Letter 3 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 16119 Boston Muskogee, Oklahoma" From: "Sgt. Robert Davis 18107121 G237, Co. E, 3MGR APO 403, Pm. N.Y." Davis provides a day by day itinerary of his Swiss furlough from the 16th to the 26th. He writes about how depressing France was. He compares it to Germany, which still enjoys some luxuries due to the citizens' hard work and the presence of US troops, and Switzerland, which he describes as "fat and prosperous". Davis writes that though he has great admiration for the French people, he finds being in France in its current state of decay is slightly repellent to him.

Transcription:

Sgt. Robert Davis 18107121

G237, Co E, 3MGR

APO 403, %

Pm. N.Y.

U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE MAR 4 1946 9

26-2

MAIR

Mrs. R. L. Davis

1619 Boston

Muskogee, Oklahoma

26 February 1946

Strasbourg, France

Dear Folk:

Here is a day by day itinerary of my Swiss furlough.

FEB.

16^th Sat. nite: Drove from Ingolstadt to Munich @ 9 p.m. Slept at the R.R. station.

17^th Sunday: Left @ 6:30 a.m. on train for Strasbourg. 3rd Class Coaches, rotten traveling. Had a chicken dinner in record quick time at Karlsruche Germany. Got into Strasbourg at 8 p.m. Slept on Transient camp.

18^th Monday: Left Strasbourg for Muhlhaus Muhlhaus, France, close to the Swiss border at Basle. Spent the day in lines, being oriented, getting VISAS, getting money changed. Saw a movie in the evening, slept there.

19^th Tuesday: Went into Switzerland, passed the customs at Basle. Took train to Zurich, slept there.

20^th Wednesday: Left Zürich, went to Flims, in the ruts, stayed there Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

24^th Sunday: Left Flims, went to Basle.

25^th Monday: In Basle.

26^th Tuesday: Left Basle, went to Mühlhaus, and entrained for Strasbourg, where I just arrived an hour ago.

I wrote you elsewhere what a depressing spectacle France was. It is a sad sight, even in comparison with Germany. In Germany everyone works like ants, and the universal presence of our troops provides all Germans with those elements of luxury to which the French were once used; cigarettes, candy, army food rations (all of which are a very significant item in the present German economy.) Coming into France from so fat and prosperous a country and as Switzerland only makes the comparison worse. Somehow, the ghastly picture of French decay makes being in France slightly repellant, much as I like and admire the people. But then one only sees the pimps and block-marketeers, most prominently, I mean.

Love,

Bob