WWII Diary of Chick Bruns – 70 Years Ago

What a night, shells coming and shells going all night long.  You couldn’t get any sleep at all.  Also a German patrol came up so close that you could hear them talking.  One of the fellows took a pot shot at them and they opened up with a machine pistol.  We had some excitement for a while.  Jerry planes were as thick as flies in air last night.  They were bombing Naples.  Jerry planes came over today and bombed and strafed.  This war gets tougher day by day.  We lost two more men today.  Moved again.  We seemed to stay right on their heels.  Going to bed early tonight, maybe I can get some sleep.

Chick Bruns & Vincent Badali

We took our clothes over to get them washed.  Boy we had a pile of them.  Got them all washed for six cans of “C” ration.  We moved right after dinner, and what an area.  We are completely surrounded by artillery and also the Jerries are throwing them back at us.  Just at supper time about six Jerry planes came over and strafed a little.  Each time you hear a shell whine you just get that much more afraid.  Maybe I might get a little sleep tonight.

We are moving today right after dinner.  I tried to write some letters but no success.  We moved about three miles and that was all.  Towslee and I played chess.  The Jerries are shelling up in the mountains.  Things are very quiet tonight.

John Maddalozzo

Not much happened today.  Jerry planes were over but didn’t come within shooting distance of us.  Our planes played hell with them though all day.  Dive bombing ans Strafing.  Did our usual jobs and that was about all.  Towslee and I played some chess and then I wrote a few letters on the truck.

Well I suppose we will move for sure today.  We moved about 6 miles today.  I found out today that during yesterday’s raid a bullet went through our tent, through my sleeping bag, my gun holster, my bunk on through into the ground.  Boy what a raid we had today.  About 20 planes came over and bombed and strafed.  The concussion from the bombs just puffed out your pants.  Two men in “C” company got hit and Paul Dowen in our company got hit.  One bullet went right through him and he is still walking around camp.  He has to go to the hospital tonight.  That’s about all of the excitement for today.  Guess I’ll write a few letters and go to bed.

It started raining yesterday afternoon and it has rained all day today.  Mud is knee deep and everyone seems to have a cold.  Boy but this kind of living is miserable.  I mailed my package home today and also wrote my mother and dad.  It’s a shame I can’t send them more.  But there is not a thing you can buy.  The Germans have a taken everything including food.  We have a bad time even getting “spuds” anymore.  About 12 planes came over and bombed and strafed today.  One bullet went through a mine detector box.  It is still raining and I think I will write a few more letters and then go to bed.  We have fixed a light in the truck and it gives us a chance to catch up on our letters.  It gets dark at 5:15 or 5:30 PM.  Good night.

We may move today.  We got our truck back from the ordnance.  We loaded it up and the sat around.  We lost two men today, Hitchcock and Peacock.  Both hit by the same 88 mm.  Peacock had his arm blown off above the elbow and Hitchcock had one eye tore out and a gash in his forehead.  Hitch was a good friend of mine.  It’s a shame to see him go.  You never know who is next.  We stayed here tonight and will move tomorrow.

Reference:  Oren W. Hitchcock, Cpl | William E. Peacock, Pvt

We are bivouac just outside of Dragoni. Didn’t get shelled last night and our artillery is really laying down a barrage. The air corp is sending six planes over every 5 minutes to bomb and strafed everything that moves. What I mean they are really doing it to. We stayed here all day. We had caught four chickens yesterday(by necks) and so we fried them today. Boy were they ever good. We had just about a hole chicken a piece. We put up our tent and stayed for the night.