As I have written before, my uncle wrote regularly during his service in the Second War. As part of my project, Letters From Bill, I’ve decided to post the letter my uncle wrote on the corresponding date 80 years ago. The letter below is from September 12, 1944.
Up to this point, Bill had not seen any action. He departed San Francisco by ship in late June 1944, after completing his basic training, for his first tour of duty, assigned as a rifleman in the 280th Rifle Company as part of the 1st Cavalry Division. They crossed the equator around July 4th 1944 and arrived in New Guinea July 20th, 1944.
He said they landed on the largest island in the chain, which would be New Guinea itself, however, from what I have read so far it looks like the bulk of the forces remained on the Admiralty Islands1.
In earlier letters he described the tent camp where they were staying. It was located away from the jungle, and thus away from the mosquitos. There was an open air theatre and a Red Cross recreation hall, where they could play ping-pong, chess, etc. He talks about the conditions and suffering dysentery and diarrhea.
On August 9th he reported that his classification had changed to “General Clerk” and he was now posted as a replacement in the personnel section. It was a great relief to be out of a front-line combat role.
On the first anniversary of signing up (August 12 1943) he reflected on whether he had made the “biggest mistake of my life”.
In this letter, he talks about what he ate for “chow” and then the “tent city” they live in.
Historical Context
In September 1944, the 1st Cavalry Division was preparing for its next major operation in the Pacific Theatre, the invasion of the Philippines.
Location
The 1st Cavalry Division was stationed in the Admiralty Islands, specifically on Los Negros Island[1][3]. They had been camped there since May 1944, following the successful completion of the Admiralties campaign[4].
Mission and Activities
During September 1944, the 1st Cavalry Division was engaged in several activities:
- Training and Preparation: The division was intensively training and preparing for their next major combat operation – the invasion of Leyte in the Philippines[3][4].
- Absorbing Replacements: They were integrating new soldiers to replace casualties suffered during the Admiralties campaign and to bring the division up to full strength[4].
- Amphibious Landing Practice: The division was conducting exercises to improve their skills in amphibious landing operations, which would be crucial for the upcoming Leyte invasion[3].
- Equipment Upgrades: The division was likely receiving and familiarizing themselves with new equipment. For example, all four artillery battalions were being equipped with 105mm howitzers by this time[4].
- Strategic Planning: The division leadership was likely involved in planning sessions for the upcoming Leyte operation, which would begin the following month on October 20, 1944[1][2].
Context
It’s important to note that the 1st Cavalry Division had been in the Pacific Theatre since July 1943[1]. They had seen their first combat in February 1944 during the Admiralties campaign, which lasted until May[3]. The five-month period between May and October 1944, was a time for the division to rest, refit, and prepare for the challenges ahead in the Philippines campaign[4].
Citations:
[1] 1st Cavalry Division (United States)
[2] 1st Cavalry Division-History
[3] 1st Cavalry DIVISION – Hell For Leather
[4] Leyte 1944: First Cavalry Division
[5] History of the 1st Cavalry Division
- Typically, his letters are not very specific due to censorship. ↩︎
Leave a Reply