Le Havre, France

January 21, 1946

Dear Mom,

We left Namur on Saturday morning on a direct train to Paris. It was not a particularly fast train. We left at 10 AM and reached Paris about 8 PM. However, it was a civilian train and stopped one hour at the Belgium border for customs inspection and a second hour across the border in France for French inspection.

We reached Paris too late to go on that night so we booked the next train at 1:30 PM Sunday. This gave me a chance to see the Lequiens again where I had a fine dinner of oysters and chicken. I don't know yet how Paulette cooked the chicken so fast. It was not much more than 30 minutes as her mother only found one in mid-morning. But it was really delicious.

The trip to Le Havre (Camp Herbert Tareyton) was somewhat worse than the others. We rode in English coaches 3rd class with stiff straight backs on a narrow, hard seat. There were 8 officers in a compartment. A good dog probably could have outdistanced the train at any point. We were supposed to arrive at 8:30 PM. We pulled in about 10 PM and reached camp an hour later. Ironically the civilian train which left Paris at five o'clock, passed us en route, and arrived ahead of us - about 9 PM! Fortunately, Paulette had fixed me some more sandwiches or I'd have had nothing to eat. Only three of us had anything, which we shared with the others so everyone had a little. Except at a halt, you couldn't move from the compartment. On the Belgian train you could go from car to car and there was a diner with a fair meal for about a dollar.

I had some enlisted men along, most of whom hadn't had anything to eat. After I pressed the camp people, they produced some hot coffee, hot canned chicken and hot potatoes with bread shortly before midnight. We were lucky to get in as we did, for we completed one packet which has only one other ahead of it for shipment. Some officers have been here 4 or 5 days and are in this same group. However, the most optimistic opinions give us about 5 days here. We began processing today. Now once more we just wait.

I will go to the Separation Center at Camp Grant. I thought possibly I might get to Ft. Sheridan since it's closer, but that's only going to Wisc. or Mich.

This is no place to linger long. It's a tent camp with some stoves but not too much fuel. Everyone is around scavenging boxes, etc. to burn. We managed to dig up a stove today after changing areas and had a fire all laid ready to light. But while everyone was out getting processed someone walked off with the stove intact!

I had four blankets last night and was none too warm. Although we have canvas cots and the tent is floored it is rather damp from melting snow. I have another blanket for tonight. Tomorrow I'm to get a flu shot which I'll probably need if I'm here five days.

The camp seems well supplied with theatres and Red Cross Clubs. I am writing from one of these now. It is just for officers and is packed tight. I imagine the enlisted clubs are the same. It is very warm here, which is why everyone comes here.

Love,

Bob