Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, May 1, 1945
- Date
- Creator
- Williams, Clarence
- Format
- letter
- Category
- Stories
- Subcategory
- Clarence Williams
- Repository
- Institute for Holocaust Education
- Collection
- Clarence Williams Collection
- Bibliographic ID
- Folder 10, Item f
- Places
- Munich, Germany
- Data URI
- soh.sto002.00094.xml
- Sender(s)
- Williams, Clarence
- Recipient(s)
- Williams, Gretchen
- Received at
- Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Correspondence Delivered Date
Tuesday1 May 45.
My Honey —
What a day this has been, colder
than H— and snowing like the
devil outside right now. I have
been wearing the sweater you
sent me for a couple of weeks
now and think I shall dig out
the helmet from my duffle bag.
The ground is practically white
outside now, this is one country
where the farther South we go, the
colder it get. Guess it is because
of the Bavarian Alps. We have
seen more cheering and waving
in this vicinity than any other
place to date. Seems rather odd
being in the places where the
Nazi party was founded but
perhaps they are getting tired of
war. We saw several of the
prisoners from the concentration
camp today most of them carrying
a bag of new clothing over
their shoulder they had apparently
looted from some warehouse.
Many of them were stopping
the German civilians on the
streets and taking their bicycles.
One Russian came up to shake
my hand and then kissed it.
I gave him some cigarettes and
believe he was one of the
happiest people I have ever
seen. You can imagine their
feeling at being released from
such a place after being in
there five and six years and
looking forward to being killed
each day. We talked with
several Frenchmen, English,
New Zealanders and Italians as
well as Poles and Russians.
This city is one of the largest
in Germany and has really
been bombed. In the heart of
the city there is hardly a building
left that isnt badly damaged.
Some of the English boys told us
our planes had been bombing
here for a year. I could tell some
of the damage was old as they
had tried to patch the lower floors
of many big buildings without
rebuilding same. We see long
lines of prisoners marching in
every day now and according to
some of the boys, they give up
quite readily. Some times one
see groups come in with out
guards or any one with them.
One group of about forty wanted
to surrender to us but we told
them to go on down the road
and some one would take
them prisoners. It is really
funny in a way but I guess
most of the organized resistance
has ceased. We expect to hit more
if we go further South in the
mountains. I wrote you yesterday
about receiving the box from the
girls. It was the one containing the
candy bars, hot chocolate and soup
mixtures. I have almost lived on
the candy today and it really
was delicious. Please thank
them for me until I get a
chance to write them. Tomorrow
I understand we get “B” rations so
perhaps we will have a couple
of hot meals our first in four
days.
Well sweet it is getting quite late so think I shall turn in. Will be dreaming of you —
All My Love Clarence.Please send a box of food. Thanks honey.
Pfc. C. O. Williams 37738878
Co A - 122d Med. Bn
A.P.O. #411 - c/o P.M.
New York, N. Y.