[continued from previous page] and every patch of woods conceals at least one piece of Military equipment. The war, as a whole, and the many battles which constitute war are progressing very favorably. At about 2000, Cpl. Davis and myself went for a moonlight reconnaissance along the Rhine, as a supplement to our normal guard. We observed nothing that was not natural and returned to our area and the sack at 2400.
Tuesday, 27 March [1945] W. Bank of the Rhine
Up at 0600. The day has been quiet but our armies have made decisive gains on all fronts. Flowers are beginning to leap from the ground and everything is beginning to bud. We are getting our equipment in shape for a move tomorrow. No mail today. Am working on my last box of cigars. Hit the sack at 2000.
Wednesday, 28 March [1945] Singhofen, Germany1Singhofen is a municipality located just east of the Rhine River in Rhineland-Palatinate. See Map, Site #24.
Up at 0600. The morning was cloudy but the weather cleared up later in the day. We left the west bank of the Rhine at 1000. Traveled along the river for several miles and finally crossed at a place called Bosport2Most likely, Boppard, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate situated on the upper Middle Rhine, just west of Singhofen, where the Allied forces constructed an emergency bridge.. The crossing was accomplished by means of a Bailey Bridge which had been constructed several days before.3A Bailey Bridge refers to a portable, pre-fabricated bridge, developed by the British during the war, that was capable of being erected within a short amount of time and used if other options weren’t available. Throughout WWII, Bailey Bridges were used by Allied forces and were a key factor in the crossing of the Rhine River. We followed the East Bank of the Rhine for about 12 miles and saw hundreds of commercial craft which had been sunk or damaged. Prisoners were still being dragged from houses in some of the towns, through which we passed so we were very alert for trouble. We left the river eventually and went over a series of high hills into more level [continued on next page]