Open Works

Title

Letter 5 from Basle and Strasbourg, 1946 February 26

Creator

Robert D. Davis

Files

Creation Date

2-26-1946

Keywords

letter, correspondence, army, World War II

Subject

World War, 1939-1945; Letter writing; United States. Army

Description

Envelope addressed to: "Mrs R.L. Davis 1619 Boston Muskogee, Oklahoma." From: "Sgt. Robert Davis, 18107121 Co. E, G237, 3MGR APO 403, Pm. N.Y." Davis apologizes for not writing more frequently while he was in Switzerland, mentioning that the cold kept him either in bed or on the ski slopes every day. He writes about the destruction of France, how even a year after the war, telephone poles and lines still lie on the ground. He describes the inefficiency; trains whose pre-war schedules put their journey's length at 2 and a half hours now take 5 hours to reach their destination. He mentions that he was greeted by a horde of kids when coming out of French railroad station. Davis describes them begging for food and cigarettes. He mentions that many French people have turned to the black market for work. Davis then describes his skiing experiences, writing that he found it to be healthy and invigorating exercise

Transcription:

Sgt. Robert Davis, 18107121

Co. E, G237, 3MGR

APO 403,

% Pm. N.Y.

U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE MAR 4 1946 9

25-5

AIR

Mrs. R. L. Davis

1619 Boston

Muskogee, Oklahoma

26 Feb 1946

Strasbourg, France

Dear Folk:

Contrary to my good intentions, I did not write every day in Switzerland. The reason: it was so damn cold in our hotel rooms that I either stayed in bed and slept or went skiing.

The picture of France one sees passing through is very bad. The railroads are about the only things that are even half-way running, and they are a mess of rust. French trains take 5 hrs. now for a run they still have their pre-war schedule as requiring 2 ½ hrs. Even now a year after the war, telephone poles and lines lie on the ground where they were shot down in the war. When one emerges from a French RR station, as here, o e is greeted by hordes of Reds and boys begging cigarettes, food, etc. Literally dozens stand on the two block walk from the R.R. station to the Red Cross. A tragic picture. It is a truth that since there is no work for the French they all turn to the black market, as a profession, not as a source.

I am feeling very good, the 2 days skiing I tried, if not elegant skiing, was a healthy and invigorating exercise, and I also slept about 12 hrs. a day.

I plan to write you a day by day inventory of my trips – to do which I shall need a little leisure time. The train I take leaves in a couple of hours, so I’ll begin now—

Love,

Bob