Tag: France

1944 June 30 John Shaw–Drinking cider with local farmers

A letter from Cy’s brother in law to Cy’s sister.  John had been in France about two weeks. On the date of this letter, the Allies captured the port of Cherbourg, west of the Normandy landing beaches.

Map of Cherbourg

6/30/44  France

From: John Shaw

To: Nena Shaw

Hi Honey:

Well at last I received a couple of letters from you.  Also Chuck’s.  It always helps to hear that all is going O.K. there and a little news of what is going on it seems like a lot longer since I was there also since you mentioned in one of the letters it was only one year since I was at Custer it does seem a lot longer.

The people here seem very friendly.  What I have seen at least a few of us were out visiting some of the farms close by the other night and they brought out cider and insisted on us drinking more than we wanted for it tasted more like vinegar but jerry has taken all the good wine or most of it at least so it was the best they could offer and had some kick.  It is tough trying to talk to them but some of the fellows can speak a little French and we are helped out by a book that has a few words & pronunciations in it.  So by looking up a word at a time we managed to talk some.

France 1944 (Photo by John Shaw)

Be sure and keep that bottle tucked away for it won’t be long before I will be there to help you open it up and celebrate.  Well we’ll quit for now.

Remember I love you.   Yours, John

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1944 September 6 John Shaw–“We have been doing very good with the people here”

9/6/44 France

From John Shaw to Nena Shaw

Hi Honey:

Only a few days since I wrote to you last as I have time will do so again.  Have not received any mail for the past few days but suppose it is on the way. By the way did you ever get that $50 I sent you in July and $40 in Aug.  You have not mentioned it in any of the mail I have received, so would like to know.  We have not been paid for Aug. as yet so have not sent any more home.

We have been doing very good with the people here.*  They have brought out coffee they have been saving for 5 years, in celebration and it sure is good–more like back home than what we have been getting.

Say, how about sending that camera I had down at Crowder with all the film you can get.  I think by the time it gets here there will be a lot of pictures I will be able to take and if it should not get here it would not be too much lost.  If you do send it better put it in a wooden box so it won’t be smashed.

Well there is no news so will quit for now.  Remember I love you.

Yours John.

*Author’s note:  At this time, John’s battalion was camped at about 30 miles northwest of Paris.  “We spent three days at Evecquemont helping the townspeople celebrate both the liberation of Paris and the memory of the French dead of the First World War.  We made a provisional trucking company which made a trip to Belgium to transport infantrymen in their pursuit of the fast-retreating Germans.  Some of the more reckless officers and enlisted men violated orders and visited Paris, fraternized with the liberated Parisians, and forever bragged about it.  C’est la guerre!”    Source: “92nd Chemical Mortars” by Lt. Col. Ronald L. Martin, Cml.C.

 

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