Recusant
Member
Below are my father-in-law’s journal entries leading up to the end of WWII in Europe which were written 75 years ago. The 90th Infantry Division was en route to Prague when the VE Day ended World War II. I should add that he was a 19 year old and was assigned as a gunner in a machine gun squad.
May 1st and 2nd, 1945
We are still guarding the pass (most likely the Regen Pass in the Sudeten Mountains) but haven’t seen a thing. We killed nine chickens last night and they sure was good. It snowed last night, and boy was it dark. We were in a house with 8 kids. I almost went crazy. We moved out and followed F Co. and ran into a shelling. When we came out on the hill, they really laid them in on us. We had to hall *** and boy the jeep sure flew. We went in another way, but they shelled us there. We had to get across the open field, so the driver put it in low and took off. Boy did we go. The mud flew all over. We slid all over the field dodging shells, but we made it. We are staying in Marberg, Czechoslovakia. We can talk to people now. We are cut off from the Company, but we will make the best of it for tonight. God Help Us.
May 3, 4, & 5, 1945
I got paid for 2 months today. The 11th Panzer Div gave up to us today and we went out to get them. We got the first bunch-2000 men. I got some pistols off of them. We rode most of the night and it rained also. It sure was cold and wet. The whole Div had over 5000 men in it. They came in all night and next day. The fields were covered with Germans. They have trucks and tanks lined by the road for 20 miles. It sure is good to see them come in. It means the war is getting closer to the end.
May 5 thru 8, 1945
We moved into a town in Czechoslovakia (Kollinetz). They told us the war was over. It sure was like a dream. We went on a patrol to a town and got lots of of wine. It sure was good. I had 8 different kinds. We stayed in Kollinetz and stayed with some people. They sure were swell.
May 9th, 1945
They had a dance last night and I had a swell time. It sure was great and the people were too kind to us. There sure was a lot of pretty girls around. In the afternoon, the people had a parade with 4 flags. Czechoslovakia, English, Russian, and ours. It sure was pretty. It was 9 miles long.
May 1st and 2nd, 1945
We are still guarding the pass (most likely the Regen Pass in the Sudeten Mountains) but haven’t seen a thing. We killed nine chickens last night and they sure was good. It snowed last night, and boy was it dark. We were in a house with 8 kids. I almost went crazy. We moved out and followed F Co. and ran into a shelling. When we came out on the hill, they really laid them in on us. We had to hall *** and boy the jeep sure flew. We went in another way, but they shelled us there. We had to get across the open field, so the driver put it in low and took off. Boy did we go. The mud flew all over. We slid all over the field dodging shells, but we made it. We are staying in Marberg, Czechoslovakia. We can talk to people now. We are cut off from the Company, but we will make the best of it for tonight. God Help Us.
May 3, 4, & 5, 1945
I got paid for 2 months today. The 11th Panzer Div gave up to us today and we went out to get them. We got the first bunch-2000 men. I got some pistols off of them. We rode most of the night and it rained also. It sure was cold and wet. The whole Div had over 5000 men in it. They came in all night and next day. The fields were covered with Germans. They have trucks and tanks lined by the road for 20 miles. It sure is good to see them come in. It means the war is getting closer to the end.
May 5 thru 8, 1945
We moved into a town in Czechoslovakia (Kollinetz). They told us the war was over. It sure was like a dream. We went on a patrol to a town and got lots of of wine. It sure was good. I had 8 different kinds. We stayed in Kollinetz and stayed with some people. They sure were swell.
May 9th, 1945
They had a dance last night and I had a swell time. It sure was great and the people were too kind to us. There sure was a lot of pretty girls around. In the afternoon, the people had a parade with 4 flags. Czechoslovakia, English, Russian, and ours. It sure was pretty. It was 9 miles long.
