U.S. Navy Seabee R.S. Leslie's WWII Pacific Footlocker

R.M. Leslie was one of my relative's dad. He fought in the Pacific in World War Two as a Seabee. About ten years ago, Jeannie, his daughter, gave me the contents of his old Navy footlocker for my teaching and research on World War Two. These photos show most of the kit. He had two blue cloth jackets, a lighter summer white jacket, and a khaki jacket. He also had pants to match the blues and the whites. The clothing is all in pretty decent shape considering it was packed away in a box for fifty years before I got it. Enjoy this little slice of U.S. Navy history and thanks to R.M. Leslie for his service to his family and his nation. Sadly, I do not have a photo of Leslie, but I'll continue to try to find one.

Note ruptured duck on right breast, bullion insignia device, and 'CB' badge on lower sleeve.

Amazing bullion on the blue and the gray shoulder insignia patches.

Robert Law Collection: Royal Canadian Navy World War Two

Robert Law, standing at right, with crewmates.

This collection of World War Two items belonged to a young Canadian sailor from Edmonton, Alberta Canada by the name of Robert Law, who was the father of a colleague of mine at work. The colleague went up to Canada this year for her mother's funeral and brought back and donated her dad's WWII items to me to share with everyone for historical purposes, so here they are.

Law served as an Officers' Steward on a Royal Canadian vessel that I assumed was named the H.M.C.S. Naden during the war. However, further reseach indicates that H.M.C.S. Naden was a training area in Esquimault, British Columbia. Therefore, I am assuming he must have served on one of the following ships: the H.M.C.S. Chaudiere (destroyer), the destroyer H.M.C.S. Gatineau, of the H.M.C.S. Chilliwack, a corvette. The blue manual was his guide to preparing and serving meals for the officers on board ship. The newspaper clipping is from the Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, London, and tells of the sinking of a German U-Boat by the group of ships with which the Naden was sailing. Dated June 1, 1944. The U-Boat was sunk by the H.M.C.S. St. Catharines and its escorts. Ships named as being involved in this action include the H.M.C.S. Gatineau, the corvette H.M.C.S. Chilliwack, the H.M.S. Icarus, the H.M.C.S. Chaudiere, the corvette H.M.S. Fennel, and the corvette H.M.S. Kenilworth Castle.

Also interesting is Law's large collection of pin-up photos, most from the MGM studios. This collection includes large 8 by 10s as well as numerous 5 by 7s of various movie starlets at the time of the war. I have never seen so many pinups in such good condition, and I photographed and posted all of them because they are of great historical interest to readers.

Enjoy this collection, and thanks to Barbara Sweetland for donating them to me to share with historians everywhere.

Military Writer Eric Hammel Opens New Website

This book is due out this fall. Wish I had it now to use while working on my own 95th BG book!

Eric Hammel is one of my favorite military authors. I've been enjoying his books for years before I 'met' Eric via the internet. Eric has opened a new website that is visually stunning and is packed with interesting and useful information about military history books and military history in general. Drop by and take a look. You'll be glad you did.

Here's the link: www.erichammelbooks.com

2nd Visit with Louey

Items belonging to "Louey", my friend at the nursing home. Louey is not his real name. Louey was a P-51 fighter pilot in England during WWII and had two kills. I picked up this historic stuff at an estate sale, then tracked him down.

339th Fighter Group Mustangs on the flight line in England, 1944. This was Louey's outfit.

I visited my new friend Louey again today for a couple hours at the nursing home. I brought him a set of padded headphones to jack into his TV because he was concerned he was going to disturb his roommate when he watched TV at night, as well as a framed photo of a P-51 Mustang to put under his TV table, and a book about fighters in WWII.

We had a good visit, with some good laughs. Louey told me he really has no interest in WWII fighters any more. "I got out of that plane and never looked back." I said, okay, no problem, what do you like? He enjoys travel and nature books, so that's what I'll bring in the future.

A P-51.

My next visit, in a couple days, I will bring him a reading light to mount on his headboard, because he can't read in bed and he would like to. Got it okayed with the director of the nursing home. Also, Louey and I talked about how we are both losing our memories--me because of concussions, Louey because of Alzheimers. When I first showed up, Louey didn't remember me from the first visit, but remembered me later. We laughed, and I said if we have to start from scratch every visit, it doesn't matter.

This was actually Louey's plane, according to my research. It has been restored and belongs to a man in England.

More on 'Etched in Purple' by Frank Irgang

I found the following book description online, and think it sheds light into the motivations and meaning of Potomac Books' upcoming re-release of Frank Irgang's classic 'Etched in Purple'. Enjoy.

The wartime experiences of Frank J. Irgang

Frank Irgang's personal record of his experiences as a combat infantryman of World War II has its beginning on the dawn of that famous day when the invasion troops landed in France.

We know the outer facts of that invasion - what was planned, how it was executed, and what happened - but what we do not know are the innermost thoughts of those crawling bits of humanity who fought their way across France and into Germany. What were they thinking? How did they meet the terror of each new day?

In this well-timed revelation of one infantryman's experiences are to be found the inner facts we have wanted to discover. And they are revealed truthfully and with a freshness of reality which it would be impossible to recapture unless the observations had been jotted down, as they were by Frank Irgang, soon after the events took place.

Frank's keen eye for seeing, his unliterary terseness, his sometimes blunt way of stating brutal truths, all contribute toward making this book more than one man's record of the war. In its unpretentiousness it says effectively and vividly what hundreds of other soldiers would have said had they found a means of expression.

ETCHED IN PURPLE The Caxton Press, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, 1949

Young Frank Irgang, newly returned from the bloody fighting in Europe with the 29th Division.
A more recent picture of Dr. Frank Irgang, Professor, San Diego State University

Coming soon from Potomac Books.

Visit Frank's homepage at http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/firgang/index.html

Take America Out to the Ball Game

Baseball, the All-American game, went to war as well. Every station had a baseball game, whether it was just a few guys with gloves and a bat playing next to an airfield or a bunch of 'kriegies' playing with YMCA-donated equipment in a German Stalag. So many major and minor league baseball players were in the armed services that the quality of play in the professional leagues plummeted during the War Years. Some of the greatest players served with distinction--something that would be rare indeed to see today after the end of the draft.

Below are some photographs of Americans at war, who still had time to play some ball.The team above played for the U.S. 3rd and 5th Fleet in the Pacific in World War Two in 1945.
The team below, the all-stars of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) were the Eighth Air Force Champs in 1943.
These Canadians (and possibly some Americans) in the Royal Canadian Air Force played together in 1942 in Europe.

Sixty-plus years later, we still get together to watch 'America's Game'.

We attended our first Idaho Falls Chukar game of the season tonight. Nothing quite as American or as mellow and relaxing as a good baseball game. The minor league players play for love of the game. The crowd drinks beer and eats hot dogs. The national anthem starts off every game. During the seventh inning stretch, everybody sings 'Take Me out to the Ball Game' for at least the thousandth time. When a ball is fouled into the parking lot, the public address announces, after the sound effect of breaking glass: "If that was your car, it's time to call Falls Auto Glass for a free estimate!" Dizzy-bat races. The wave. The mascot. It just doesn't get any better than this. Idaho Falls is a Single-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, one of the worst teams in baseball. We get the guys that are right out of high school or just drafted out of college. Every few years, one of them makes it to 'the show', but the rest just fade into obscurity like 99% of everybody who ever loved to play the game, myself included, and are destined to watch.

Whether played by homesick servicemen or young men with dreams of big league careers, baseball is one of the common bonds of Americans past and present.

An excellent website about baseball in wartime, with lots of information and photographs, is found at http://www.baseballinwartime.co.uk/teams.htm. It's worth a visit.

The following professional baseball players were killed in action in World War Two. I am listing them all because they are all heroes and should be remembered. If you click on each man's name, it will give you his biography. Please take the time to read a few, and send up a prayer for these guys. Their stories are touching and help us remember the price at which our freedom was preserved for us.

Major League

Key
Name
Experience
Service
Cause of Death
Location
Date

Elmer Gedeon
Major League
USAAF
Killed in Action
ETO
April 20, 1944
Harry O'Neill
Major League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
March 6, 1945

Minor League

Name
Experience
Service
Cause of Death
Location
Date
Herman Bauer
Minor League
US Army
Died from Wounds
ETO
July 12, 1944
Fred Beal
Minor League
US Army
Died in hospital
USA
February 11, 1944
Leonard Berry
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
December 24, 1944
Keith Bissonette
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
CBI
1944
Buddy Blewster
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
1943
Lefty Brewer
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
June 6, 1944
Ed Brock
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
February 26, 1945
Murrill Brown
Minor League
US Navy
Plane Crash
USA
September 1944
Whitey Burch
Minor League
US Army
Military accident
USA
November 29, 1941
George Chandler
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
September 28, 1942
Floyd Christiansen
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
July 10, 1945
Ordway Cisgen
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
July 11, 1944
Les Clotiaux
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
August 9, 1945
Edward Dalton
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
March 30, 1945
Bud Dawson
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
UNKNOWN
1944
Howard DeMartini
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
December 24, 1944
Hal Dobson
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
May 23, 1943
Norman Duncan
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
April 12, 1945
Louis Elko
Pro Contract
US Army
Military Accident
UNKNOWN
UKNOWN
Charles Etherton
Minor League
USMC
Suicide
USA
December 27, 1945
Herb Fash
Minor League
US Navy
Explosion
PACIFIC
February 21, 1945
Frank Faudem
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
January 1945
George Gamble
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
CBI
December 4, 1944
Robert Gary
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
February 4, 1944
Conrad Graff
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
July 8, 1944
Alan Grant
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
ETO
December 29, 1943
Jim Grilk
Minor League
USAAF
Auto accident
USA
July 16, 1942
Frank Haggerty
Pro Contract
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
September 23, 1943
Bill Hansen
Minor League
US Army
Died from Wounds
ETO
1944
Billy Hebert
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
October 21, 1942
Nay Hernandez
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
March 22, 1945
Bob Hershey
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
September 1943
Ernie Holbrook
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
December 16, 1944
Bob Holmes
Minor League
USMC
Died from Wounds
PACIFIC
February 22, 1945
Gordon Houston
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
February 10, 1942
Ernie Hrovatic
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
January 14, 1945
Harry Hughes
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
1945
Harry Imhoff
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
1945
Frank Janik
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
April 29, 1945
Art Keller
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
September 29, 1944
Stan Klores
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
December 3, 1944
Curly Kopp
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
1944
Harry Ladner
Umpire
US Army
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
April 18, 1945
Walter Lake
Minor League
US Army
Died from Wounds
ETO
July 26, 1944
Whitey Loos
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
PACIFIC
January 16, 1944
Jack Lummus
Minor League
USMC
Died from Wounds
PACIFIC
March 9, 1945
Ted Maillet
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
April 7, 1945
Henry Martinez
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
January 5, 1945
Duke McKee
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
1945
Joe Moceri
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
June 30, 1944
Leon Mohr
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
1945
John Moller
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
August 8, 1943
George Myers
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
1945
Walter Navie
Minor League
US Army
Suicide
USA
October 9, 1945
Ed Neusel
Minor League
US Navy
Died from Illness
USA
July 31, 1944
William Niemeyer
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
March 4, 1945
Hank Nowak
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
January 1, 1945
Joe Palatas
Minor League
USAAF
Died as POW
ETO
April 11, 1944
Jack Patterson
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
ETO
November 2, 1944
Metro Persoskie
Minor League
USAAF
Flying Accident
ETO
February 22, 1944
Charlie Pescod
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
December 2, 1944
Harold Phillips
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
August 9, 1945
Joe Pinder
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
June 6, 1944
Bob Price
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
1944
Ernie Raimondi
Minor League
US Army
Died from Wounds
ETO
January 26, 1945
John Regan
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
CBI
May 25, 1944
Pete Rehkamp
Minor League
USAAF
Auto Accident
USA
September 9, 1942
Joseph Rodgers
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
MTO
October 10, 1943
Michael Sambolich
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
November 4, 1944
Glenn Sanford
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
November 6, 1943
Bill Sarver
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
April 6, 1945
Charles Schaube
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
April 16, 1945
Walt Schmisseur
Minor League
US Navy
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
February 20, 1945
Bob Schmukal
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
October 3, 1944
Eddie Schohl
Minor League
US Army
Died from Wounds
MTO
November 1, 1943
Frank Schulz
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
June 17, 1945
Marcel Serventi
Minor League
US Army
Auto Accident
USA
July 5, 1941
Harold Sherman
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
CBI
July 7, 1945
Jack Siens
Minor League
US Navy
Plane Crash
ETO
September 10, 1943
Art Sinclair
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
MTO
January 26, 1944
John Smith
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
November 4, 1944
Norman Smith
Minor League
US Navy
Missing in action
PACIFIC
August 9, 1942
Marshall Sneed
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
MTO
February 22, 1943
Billy Southworth Jr
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
February 15, 1945
Earl Springer
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
January 25, 1945
Gene Stack
Minor League
US Army
Natural causes
USA
June 26, 1942
Don Stewart
Minor League
Canadian Army
Killed in bombing raid
ETO
March 13, 1941
Sylvester Sturges
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
ETO
June 7, 1944
Fred Swift
Minor League
USAAF
Plane crash
USA
April 23, 1944
Johnny Taylor
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
July 26, 1944
Steve Tonsick
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
MTO
March 28, 1943
Jimmie Trimble
Pro Contract
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
March 1, 1945
Wirt Twitchell
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
July 1944
Lou Vann
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
May 18, 1944
Art Vivian
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
ETO
August 1, 1944
Elmer Wachtler
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
January 5, 1945
Leo Walker
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
November 2, 1941
Roman Wantuck
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
June 16, 1944
Jim Whitfield
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
September 22, 1944
Les Wirkkala
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
September 7, 1944
Stanford Wolfson
Minor League
USAAF
Killed in Action
ETO
November 5, 1944
Elmer Wright
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
ETO
June 6, 1944
Fred Yeske
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
MTO
December 21, 1944
Marion Young
Minor League
USMC
Killed in Action
PACIFIC
December 13, 1944
Peter Zarilla
Minor League
USAAF
Plane Crash
USA
August 9, 1945
John Zulberti
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
MTO
January 1944
George Zwilling
Minor League
US Army
Killed in Action
MTO
March 31, 1943

Highly Recommended Reading on World War Two

Etched in Purple--The Greatest WWII Infantryman Story, by Frank Irgang

Technically, the story of an Army infantryman doesn't fit in a blog on World War Two airmen, but since it's my blog, I can break the rules.

Frank Irgang's Etched in Purple is my favorite book about the U.S. infantry in Europe in World War Two. Frank, who still teaches the occasional college class at San Diego State, landed on D-Day as a medic with the 28th Infantry. This unit took such heavy casualties that he ended up becoming a scout. He fought in the major battles of the European campaign, and saw some terrible things. After the war, he returned, and as part of his catharsis wrote his outstanding recounting of his experiences, Etched in Purple. The book was published by Caxton Printers in Caldwell, Idaho in 1948, and sold several thousand copies.

About ten years ago, I was in a thrift store when I came upon a copy of Etched in Purple, signed by Frank to its former owner in 1952. I bought it, read it, and the book touched me as few books have before or since. It is raw, honest, and disturbing. I tracked Frank down in California, wrote him, and we began a correspondence that has lasted to this day. Recently, I recommended Etched in Purple to my publisher, and it is currently being considered for re-issue. If this book is re-issued, it will be the proudest moment of my literary life. For I believe Etched in Purple is destined to become a classic.

Unfortunately, the book is out of print, and finding one is near-impossible. Let's hope for the best!