USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Wenham > Wenham in World War II : war service of Wenham men and women and civilian services of Wenham people > Part 6
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"On one of my trips from China to India over the hump, I landed a few miles outside of Calcutta and then moved into Calcutta only a few hundred yards away from Robert Caves and Eddie Lynch. I paid them a visit while there.
"The Burma Road was one of the greatest engineering feats I have ever seen. It goes through mountains which, to look at, you'd think it impossible to cross.
"At one time the Japanese cut the road so that no supplies could pass into China which was in desperate need of them. American troops were sent into Upper Assam and started at a small place named Ledo. Their purpose was to cut directly across to the origi- nal Burma Road and isolate the Jap troops holding the upper part.
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Wenham in World War II
The old Burma Road started at Rangoon and followed up the valley to where the troops were taken from a small railroad, put onto trucks and carried the rest of the way into China.
"The 'Ledo Highway' was built by American engineering outfits and natives called 'Chindits,' a mixture of races. This road for the most part is very good and has two-way traffic. Where it joins the Burma Road trouble begins. It is one car wide with turnouts every few miles. It is the roughest road I have ever seen and con- trary to belief, there is no macadam or cement on the entire road into China. It is cut into the side of sheer rock mountains with a drop of a thousand feet. There are stations at intervals. Acting as mechanics, we never slept in these places. We stayed on the road repairing trucks and slept in our own shop truck.
"From one stop, you start in the morning at 5 :30 and start climb- ing. The mountains are so steep you travel in first gear all day long. For 5 to 6 hours you are traveling in the clouds. The next stop is only 65 miles away but it takes all day to get there.
"During the monsoon season, skid chains are used on the rear wheels and the front wheels of the trucks are disconnected from the four-wheel drive. This prevents rapid skidding. From India to China the complete trip takes between 8 and 10 days depending on the amount of trouble the trucks have. All goods are brought into Kunming, China and from there they are distributed where needed. Due to the shortage of transportation, many Chinese drivers were used and between guarding the trucks and repairing them, you were kept very busy. The Chinese would sell trucks, supplies and all, if not carefully watched. Chinese guerillas were along the road and at all times one had to be armed."
Eugene Corning returned to the States with his unit December 7 and was honorably discharged at Ft. Devens on December 11, 1945. 11, 1945.
Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
China War Memorial Badge
World War II Victory Medal
FRANK AUSTIN CORNING, JR., entered on active duty as Pri- vate in the Army of the U. S., Air Forces, June 6, 1942. After basic training, he went to Lowry Field, Denver, to Aircraft Armament
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
School, Gunnery School and Computing Sight School, where he was promoted to Corporal. He did so well there that he was sent to Salina Army Air Base for duty as Gunnery Instructor, and, after promo- tion to Sergeant, served as Armament Inspector.
Corning joined the 385th Heavy Bombardment Group in Great Ashfield, England, October 27, 1943, and was assigned to a B-17 as Toggleir. As a Toggleir his duties were to replace a commis- sioned bombardier on a bomber, "the difference being that the Tog- gleir has not been trained in the use of our famed Norden Bomb- sight. He must have as complete knowledge of bombing as the bombardier with the exception of the bombsight. Toggleirs release the bombs in their planes the instant the lead bombardier in the lead ship of the group releases his." Later he was made bombing equip- ment instructor for new crews.
He flew many missions in his ship, the "Big Gas Bird," includ- ing support work for the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of North- ern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland and Central Europe. In August 1943 during the Air Offensive over Europe which preceded our Normandy landing, Corning flew the England-Regensburg- Africa mission against the Messerschmitt aircraft plant .* He has since received the Presidential Unit Citation for participation in this, now historic, shuttle-bombing of the aircraft factories at Reg- ensburg, Germany.
"My greatest thrill was flying home in our old ship that had been with us from the start of the bombing of Hitler and his gang. It had been through 88 bombing missions without a single loss of life which is a fine record in any bomber. It spanned the Atlantic with little difficulty, carrying 20 passengers and 1100 lbs. of baggage. Today, though it may lie in some junk pile, there are 10 ex-G.I.'s who shall never forget the 'Big Gas Bird' as we had proudly named her."
Frank Corning returned to the U.S.A. June 1945 and was honor- ably discharged at Randolph Field, Texas, October 25, 1945.
He has since been elected Commander of the Lt. Norman Prince Post of the American Legion, the first World War II veteran of Wenham to be so honored.
Presidential Unit Citation : "Awarded for participation in the England-Africa shuttle bombing of the Messerschmitt aircraft factories at Regensburg, Germany in August 1943."
Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
*See Stephen Kraczynski's account of same mission.
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Wenham in World War II
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Bronze and Silver stars for Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, Air Offensive Europe. World War II Victory Medal
RICHARD WILSON COSH entered on active duty as a Private in the Army of the U. S. on July 20, 1942. He was assigned to the Medical Corps and sent to Camp Pickett, Va. for basic training. He then joined the 69th Station Hospital at Madison Barracks, Sackett's Harbor, N. Y. and went overseas with this unit.
The 69th Station Hospital was a 500-bed hospital. In February 1943 it crossed to Casablanca and was established in a former French hospital, where for six months it cared for wounded Americans shipped in by plane and train from the forward area which at that time was around Tunisia.
The hospital was sent forward to Oran in August 1943 where it was part of General Mark Clark's Fifth Army and took care of the wounded sent over from Sicily and Italy. During this time Richard Cosh was promoted to Corporal (1944). He served for a short time as Pharmacist in a dispensary in Algiers and crossed with his unit in October 1944 to Southern France where they were stationed at Marseille and Nice.
In January 1945 Richard Cosh transferred to the infantry. He was sent to a Replacement Depot in Paris for further training, and from there was assigned to the 106th Infantry Division, part of the First Army (Gen. Hodges). This division saw some of the worst fighting of the war when they withstood the German counter offen- sive at Malmedy in Belgium in late December and January 1945. In fact the Germans at that time claimed its destruction. Richard Cosh joined the 106th as a rifleman and later when the division was reorganized he was made a medical corpsman.
After VE Day his unit, the 106th, had charge of prisoners of war, and took part in the Occupation. They were stationed at Karlsruhe, in the southern part of Germany.
Richard Cosh came home in September 1945 and was honorably discharged at Ft. Devens on November 3, 1945.
Combat Infantry Badge
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with stars for Southern France, Northern France and Rhineland.
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
JOHN W. CREDIFORD, JR *. entered on active duty as a Pri- vate in the Army of the U. S. on October 21, 1942. He was later promoted to Sergeant and served as Instructor, Organization and Publication branch of the 35th Academic Squadron at Ft. Logan, Colo.
He went overseas and was with the 365th Service Group, 379th Headquarters and Base Service Squadron stationed in England.
He returned to the States and was honorably discharged on Sep- tember 24, 1945.
*This paper is based only on facts obtained from the first questionnaire.
HAROLD JAMES CUMMINGS entered on active duty as Appren- tice Seaman in the U. S. Naval Reserve on April 4, 1943. He went through Recruit Training at Newport, R. I. and then received fur- ther training at Quonset Point, R. I.
As Seaman 1/c, Cummings was assigned to the air group of the USS Bennington (CV 20) in July 1944 and proceeded to the Paci- fic. The ship's first engagement was against Honshu, one of the main islands of Japan, on February 15 and 16, 1945; and from then on she and her air group were steadily engaged. The ship's planes took part in the Iwo Jima landings, both on the spot and by destroying aircraft and airstrips from which the Japs were trying to send reinforcements. They did the same work at Okinawa and then took part in the final series of raids against Japan itself.
The Bennington then operated for a month in the Inland Sea, be- tween Japan and China.
Harold J. Cummings was honorably discharged at the Fargo Building, Boston on April 5, 1946.
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with stars for Iwo Jima, Okin- awa and Third Fleet Operations against Japan.
World War II Victory Medal
HAROLD JUDSON CUMMINGS entered on active duty as a Private in the Army of the U. S. on April 7, 1941. He took his basic training at Ft. Belvoir, Va. and was assigned to Co. F, 21st Engineers. (Aviation).
On November 1, 1942 with the rank of T/5, Harold Cummings went overseas with his unit. They sailed in convoy on a troop ship, the USS John Erickson, for Casablanca. The first echelon landed on November 8 and fought its way ashore. The 21st landed
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on November 18 having been held outside while the Navy cleared the entrance to the harbor of subs and mines.
The 21st Engineers (Aviation) was a Heavy Equipment Co. They handled the heavy tractors, graders and carryalls, and their job was to build large airfields. Cummings says, "After landing at Casablanca, we built the first pierced-plank (all steel) runway at Madona 18 miles out of Casablanca. From there we went to Sale and built two runways of pierced-plank. After that we went by con- voy 1200 miles across North Africa to Bone, to lengthen a British airfield for General Davis, who was the organizer of the 21st En- gineers Aviation." At this time the Germans and Italians still held Tunisia and Sicily and enemy planes from these bases kept the 21st Engineers under continual attack. "We fought off sixty night raids in three months."
In September 1943, men and equipment were loaded on an LST and sailed out of Bizerte, North Africa, to Taranto, Italy where they worked on the British side (East) of Italy. "We proceeded to Fog- gia where we built a number of airfields. Half of them were dirt and half of steel."
The 21st Engineers (Aviation) spent two years in Italy. "We went into Italy before Cassino and Anzio and were there until the enemy surrendered after the Po Valley. From the airfields built by the 21st Engineers, British and American planes took off for the Foggia-Naples campaign and these airfields were the bases from which our planes took part in the Rome-Arno Campaign." Through- out these campaigns his duty was to keep in repair trucks and equip- ment in the motor pool.
After the surrender, the 21st Engineers (Aviation) continued to operate as a maintenance crew until September 1945 when they were ordered to rip up useless fields, salvage and roll up steel run- ways and get ready to go to the Pacific. VJ Day saved them from this and they returned to the United States at the end of the month.
Harold Cummings was honorably discharged at Ft. Devens on November 2, 1945.
Good Conduct Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with stars for Foggia-Naples and Rome-Arno Campaigns.
World War II Victory Medal
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
JAMES IRVING CUMMINGS enlisted in the U. S. Naval Re- serve in 1937. His term expired and he re-enlisted and entered on active duty in the U. S. Navy on April 22, 1941.
He was assigned to the USS Texas (BB-35), then on neutrality patrol in the North Atlantic, and served as Sight Setter on a 3" Anti- Aircraft Gun.
In June 1941 the new American Merchant Marine Liner SS America was on her way to New York with passengers when she was intercepted at sea by radio and ordered into Norfolk, Va. There she was taken over by the Navy and her passengers discharged. She was repainted, renamed the USS West Point, and a Navy crew put aboard. James Cummings joined her as Bugler 1/c.
In November 1941 the West Point was sent from Norfolk to Hali- fax where with five other American ships she picked up British troops which had been brought over from England. The West Point embarked the Sherwood Forresters. They sailed to Capetown arriv- ing two days after the U. S. had declared war; then went on to Bombay where they were held over for three weeks to give the troops a chance to drill. After reloading the men they went to Singapore via the narrow Bangka Channel. They were escorted by the British cruiser HMS Exeter and by a Greek destroyer. While in the Chan- nel they were attacked by fighter planes but entered Singapore in the late afternoon of January 15, 1942. Cummings' battle station was Security Watch on the bridge. He was equipped with earphones to pick up the air-raid warnings from the town and his job was to relay this and also as bugler to sound ship's air-raid alarm.
"Two hours after arriving in Singapore the city was bombed by 26 Jap bombers. It was comparatively simple for the Japs as there were no Allied fighter planes available for the defense of the city. These bombers made frequent bombing runs all during our stay in Singapore.
"The USS Wakefield, a troop transport, was hit by a bomb in No. 1 hold killing 12 men and one officer. The SS Empress of Japan, a British ship, was bombed and sunk in Singapore harbor.
"As soon as the troops were removed from the West Point, the refugees of Singapore were hurried aboard. After 48 hours of con- stant bombings we were forced to shove off just before dark as the Japs were bent on demolishing the docks. Our passengers were landed at Batavia, D. E. I., and Bombay, India.
"It was a tragic scene during our stay in Singapore as mothers and children were separated from their loved ones and homes."
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In July 1941, before the war, the West Point transported the Italian and German ambassadors and their families to Portugal for return to their own countries. The trip was well advertised and the ship sailed with all lights on and a spot light on the American flag. It was made without incident and James Cummings met Alfred Landers (on the USS Ingham) in Lisbon harbor.
"During the war the West Point covered a distance of 362,000 miles without loss of a single passenger due to enemy action on the high seas.
"The West Point carried a capacity of 1,500,000 gallons of fuel, 1,000,000 gallons of water and had a cruising speed of 23 knots. At one time she traveled from Rio de Janeiro to Bombay, India in 21 days without refueling, a distance of over 8,000 miles. When loaded with troops, 40 tons of food were consumed daily."
James Cummings was advanced to Buglemaster 2/c and Bugle- master 1/c in 1944.
After sailing all over the world he was honorably discharged at Boston, Mass. on September 13, 1945.
Commendation from Capt. F. H. Kelley, USNR of the USS West Point for "devotion to duty under fire during Evacuation of Singapore."
Good Conduct Medal
American Defense Service Medal with bronze A
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with star for Evacuation of Singapore.
Philippine Defense Medal
World War II Victory Medal
DONALD E. CURRIER 0-245107, Colonel, M.C., A.U.S. World War I, promoted from Sergeant to 2d Lieutenant, Field Artillery, November 26, 1917. Assigned to Battery D, 313th FA. Subse- quently graduated from Air Service Flying School, Post Field, Okla. and Aerial Gunnery School, Selfridge Field, Mich. , Assigned to 276 Aero-Squadron, Emerson Field, S. C., as Instructor Aerial Ob- servations ; discharged January 4, 1919.
World War II, inducted into Federal Service September 23, 1940 as Major, M. C. and assigned to Headquarters Selective Service for Mass .; transferred to Ft. Meade, Md., September 3, 1942 to assume command of the 93d Evacuation Hospital, a mobile 400 bed hospital.
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
Sailed April 15, 1943 on SS Mariposa, landing at Casablanca, N. A., April 24, 1943. "We were in operation at Tizi, Algeria, for the first time; then came Sicily, various parts of Italy including Saler- no, and Anzio, Southern France and Germany. During our two years and three months in service overseas, we hospitalized almost 40,000 patients, fully half of them battle casualties directly from the battle fields."
Col. Currier left Orly, France by plane on July 14, 1945 and arrived at Wilmington, Del., the next day. He was discharged from active service on December 6, 1945.
World War I Victory Medal
Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal
Army Commendation Ribbon
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, with arrow- heads for D-Day landings at Sicily, Anzio, Southern France, and stars for Sicily, Anzio, Naples, Foggia, Rome-Arno, South- ern France, Ardennes, Alsace, Rhineland, Germany.
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
DONALD ESTES CURRIER, JR. enlisted on December 29, 1941 as Aviation Cadet in the Army of the U. S. and was sent to Carl- strom Field, Arcadia, Fla. to become a pilot. Like so many he "washed" after 42 hours. His second choice was to be a bombardier and he completed his training at Williams Field, Ariz. and was appointed 2d Lieutenant in the Officers' Reserve Corps on January 2, 1943. He was assigned to Hondo Navigation School, Texas for Navigational Training, Las Vegas Gunnery School, Nev., 395th Bomb Group (H) Ephrato, Wash., 383rd Bomb Group (H) Geiger Field, Spokane, Wash., AAB (Army Air Base) Hq., Grand Island, Neb. and Hq. North Atlantic Wing, ATC, (Army Transport Com- mand), Presque Isle, Me.
"Flew Atlantic October 14, 1943, arriving at Valley, England on October 15, the day after the Schweinfurt Raid (Ball Bearing Plant), the heaviest loss of heavy bombers the 8th Air Force had sustained to date. (60 confirmed lost.) The gloom we encountered was terrific. We were all replacement crews and we weren't too happy either. We had two weeks' classwork, consisting mainly of
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listening to the instructors, who were all veterans, tell us their ex- periences and 'flak us up' (a term used to express increasing the fears of the newcomers by relating horrible experiences, purposely magnified-we later did our full share of it too.) Then our crew was assigned to one fighting group. We became part of the 306th Bomb Group (H), 369th Squadron, flying B-17's (Fortresses). With them we were to live and fight. Gloom was heavy here too from the Schweinfurt Mission, for this group also had lost its share."
Donald Currier's group was based at Thurleigh, 45 miles north of London. He became Flight Bombardier March 21, 1944 and on March 28 finished his tour (25 missions) and volunteered for an- other. This gave him 30 "full days at home." He flew back to his field in England in July and in September became Squadron Bom- bardier. This meant he was head Bombardier in the Squadron and also a lead bombardier on missions with the responsibility of locat- ing the target and hitting it. If he failed, so did the rest of the planes under his plane's leadership. He says, "There was no second chance; one only failed once; the Group and the 8th Air Force saw to that." He had 15 leads to his credit and no misses when the war and his job were done and he returned to the states for good.
"After the war I had the privilege of flying over to 'Camp Lucky Strike,' the Air Forces' released POW's Camp, before general per- mission to do this was cancelled. There I talked with all of the fellows from the Squadron and Group who had been unlucky. It was an experience to finally find out what had happened, and to find men safe, who had been reported killed."
Currier flew forty-five missions including the January 11, 1944 run against Oschersleben and the factory supplying parts for Junker fighters at Halberstadt in central Germany. Two hundred and seventy-five Fortresses went on this run including 33 from the 306th Group. For two hours and over 300 miles from the target to the North Sea, the Division fought its way back through flak and un- ceasing fighter attack. It lost 42 bombers but brought down five enemy fighters for every bomber which failed to return. The 306th Group lost five aircraft in less than 10 minutes. This mission was one of a series of heavy and effective blows against the German Air Force, as manufacture of new fighters was curtailed.
Donald Currier was promoted to Captain December 21, 1944 and was released to inactive duty on February 13, 1946.
Distinguished Flying Cross awarded by Lt. Col. Riordan, March
28, 1944 for "courage and skill, fighting from his gun position
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
he warded off many enemy attacks" during 25 bombardment missions.
Air Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster.
Distinguished Unit Badge
American Campaign Medal with three stars awarded to 8th Air Force.
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with bronze stars for Air Offensive Europe, Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe, Normandy, Northern France.
World War II Victory Medal
GEORGE ERNEST D'AMATO entered on active duty as a Pri- vate in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on October 20, 1943, and was sent to boot camp at Parris Island, S. C. Upon the com- pletion of his training, he was assigned to the USMC Ordnance Training School at Quantico, Va., for further schooling. Upon leaving Quantico in April 1944, he was transferred to VMSB (Mar- ine Scout Bomber Squadron) 391, at Eagle Mountain Lake in Texas, where his duties were repairing guns, machine guns, rifles and pistols. He was advanced in rating to Private First Class.
In July 1944, D'Amato joined Service Squadron 33 at San Diego, Calif. This outfit landed on Okinawa during the early days of that campaign, and remained there until December 1945. The Squadron was awarded a Navy Unit Citation for its part in the capture of Okinawa. D'Amato "rode the rear seat" on SBD (Dauntless) dive bombers on missions against the enemy. He was advanced to Corp- oral on September 22, 1945.
Upon his return to the States, George D'Amato was assigned to Quantico, Va. where his duties were miscellaneous until he was honorably discharged at Quantico on July 16, 1946.
Navy Unit Citation with star
Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with star for Okinawa.
World War II Victory Medal
JOHN M. DARNTON entered on active duty as a Private in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve, in May 1943. He was sent to Parris Island and New River, N. C. for boot training where has was recom- mended for Officers' Training at Quantico, Va. After he had re-
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ceived his Commission as 2d Lieutenant he went to Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a course in radar and radio which lasted almost a year.
In November 1944 he was ordered to the Pacific and on arrival at Camp Catlin, Pearl Harbor, he was assigned to VMTB 242, (Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron) 4th Marine Air Wing based on Tinian (Marianas). The Squadron was engaged in reconnais- sance and anti-submarine patrol. Darnton served as Radio and Radar Officer.
He returned to the States in December 1945 and was released to inactive duty in February 1946.
American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
MARIANNE DAVIS entered on active duty as a Private in the Womens' Army Corps, Army of the United States, on October 7, 1944. She was sent to Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. for basic training and Army Specialist School, Fitzsimons General Hospital, Denver, Colo. for training in laboratory technique.
She was graduated with the rank of Corporal and was assigned to Bruns General Hospital, Santa Fe, N. Mex. where she served as Laboratory Technician. The hospital cared for patients from the Pacific Theater.
Marianne Davis was honorably discharged in July 1946.
Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
FREDERICK MYERS DEARBORN, JR. was commissioned 2d Lieutenant in the Field Artillery Reserve, Army of the U. S., on graduation from college in 1933, spent two weeks on active duty in January 1941, and entered on extended active duty June 9, 1941 with the 1st Battalion of the 18th Field Artillery at Ft. Sill, Okla. as a 2d Lieutenant. This regiment remained there for the next two years as school troops for the Field Artillery School. This duty in- volved furnishing the personnel and material for the training of the various classes of the Officer Candidate School, the basic and ad- vanced officers' courses and the several enlisted courses.
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