World War II Diary

of Zelotes Eschmeyer

(Started to write this on February 16, 1945)

Let us go back now to April 1, 1943.

On this date I left home to join Uncle Sam’s Army.  I was accompanied to the train at Sidney, Ohio, by my wife and Father and Mother.  On the same date I arrived at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.  Spent about ten days there.  Got my army clothes and a few shots, and my next camp was the C. R. T. C., Fort Riley, Kansas.

Here I took thirteen weeks of basic training.  I still remember the heat, rain, and sand we put up with there.  In June, Mary came and spent ten days with me.  We did have a good time.  I saw her every night except one.  On that night our company was out on a march and bivouac.  At the end of thirteen weeks of basic training, I was moved to another camp, namely Camp Butner, North Carolina.  Spent about six weeks there and two weeks of this I spent at home on furlough, which was my last visit home.  Haven’t seen my parents since, and also Elmer and Billy.  Haven’t seen my brother Eldred since he left for the Army in January, 1943.  But he and I did exchange words by mail at least weekly.

Just a word about mail:  I still remember our very first mail call at Fort Riley, Kansas.  My wife, Mother and Sister surely did keep the letters coming and I will never forget it.  I am sure Eldy feels the same.

After my furlough, I again returned to Camp Butner for about a week and was moved to Fort Meade, Maryland.  Spent about six weeks there.  Five weeks of this I did carpenter work.  Then one week-end, my wife and sister came to visit me.  I got a week-end pass and we stayed at Mary’s grandparents’ home in Washington, D. C.  The following Tuesday, I left for the ship Capetown Castle on which I crossed the Atlantic and landed in England, at Liverpool.  Spent a couple of days there and then was moved to Ireland.

November, 1943

In Ireland, I was assigned to the Fifth Division.  Here I chummed around with Tom Skinoin.  We spent many a night at the Harry Hanna residence.  They surely are nice people and she cooked a lot for us.  Ireland is a beautiful country.  I would like to visit it in peace time.  Was in Ireland until July 8, 1944.  Then sailed for France.

On July 15, we went to the front lines for the first time.  Although on the front lines, we often had a good time, as long as it lasted.  On August 1, I saw my first dead soldier.  He was killed by one of our B. A. R. guns about fifty feet ahead of me as he was crossing the road.  The platoon I was in cleared roads and mine fields and several times helped ferry ammunition and chow across rivers—the Seine and Moselle.  Till the time I was captured, our platoon had three of the men wounded, Van Bibber, Reynolds, and Meadows.  How many in the company, I don’t know.  One was killed.  In France I saw dead cattle and horses and they were surely good ones.  The civilians treated us well and would give us eggs, apples, pears, plums, honey, cider, wine, and champagne as we met them in convoys or otherwise.  We would give them cigarettes or chocolate, of which we always had plenty.

I remember passing through St. Lo, which was flattened to ground by one of our bombers.  Saw Verdun, a beautiful city.  Remember clearly the battle of Anger and saw many dead Americans and Germans—a bloody sight.

On September 14, 1944, I met Robert Gruebmeyer, a neighbor from home.  Then came the day of September 21.  We were across the Moselle River, about eight miles and the third squad got orders to lay a road block.  We got to a small town which was our destination.  The town had been recaptured that night at 6:00 p. m. September 20, for the third time by our troops.  It was 2:30 in the morning and we had just laid our road block when “Jerry” threw everything but the kitchen sink at us and I believe even one or two of those.  One of the guys said, “Lets make a break for the woods after the noise quiets down.”  He looked out an open window and said, “We’re surrounded!”  And so we were, by the Germans, and many there were!  A few minutes later they had us and took us to quarters of theirs about a half mile behind the lines.  There we stayed until morning, and then we were moved back about ten miles and interrogated.  That noon (September 21) we were put on trucks and moved about fifty miles to a big brick building and nearly eaten by fleas and bedbugs.  There were about 200 of us.  We lived with those bugs for two days and nights.  For chow we got German coffee once a day, a quart of meat for six men, and a quarter loaf of bread per man.  The bread was German Army bread.

At the end of two days, they put us in box cars for three days and nights, fifty men in a car with food for one day and no water.  And so we arrived at Stalag XIIA, which is at Limburg.

I got my first Red Cross parcel—one parcel for three men one week and for two men the other.  In these Red Cross parcels are cigarettes, chocolate, crackers, pork, corned beef, coffee, milk and oleo.  Thanks to the Red Cross, as long as I was a prisoner, we received some if there were parcels available.

Spent three weeks at this camp.  Ate sugar beet soup, a few potatoes a day, coffee, and a quarter or sixth of a loaf of bread per day. 

After three weeks at Limburg, was moved to Moosburg to Stalag VIIA, with 499 other Americans—another miserable train ride.  Even put up with several air raids. 

At Stalag VIIA, I got my first shave and haircut.  Good that Mary didn’t see me or she would have made me shave sooner.  At Stalag VIIA, a detail of 1000 to 1500 prisoners went to Munich daily to clean up what our bombers destroyed.  We traded soap, tea, and cigarettes for bread, which was verboten—nevertheless, we did it.  Was in Stalag VIIA until January 22, 1945.

On January 20, the barracks leader said for me to be ready to move to Barracks 29 the next morning.  Went to Barracks 29 and with 23 others, left for a commando, or working party, on January 22.  We arrived in Wilheim at noon.  We had a nice place to stay—straw mattresses, double beds (one on top of the other) and got more food than at Moosburg, where it was rotten.

Of the 24 of us, 14 worked for the water works and 10 for the town.  I worked for the town carpenter.  Made window sash, tables, etc.  I acted as Dolmetcher (interpreter) for one commando.  The (under officer) sargeant in charge was Alfred Guth, a German from Strasburg.  On February 12, I was accompanied by him to Oberau to attend a conference.  At the conference were two men from Geneva, Switzerland, a German major and a lieutenant.  We discussed Red Cross parcels, our treatment, also food, clothing, etc.

On February 17, I received my first letters from home—one from Dort, one from Elmer, and one from the Women’s Missionary Society.

I hadn’t received mail for five months and I didn’t miss it so much anymore, but receiving three letters today (February 17) surely made me homesick.  It was the first I had heard of my grandmother’s death, which occurred in September, 1944.  Have heard nothing yet from my brother.  When I last heard from him in September of ’44, he was in England.

Wilheim is 50 km from Munich, and has a population of 7,000.  We have it much better here than at the Stalag near Moosburg.  I was placed in charge of the commando by the German officer.  I was working five and one-half days a week and on Saturday afternoons, washed clothes and bathed on Sundays. 

The letter from my sister (February 17) stated that a parcel from home was enroute and I am anxiously waiting for it.  Cigarettes and tobacco are scarce.  The Germans get 60 cigarettes or 100 grams of tobacco monthly.  Everything is rationed in Germany.  We are paid six marks a week and can buy beer only once or twice a week, and a bottle of pop three or four times weekly.  Beer costs 60 pfennings a leiter, and pop is 22 pfennings a bottle.  Occasionally I would get an apple or a piece of bread from a civilian for whom we did carpenter work.  The fellow I worked with was 52 years old and his name was Martin Strauss.  He had four sons in the Army.  At present, one was killed, two wounded, and one is missing.

February 17, 1945:  Yesterday a big air raid; saw about a thousand planes.  I am learning more German as each day passes.  Am waiting patiently for letters from home—from Mary and the parents.  I know there are some on the way.  Get enough to eat here now but in the Stalag we were always hungry.  “Thanks” for the Red Cross parcels we are receiving.  We get out of bed each day at 5:30 a. m.; have coffee at 6:00 and are ready to go to work at 7:00.  Dinner is at 12:00.  Work from 1:00 to 5:00 p. m. and then chow.  Clean up and then it is nearly time for bed.  Many more things to write about, but at present, won’t.

February 18, 1945:  Wrote a letter to Dort and Elmer.  We are having nice weather in Wilheim.  Got out of bed at 7:45. Made my bed and had coffee; did a little sewing.  Dinner at 12:00, supper at 6:00.  Each had a leiter of beer, too.  We get our food about 100 feet from the barracks at the café where it is prepared all the time.

February 19, 1945:  Worked all day; made broom handles and built a small bridge across a small stream of water.  Read the letters I got from Sis last Saturday.  Pretty nice weather here.  Not much to smoke.  No parcels.  Am sitting on my bunk.  Will try to roll a cigarette out of some butts.

February 20, 1945:  Helped make firewood.  Out of smokes so I traded a bar of Swan soap for a bag of Italian tobacco.  Tobacco is very scarce in Germany.  I was lucky to get it.  Received a couple of O. K. (Overseas Kid) papers from the Stalag in Moosburg.  Bed at 8:00 p. m.  Sure was tired.

February 21, 1945:  Sawed firewood in the morning and in the afternoon ripped, planed, and joined pine lumber for a baby play pen.  Received four letters—two from Mom and Pop, one from Mary and one from the Women’s Missionary Society.  Two inches of snow on the ground and it’s getting colder.  Had cherry pop for supper.

February 22, 1945:  Made firewood for the city of Wilheim, I and three other Kreigefangener.  Snow again thawing away, nicer weather again.  Pretty tired.  The wood we saw up is two meters long and is pine (feister); nice and straight from two to twelve inches in diameter.  No smokes.  Weart gave me two cigarettes.  He is the gentleman who is in charge of the town workers and has a large lump in his neck, or rather back part of his head.  Mr. Strauss, whom I work with is 52 years old; has one daughter 27, whom I haven’t met yet; a wife and four sons—one was killed, one is on the Russian front, and two others are missing.

February 23, 1945:  Fixed the steps in the air raid shelter this morning, and in the afternoon, started to make a door and frame for the lager.  Also made ten stakes, 2cm thick, 10 long and 6 wide, of white pine lumber.  They are used for grave markers.  Also got lumber ready for a big cross for Mr. Straus’s son.  Nice weather and snow is all gone. 

February 24, 1945:  Saturday.  Worked half a day.  Always do on Saturday.  Afternoon planed our kitchen tables.  In the morning, a door and frame.  Getting warmer weather.

February 25, 1945:  Got up at 7:45 a. m.  Had coffee as on every other day.  Cleaned the barracks and then shaved and washed.  Nice weather.  On Sundays, we ought to go to church, but I haven’t been inside a church since I left Ireland.  Did attend church services in France, though, conducted by an Army Chaplain.  In Limburgh, at XIIA, and Moosburg VIIA, we would gather in one of the barracks or stand outside in the mud and rain and have church services conducted by someone who had been to college in preparation for such work, or had been in revival work.  As yet, we have had no chance to go to Wilheim.  When we are not working, we were locked in.

February 26, 1945:  Braced the roof in one of the air raid shelters.  One man gave me a good cigar.  Surely was nice of him because I had nothing to smoke.  Very nice Weather.  Rained a little.

February 27, 1945:  Made a fence at the air raid shelter so the people wouldn’t run all over the neighbor’s garden.  Moved furniture for a rich man whose wife had died.  He gave me ten marks and a box of matches, which are surely scarce.  We have nothing to smoke but Zelotes manages to get some every day.  Have an air raid every day and for four nights since we are in Wilheim.

February 28, 1945:  In the a. m., got lumber ready to put a new roof on a toilet that belongs to the town.  In the afternoon, eight gefangener (I was one) and four guys that work for the town moved desks from one school to the other.  Is sure warm weather.  Had soda pop for supper.

March 1, 1945:  Moved desks from one school to another and took beds out of a couple of the rooms.

March 2, 1945:  Stayed in.  Went to the doctor with sores I had on my hands and legs.

March 3, 1945:  Can’t write so well; hands and legs are bandaged because of a few open sores.  Fitted a new door in the morning.  In the p. m., made firewood for the lager.  I didn’t do a thing.

March 4, 1945:  Sunday.  Got out of bed at 7:45. Had coffee and cleaned lager.  There are about two inches of snow on the ground.  My sores are healing fast.  Traded for some tobacco yesterday.

March 5, 1945:  Snowed nearly all day.  Cleaned up the tool shop for a steer sale to be held the 7th and 8th.  Three inches of snow on the ground.  Thawed but is freezing again this evening.  A steer sale is held here every other month.  Sale per some individuals is up to 5000 marks.  Expect to see some steers sold this week.

March 6, 1945:  Snowed again.  Moved books from Oberschule to Wirth’s home.

March 7, 1945:  Mr. Strauss worked at the cattle sale and I worked at the Krankenhaus (hospital) putting up a form for foundation for an additional room.  Snow thawing and surely is sloppy out. 

March 8, 1945:  Mr. Straus is still at the sale.  Shoveled a little snow in the a. m. and shoveled ashes at the dump.  Ashes are collected in town each week.  In p. m., delivered floor oil to the alten heim, wison heim and Oberschule.  One of the sisters at the alten heim gave each of us three, two cigarettes and a mark.  At the wison haus, we each received a jam sandwich.

March 9, 1945:  Cut lumber ready to build new steps at the lager.  Made a step railing in the air raid shelter at the slaughter house.  Saw a couple of the bulls that were sold yesterday.  One Brown Swiss sold for 5000 marks.  Top seller.  Snow is thawing away.  Received two letters today—one from Dorothy, written December 9, 1944, and one from Mom, written on December 15th.

March 10, 1945:  Saturday.  In the a. m., finished the steps at the lager.  In the p.  m., made a little firewood for the lager and the lager was cleaned.  Getting warm again and the snow is leaving.  A man gave two long cigars and four big slabs of bacon.

March 11, 1945:  Sunday.  Wrote a letter to Dort and laid around in the lager all day.

March 12, 1945:  Nice weather.  Worked on the steps of the lager.  Received letter from Mom, Dort, and Arnold and Martha.

March 13, 1945:  Nice weather.  Made another step and door for the lager.  Four guys took off today.  We still have 20 in our commando.

March 14, 1945:  Very nice weather.  Best day yet.  Fixed the toilet in one of the town houses.  Made and fixed a bench at the lager.  Had pop for supper.

March 15, 1945:  Fixed some fence in town.  Repaired a town bench and set a fence post in the p. m.  Fences in town are all made of pine, 135 cm long pickets for uprights and cross pieces are about 3 ½ meters long.   At the end of each is a cement post.

March 16, 1945:  Repaired a door in the lager.  Repaired a small wire gate and trimmed apple and pear trees and grape vines.  Surely is nice weather.

March 17, 1945:  Worked till noon.  It’s Saturday.  Made new fence posts in the a. m.  In the p. m., cleaned the lager and slept.  Turning colder again.  Air alert.  There is one every day.  About half the time planes overhead are blown.

March 18, 1945:  Sunday.  We have three new guards now.  They are okay and old.  Got up at 7:45.  Had coffee, dinner at 12:00, supper at 6:00, then bedtime.

March 19, 1945:  Monday.  Sawed pickets for a fence in the morning.  In the p. m. sawed logs with a crosscut at the sawmill for boards to be sawed for the town.

March 20, 1945:  Cut logs for boards for the town.

March 21, 1945:  Cut logs for boards for the town 4 ½ meters long, white pine lumber.

March 22, 1945:  Stacked lumber at the factory today.  Moved it from outside to inside to make room for the boards that are being sawed.  Another air raid today as every day.  Yesterday there was a four-hour raid.

March 23, 1945:  Stacked lumber all day.

March 24, 1945:  worked a half day.  Set a fence post and cut pickets for a fence.  Afternoon, cleaned barracks and cut firewood for us.

March 25, 1945:  Sunday.   Up at 7:45, had coffee.  Surely is nice weather.  Another air raid today.  There is one every day and about three nights a week.  Surely is good weather here.  Hope it stays that way and the Yanks will soon be here.  Received a letter from Mom today.

March 26, 1945:  We had a day off.  Why, I don’t know.

March 27, 1945:  We each received four Red Cross parcels-Type A.  Everyone is happy.  Something to smoke and better chow.  In the morning I sawed pickets for the fence.  In the p. m., was to the German Co. and gave parcels out to our commando and other American Commandos as they came after them.

March 28, 1945:  Wednesday.  Rained.  Worked at the German Co.  Straightened out books.  Signed quite a few papers.  Several other Xds.  Got parcels.

March 29, 1945:  Sawed firewood with buzz saw for city—Laschy, Besseasa, Fredricks and I.

March 30, 1945:  Good Friday.  No work today.  Cleaned lager from 8:00 to 9:00 a. m.  Rest of the day off.

April 1, 1945:  Easter Sunday.  Didn’t do anything.  Slept all afternoon.

April 2, 1945:  Easter Monday.  Another holiday.

April 3, 1945:  Stacked lumber.

April 4, 1945:  Stacked lumber and started to build a small wood shed for Martearz.  He works for the town too.

April 5, 1945:  Stacked and split wood.

April 6, 1945:  Sawed firewood and got lumber ready for three flower beds for the Home for the Aged.

April 7, 1945:  Worked half a day.  Made flower beds for (Spital) Home for the Aged.

April 9, 1945:  Big air raid.  Siren blows every day, but not always planes overhead.

April 11, 1945:  Made a scaffold around the air raid alarm on top the (Rothaus) bank so it could be repaired.

April 12, 1945:  Took down air raid siren in the a. m.  Put it up again in the p. m.  It didn’t work, so we took it down again.  A heavy thing to handle so high in the air.

April 13, 1945:  Put air raid siren back and it worked. Made a couple of doors for the air raid shelter near the slaughter house.

April 14, 1945:  Worked a half day.  Made a door for wood yard or wood lot (Holzhof) owned by the city.

April 15, 1945:  Sunday.  Slept and ate.

April 17, 1945: Made handles for (Gartenwerkseit), hoes, rakes, etc.  In the p. m., put up doors at the (Holzhof) wood yard.

April 18, 1945:  Yesterday we each received two Red Cross parcels.  Today we had a shower, get one every week.  Air raid from 11:00 to 3:00.

April 19, 1945:  Wilheim was bombed at 10:30 a. m.  Railway station (Bahnhof) was blown to bits.  Did I sweat!!

April 21, 1945:  Big raid!  I don’t know where.  Many planes flew over.

April 29, 1945:  Re-captured by 116th Cavalry at about 10:00 a. m.  Leading element of 12th Armored Division.  A great day!  Now we can get some good chow and plenty to smoke again.  I am ready to go home and stay there, after two years from home and 18 months of that overseas.  Where is my “Discharge” from the armed services?!

May 8, 1945:  Flew by plane from Germany to Reims, France.  I’m headed home!