Iowa
Old Press
Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune
Muscatine, Muscatine co., Iowa
June 12, 1943
Pvt. Lawrence Flannery Writes of Experiences In Battles
In Africa
Actual battle encounters with Axis forces in the
successfully completed war in Africa are described by Pvt.
Lawrence W. Flannery, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Flannery,
109 Roscoe avenue, in a V-Mail letter just received by his
parents. Under date of May 27, his letter in part read:
“Well, I found out that I could tell you where I have been
since I’ve been over here. To start it off, we landed in
Safi French Morocco, where we fought the French. From there we
hiked 240 miles to Port Lyautey. There we stayed for two months
until we started for the front. We went through Fez, around Oran,
and the city of Algiers.
“The first part of the battle we were in reserve at the
Kasserine pass. From there we went to El Guettar. That is where
we really did fight. I was at one time only 500 yards away from
the German lines. They really threw the works at us: rifle fire,
artillery, and mortar fire, besides being strafed by planes.
After that battle, we went to Sedjenane where we fought in the
mountains. Getting out of the mountains, we went towards Bizerte.
We went into Bizerte and stayed there for about two weeks. Boy,
that town is one big mess.
“I’m back near Oran now. I’ll write letters a lot
more now and tell you some of the funny experiences I’ve
had. I’m feeling fine.”
Pvt. Flannery serving with a combat team in an Army division,
left Muscatine on June 29, 1942, and after training 14 weeks at
Camp Wheeler, Ga., was sent to Africa from Fort Bragg, N.C.,
arriving in Africa the early part of November.
Receiving his issues of The Muscatine Journal fairly
regularly despite the fact that he was on the move most of the
time, he commented on seeing a picture of a cousin in one of the
issues.
Pvt. Flannery was employed by the Huttig Manufacturing company
before entering the service.
Wapello Men in Service Spending Leaves With Kin
Wapello—Burrell D. Mackey has arrived from Camp
Endicott, Davisville, R.I., for a week’s visit with his wife
and relatives.
Cpl. Marion Blanchard came in from Los Angeles, Calif., Friday
morning for nine days visit with his parents and friends.
Darrell Johnston of the U. S. Navy is spending a week’s
leave with his parents, wife and child.
GIVEN PROMOTION.
A petty officer rating in the WAVES has been won by
Marjorie L. Christensen, 417 Beggs street, who was recently
promoted to yeoman, third class, upon graduation from the naval
training station for members of the women’s reserve of the
Navy at Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls, recently.
Included in a class of 336 WAVES, all of whom were made petty
officers, she now will be assigned to a shore station to relieve
an enlisted man for sea duty. As a yeoman she learned how to
prepare and file naval correspondence.
AT ENGINEER CENTER.
Pvt. Edward F. Lorber, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. E. F.
Lorber, 602 East Eighth street, who recently entered military
service, is now at the engineer replacement training center at
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for an intensive training program in
preparation for combat engineer duty.
GUEST OF PARENTS.
Pvt. Harry Sywassink, of the 337th Fighter Squadron,
Army Airdrome, Glendale, Calif., is spending a 20-day furlough
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Sywassink, 205 West Sixth
street.
BACK TO DUTY
Second Lieut. Nola Belle Olwein, A. N. C., 31,
Evacuation Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif., will return to Los
Angeles tonight after spending the past week with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Olwein at Wapello.
Gipples Learn of Son’s Injuries In Africa War
Columbus Junction—Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gipple
received word this week from their son, Max Gipple, who is
somewhere in Africa, that he was struck in the shoulder by German
shrapnel from a coastal gun while he was working in a salvage
dump, sorting equipment. He was struck in the left shoulder and
the bone was broken between the elbow and shoulder.
He had just relieved Carroll Davis, another Louisa county
soldier, an hour earlier. He writes that he is compelled to lie
flat on his back but is not too seriously injured and it will not
be much longer until the bone will have time to set. His letter
was written May 21.
VISITORS HERE.
~Capt. And Mrs. Lawrence Herrick arrived here from Eglen,
Florida, and have been enjoying a visit with Mrs. Herrick’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Helmick, Columbus Junction, and with
Mr. Herrick’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Herrick, at
Letts. Capt. Herrick has completed his training at Eglen Field
and is now waiting transfer orders. He will returned to Florida
this week while Mrs. Herrick will remain here for a longer visit.
~First Sergeant Dorothy Hanft, of Columbus Junction, is in the
WAAC’s at Randolph Field, Tex.
MEET AT ALEUTIANS.
Leonard Arthur and Marshall Smith, both of this
community, met and spent sometime together in the far off
Aleutians. Both are in the service.
~Mrs. Richard Houseal received word Tuesday that her husband,
Pvt. Richard Houseal, had reached safely his destination
overseas.
~Rex Orris has returned to Farragut Field, Idaho, Navy station
after spending a furlough with his relatives and friends. He will
go from there to a Navy school.
SERVING OVERSEAS.
PFC. J. Lee Dickey, of Muscatine, is serving with a
battery unit overseas, according to a new address just received
by his sister, Mrs. Eugene Morris of 1517 East Fifth street. He
went overseas on Jan. 8, 1943. His parents are Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Dickey of Keithsburg, Ill.
Lt. Westbrook Held Prisoner In German Camp
Grandview—Lt. Hartley Westbrook is a prisoner of the German
government and is all right. This message was received by his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Westbrook, through his wife who lives
in Coon Rapids. She was notified by the United States government.
Lt. Westbrook, pilot of an Army plane, was reported missing in
action in a message received by relatives May 22, 1943. He had
been in the service about two years.
At the same time, Staff Sgt. John Arihood, another Grandview boy,
gunner with a U. S. bomber squadron, was reported missing.
Relatives have since received word that he died in an Axis prison
camp.
[transcribed by L.Z., November 2014]