December 1943

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5 December 1943
Unit arrived at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. This camp was our staging area.

6 December 1943 to 20 December 1943
Spent in staging area. Activities consisted of close order drill, parades, competitive drills, and organization of a fife and drum corps.

21 December 1943
Departed from Camp Kilmer and arrived Bayonne, New Jersey. Boarded ferry at Bayonne to Queen Mary.

22 December 1943
Aboard Queen Mary we were assigned as mess and detail battalion.

23 December 1943
Today we sailed down the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty.

25 December 1943
Few of the people aboard enjoyed their Christmas dinner. This trip was reported to be the roughest crossing the Queen Mary had ever made.

29 December 1943
Dropped anchor in Firth of Clyde, near Grenock, Scotland.

30 December 1943
Advance party debarked: rode by rail from Grencok, Scotland to Swindon, England.

Click here for the 1st 6 months in the ETO (Jan-Jun 1944)
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