OCT 2022

Dear Readers,

Neil Good, our premier Amphibian researcher, persuaded Vanderbilt University to 17 issues  of the Camp Edwards News Newspaper from WWII on line! I have not had time to read them. I am asking my readers to please go through them and let me know what you find. It would be great if you took an interest and focused on that. Let's say your relative was in an AAA unit...cull all AAA info, or you are a nurse, pull out articles on the nursing program, entertainment, sports pick a topic and let me know what you find. Here is the link:

Mark Romboli our Secretary/asst. treasurer has been getting the museum more speaking engagements. He has also volunteered to sit at a table in the Cape Cod Mall with me to raise awareness for the Museum and our mission. 

Gary Soars our collector extraordinaire, was contacted by Jay Zavala about finding a keynote speaker for the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce Veterans Day Breakfast. He suggested me! I am beyond honored to speak at this wonderful event. 

The breakfast is sponsored by Sam and Judy Lorusso, Linda Zammer, and the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce. The event is for 250 Veterans of the Armed Forces and one spouse or caretaker. Reservations have to be made by calling 508-548-8500. Once capacity is reached reservations will be stopped. 

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11TH

FLYING BRIDGE RESTAURANT 

SCRANTON AVE. FALMOUTH

Doors open at 8:00am Breakfast starts at 8:30 Speakers/program 9-10:00am

On an interesting note. The Flying Bridge is where the tents were set up by the 411th Base Shop Battalion of the 2nd ESB (Cape Cod Commandos) 80 years ago. They worked in the big Boat sheds at the end of Scranton Ave. 

CAPE COD THE CRADLE OF INVASION:

THURSDAY OCTOBER 27TH 6:30PM

WEST FALMOUTH LIBRARY

575 RT 28A FALMOUTH MA

The hour long photo/lecture covers the establishment of the Engineer Amphibious Command and the Amphibious Training Command at Camp Edwards and eventually Washburn Island. We go over the innovations, equipment evolutions, and training that occurred exactly 80 years ago here on the Cape. Units trained were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Engineer Special Brigades and the 1st, 45th and 36th Infantry Divisions. There are new photos if you were not at the Osterville Library lecture! 

THE 26th YANKEE DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4th 1:00PM

YARMOUTH SENIOR CENTER

528 FOREST ROAD YARMOUTH

We go over the formation and training of New England's own Infantry Division. It's deployment and actions in France. We tell the big picture, augmented with personal stories.

We will have the YD's most famous soldier Sgt. Stubby there! 

CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LINK BELOW! BE SURE TO LIKE US! WE ARE POSTING AN INTERESTING NEWS ITEM EVERYDAY FROM EVENTS THAT HAPPENED EXACTLY 80 YEARS AGO. CHECK THEM OUT! SOME EXAMPLES OF OCTOBER 1942:The war raged on and around the Island of Guadalcanal. The U.S. gained the upper hand and our first offensive operation of the War was successful. The Germans took control of the Tractor Factory in Stalingrad. 

THE 133rd AAA GUN BATTALION

 The following is a recap of a book we recently got on the 133rd:

The 133rd AAA Gun Battalion Mobile got it's start as the 133rd Coastal Artillery Battalion (Anti-Aircraft) (Gun) (Mobile) Camp Edwards Cape Cod Massachusetts. The training cadre came from enlisted men from AAATC Camp Hann California and the Officers came from Officer Candidate School Camp Davis S. Carolina. After getting themselves sorted out, 400 draftees arrived at C.E. on August 26th, 300 more the next day. After a leisurely week in quarantine they soon realize they were really in the Army. They were worked hard from reveille at 05:30 till evening chow at 17:00hrs. They were expected to be riflemen as well as technicians in Artillery. "Cape Cod is not at it's most charming in Autumn and winter; and it was from October 1943 to March 1944 that most of the important work of the 133rd had to be done" In early October the first firing problems were conducted at Camp Welfleet. They had to sleep in shelter halves. The weather turned cold and then rainy. They fired at a plane-towed target for the first time. Pitching tents and digging in big guns became and ordeal. In the book the author clams the battles of Denis, Welfleet and Scargo Hill will be remembered long after Omaha Beach, Cherbourg, and Verdun are forgotten. Finally during a blizzard the training exercise was paused and the men allowed to return to the Barracks, which now seemed like Buckingham Palace. This realistic training paid dividends in December of '44. (the 90mm is different unit during bulge, but the other two photos are from Camp Edwards)

April 23rd the Battalion had orders to go to Fort Bragg N. Carolina. 

"At the Camp Edwards Station, a Negro Band was waiting impatiently to give us a "send-off" in grand style." The troops suspected their friends from the neighboring towns had procured the band. The band omitted the "March Militaire" and instead played Stardust and the Beer Barrel Polka "which put us in a gay mood despite the fact we were leaving behind us the beauty of Cape Cod in the spring." On their first trip to the field at Fort Braggleft them longing for Cape Cod as they were attacked by wood ticks and chiggers. They had to pair up and use the heat of lit cigarettes to destroy the critters from private areas. There were many curses directed at a shaky hand in a vulnerable spot.

We purchased a fiber glass Vietnam era landing craft, it cost us a pretty penny. We want to make it a Memorial to the WWII Amphibious training that occurred here. We just need to find the best location, build a cradle, build an open sided shelter to keep the elements out of the boat. If you want to help out finically :send us a grant writer ....Or visit our website (there is a donation button there), go to any Cape Cod Five Cent Savings Bank. or mail a check to CCMM P.O. Box 1783 Mashpee Ma 02649.