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WAR DIARY (306th Wg. Hq. & Hq. Sq.)
APRIL 1944
1 April: April Fool’s Day, but everybody was too busy to think of it. Not a single prank was noted. But there was no April Fooling about the time, and everybody lost one hour sleep. Clocks and watches were moved up one hour.
The 306th gets another Fighter Group today. It is the 31st Fighter Group, and is based at San Severo. The group pilots have been flying Spitfires but will fly P-51B’s for the 306th. They are now in process of transition, and will soon join the other groups in providing bomber escort. The 306th now has five fighter groups assigned to it.
2 April: Regardless of what fame the 306th Wing may achieve, April 2nd will always remain one of the big days in its history. It was on this day that the wing executed its first combat operation. Maximum fighters from all four groups participated in providing escort for a raid on the Walzagerwerk Ball-bearing plant at Steyr. Excellent results were obtained by the bombers, while 306th Wing fighters destroyed 32 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed 6 more, and damaged 8 others. All of our fighters returned to their bases, and the 5th Wing (Bomb) commended the 306th for the excellent and aggressive cover it provided.
Grand opera, “Tosca”, comes to San Severo, and many of the officers and men attended the performance.
3 April:
4 April: Hq. squadron area rapidly is resembling a real estate project. Volley ball, baseball and horse shoe pitching grounds have been laid out and improved and are being enjoyed. Beyond these, a brick orderly room is being constructed, and will be 16 X 16 feet, with a large built-in bulletin board which presents a swanky appearance. Capt. O’Keefe, squadron commander, has also initiated construction of a brick shower room in the squadron area. This will have 16 showers and two barber chairs. The showers will have hot and cold water at all times every day, and will be available for officers and men of Hq. and Hq. Sq.
5 April: More grand opera, “Riggoletto”. This performance was also at San Severo, and many officers and men of the 306th attended.
Our first lady guest ate at the officers mess tonight. We don’t know who she was, but Col. Baseler was the lucky escort.
6 April: Gen. Strother entertains at the officers mess. He was host to officers of the 306th Wing Hq. of the 38th Service Squadron and the 341st Signal Co.
7 April: Gen. Twining visits 306th Wing Hq. for the first time. He was accompanied by Col. Y.H. Taylor, 15th Air Force Chief of Staff, and the two were guests of Gen. Strother at lunch. The visiting officers paid visits to the various staff departments at Wing Hq.
The Good Friday parade was an interesting spectacle today. A few US troops participated in the colorful religious rite, the like of which few had ever seen.
8 April: Impressive ceremonies are held at 0930 in front of Wing Headquarters. The occasion is the formal presentation of merit awards by Gen. Strother to 1st Lt. Leslie E. Anderson and 1st Lt. A.W. Ferrin. Hq. Sq. troops, in two flights, and one flight of Wing Officers, stood at attention as the citation orders were read and Gen. Strother pinned on the medals. Each received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
9 April: Easter Sunday, but war is conscious of no such day. Work and war as usual, but quite a number attend Easter services. The proverbial Easter shower came along before the day was over.
Gen. Strother visited 325th Fighter Group today with Gen. Twining. While at the 325th, Gen. Twining, to the surprise of Gen. Strother, had ordered a ceremony, at which Gen. Strother received the “Award of the Legion of Merit”. After the citation, (Hq. USAFISPA, G.O. No. 482, 4 April 1944) was read, Gen. Twining made the presentation. The decoration was for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services in organizing and training fighter squadrons in the South Pacific. He then held the rank of colonel.
Gen. Strother came back to Wing Hq. but said nothing about the decoration, and it was not until several days later that it became generally known.
10 April: Last of the grand opera season – “Madame Butterfly”, is given at San Severo. Many members of Hq. and Hq. Sq avail themselves of the opportunity of hearing opera in the traditional land of opera.
A regular schedule of weekly war news reviews for enlisted men was started today. They will be held each Monday morning in the gymnasium. Attendance is optional, and about 30 were present for the first review, which was given by Maj. Roth and Lt. Baines in front of a large map of Europe. Combat films showing the destruction of several German aircraft in the air supplemented the review.
11 April: The Hq. Squadron area is still improving in looks and convenience. Gravel walks are being constructed connecting all tents and the orderly room. Hq. Sq. soft ball team beat 341st Sig. Co. team 7 to 4 in a game today.
12 April: Beer!Beer!Beer! The first tested since we left the states, was sold at the Enlisted Mens Club last night. A limited supply of the GI beer, brewed in Italy, was quickly exhausted. The price was 10 Lira a bottle. The beer was cool but not cold. A few sample drinks were available at the Officers Club.
Col. Y.H. Taylor, Chief of Staff of the Fifteenth Air Force, has been placed on D/S with 306th Wing Hq. and has been designated as Deputy Commanding Officer. Col. Taylor is a former Texas Ranger.
13 April: Trouble with the town water supply is causing many inconveniences. For several days the water is turned on only between 0700 and 1100 hours.
14 April:
15 April: Wing Hq. holds its first dance. Following a buffet supper in the Officers mess, the bar was moved to the gymnasium where officers of Wing headquarters assembled. Two army nurses from the 4th Field Hospital, and some 15 or 20 Italian ladies from the local community were guests. Music was furnished by an Italian orchestra.
16 April: Hq. 306th Wing soft ball team drops game to 34th Service Group -- score: 17 to 6.
17 April: Capt. Danrot conducts a chemical warfare lecture for enlisted men. This was part of a general training program, and was conducted in the gymnasium.
Capt. Goody, Wing A-1, went to Manfredonia today and arranged for a rest camp for wing personnel, including all units. The camp was established in a hotel on the Gulf of Manfredonia, and will accommodate 50 persons. It will be used four days a week by enlisted men and two days a week by officers. A Red Cross official is in charge.
18 April:
19 April:
20 April: Officers and men urged to go at least in pairs after hours of darkness until after 22 April. This is merely a precaution during the Fascist anniversary dates. A special guard of 20 men will be on duty until after 22 April. So far no trouble with the native population has developed.
21 April: A poet is discovered in Headquarters Squadron in the person of T/Sgt. Preston B. Cunningham. True to the modesty of most poets, he said nothing of his efforts, and wrote them as an expression of his own feelings. However they were discovered and have been brought to light, and are being attached to the unit history. One effort was entitled “Salute to Mothers”, and the other “To Mothers on Easter Morn (From a Church, Somewhere in Italy).”
22 April: Headquarters Squadron gets a new 1st Sergeant. 1st Sgt. Major E. Dansie of the 82nd Fighter Group will be new top-kick, relieving Sgt. Arza L. Alderman, who goes to the 82nd Fighter Group. Sgt. Alderman was the units first 1st Sergeant.
More signs of hot weather, which the veterans keep saying is just around the corner. Carpenters are busy making frames with which to screen the windows. Mosquito netting is used in place of metal screening which is unavailable.
23 April: Capt. Douglas, Lt. Chupp and Lt. Guest visited the Cassino front today. They were able to drive to within a few miles of the front lines. Capt. Douglas and Lt. Guest walked forward far enough to view Monestary Hill and the ruins of the monestary.
Other extended trips today were to Corsica, home of the 52nd Fighter Group, which soon is expected to become part of the 306th Wing, and will move to the main-land. Gen. Strother and Maj. Strozier each flew a P-51 to the island, while Maj. Clayton, A-4, and Capt. Marg, Lt. Donald E. Dobbins and Lt. Carl F. Hodges, all of the communication section, flew in a B-17.
24 April: We see some indication today that the 306th Wing Hq. may get a chaplain. Capt. Roy M. Terry, now at 325th Fighter Group, is relieved and assigned to Wing Hq. The same order (SO 35, Hq, 306th Wing) then places him on D/S with the 325th. We don’t know what it all means, but if we are to have a chaplain it would be hard to find a better one than Capt. Terry.
25 April: Defense Memo. No. 1 was issued today, and outlines procedure in the event of an air raid. It also prohibits the burning of the exterior lights, except on motor vehicles, for 1/2 hour before sunset and 1/2 hour after sunrise. A rigid black-out procedure is also outlined.
26 April: Seems like winter has come again. The weather is wet, dreary and quite cold. Things are rather relaxed around headquarters due to a standdown of all groups caused by the weather.
27 April: Another wintry day and another standdown for all groups.
Defense Memo. No. 2, issued today, defines air raid alerts, and what to do in case of them. Three blasts of the siren at 5 second intervals signifies a Red Alert, and upon a repetition of the Red Alert everybody is instructed to hit for the slit trenches. Firing on enemy aircraft with small arms is absolutely prohibited unless ordered by competent authority.
28 April:
29 April: Another group of Wing officers visited the 52nd Fighter Group in Corsica today. They included Maj. Roth of the A-2 Section and Capt. Friedman and W/O Brooks of the A-1 Section.
30 April: Promotion day as well as pay day. Two men, T/Sgt. Joe Romeo of the A-1 section and T/Sgt. Malcolm C. Stone of the A-2 section were each made Master Sergeant. Other promotions were: To S/Sgt. – James N. Edlin and Frank D. Budzenski; to Sgt. – Anthony Orico, Conrad W. Catterlin, Rowell M. Coggin, Harry A. Frombach, Malcolm Langton, Alfred R. Michael and Herman Spencer; to Corporal – Eugene Bizarro, Manuel A. Bothelho, Bernardino A. Bravo, William E. Chick, George Doudoukjian, Paul J. Fleming, Saul Kaufman, Samuel Levy, Robert E. Martin, Chester J. McDonald, Anthony J. Sais and Earmel Thompson.
More visits to the Cassino front today. Capt. Killian of Headquarters Squadron, Lt. Baines of A-2 Section, and Pvt. Salizar motored to the front and watched the artillery fire, which was the only action taking place.
Lt. Col. Robert Levine, CO of the 52nd Fighter Group, presently based in Corsica, with Maj. William M. Houston, Deputy CO, Maj. Robert K. Russell, Executive Officer, and Maj. Charles F. Heagy, Adjutant, visited Wing Hq. today.
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