From the 1st to the 15th of June
we are on maneuvers--the 2nd, 36th,
and 45th divisions.
--John Edward
June 2, 1941 letter home
from Camp Blanding, Florida
we are on maneuvers--the 2nd, 36th,
and 45th divisions.
--John Edward
June 2, 1941 letter home
from Camp Blanding, Florida
The men of the 111th Quartermasters and the 36th Division would participate in their
first significant set of training maneuvers at Camp Blanding.
first significant set of training maneuvers at Camp Blanding.
These included battlefield situations, offensive and defensive combat,
and infantry tactics, all designed as teaching tools
to prepare the soldiers for the war.
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| Maneuver instruction, 36th Division, June 1941 or Spring 1942, Camp Blanding, Army photo The Camp Blanding video has layered the 36th Division patch over the photograph |
Amphibious maneuvers were conducted on Kingsley Lake,
and large-scale troop maneuvers were conducted
on Camp terrain that included pine woods, swamps, the lake,
and sometimes ankle-deep sand.
There were also drill areas, firing ranges, and obstacle courses.
and large-scale troop maneuvers were conducted
on Camp terrain that included pine woods, swamps, the lake,
and sometimes ankle-deep sand.
There were also drill areas, firing ranges, and obstacle courses.
 |
| Camp Blanding Barracks, June 1941 Camp Blanding, 1942 Expansion family scan Army photo |
Expansion
of the camp was underway in the summer of 1941,
providing over 20,000
much needed depression-recovery jobs.
providing over 20,000
much needed depression-recovery jobs.
Camp Blanding soon became
the second largest training camp in the country, and
over 800,000 soldiers passed through the
Camp to prepare for the war.
They trained on newly developed advanced mortar,
grenade, and anti-aircraft ranges.
the second largest training camp in the country, and
over 800,000 soldiers passed through the
Camp to prepare for the war.
They trained on newly developed advanced mortar,
grenade, and anti-aircraft ranges.
But in June of 1941, when John Edward and the 36th, 2nd, and 45th Divisions
arrived at Camp Blanding, there were still equipment shortages.
arrived at Camp Blanding, there were still equipment shortages.
 |
| Doughboy hats were worn during early training maneuvers at Camp Blanding, 1941-42, Army photo |
And so uniforms, doughboy helmets, and weapons from the first world war were still largely used,
as well as field artillery developed between the wars.
But Army
Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall was overseeing preparations for training relevant to this war.
He had recently toured facilities where obstacle courses
were being developed for combat that was very different from the trench warfare of World War I.
He had recently toured facilities where obstacle courses
were being developed for combat that was very different from the trench warfare of World War I.
Increasingly strenuous courses were designed for soldiers who would now be highly
mobile,
requiring unprecedented stamina, strength, and agility.
This was
particularly important since up to one-half of draftees were malnourished
from
the depression and consequently physically unfit.
At Camp Blanding there were already a variety of courses.
Some included mud pits or barbed wire obstacles.
Machine guns (with blanks) fired as the men belly-crawled under the barbed wire -- because
the barbed wire simulated how close to the ground one had to crawl
to stay under the enemy's machine gun fire.
Some included mud pits or barbed wire obstacles.
Machine guns (with blanks) fired as the men belly-crawled under the barbed wire -- because
the barbed wire simulated how close to the ground one had to crawl
to stay under the enemy's machine gun fire.
 |
| Obstacle course training at Camp Blanding, 1941-42, Army Photo |
What looks like smoke in this photograph is actually flour.
During maneuvers airplanes flew over the troops and dropped sacks
filled with flour to simulate bombs.
During maneuvers airplanes flew over the troops and dropped sacks
filled with flour to simulate bombs.
Wall climbing and fence jumping were some of the particularly
rigorous obstacles designed to build strength and agility.
rigorous obstacles designed to build strength and agility.
 |
| Obstacle course cargo net and log wall climbing, Camp Blanding, 1941-42, Army photos |
Notice the backpacks and rifles.
The courses were conducted in full gear,
as were the long marches, where both speed and endurance were necessary.
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| Camp Blanding training march, 1941, Army photo |
At Camp Blanding these marches were initially about five miles
and increased to fifteen and twenty miles, sometimes camping overnight.
and increased to fifteen and twenty miles, sometimes camping overnight.
And there was one newly required obstacle that was built
on the beach of Kingsley Lake. It was ready for training when John Edward and his Division arrived:
A wooden construction with unstable cargo nets for the men to scale.
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| Cargo Net Scaling, Camp Blanding, June 1941, family scan |
Close
training for specific skills was critical. Soldiers in this war, for
example, would need to
efficiently disembark from ships; they would often enter
combat as soon as they landed on beachheads.
During his tour, Gen. Marshall saw the new
cargo net obstacle designed for these purposes and
immediately realized its significance for
combat readiness.
He sent
word that all camps were to include cargo net scaling in their training.
When hung over the side of a ship, the cargo nets were used as a ladder for up to six soldiers
to descend side by side toward landing craft, followed by another six when almost halfway down,
a third set at the bottom entering landing craft. This required up to 36 soldiers
to closely coordinate movement for rapid descent during beach landings, often under enemy fire.
a third set at the bottom entering landing craft. This required up to 36 soldiers
to closely coordinate movement for rapid descent during beach landings, often under enemy fire.
John Edward also took photographs of field artillery on which his
company was trained:
the 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun and 155 Howitzer.
the 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun and 155 Howitzer.
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| Truck towing a155mm Howitzer, June 1941, Camp Blanding, family scan |
both available for training at this relatively early date.
And when American and British troops landed in North Africa in November of 1942
they would serve as the primary field artillery.
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| Photograph of a 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun taken by John Edward at Camp Blanding, June 1941, family scan |
Highly mobile,
they could be rapidly
remounted and repositioned.
With their
relatively light weight
they could even be
moved by
several men.
they could be rapidly
remounted and repositioned.
With their
relatively light weight
they could even be
moved by
several men.
%20jeep%20pulls%2037mm%20anti-tank%20gun%20over%20rough%20terrain%20durin%20maneuvers%20LibCongrPic.jpg) |
| Jeep towing 37mm anti-tank gun, Library of Congress photo |
Mounted on a
two-wheel carriage,
they could be pulled
by a 1/4 ton jeep
and towed
over rough terrain
more easily
than with
a less versatile
1 or 2 ton truck.
by a 1/4 ton jeep
and towed
over rough terrain
more easily
than with
a less versatile
1 or 2 ton truck.
The photographs that John Edward took at Camp Blanding included several of monkeys swinging from vines.
 |
| Photograph of a monkey in a tree taken by John Edward (June 1942) at Camp Blanding, family scan |
The men even set a plate of food on the ground just outside the hut where John Edward photographed one of the monkeys swinging on a vine.
Lighter moments such as these lie in stark contrast to the ongoing challenges regarding stuttering that John Edward -- or John Erstwhile, as we have seen he often addressed himself with some wit in many of his letters -- faced.
They also reveal his ability to not only persevere, but to see and enjoy pleasurable moments in the midst of those struggles. There is a post you can read here that is dedicated to the ongoing wit and humor we find in his letters.
But from the Camp Blanding letter of June 2 he wrote:
"I am very discouraged," and added:
"I am very discouraged," and added:
.jpeg) |
| John Edward letter home, June 2, 1941, Camp Blanding, family scan |
Which is distinctly different
from John Edward's early entrance to High School at thirteen,
his rapid graduation at fifteen,
admission to Junior College at sixteen,
and achievement of the exceptional score on the Army intelligence examination.
from John Edward's early entrance to High School at thirteen,
his rapid graduation at fifteen,
admission to Junior College at sixteen,
and achievement of the exceptional score on the Army intelligence examination.
Thanks for reading.
Join us here for the next post where we explore amphibious vehicles
and water maneuvers on Kingsley Lake at Camp Blanding.
Join us here for the next post where we explore amphibious vehicles
and water maneuvers on Kingsley Lake at Camp Blanding.
