0500: Awaken to Leftenant Randall happily announcing that it is time to wake up….. I lie in sleeping bag and contemplate killing him.
0530: I climb out of sleeping bad and find coffee. CWACs (Canadian Womens Army Corps) are wonderful, they give us coffee.
0530 to 0630: We decide which team will ride in which Jeep, and then change our minds many many times. On the plus side the nice CWAC women gave us breakfast bags to take on our mission.
0645: Three jeeps leave encampment for rally point. Captain Hunter, CWAC nurse Gutarra, and Trooper Tata ride with me.
0530: I climb out of sleeping bad and find coffee. CWACs (Canadian Womens Army Corps) are wonderful, they give us coffee.
0530 to 0630: We decide which team will ride in which Jeep, and then change our minds many many times. On the plus side the nice CWAC women gave us breakfast bags to take on our mission.
0645: Three jeeps leave encampment for rally point. Captain Hunter, CWAC nurse Gutarra, and Trooper Tata ride with me.
0700: At rally point.. chat with Yanks, receive ammunition, stand around….hurry up and wait.
0730(ish): We embark on our mission. The Yank in front of us falls farther and farther behind the convoy. We mutter a lot.
0730(ish): We embark on our mission. The Yank in front of us falls farther and farther behind the convoy. We mutter a lot.
0745: Captain Hunter regales us with tales of his deployment in Africa.
0800: Captain Hunter offers me a cigar. Excitement ensues until we realize we cannot light the damn things in an open vehicle with the windshield down. Sadness then ensues. We curse the slow Yank some more.
0820: Ambushed!! Happily the Jerries decide to play with the Yanks up front. Trooper Tata settles in to guard our front right wheel. None of us die and we get a chance to light our cigars.
0800: Captain Hunter offers me a cigar. Excitement ensues until we realize we cannot light the damn things in an open vehicle with the windshield down. Sadness then ensues. We curse the slow Yank some more.
0820: Ambushed!! Happily the Jerries decide to play with the Yanks up front. Trooper Tata settles in to guard our front right wheel. None of us die and we get a chance to light our cigars.
0840: More country roads. Enjoy the scenary.
0900: Arrive near town of Nouveau Oxford. Yanks and Commonwealth form up and armored vehicles move in to support.
0900: Arrive near town of Nouveau Oxford. Yanks and Commonwealth form up and armored vehicles move in to support.
0905: Jeeps await signals of road clear to move forward.
0912: Begin moving forward as Captain Hunter signals bridge cleared. Follow slowly and move forward on signals over bridge and down an alley.
0920: Begin moving up main road. Trooper Tata has captured two Jerries. Corproal Connolly seems to be dead. A Yank friend is hit and a Yank officer and I run into the road and pull him out for medical attention. Lt. Manweiler attends to the wounded American.
0920: Begin moving up main road. Trooper Tata has captured two Jerries. Corproal Connolly seems to be dead. A Yank friend is hit and a Yank officer and I run into the road and pull him out for medical attention. Lt. Manweiler attends to the wounded American.
1000: We are at the center of Nouveau Oxford. Jerries ceased playing with us and surrender. I find one Jerry playing dead and absolve him of his death. We chat a bit before he is herded with other prisoners. He was 81 years old and veteran of the last war. The Jerries are truly pulling every man they can to the front. The townspeople are celebrating their liberation.
We had a great time on the convoy from Eisenhower farm in Gettysburg to New Oxford PA. Thanks to Bob Buker and his crew for organising another wonderful event!!