Robertson Bruce Graham
A WWII Remembrance – Part III
Submitted by: Randy Graham © July 2003 Roseville, CA
Journey To North Africa
On November 8, 1942, British and American troops successfully landed at three places in Morocco and Algeria. This effort was named Operation Torch and was led by Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Allied powers realized that if they could drive the Axis powers from North Africa, Allied navel forces could gain control over the Mediterranean Sea. Then, from bases in North Africa, it would be possible to attack Italy and German controlled France from the South.
By the end of 1942, the 301st Bomb Group, 353rd Bomb Squadron, was detached from the 8th Air Force in Britain and reassigned to the 12th Air Force in North Africa in support of the Allied Forces in Algeria and Morocco. Dad was assigned to the 301st and on January 4, 1943 left Morrison Field in Palm Beach, Florida for Ain M'Lila, Algeria.
In a letter written from Trinidad, to Gran and John R., dated January 14, 1943, he describes his trip overseas. He says "Just a short note to give you some idea of our trip here. Will try to drop you a line from every spot we hit just to keep your files interesting for posterity.
"Had a long and very rough ride until we were about 250 miles off South America, and then we hit a terrific storm - the likes of which I've never seen - and had it all the way in. We tried to fly over it, but could not find the top even at 15,000 feet so gave up. If it hadn't been for our radio directional compass, I'm sure we'd never have made it as we landed with less than an hour's gas supply. I was really scared for awhile. However, due to our experience in the storm, we are much wiser.
"All of our 12 hour flight was by day except for two hours. We flew over many beautiful islands, near Cuba and Puerto Rico, though we were too far away to see much of the latter. The coast along here is beautiful - truly tropical and jungle. They say the snakes are really huge here, too - up to 25 feet in length.
"The weather is very humid. When our motors are running, the propellers churn water behind them. Haven't seen the sun since we landed, as the sky has been overcast. It rains like hell every five minutes. I think the rainfall here is around 85 inches a season. Tomorrow we cross the equator. We've been kidding our ball turret gunner into believing he'll be able to see it. He's a farmer boy from Kansas - Hadn't been 40 miles from home before he enlisted.
"I've really enjoyed myself immensely. So far it's been like a grand excursion trip and vacation with pay at Uncle Sam's expense or your taxes. But in a few days, things will be very different - May it come soon. We went to the so called town of this island tonight. Quite a place! The natives are really interesting and they dress up in very bright and gaudy clothes with huge fancy hats. Very dirty looking. They told us the venereal disease rate is 95% here!
"On our way to town, we drove through 25 miles of pure jungle - coconut trees, rubber trees, breadfruit, bananas and bamboos. Was surprisingly cool too. The natives dislike the British intensely, but go for Americans. Seems the Limeys make them work for almost nothing. Our government pays them $1.00 a day, and they think that's great.
"The rate of exchange is 17% - or $1.17 for our $1.00. Cigarettes in the field PX are 60 cents per carton. Tell the Irishman that! I'm making a collection of coins for my future family - hope they appreciate my efforts. That about covers it. Will write again from our next stop."
Dad fully describes his trip from Florida to Africa in a separate undated journal, probably written at leisure once he had settled into his new quarters in Algeria. The journal entry is titled Morrison Field to Trinidad, B.W.I. and reads "Leaving M.Fd. at 0405, it was too dark to notice anything until sunrise at 0700, at which time we were about 400 miles at sea. Even after dawn, nothing was observed for another hour or two when Cuba and Puerto Rico came into view off each wing almost simultaneously.
"Before hitting a 250 mile storm front, several beautiful small islands passed under our wings. They all had small towns, picturesque little harbors, and several small fishing boats. Then came the fun! We ran into one solid wall of cumulonimbus clouds. Rain, fog, winds, and roughs air! Tried to climb above the storm at 15,000 feet but couldn't even see the top of it. After flying an hour, we dropped down to 3,000 feet to find the bottom of the storm, but no go.
"Soon I saw jungle through an opening, at which time we knew we were over Venezuela. Our course was corrected 90 degrees to the left for 15 minutes to take us out to sea away from any dangerous mountains. Still not being able to see the water, we dropped down, and broke through clouds at 500 feet off the coast of Venezuela only five minutes from our turning point into Trinidad.
"The coast line was rugged, hilly, solid jungle up to the shore line. The weather, rather humid, was hot and sultry. Upon our turn into the island of Trinidad, we passed over Port of Spain - situated on a cozy little harbor full of ships of a convoy. We later found out the convoy had been scared into port by a pack of subs off the coast.
"Waller field, our destination on the island, is owned and operated by the U.S.A.A.F., with permission from the British Government. The base was acquired as one of the bases traded for 50 of our old World War I destroyers. Fort Reed, U.S. Coast Artillery, is adjacent to Waller Field. Both are out of the dense South American jungle, with 5,000 foot mountains to the immediate east side.
"Trinidad itself is a fertile little island about 50 miles wide, and likewise long, inhabited by Negroes and a few Hindus. The main city is Port of Spain - used in the days of the Spanish Main by pirates as a place to spend their loot. Port of Spain is a dirty, diseased town, good to say 'goodbye' to, and nothing else.
"We stayed at this lousy place five days and six nights waiting for a part for Jeanne I. Finally left Trinidad for Belem, Brazil. On the trip down we searched for Mancini's ship that had been lost shooting for Trinidad. No sign of him, and probably won't be, as he was four days overdue. Our trip to Belem was dull. We followed the South American coast down. The coast looked uncivilized, but rather pretty. We flew over many native fish traps - thought they were subs at first.
"Before hitting Belem, we passed over British Guinea, Dutch Guinea (Suriname), and French Guinea. At Fr. G. we flew over Devil's Island - looked O.K. from the air, but the stories I've heard about it are ungodly. If I ever avoid any place in future travels, it will be Belem. Hot, dirty, bugs and mosquitoes, plus lousy food and quarters. We stayed in barracks built by Germans.
"Also, it was here I got my first impression of resentment by the Brazilian people. The American air dome there is covered with Brazilian soldiers and guards. We left here the following morning for Natal, Brazil - the jumping off point for Africa. Our trip was again dull and very uneventful. We followed the coast down again.
"Natal was very much to our liking, after the previous stops. So we stayed three days, though we had to stay in tents. The town was beautiful. Little coastal town with roses, trees, gardens and lovely Latin type homes. The houses were built flush to the sidewalks, and all had patios and balconies. The children seemed to get a kick out of us - as usual, we were pestered for gum and American smokes. We bought gaucho boots and hammocks. Our guide got his commission out of each, so we paid half again as much as we should have.
"Our next hop was across the broad expanse of the South Atlantic to Bathurst in Gambia, W. Africa. We left early in the morning to beat any incoming bad weather. However, half the trip across we had to fight a storm full of thunderheads. They drove us up to 10,000 feet to climb above. As we flew along, you could see huge thunderheads building up directly in front of us, causing us many times to turn off course. After 10 1/2 hours of flying over water, Ord, our illustrious navigator, bellowed into the earphones, 'Africa A-Ho!'.
"To see it for the first time was indeed a thrill to me. As the broad shores came into view, I couldn't help thinking of all the deep and mysterious things the Dark Continent held - of unfound wealth, of wild animals and wonder, black savages and their witch doctors, of the Sunigals and their strange rhythm, and lastly, of the bitter war in the north we were going to - to fight and die.
"It was at this point I began to wonder for the first time - Would I ever leave Africa alive. So many men had set foot on this continent, never to return.
"We hit the African coast, 40 miles south of our destination, Bathurst, and as dirty and uncivilized as the place was, I was glad to be there. We were dead tired, having been in the air for some eleven solid hours. The field here, like at Trinidad, was cut out of the jungle and about 20 miles from the nearest town.
"Knowing we'd only be there long enough to rest up over night, I took my first opportunity to go into town. We rode into town on the back of a Limey truck. On the way in I saw several interesting sites. Several native black women bathing in a stream; natives praying along the roadside; and bottles attached near the top of cocoa-nut trees, which I learned was to catch a juice the natives made a potent drink of.
"The town of Bathurst was a small seaport full of Limeys and Negroes. We wandered through a native market. They seem to bring their wares in, and set them down at the first spot they see, and then are open for business. Everything was sold there, from jewelry to stinking, fly-covered meats.
"This part of Africa is under the British rule. The more intelligent natives are part of the army. These boys are very proud of themselves, and take their soldiering seriously. They sing as they march, one of those haunting rhythmical African chants. it's very beautiful, and their harmony is colorful. Their main interest in us, were our cigarettes and wristwatches.
"During our short stay here, some of the boys went monkey-hunting in the jungle near the field. The next morning, we took to the blue bright and early, for Marrakech, French Morocco. A five hour trip all inland and interesting it was. We first flew over green valleys and cultivated fields similar to Southern Idaho. Then came miles and miles of nothing but dry, red desert sand dunes. Not a sign of vegetation for more than an hour.
"Soon we came to foothills. They were covered with what looked like cave-dwellers. Winding through the hills were caravan trails. The hills themselves were gorgeously colored with shades of purple, green, pink, brown, and blue. On the other side of the hills laid a fertile valley, with a muddy river running through the middle, and a small town at each end.
"Between this valley and Marrakech, was a steep range of mountains from 14,000 to 15,000 feet high topped with snow. I picked out a valley to fly through and we glided on with steep peaks towering above us on both sides. Once through the pass, and on the other side of the mountains, the resort city of Marrakech came into view. It was surrounded by orange groves, and olive trees, and laid on the floor of a small valley covered with farms, cattle and sheep.
"The city itself was protected by a huge wall, twenty feet high, and six feet thick. The population of Arabs and French had both separate sections of the city. The Arab section was called Medina and a strange little settlement it was. In the middle, surrounded by Arab homes, was their business district and markets. A huge open air space was for transient peddlers, food merchants, and snake-charmers.
"We saw oranges, tangerines, dates, wheat, native flour, pottery, hammered brass wear, grass rugs, meats (covered with flies), and trinket peddlers. There were several snake-charmers who charmed their reptiles not with a flute but a whole damned native orchestra!! One fellow in particular interested me. He was a wild looking character - looked like he'd never had a haircut, or bath. His hair was jet black, twice as long as any woman's and very stringy. God knows how many snakes he had, but he kept pulling them out of a bag. With each snake he showed, he'd take up a collection.
"For some reason, he'd take the ends of his hair, kiss it, then touch the palm of a hand of some on-looker, then kiss the snake. He'd jump around and scream like he was standing on hot coals. All this time, the orchestra would play for all it was worth. Then he'd pull out another snake and start another collection. Most of his pets were cobras, though he had some other species.
"The main part of the native business district was a winding labyrinth of narrow streets and allies covered with crude lattice work and palm branches. They were dark, and musty, with the foul odor of the Arabs. The streets or alleys, were about 8 feet wide and 10 feet high, with dirty pavement. The 'stores' were on each side, made of clay and nothing but literal holes in the wall. The store itself was usually 6x10x10 in dimension. Few shelves, most of the merchandise hung on the walls, or laid on the floor. There were wine stores, grain stores, native sandal stores, and leather shops full of brightly colored leather goods of Moroccan Leather."
To be Continued . . .
Submitted by: Randy Graham © July 2003 Roseville, CA
Published in U S Legacies October 2004
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