We moved up again this morning. They shelled one area just as we pulled out so it was a good thing we left. There is going to be a big drive tonight so look out. I listened to the radio until they started shelling us and then it was no time to be up walking around.
We woke up this morning hearing enemy shells just a whining, but as long as they are whining you are safe. The Company is going to move up. We straightened up the supply truck and went swimming. The Company didn’t move and I was on guard.
With the American Seventh Army east of San Stefano, Sicily, Aug. 3 – (Delayed) – (AP) – American combat engineers during battle lulls have turned the vast Mediterranean into a combination “old swimming hole” and laundry.
Within the sound of enemy artillery, firing in the hills only four miles away, a group of them paddled happily along a small strip of beach which they reached by clearing a narrow path through Italian barbed wire barriers and heavy minefields. To have taken a step in any direction pas the narrow ribbon-marked lanes would have invited instant death – but these men are used to living in an atmosphere of danger.
“We had to take out about 50 mines in this little spot, alone, to make a swimming beach – but ain’t it a dinger,” said Sergeant Quentin Swanson, Roscoe, Ill. “It looks like every time those Italians and Germans get tired of carrying mines, they stick them in the ground.”
Bruns Watches From Bank
As Pfc. Charles F. Bruns, Champaign, watched from a bank, tall, lanky red haired Private Thomas Richmond of Chicago, Ill, as naked as his birth day, lay on his back in the watter called, “ Look, I can float in this salt water if I keep wiggling.” By “wiggling” like a threshing machine, he managed to stay on top.
(Bruns is the son of Mr. and Mrs Francis Bruns, 303 West Maple street, and is a former Champaign high school athlete who formerly played baseball in the Eastern Illinois League. He has been overseas since Nov. 8, 1942, when he arrived at Casablanca and has been in many of the major battles of the north Africa campaign.)
More Sandy Back Home
“The beaches back home have more sand and less rocks and there are more pretty gals there and no mines” said Private John Oneto of Santa Cruz, Calif., who was lying in the hot sun. “but we’re glad to get a place like this even if it doesn’t have much surf.”
Risking the wrath of all of California’s natives sons, Private Victor Richter, Fontana, Calif., disputed him saying, “This beach beats any in California, It’s lots calmer then the Pacific.”
“Well it’s pretty nice to have a private beach this close to the front, but yesterday, the enemy was dropping artillery shells over our head,” said Fifth Class Technician Noriss Butts, Galesburg, Ill. Who was swimming with Sergeant Marsh Wynegarde, Lasalle, Ill. “It’s too bad we can’t carry some of this water to the infantry. Those boys could really use a swim,” he added.
Norbert Breunig, Sicilian fellow, Albert Fisher
Funny we didn’t move but they have been busting shells around us all day. We dished out a few clothes and went in swimming. A fellow from the Associated Press took down my name. I wrote a couple of letters, listened to the radio and went to bed.
James Nachtigal, Murel, Plottr, Johnson, Olson, Noriss Buts
We are going to move on up this morning. We move up a few miles ahead of the infantry to work on a bridge that was blown out. Man do the Germans ever blow these bridges. They are also shelling us with 88 MM shells. We had two wait until they cleaned the mines out of our bivouac area. They also cleaned all away so we could go to the beach and go swimming. The artillery is still giving them hell. I went swimming listened to the radio and then went to bed.
Chick talks about being on the front and working with land mines during the invasion of Sicily. Filmed 2007 at the studios of WILL, University of Illinois as part of the “WWII Central Illinois Stories” series
We woke up in the morning and there was a big air raid going on. Man, I never saw so much ‘ack ack’ in the air at one time. I saw a couple of planes shot down. We moved out at 8 AM Got to a bivouac at 1:30 Left again for the front at 5:30. I saw them bringing the dead out of the hills so I took a picture. We are now right on the front lines ‘B’ Company has lost two officers already. We are fighting mostly Germans. The artillery is really giving them hell. I am going to turn in.
Paul Shneidt & Joe Watters
Not much to do now so I guess I’ll write a few letters. I went into town this afternoon and had my pictures taken. The company came back and we loaded up to go up to the front and relieve the 45th.
Joe and I took Badali over to his uncles house. It was a nice drive along the coast. The kids here are getting as bad as African kids always wanting candy. I may go into Palermo again this afternoon we are to get some German beer. All the beer we got was two bottles. I took a few more pictures and on the way home we stopped and had some ice cream. At night we listened to the radio.
Funeral Procession
We are going into Palermo this afternoon. Palermo is a very beautiful city. It has been harmed quite a bit, but in peace time it really must have been pretty. We got some champagne and ice cream and came home. on the way home we got some more ice cream and some watermelon. We swiped some steak off of the QM so we fried steak until dark. They had a show but I didn’t go. I took Joe Watter’s place on guard.
