the march included severe physical abuse, torture and wanton killings of POWs - they received little water or food. Estimates are that there were 600-650 American POWs and 5, 000 to over 10, 000 Philippine deaths. 

From April 19-30 the Bermuda Conference took place in Bermuda to discuss the plight of the European Jews. By the end of 1942 reports confirmed that the Nazi plan was to exterminate all European Jews. In the US and Great Britain, Jewish groups were demanding that their governments take a stand against these atrocities. The only agreement between the two countries was that the Nazis had to be defeated. No US immigration quotas were increased,  and Britain continued to prohibit Jewish refugees moving to Palestine.

April 19 was the start of the final Warsaw Ghetto uprising in Poland - on the eve of Passover the remaining Jews refused to surrender to the Nazis who intended to transport them to death camps. The order came to burn the Ghetto block by block with flame throwers and fire bombs - the Germans blew up tenements and sewers - 13, 000 Jews were killed. The uprising ended May 16 when the German commander blew up the Great Synagogue of Warsaw.

Again there aren't many letters from April for whatever reason, but there is a brief diary entrance from my mother.  This first letter has no address on it, but the envelope has Quonset, RI - so did my father go to Akron and transfer to Quonset? He couldn't have been in Akron very long.

"April 20 1943

My dear Ellen,

I am now recuperating after a weekend of boredom and loneliness with nothing adventurous in sight save the coming weekend. I tried to wrangle myself into getting this weekend off but no soap. My only consolations were a good movie and pay day. I saw last night that picture publicized so much lately in papers and magazines all over the country namely 'Air Force.' It lived up to expectations and all the advanced notices. It was really very good from my point of view. Over the weekend I didn't do a blessed thing just sat down and gabbed all the while discussing every thing there was to discuss. This being a long weekend for you I hope you are enjoying it - but not so much. I've got Mary B fixed up with one of my boys down here and it is now in the early stages of development - letter writing. I just sent her one of my foolish big letters. Included are a few $1000 words and phrases. I also am sending a letter to Hannie. I will mail it to you and you forward it to her as I have not got her address. I asked her for some addresses and pictures to fix up my buddies here. There all from the west coast and so far they find this neck of the woods very dull. 

I was glad to hear that Madeline made out OK at home but ----- nuff said. Mary B told me in a letter that she had a talk with you and from the letter things were said. She promised to tell me when I got home. I hope they won't be too bad. I just got paid and I now am flush for a while which is good indeed. When I get paid now it's like being a civilian again. The size of the bundle (?sp) is enormous. No fooling. 

I've got to buzz off now so I'll see you Saturday.

Love as always

John"

Air Force was a 1943 WWII aviation film - made after Pearl Harbor - it was one of the first patriotic films or US war propaganda. It was based on a true story. 

Being stationed in Rhode Island gave my father a chance to get home occasionally I guess and maybe that is why there are fewer letters.

"April 27 1943

My dear Ellen 

Another day, therefore another dollar or two. I'm getting into the letter writing mood again and I am hoping I can get an inspiration or two to help me along. My buddy is going on liberty tonite and intends to grace the fair city of Providence with his presence. I have wished him the very best of luck but I don't know how he will come out. I have the duty tonite but will have liberty tomorrow. I never take mid week liberty as I need all my energy for the weekend liberties I get so infrequently. He has this weekend off and I think he has something up his sleeve if I'm figuring right. 

Today was just a usual day around here nothing to do and very little ambition on our part to do it. I went to bed at 7:00 PM last night after I finished your letter and crawled out at 7:30 AM this morning having missed my breakfast. Too late did I learn that the chow for breakfast was really good. What they had I don't know but it was good anyway. 

I mustered at 8:00 and immediately went into the rigamarole of calisthenics and athletics. I played cozy though. A few of the planes were being moved around so I rushed out and guided them around the tarmac or ramp. After a smoke we all did a bit of military drill, an hour of the d___d stuff to be exact. The Chief was in a mood today so he had us all doing the manual of arms. He picked four guys as the best of us. My buddy was one of them and did he feel good. From his looks you would think he just made admiral. He was beaming with pride and smiles when the chief took them into a room. We expected something was going to happen and after we went to work waited patiently in an inpatient way. When they returned we learned the chief put them to work opening crates. What price glory? Most of the planes we are or have been working on have been shipped out thus making work very dull.

I learned today I could go up for second class in September therefore I shall have to commence my studying. I figured I'd have to wait until January anyway. 

The boys got letters from the boys and at their date of writing were on Pearl Harbor Hawaii stationed there temporarily not knowing how long. They are limited to one letter a day which makes it tough for the boys who used to write three or four a day. Sometimes I wish I was with them but I'm glad I'm not as they are all on mess duty out there which to me would be misery and very hard on my little lilly white hands. Well so far everything is the same and I'll see you Friday nite as planned. I love you.

Love always

John"

"April 27 1943

My dear Ellen,

For three days running now I have written to you and still no reply. Why? I think I shall have to give you a going over Friday night if I don't hear from you soon. My day was as usual full of nothing but nothing and I don't find that the least bit interesting at anytime. It was a real nice day here so after dinner three or four of us sat on the sea wall here and it was really nice. The wind was kind of stiff and the big petrol planes out in the bay offered quite a problem to the crews who were beaching them. Incidentally some of the boys in the crew were swimming out to the planes which gives you an idea of our climate here. I hope it keeps up as the tan such as it was that I got down in Florida has gone now to parts unknown and I shall have to try all over again. From the looks of things it appears I will end up with a very good case of wind burn on the exposed portions of my anatomy.

I intend to take in the cinema this afternoon immediately after I finish your letter. Most of the boys are getting ready now. They are all trying on their whites which is a sure sign of deah ol' summah around these here parts. I think I('ll) buy me a set of tailor made whites and look kind of sharp when I strut up Main St with my lady fair which as any fool can plainly see will be you.

My outlook for a leave appears promising as one more of the boys are going home this time to Minnesota. I'll hold out for a couple of months and hope my chances are still as good. 

Incidentally if you receive two of my letters at once read them chronologically (look it up) if you know what I mean. I forgot to mail it last night so __________________________________

Got to buzz off now so take it easy.

Love as always

John"

"April 29 1943

My dear Ellen,

My stream of literature (?) continues again another day. Please excuse that literature word as its the only word I could think of to describe these epistles. Roughly as you know it means matter written or printed to be read or something  look it up. Once again I spent a quiet day doing nothing and caring less. If they don't give me a job of a sort around here soon I'll go off my beam so help me. Once in a while its all right to do nothing but every day it gets kind of monotonous. All in all it was a good day as we had no military drill which eased my mind as well as my feet. At times it seemed as though I had come in contact with an Army outfit instead of a Navy detachment. Tomorrow I think we'll go out on the firing range and do a wee bit of shooting. If not I have a good idea we will break down a Springfield rifle and put together again which will be something different for a change. 

Since I joined this here Navy I've done very little shooting of any sort and I would like a change a great deal. Being a petty officer I am supposed to know my stuff about arms and the like and its about time I gave a little thought to it and found out all the details. Machine guns will be our next step I hope. The only fault I find with this stuff is everyone is in a rush and the(y) forget the most important details. Firing and stripping arms is probably the most important part of military life and yet this is the first time that it has been stressed in any way or form. From what I've heard they are beginning to stress it now at the various 'boot' camps. My brother I know was on the range for two or three days when he was at Newport. At times it makes me feel uneasy and self-conscious to think that I, a petty officer, would probably get all mixed up in stripping a rifle and with the kick in firing it probably couldn't hit the side of a hangar door. Well tomorrow will tell. 

Last night I made a hog of myself by going to the regular supper chow and going again at the night shift supper. I'm sorry now. As a result I didn't sleep a wink all night just tossed and turned till morning. Well learn by experience its hard but profitable. Well I got to close now and will see you Friday night. I heard a song last night thus the change in finale 

                                I'll be loving you, always

                                    Not just for an hour

                                        Not just for a day

                                            Not just for a year

                                            _______________ but always

                                   

                                                                 John

Please excuse the pen bled."

           

I never thought about my father handling and firing weapons until I read this letter - maybe because he was in the Navy. I guess it's necessary in war time to save your life or your buddies.

I hate guns since the time I went to a firing range with a federal police officer. The gun - I don't know what kind of hand gun - was cold and heavy. I don't remember a kick when I fired it, but I got a sick feeling when I hit the head of the paper target - I think I took a couple of shots - but I have hated guns ever since.

Always was a song written in the 1920s by Irving Berlin for his wife - it was recorded by various singers. Here is a link to Bing Crosby and Eugenie Baird - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqQ1LZccgxM.

I have an entry from my mother's diary - it is the bottom entry on the page - she was recycling her diary!

"4/30/43 - Friday

John came home & he no sooner got inside the door and settled comfortably than I dragged him off to a play down at St Pat's. Poor John. The play was good though which was a help. Otherwise I'd never live it down. John left at 11:30 to get a train back to Quonset and I crawled into bed."

The website - http://www.quonset.com/about-the-park/history-of-quonset/ - gives a brief history of Quonset.

"Quonset Point Naval Air Station (NAS Quonset) was established as part of the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, shortly before the US entered World War II. It served as the major northeastern naval base during the war and subsequent years. During its heyday Quonset's workforce, combined with that of the adjacent Davisville Construction Battalion Center, was the largest in the state of Rhode Island. 

The Navy established the Construction Battalion Center at Davisville ... less than a year after Quonset was completed ... Davisville would become the birthplace of the 'Seabees' a portion of service people in the US Navy tasked with building bases, creating roadways and airstrips and numerous other construction projects during conflicts dating to World War II. It was the Davisville Seabees and their innovative problem solving skills that led to the creation of what is now known as the Quonset hut.  

During the Second World War, Quonset was involved in the development of a naval night fighter aircraft. "

I wonder if my father worked on that night fighter?