Mannheim, Germany: First Stop, April, 1945

There are just a couple of photographs from April, 1945. The war ended in Europe that month with the Germans surrendering.

Mannheim: The first stop in Germany

The wall says: "We will conquer!"

The images convey the conditions of the local area. Unfortunately, they are the only thing that we can use to understand what it was like, as there aren't any letters recovered from this time (if there were any letters sent during this time).

On to France

 March, 1945 through April, 1945

Pop's unit moved from England into France. The first three photos show troop movement. The war was still going on at this time, although it would end while they were stationed in Nancy.  Word of the German surrender passed through the radio unit at Nancy.

  Enroute from Camp Twenty-Grand to Barentin

" The Forty and Eight"

The "Forty and Eight" refers to the Railroad Car. Pop said that the car was used during WWI to haul forty men or eight mules. He said that the cars didn't appear to have been cleaned out since that time and were used to house the troops as they marched across France.

Arriving at the Chartreuse a Bosserville      

 

 Louis Clement

15 Rue Stanislas

Nancy, France

Louis Clement stood guard over the radio unit that Pop was in. He spoke French with a German accent which was common in Lorraine since that area has shifted back and forth between the two countries. Pop said that he would bring things from his garden to give to the radio unit.

Following are some letters sent home during this tour in France that describe the goings on in the area.

 

 

 

First stop overseas - England

Pop's first overseas stop was in England, where his unit waited to be deployed on the continent.There was some time for catching the sights while they waited. The envelope that contained the postcards and itinerary for the Taxi sightseeing tour of London were received on January 29, 1945, so given the time to move the mail overseas and the fact that this stuff had to be mailed after the events, can lead us to think that the trip into London occurred in December, 1944.

Postcard of House of Parliment and Lambeth Bridge

Postcard of St. Paul's from Fleet Street

 

The envelope that carried the postcards and flyer home to Detroit.

 Episcopal Church in Kirksby, England

February, 1945

 

 System 9 Road March

February, 1945

 

Benny the Barber

February, 1945

 

American Red Cross Club

Liverpool, England

March, 1945

 

 

England was obviously a stopping off point, before the rest of the war occurred.

Starting a Photo Tour of World War II

Going through the attic, as well as the basement and closets, is exactly what we are doing. With Ma and Pop moving, we are going through their house, cleaning up what was not taken with them. During the move we put things that were not going with them into the den or the basement, and now we have to sort through things as we clean up.

Becky is house sitting and doing much of the straightening and cleaning up. She has called many times saying that we would not believe what she found.  There are photographs, documents, and souviners that are World War II vintage that I have never seen.

Ma served in the Navy as a WAV. Pop served in the army. They both graduated from high school immediately before the United States entered the war, and both had enrolled at Wayne University (now Wayne State University). Pop joined a program similar to ROTC so he could finish the term. He was called to active duty over the July 4th weekend of 1943.

This post will start a series of articles that present a photographic chronology of William J Miller's service in the army.

 

William Miller at Camp McClellan, Alabama

perhaps August, 1943

William Miller at Manhattan College

New York City

November, 1943

 

"System 9", Whippany, NJ

October, 1944

 

 

 

These three photographs were found in a cigar box, and in two different paper bags in different locations. I am glad that they were saved and we can gather them together.

just starting

November 1st, 2009; this is the start of discovery of what is in our past and what we can find in the attics of our past. We are now involved in downsizing and realizing the treasures that we hold within our families that live in the present. We are only attempting to do this with the help of others. Please feel free to join our effort on writing and saving what is so very dear and important to us.... our families... namely the lines that come from Bill's parents namely the William John Miller Sr. and Shirley Lee Manges lines,

and from Rita's family namely James Patrick Hosey and Gladys Rita Beaubien lines. We hope to share what we learn as we research our families, along with photographs, maps, videos and taped recordings of interviews. We hope you enjoy what we find.