Lots of Things are Different Now

1944 July 16

Dear Folks,

Sunday afternoon, like any other, is indistinguishable from the afternoon before; a little different from the old days when the gang would congregate at White’s. Lots of things are different now. They tell me now the censorship regulations will allow us to say where we’ve been in England, so long as we don’t mention any place within the county we are operating from now. So…here goes.

As you know, I called home from Boston the one night we were there. We left early the next morning. I guess you got all my postcards from New Orleans and New York. I could have come home in either of those ports, except that they never let us know how long we’d be there.

We went from Boston to Halifax, N.S. Boy, that was a cold spot! Much more American than British, though, as far as the people were concerned. We came across by way of the North Atlantic, and it was plenty cold, but we had good foul weather gear and were never subjected to any system longer watches than were necessary, that is, we worked out a relief system within the watch. We had to wear facemasks and even then, our breath would freeze.

Thank goodness we didn’t have to get into that water – a normal person could last only about five minutes in it. Well, we saw no submarines, in fact we sighted no enemy at all, although our convoy course was changed several times to miss zones of enemy operation. The LST convoys before and after us, in a matter of days, both lost a couple of ships.

We came around North of Ireland into the Irish sea which is as green as clover. Very pretty sight though. We first landed at Milford Haven, Wales. It was a little mining town almost exactly like the Welsh village in the show “How Green Was My Valley.” The high cliffs were beautiful, and the hills presented a pretty picture with little old castles here and there.

There were no vehicles in the street but military ones, jeeps, command cars, etc. The thing that really was noticeable was, despite the serenity of the setting, little anti-aircraft pillboxes everywhere, and some rather large guns. These soon became common sights as well as rather extensive anti-invasion obstacles and anti-tank defenses, as we got to England.

We went from there to Plymouth, England, which was the terrifically bombed-out city I mentioned. Of course, we saw, and landed with my assault boat at Pilgrim’s Pier, from which the Pilgrims embarked for America.
Falmouth was our base for quite awhile, and it was a pretty fair city – of course, nothing like our own, but you could buy a few things there, and for an English town was pretty well advanced.

Fowie was our next base. It was a little berg, but loaded down with supplies and amphibious craft.

A few days before the invasion we went to Plymouth again. You could never hope to see so many ships in one place in all your life. Destroyers were a dime a dozen, a couple of battleships, lots of cruisers, mostly British, and innumerable landing craft. It was there we were loaded with infantrymen and AA artillery.

We were the first ship, along with another LST in the follow-up phase, which immediately follows the Assault…as I’ve told you, we hit about H plus 8, or about four in the afternoon of D-Day. We had started out a day earlier, and had gotten about a third of the way and were sent back, because the weather had not permitted aircraft operations. This was bad for the morale, and we were beginning to think there wasn’t going to be an invasion after all. We were relieved when we were ordered out again, just 24 hours later.

I told you already of our experiences D-Day and shortly following. We operated from Southampton until a short time ago, and are now operating frm the base to which we were supposed to return after D-day. Southampton was not very far from Wilts county, but I didn’t have a chance to get up there. In fact, our first liberty since about June 1st was our last trip.
Well, that gives you an idea of where I’ve been in England. We’ve not been in Northern England, but they say there’s not a lot of difference.

I still deeply respect the English civilians in many ways, but am getting plenty fed up with the outfit as a whole. Whenever we take English across, we about go nuts before we get them off. And seeing the way they handle mechanical vehicles, I don’t have much faith in them.

A Warrant officer in port last time sad a woman came up to him a while back and asked him if he wasn’t a technician. He said yes, he guessed he was…

”Well,” she said, “You Americans are supposed to be technicians…when are you going to do something about these flying bombs – they’ve been coming over now for three weeks, and you haven’t done a thing about them!” He told her to duck, that’s what he’d do.

Another Limey, a pilot (navigational) told us seriously over a cup of coffee, that he thought the US should become one of the Dominions, after the War. One damn fool Wren (Wave) thought because American seamen are allowed to raise mustaches that, “They have no discipline – they do as they please.” They don’t allow mustaches in the “Royal Navy.” Of course, they can, and many of them do raise long dirty beards, and let their hair grow over their ears. They think our “BUTCH” haircuts look like convicts – they wouldn’t think of such an undignified thing (nor sanitary one).
So much for the “Bloody blokes.” Personally, I think they’re a simple bunch who are riding for a terrific fall, and I think it’s about time.

We’re making quite regular trips, and the Isle is beginning to raise out of the water again as we’re getting the American equipment across the Channel. Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently; the American soldier and sailor is by far the best equipped, best paid, and best looked out for of any in the world. And the German is next. Actually, I have more respect for the German soldier in many ways than of any of our Allies. Of course, I know nothing first hand about the “Russ.”

I surely appreciate the ‘Capitals’ and I want you to let me know if and when my watch arrives. I’m beginning to worry a little about it.
I weighed the other night and weighed 13 stones and 10 pounds, which is 192 pounds. Feeling fine, but getting out if condition. Hope everything is OK at home. Write often.

OCEANS OF LOVE.

Glenn