Description:

AMERICAN ARTILLERYMAN'S DIARY...AND A PIECE OF HITLER'S PATIO
Pair of items from an unidentified artilleryman attached to Battery A, 656th Field Artillery Battalion who served in Europe with the First and Third Armies from early December, 1944 into postwar occupation duty in Austria well into 1946. The diary, written in an 8vo. engineer's 'Transit Book', bears entries on only about 40 pages, and these were likely transcribed from notes just after the soldier returned home. He includes entries on various engagements, as well as a complete chronology and a listing of all of the towns and cities through which his battalion had passed. The diary opens with the soldier's departure from Camp Rucker, Alabama on Nov. 18, 1944 and he arrived in Le Havre on Feb. 17. On or shortly after March 13, he notes: 'Jet Kraut planes over position. 1/2 Buzz Bomb trails sighted. Luftwaffe attacks Remagen Bridge...656[th F.A. Battalion] fires first ETO rounds on 13 Mar....first casualty...Ernest Track - killed in action during enemy air attack...' He continues: 'Kraut planes over position every day...shelled Bendorf & other towns across the Rhine...Bn. fire helped expand the Remagen bridgehead...crossed Rhine on pontoon bridge, at night during blackout march...traveled blackout on Autobahn...Emergency guard at Limburg POW Stalag XIIA...crossed Rhine River into Honnigen on 25-26 March...took Limburg Prison...scattered sniper firing...all day traveling on Autobahn...Arolsen SScenter and snipers active there...guarded ammo factory...Crossed Saale River. 200F truck ambushed by Nazis on road to Wiessenfels...crossed Elster River. Leipzig resistance ceases...guard at German hospital...started south to Nazi Pocket in Czech...shelled Nazi columns...cease fire order received...Final group firing completed by 187 Bn. 7 May 45...' The soldier makes additional entries for his occupation service, noting that he visited Berchtesgaden and the 'Eagles Nest' on Aug. 5, 1945. At that time, he recovered a 4 x 3 x 1 in. 'souvenir', a section of flagstone taken from the Kelsteinhaus which he carefully painted in block letters: 'BERCHTESGADEN HITLER'S EAGLE NEST AUG. 5, 1945' A fine combination, diary and relic.

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April 6, 2022 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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