[Continued from previous page] to move about.  The Russians are within 60 miles of Berlin and as yet show no signs of halting.  That is a happy thought to end the day with. I hit the sack at 2300. Thursday, 1 February [1945] Braunlauf, BelgiumUp at 0600 this morning.  Day has been uneventful.  2ND Platoon…

[Continued from previous page] We will probably move in a day or two.  After reading the Stars and Stripes today, I am not happy.  According to it, plans are under way to ship troops to the South Pacific as soon as the war in the E.T.O. is over (what a reward for victory).  The least…

Saturday [Sunday], 4 February [1945] Braunlauf, BelgiumUp at 0800. Had breakfast at 0830, then went on a Reconnaissance to find a new C. P. The B.C. and I looked over several towns in Belgium and finding nothing suitable decided to see what Germany had to offer. We came to a village called Auw, which was 5…

[Continued from previous page] miles from Berlin. I am sleeping on a bed tonight constructed of boards and straw. It will feel like a feather bed to me. I finished a guard roster and then hit the sack (2000). We don’t do any unnecessary moving around after dark. Tuesday, 6 February [1945] Auw, “Germany”Up at…

Wednesday, 7 February [1945] Auw, GermanyUp at 0700. Shaved and had breakfast by 0830.  The weather continues mild and the mud continues to deepen.  More prisoners coming through today.  Each group has just a little less superman appeal.  One odd thing which I have noticed about the homes of these supermen is that the doors…

[Continued from previous page] snapshots of our civilian in full Nazi uniform. We lost no time in marching him to the CIC and placing him under guard. He will probably be very unhappy. Spies are unpopular over here.  Planes were overhead constantly today. What a wallop they must hand the Jerries. It took them about…

Saturday, 10 February [1945] Auw, GermanyWas awakened this morning by a few near misses from heavy artillery (long range). Stayed awake until I got up at 0630. It snowed just a little last night but at 1000 had already disappeared. Last night just before retiring, we heard a shot just outside our C.P. Investigation disclosed…

[Continued from previous page] I stood in one of the holes caused by the shells and it was so deep I could not see out of it. The 8th F.O. had one tent ruined by shrapnel. The second they have lost in the same manner. They were well dug in, so suffered no personnel casualties.…

[Continued from previous page] We had steak today (caused more comment then the shelling) and it was good. We have been in Germany for more than a week now and on the Front line for about 70 days without a break. I don’t think that any of the men would want to rest now with…

[Continued from previous page] its perfection. Clear, warm, sun shining. (Good bombing weather.) Today 3600 bombers hit the German city of Dresden. Most of them came home via our C.P. After hundreds of them had passed very high up, two came straggling by on a wing and a prayer losing altitude steadily. They were practically…