February 17 - 20, 1945: boredom and then a mission

 

Feb 17 1945

Dear Ma

Seeing how I haven't written you in a couple of days I'll try to do so now. 

I haven't been doing a thing of late just loafing around. I haven't even bothed to try to shave. I guess I'll have to do that to night because tomarrow is Sunday and I might go to church. 

The weather has been 1/2 way decent the last couple of days – it's warmed up some maybe spring is here. I sure hope so – that is to a certain extent. 

I haven't recived any mail from you of late but there hasn't been a whole lot come in. There should come in in the next couple of days. Its just a bout time for it to come in.

They sure are getting mean about the uniforms we wear. If we don't have on the complete outfit they will pick us up. They say we are supose to be in Class A all the time. 

I'll wear the ones I have now until they fall off They are almost to that place now. It's so darn hard to get any thing cleaned here so I'll just go dirty.

I just can't think of any more to write so will close now

Jack.

Feb 19 1945

Dear Ma

May be I ought to get on the ball and drop you a line. I sure have neglected my writting the last few days, I just haven't felt like writing and nothing has happened to write about. 

We did have an very nice day yesterday. Its was the best day we have seen in England. The sun was out all day and it was just a little too warm for O.D.'s Eaton & I walked down to a little village about 4 miles from here. I sure was played out when we got back I am just getting two old for such things – or maybe should I say too lazy. To day it looked like it was going to be nice but it clouded up in the afternoon, it did stay rather warm though. 

I haven't done a thing the last few days except lay around and nap.

I got a letter from Edyth yesterday it is the first I have heard from her. I got busy and answered it right a way. I doubt if she will be able to read my hand writing but may be it will give her something to do for a few days.

Well will close now hoping to hear from you soon

Jack.

Feb 20 1045

Dear Ma

Having recived a Vmail, dated the 7, to day from you I'll try to answer it

I am glad Dad Kruse is feeling better by now. I hope it's not too long befor he can get up and around. Tell him I said some one liable to get off with the drug store some night and he wouldn't know about it until some one told him.

You know I happen to think that they only one's in the family who have ever broken any bones we those who fell off buildings. How about that maybe we ought to stay buildings keep both feet on the good old ground.

My brain ? just isn't functioning tonight. I don't know why I guess it's becausse I am tired. I worked rather hard to day and am just not use to it.

The weather wis still nice and warm. I guess the sun was out most of the day again to day.

I am still expecting some mail from you that hasn't come in. Maybe it will be in tomorrow I hope. 

I hope you have recived the package by the time you get this. Talking about packages I haven't recived that one from you as yet maybe it will be in, in the next couple days. 

I'll close with that

Love 

Jack

P.S. I made Staff

Jack finally flew a mission this day, the first one in almost two weeks. No wonder he was tired; he had to report to briefing at 4:45am, and the ship returned to base around 4:30pm.

Mission 275's targets were railroad marshalling yards at Nurnberg, Germany, aka Nuremberg. No aircraft were lost; no damages; no casualties.

He states he made Staff Sergeant, but his envelopes have had the "S/Sgt" notation in his return address since January 14. Hmmmm...

We're still in a Maggie-letter drought. Maybe he is still stinging from the news he "recived" on February 11. 

Mid-February, 1945

Thank you for your patience, readers! It has been way too long since these pages have been attended to!

Remember last post, where Jack conducted a mail experiment? Ever the scientist, he sent letters via First Class, Air Mail, and Vmail on the same day to see which arrived fastest. I posted the First Class and the Air Mail letters, but I didn't dig deep enough for the Vmail. I finally found the Vmail that he had mailed on February 12. It was postmarked February 26, so it was back a ways in the box. In that post, I had found a Vmail written February 7 and postmarked February 26. Don't know how my eyes missed this one (though to my defense, the Vmail envelopes are much smaller and liable to get caught in the flap of the envelope in front of them! 

Anywho, another data point added. Conclusion: Vmail sucks. 

 Feb 12 1945

Dea Ma

This is the 3rd letter, and last, I have written you tonight. I am seeing which will come through the fastest. No doubt this will but I got the crazy idea so tried it. I have written just about all I can think to write so on this one I am more or less just marking time

Ohyes tell Nene I liked the way she remined me of her birth day. I wouldn't give her any thing but a spanking any way. I am sorry I did't think about her's and Neva's but may be the stuff I sent will help make up.

I still haven't made up my mind as to who gets what. I'll keep them in suspense or at least try. Well write soon

Jack.

Nene had just turned 17 the month before, and she is about to celebrate her 95th birthday in about a week! Happy Birthday, Nene! 

Feb 13 1945

Dear Ma

I recived a rather old letter from you and Neva. They were dated Jan 4, I have only recived a short dozen written since then. It, or should I say they, did have something new so I won't kick too much.

I was planning on going to town this afternoon but it was raining so I didn't. Just after the bus left it cleared up so I was very unhappy. Ohwell I am probably a few pounds richer tonight so I probably did better by staying home.

Neva wrote that in Mexico they had Parker 51's. I ask some of the boys who were stationed there about them and they said they were factory rejects. Its a good thing she didn't buy one after all. The boys say they aren't worth a dam.

I am glad she got to go down it was something new for her. Now me I would probably not like it all though I'll probably go down sooner or later. 

So they tell how many missions I have when I get a cluster & etc. You can almost keep up on how much I fly by that then. I think you hear about the clusters befor I get the citation.

I can't really think of any more to write after all that I wrote yesterday so will close now

Jack.

Parker 51s were a very popular fountain pen during the war, and onward. 

Later in life, Jack turned around on his desire to go to Mexico. He made several trips to Mexico in the 60s and 70s. 

Feb 15 1945

Dear Ma

I don't belive I have written you in a couple of days so will try to do so now. 

I went down to see Webster this afternoon and the heck of it we did see him. We (Eaton) found the Ward and walked in. I was expected to be thrown out at any time but they didn't bother us. It goes to show you how much more a officer can get away with over a E.M. Webster was feeling pretty good, he was up and around infact he was taking a shower when we got there. He expects to be out in the next couple of days.

I got a letter from Little Jim to day. He didn't write much of any thing I suppose he has written you evey thing so I won't go into that. 

I haven't been doing a whole lot of any thing just marking time. I just can't seem to settle down to reading or any thing constructive. 

The weather is about the same – sort of warm with some rain and all that stuff. I do wish it warm up some more. I don't think it ever does get too warm over here any way.

I can't think of any more to write so I'll close now.

Jack.

You may recall from a few days ago (Jack's time) and a few months ago (super slow Jack's Cache time) that tail gunner John Webster came down with the mumps while they were on their 7-day furlough in Scotland. 

Jack hasn't flown any missions since February 9. 

A couple of notable wartime events during this period. The War seemed to have had a turning point in the Allies' favor.

On Feburay 9 , the German Submarine U-864 was sunk by a British submarine off the cost of Normal. It is the only time in history that a submarine has sunk another submarine while both were fully submerged. 

On February 10, a Soviet submarine sunk a German passenger liner, the SS General von Steuben. Sadly, over 4000 live were lost. 

On February 11, the Yalta Conference ended. The Allied leaders Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin signed the agreement which provided guidelines for ending the war and maintaining peace.

On February 13, the bombing of Dresden begain. In a joint British and American mission, over 3,900 tons of explosives were dropped over Dresden, Germany. Killed were between 22,700 and 25,000 people, mostly civilians. Allied POWs also perished. I'm glad Jack was not part of those raids. Though none of his missions were very happy ones, this one is considered by some to be a war crime.

There are no letters to Maggie during this period.