I am a little late in writing to
you this week. In fact I am behind
on all of my writing. In one of my
letters I told you I was going to the
hospital. Well before I could get a
place in there my cyst quit
bothering me. They like to operate
only when they are bothering a person.
So I probably won't go now.
Your letter of May 28 arrived
the 4th. I received the money
order and thanks for the prompt
service. I guess there is to much
celebration over here. They celebrate
every night over here since VE day.
There are PW returning and they
really put on a celebration for them.
Today is a holiday for all U.S
troops over here. It is just a year
ago that they made the big push and
started the ball rolling. Things have
really changed in a years time.
I know where Harley is located
at now. I am going to try to get down
that way to see him if it is anyway
possible.
Yesterday I took a trip which
was arranged by the Special Service
Division. It was to Waterloo Belgium.
This is a historicial place where
Napeleon fell. They have a big
They are arrangeing trips like this
all the time. I sure hope I will be
able to visit a lot of places of interest.
There are a lot of military cementaries
to see. I want to visit Flanders Field.
Well this is about all. I really
can't think of anything to write any
more. I will try to write later
on.
Love Bill.
The next letter will be posted on June 10th.
Background Information (and comments):
- Either a page is missing or Ralph took a break and forgot where he left off in telling about his trip to Waterloo. Recall he said he was near Louvain and on the map below, you can also see Waterloo.
- I believe he meant POW instead of PW. Here is some information and a chart I found:
Axis POWs. Germany treated its British, French, and American prisoners comparatively well but treated Soviet, Polish, and other Slavic POWs with genocidal severity. Of about 5,700,000 Red Armysoldiers captured by the Germans, only about 2,000,000 survived the war; more than 2,000,000 of the 3,800,000 Soviet troops captured during the German invasion in 1941 were simply allowed to starve to death.
Historian Niall Ferguson, in addition to figures from Keith Lowe, tabulated the total death rate for POWs in World War II as follows:
| Soviet POWs held by Germans | 57.5% |
| German POWs held by Yugoslavs | 41.2% |
| German POWs held by Soviets | 35.8% |
| American POWs held by Japanese | 33.0% |
| American POWs held by Germans | 1.19% |
| German POWs held by Eastern Europeans | 32.9% |
| British POWs held by Japanese | 24.8% |
| German POWs held by Czechoslovaks | 5.0% |
| British POWs held by Germans | 3.5% |
| German POWs held by French | 2.58% |
| German POWs held by Americans | 0.15% |
| German POWs held by British | 0.0 |
- On a lighter note, here is information about Special Services Division:
Special Services are the entertainment branch of the American military. The unit was created on 22 July 1940 by the War Department as part of the Army Service Forces.[1] Special Services would not only use their own specially trained and talented troops but would often engage local performers.[2]
Special Services were one of the few U.S. Army units to be integrated during World War II. Special Services opened their first Recreational Officer school at Fort Meade Maryland on 1 April 1942.[3]
- Here is some information about Flanders Field:
Flanders Fields is a common English name of the World War I battlefields[1] in an area straddling the Belgian provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders as well as the French department of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, part of which makes up the area known as French Flanders.
Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial, a World War I cemetery on the southeast edge of the town of Waregem, Belgium. Poppy flowers began to grow after the burial of the fallen soldiers. In Flanders Fields, a famous poem about World War I written by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.
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