Evening star., 1943-08-15


4lshed comments from his letters
from the continent on its people
and customs.
The following excerpts are taken
from his most recent letters follow
ing the invasion of Sicily:
Il suppose you are curious as to
the landings
The ship I was on arrived off
the beach on which we were to
land at midnight-zero hour was
about 2:30--it was pitch dark We
could hear our planes overhead
coming in to bomb: Then warships
started shelling the coaSt-great
fires began to light up the cOastline.
All our boats left the ship-only a
few filed with men, the rest to 60
to help the other ships disembark
on shore. The first wave hit the
beaches--We had no news on board
rs to how things were coming along.
Dawn and Shutting Boats.
"Dawn-boats busy shutting back
end forth. I could only come on
deck occasionally as I was working
Rumors foated by thick and fast
practically all of them falSe-like
We were invading all along the
French coaster We had taken
Crete
Occasional enemy aircraft
plenty of ours. On occasions waves
of them going toward Sicily or re-
turning-our gunners manning the
'ack ack' at all times-steady ring
Of bells for general quarters Cbattle
stations when enemy aircraft over or
about to come overD-mostly false
alarms. This goes on daily-then
quiet-suddenly the ship rocks Two
bombs have fallen nearby The bells
start up Immediately afterwards
For some unaccountable reason
every one thinks that that is really
swell joke.
The chow is good. While the ship
was full Of troops, it was rather
slight, but now that they are off
we are really eating good 1t was
the last really good good for little
time I'm afraid Dinner was fried
ehicken-supper was steak. l ate
three of each-sort of to store up a
little for the c rations l knew were
coming
Real news was beginning to come
back. The boatmen being relieved
told US what had occurred at the
beaches and the news from the
fronts coming back to the beaches
OF spots won and lost and won
again. OF the major when his boat
had been run aground, jumping into
the water with Come on mem
and disappearing into a hole over his
head and having TO be flShed outi
Of the amphibian trucks that we
cali ducks coming out miles from
shore in the rough seas-calm as
you please-getting loaded up with
supplies and taking them right back
on the shore and right to the troops
who needed those supplies direct.
Constant Watch for Enemy. ..
"Of the landing ships with the
drop fronts that ran up onto the
beaches and let tanks and vehicles
right out onto the short ready to
fight. And. of course, the constant
watchfulnesS for the enemy planes
and fleet-though We never gave the
enemy feet much thought Or need
ed to apparently.
Noon the next day-finally went
ashore. And in no time at all was
already at work. Italian prisoners
had been cleaning out our place to
work-digging latrineS and burying
trash. They didn't look very un-
happy! Not when they were fed C
rationS anyhow
The news of Muss' resignation
greeted me this am. Don't know
what the news really means yet but
time will tell The people here seem
sort Of cheered up at the news today
I can see why-they are caught be-
tween wanting to be friendly and
the fact that relatives and friends
are in the Eyetie Army. This news
gives them a new hope For the
first time today l saw some of the
kids using the W for victory sign
Always saw it in North Africa.
Some of the larger towns here
ere quite modern and clean. Maybe
the place I'm in is an exception as
Il is very dirty.
The buildings are of StOne-very
soft--one can dig into them with
pocket knife They all have a very
ancient and weather beaten look.
The doors and windows are solid
wood. saw couple Of G. is who
were supposed to cut side door
into building. They got an air
drill and all the other stone workers
equipment and then discovered the
fastest way was to chop it with an
AK just as though it were soft pine!
Homes i'm Sicily.
The home is usually one large
room containing a bed. dresser and
a place for the chickens and a
donkey stall. The family lives right
In with the chickens and donkey
ftheir most valued possessionS). In
order to have light at all the door
has to be open-therefore the family
actually lives in the street-as Tar
as privacy is concerned.
They draw water from street
faucets or buy it from milk carts.
MIX Is bought from herds of goats
which the milkmen milk to order.
Every house has in front of it at
this time boards and tables covered
with sliced tomatoes drying. These
are then crushed and further dried
in the sun-giving a tomato sauce
which with sort of spaghetti forms
pasta the staple diet here.
Am lnclosing a peculiar coin in
this letter-no one here can identify
it. T'sint lire. franc or shilling
There is doubt as to whether there
is such money al all!' ,Sergt Shen-