Date |
Sgt David S. Gray's Notes, November 1943 |
1 Nov 1943 |
LANDED CAGLIARI SARDINIA. FIRST BOAT OF 10 AT 12:00 NOON. BOARDED OUR TRUCKS TO FIELD THEN OUT TO A VILLA SLEEPING INSIDE AFTER CLEANING IT OUT. OFFICERS UP STAIRS
174 + JERRY PLANES ALL over the field.
CAGLIARI SARDINIA |
2 Nov |
went to surrounding town. very poor nothing doing. very nice wine girls are dark skinned. pretty when young. |
3 Nov |
went to another town = same story nice wine. nothing else. stores are empty.
flying field being repaired. Italian planes all over the place
Saw "Somewhere I'll find you" good movie |
4 Nov |
{12} months today. went down to beach tore down some shacks to use lumber for our floor. two truck loads - on our own {bech}. |
5 Nov |
Hear the Russians + 5th Army are on the move. fooled around in town. |
6 Nov |
GOT. PICTURE TAKEN IN VILLE. WENT SHOW. BOUGHT SOUVERNIRS. = CHEAP.
PLANES AT DEJEDA WITH B-26'S
PRICES LOW HERE = HAIRCUT + SHAVE = 8 LIRES GLASS WINE = 5 LIRES ETC. |
7 Nov |
GOT PAID. BOUGHT ITALIAN CAMERA $4.00 GOT LETTER FROM LT. SADDIE. |
8 Nov |
GRABBED A TENT WITH JERRY. ELMER. LES. + ANDY. PUT OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. WOOD FLOOR PLENTY OF ROOM.
LONG JOHN'S ON FOR PAJAMAS.
JERRY OVER TONITE. = JU-88
3 PKGS OF BUTTS. |
9 Nov |
WORKING ON TENT |
10 Nov |
STILL EATING CANNED "C" RATIONS GUYS GETTING SICK AGAIN - CAN'T TAKE EM ANY LONGER. My STOMACH ACHES + BACK + MUSCLES CONSTANTLY
P-38 BEAT THE STUFFING OUT OF A REGGIANE 2001 GOOD MOCK FIGHT. |
11 Nov |
GERRY + I RODE AROUND TOWNS IN JEEP LOOKING FOR LAMPS OR CANDLES - NO GO STRUNG A LINE INTO TENT WITH 20W BULB |
12 Nov |
SPENT DAY FIXING UP TENT - CLOTHES RACK ETC.
MOVIE AT NIGHT. "THEY GOT ME COVERED" BOB HOPE
BACK BOTHERING AFTER DIGGING FOX HOLE. |
13 Nov |
SAME STORY RAIN + COLD "C" RATIONS.
GEN. SPAATZ' SON IN LAW WAS LOST FOR FEW DAYS. WHEN HE RETURNED FIRST FIGHTER REC'D ORDER SEND GRESHAM TO 82 in ITALY TO FINISH HIS MISSIONS (RECONNANCE) + GO HOME. HE TOOK OUR NEW PLANE BUT WENT TO HOSPITAL AND ANOTHER PILOT TOOK HIS PLACE. POLITICS |
14 Nov |
FREE BUTTS IN COMBAT ZONE AGAIN |
15 Nov |
SLEEPING + READING WASHINGTON WROTE GEN . "IKE" WHY NO FLYING CADETS. HE WROTE US IT WILL START SOON. |
16 Nov |
M/SGT. CAUDILL GOT THE LEGION OF MERIT. {1} FOR THE GROUP. 71ST HAD BEST RECORD SO LINE CHIEF GOT IT. GUYS IN AFRICA (DEJEIDER) HAVE CHANCE FOR O.C.S. |
17 Nov |
TOOK A BATH. WORKED AROUND CAMP |
18 Nov |
Coastal Command Hudsons sank 14 subs in three days MORE FELLOWS CAME FROM D'JEEDA. |
19 Nov |
made a stove out of a fuel tank. Went into town and took drain pipes from bombed houses for smoke stack. |
20 Nov |
small Xmas box from Jini. ESQUIRE BOOK CIGARETTES ETC. |
21 Nov |
Lydia the laundry woman's daughter. teaching us Italian. lesson this evening. The American women is the best treated women in the world. but not one realizes it and all want more. |
22 Nov |
an Italian lesson with Lydia. |
23 Nov |
LT. OWENS (FORMER TEACHER) FROM 14TH WITH 5 MISSIONS IN JOINED US. ALSO A 2ND LT. AND A CAPT. (FLYING INSTRUCTOR) FROM CLEV. JOINED US. FROM ME. (NOT ROOKIES) A 2ND LT. FROM BOLLING FLD. OLD TIMER BUT CAME OVERSEAS IN SEPT. |
24 Nov |
TOOK JEEP UP THRU NEARBY TOWNS - TERRIBLY MESSY SHOW AT NIGHT. PICTURES NOT READY |
25 Nov |
Turkey for dinner. cranberry sauce. 3 pks cigarettes nuts. |
26 Nov |
PICTURES FROM STUDIO OK. |
27 Nov |
SPENT THE DAY WITH JEEP LOOKING FOR LIGHTING WIRE AT DOCKS ETC. TYPHUS SHOT FOR SPREADING EPIDEMIC. HAD BIG MEAL WITH {ITY} SOLDIERS |
28 Nov |
PUT IN ELEC. LITE WIRING WITH LES. HAD ITALIAN LESSON WITH LYDIA |
29 Nov |
LT. WILLIAMS [Lt Russell Williams] KILLED BY SUFFOCATION WHEN TIRE BLEW ON LANDING. HE WENT OVER ON HIS BACK HIT SOFT MUD. A TERRIBLE FIELD. TOOK US 20 MINUTES GET HIM OUT. (BURIED THIS P.M.) THE REST OF THE OUTFIT CAME IN. |
30 Nov |
THRU A GOOD FLING WITH ELMER + LES + THE ITALIANS. BIG MEAL = TANTO UMBREACO |