Gene, I see in your posting there about going to Tarvisio. You say you were 17 years old? SEVENTEEN??? In UK you were not allowed to join-up until you were 18. You could, of course, join at 16 but only allowewd into the Boys Training Regiments. I know that some did, of course, lie about their age to get into the war, but not that many. And you certainly would not have been posted overseas if you were under 18, unless, as I said, you lied about your age.
How come you, at 17, got into the American Army? Did they have a lower age limit than we did? Amazing.
Larry
Nora and Gene in Trieste
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Collegamenti al regolamento del forum in varie lingue ed alle norme sulla privacy in italiano.
Collegamenti al regolamento del forum in varie lingue ed alle norme sulla privacy in italiano.
Larry, Gene et al
Whilst reading your lively piece on trying to keep vehicles from freezing I am reminded of one ploy that we used to use whilst I was in LAA.
After a days driving in icy conditions the last job at night was to undo the "banjo" union that led from the petrol tank.
One would then run the engine until it literally stopped (so that all the residue petrol in the pipes was consumed) and then re-connect the union ready for starting up in the morning.
This stopped the pipes from freezing because of the water that inevitably leaked into the petrol supplies that we used in those days.
I also remember spending many a nightime guard duty huddled up in the front of a vehicle's cab.
Completely wrong, of course, but preferable to freezing to death
Ron
Whilst reading your lively piece on trying to keep vehicles from freezing I am reminded of one ploy that we used to use whilst I was in LAA.
After a days driving in icy conditions the last job at night was to undo the "banjo" union that led from the petrol tank.
One would then run the engine until it literally stopped (so that all the residue petrol in the pipes was consumed) and then re-connect the union ready for starting up in the morning.
This stopped the pipes from freezing because of the water that inevitably leaked into the petrol supplies that we used in those days.
I also remember spending many a nightime guard duty huddled up in the front of a vehicle's cab.
Completely wrong, of course, but preferable to freezing to death
Ron
As a British soldier, I was stationed in the Trieste area from October 1945 until January 1947
The U.S. Army accepted 17 year old youths iinto the ranks with parents permission. I had to have my parents sign a form granting permission for me to sign up. With their permission I enlisted for three years, this was in June 1946 by October 1946 I was on a navy troop ship on my way to Trieste. Unlike you guys I missed the combat in WWII by one year. When I joined the Army I weighted 148 lbs. At the end of my basic training I weighted 180 lbs, no fat, all muscle.
I experienced some of the coldest weather I have ever been exposed to in Korea. The experiences Larry, that you and Ron write about, were similar to my experiences in Korea. It was sp cold that digging fox holes was impossible. To avoid being seen patrols were run at night when it was the coldest. Motor vehicles froze up and we had no barracks where we could escape the cold. We lived in tents behind our lines and at the front bunkers that we had to construct. A lot of dynamite and barbed wire was used. Filling sand bags was almost impossible. Frostbite was a common occurence, At least when I was in Tarviso we at least had barracks that were kept warm by pot bellyed stoves.
Gene
I experienced some of the coldest weather I have ever been exposed to in Korea. The experiences Larry, that you and Ron write about, were similar to my experiences in Korea. It was sp cold that digging fox holes was impossible. To avoid being seen patrols were run at night when it was the coldest. Motor vehicles froze up and we had no barracks where we could escape the cold. We lived in tents behind our lines and at the front bunkers that we had to construct. A lot of dynamite and barbed wire was used. Filling sand bags was almost impossible. Frostbite was a common occurence, At least when I was in Tarviso we at least had barracks that were kept warm by pot bellyed stoves.
Gene
Hey Gene and Ron. If Serlillian and Margherita and Babatriestina read all our above postings, as ladies, they will have tears coursing down their soft downy cheeks by now!. As for Adler. he looks too much like a Viennese policeman who will be saying : "Hardships, you don't know what hardships are. You should have been in Vienna................What a life we must have led!
Sunday evening (time here in the UK as I strike these keys being already 0025 hours) and as I am now well and truly Brahms and Liszt, I think I had better shut up and go to beddybyes. Gnite all.
God bless and keep you. All my love and best wishes. See all those who live in Trieste in June coming up. (No I don't understand that either, it must be the alcohol talking. Gonite all again.
Larry
Auld acquaintance should ne'er be forgot
For the sake of auld lang's syne
For the sake of auld lang's syne
Don't be afraid, my friends. I've found your stories very impressive, 
but very interesting too! Thank you very much.
I'm waiting other memories about your staying in Triest!
but very interesting too! Thank you very much.I'm waiting other memories about your staying in Triest!
[i]Liliana[/i]
- . - . -
[size=75][i]"Quando comincia una guerra, la prima vittima è la Verità.
Quando la guerra finisce, le bugie dei vinti sono smascherate,
quelle dei vincitori, diventano Storia."
(A. Petacco - La nostra guerra)[/size][/i]
- . - . -
[size=75][i]"Quando comincia una guerra, la prima vittima è la Verità.
Quando la guerra finisce, le bugie dei vinti sono smascherate,
quelle dei vincitori, diventano Storia."
(A. Petacco - La nostra guerra)[/size][/i]
Serlillian, there's an old song with these words in it -- Memories are made of this --. A few years ago I posted about nine short stories on the old Forum about the life of a British soldier in Trieste. I've just sent three of these over to Gene in Virginia, USA. If you want, I'll start to repost them here. Good fun. I wonder if I can do the same here. I'm not too well versed in IT but I'll have a go. Let's see what happens when I go to add attachment. Nothing. So I'll go to Word and copy one and post it tomorrow by pasting it. Cheers, LarryAuld acquaintance should ne'er be forgot
For the sake of auld lang's syne
For the sake of auld lang's syne
