Down to the Wire

Note to the reader: Thank you for joining me on my journey to share my father's journey! New posts to the blog here appear at the top of the main page, pushing the previous posts down below. Please be sure to check out the earlier posts and work your way up to the top.

~  ~  ~  ~ 

 

 Comes the Call

 

As the original diary shows, the 129th disembarked their ship in Glasgow and stepped right onto their trains and headed south to “destination unknown.” That destination was Blandford Camp, an English military base which remains in operation today.

 

Despite new brickwork in 1995, Blandford Camp much as it appeared in 1944.

 

 

At the main gate. I asked for, and received, permission from the very imposing gate guard to snap these photos here.

As practically nothing has changed in the area this is likely the exact same view Dad had from the main gate of Blandford Camp.

 

At Blandford, they “drew new equipment,” which I imagine means they received everything from uniforms and field gear up to trucks and anti-aircraft artillery cannons. “Monile” training, I believe, is a typo made by the diarist in his transcription to the document he gave to his buddies in the unit some 40 to 45 years after the fact, and actually means mobile training, as maneuvering in trucks towing ballistic weapons through the tiny streets of England and the rest of Europe, and — perhaps new and/or different weapons from which they had trained at Fort Bliss — required attention. Training and duties at Blandford lasted two months, and then they were sent to Folkestone. It would appear they were needed as it seems their only task there was to set up for air defense of England. And they proved their worth by destroying one German aircraft and engaging — and possibly deterring — several others. (See the earlier post, “Dorset, Kent, Somerset.")

Nearly two months after arrival in Folkestone, the 129th was sent all the way across the South of England to Weston-super-Mare, where they began waterproofing their equipment and continued training in preparation — they now knew — for the invasion of France.  (See the earlier post, “To the OTHER Seaside.")

Roughly three weeks later they were on the move again, this time to Swanage on the south coast, where they continued training and completed waterproofing their equipment. 

 

 

Seaside Swanage, on the south coast of England.

White cliffs (these somewhat obscured by foliage) edge most of the south and southeast English coast.

 

We happened upon a museum and gift shop which features a group of binders — not for sale — with personal accounts of local residents.  Two accounts from childhood memory by residents of Swanage shed light on the activities of American troops at the time, the first regarding the waterproofing of vehicles and equipment, and the second a witnessing of a succession of gun crews rehearsing their roles (perhaps field artillery, perhaps anti-aircraft artillery; I prefer to believe the latter!).

Another three weeks after their arrival in Swanage, the men of the 129th were off to Dorchester, a small city nestled inland that served as host to one or more marshaling areas — for the 129th called (temporarily, it would seem) Camp Maraboat. where they parked their vehicles and waited for the call to motor to the embarkation point.

 

Scenes in Dorchester that may have also been captured by Dad's eyes.

 

They got the call five days later, on 25 June 1944 (you’ll note that the invasion had begun nearly three weeks earlier on 6 June 1944, D-Day) and they boarded (Landing Ship, Transport) LST #1215, spending 27 hours aboard headed for “Omaha” Beach. 

Additional Reading:

Blandford's Contribution to World War 2 - Dr. Michael Le Bas

The D-Day Story: D-Day Marshalling Area Camp D4-Winterborne Came (Dorchester)