Sunday · Nov. 22, 1942
A bath in my helmet.
We use our helmets as wash basins.
North Africa · Nov 2, 1942
Dearest Ginny:
Another day—Sunday—and my regular bath—in my helmet. We use our helmets as wash basins—and I’ve even heard of cooking stew in them. I feel pretty good now that I’ve shaved and am clean.
Last night the farmer gave us a nice white turkey hen which we’re having for dinner together with some sweet potatoes & peas which we bought.
I have been having a devil of a time trying to find wrapping paper for your …
… perfume. I’m also sending two decks of cards I bought on the boat. They will be nice for use at home—or the folks would like them for bridge.
We have a devil of a time keeping the Arabs out of camp. They come in large groups begging food & clothing. We can’t afford it so we have to turn them down. They wear old rags with [parkas?] over the head.—the rags are sewed into a gown. Mostly the men have no pants and they try to get the men to give them their army clothes. Most of the Arabs look dirty & diseased so we have to keep …
Transcribed exactly as he wrote it in 1942.
… them away from camp. Every time we drive along the road Arabs will wave at us and make signs indicating they want food or cigarettes. Even the kids smoke cigarettes.
Last night the officers got in another poker game—two “I” Company officers coming out with the winnings. My money will get home to you in money orders if I can get them. By the way—did you get those money orders for $175.00 yet? Let me know when you get them.
It gets rather hard to write letters one way—i.e. without receiving any. You probably …
… have found the same thing to be true for you. All I can do is write about what I have seen & what I do. There is not much point to talking or asking about things you have already written to me, but which I have not received.
Needless to say, I only wish I were home with you. Write to me and tell me what you are doing & what the Princess is doing. Rumor has it that the mail boat will be in next week. I’m looking forward to a lot of mail.
I hope you & Linda are well—likewise the folks. Give my love to them.
All my love
Your John
About this letter
Two weeks after the landings in North Africa, John takes a bath in his helmet, has a turkey dinner from a local farmer, and finds it hard to keep writing letters when none are coming back.
ABOUT THE DATEHe wrote “Nov 2, 1942,” but the troops didn’t land until Nov. 8, and Nov. 2 was a Monday. A week later, on Sunday, Nov. 29, he wrote that the mail boat he mentions here “must have been rumor.” So this letter is almost certainly Sunday, Nov. 22.
BEFORE YOU READJohn describes the local people the way many American soldiers did in 1942. His words are kept exactly as he wrote them.
READING CLOSELY
“It gets rather hard to write letters one way—i.e. without receiving any.” Rumor had it the mail boat would arrive the next week. He was looking forward to a lot of mail.
“I” Company was John’s company in the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.
The Big Picture
Torch lands
On Nov. 8, 1942, Operation Torch landed about 107,000 American and British troops in Morocco and Algeria. These French colonies answered to the Vichy government, which had made peace with Germany. Some French troops fought back hard.
The fighting stopped on Nov. 10 and 11. On Nov. 22 the French commander, Admiral François Darlan, signed a deal with the Americans, and French forces in North Africa joined the Allies.
Next came a race for Tunisia. Germany began flying in troops on Nov. 11. British and American forces raced east to take Tunis first.
Where he was
In camp outside Oran, Algeria. On Nov. 8 his 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry landed east of the city near Arzew. On the night of Nov. 9 it slipped past French troops at Arcole and reached the edge of Oran, which surrendered Nov. 10.
In this letter. His bath in a helmet was standard: soldiers in the field heated water in their steel helmets to wash and shave.