Author:
Walter H. Neumann
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Date Posted: 18:46:50 09/23/11 Fri
In reply to:
Howard Guidry
's message, "Life Aboard LST 550 - Dec.'44 thru Oct.'45" on 19:55:45 08/05/10 Thu
You ask what was life like in Camp Bradford Oct to Dec 1944
Arrived 11-21-1944, Left 1-29-1945. Remembrances from diary and service record. I arrived after dark.
First a tent put over a wood frame & floor with oil stove heat.
A guard came in, turned off the oil, a sailor got up turned it back on. Next morning in dark going to the head on a board walk,
stumbled off it into mud. The drill field was a mud flat when it
rained. They must have enjoyed making us polish our shoes to muster
and drill in mud. Next a wood frame barracks with a tar paper
outside heated with a coal stove. The stove pipe usually beet
red from top of a beet red stove. One barracks burned down while there. Went to Class B radio school 4 weeks to learn operation
and maintenance of LST radio equipment in a wood frame
building not on the LST mockup USS Neversail. Went to a Norfolk NOB
for swimming. Had gunnery practice, small arms including hand
held machine guns. On guard duty quite often. One remembered,
a midnight to four guard duty in a corner of the base, only me, mud
and pine trees. My service record Camp Bradford insertions were signed
by E.C. Weiner, Ensign, USN, Assist. Personnel Officer. My diary
mentioned a good USO show. A diary entery told about
lousy Norfolk liberty. 12-25-45: Went on liberty to Norfolk to an
evening Christmas service in a church. I was like unnoticed,
ungreeted. To sum up ask for life for that period, it was cold
and rainy, but treatment was better than two other bases I
experienced. After great 5 months in NTSCH. U of Wis dormitories, Camp
Bradford quarters were bad, but no worse than Amphibious Base in Fort
Pierce Florida which followed. My diary had no adverse comment when
leaving Camp Bradford but for Fort Pierce when leaving said, hope
never to see Florida again.
Walter H. Neumman
Spring Hill, Fl.
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