McCormick, a cook, takes it easy in the German sun.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
Harvey & L.B. Kinlow in front of their post office.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945, Germany
Chow is nearly ready. All chow hounds “fall in.” Willie & Ferrara prepare.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945, Schleiz, German
The main street in our pup tent city. Near Schleiz, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
Our convoy rolling along a French highway toward Le Havre, France.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
French flags such as shown flying here were hoisted in France as the Jerry’s were pushed out.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
Jerry’s is a term used by British and American soldiers to refer to Germans during WW1 and WW2, from Urban Dictionary.
The routine physical inspection. This particular physical took place at Camp Oklahoma City, France. (near Reims)
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
War is hell! Ask the residents of Le Havre–if you can find any.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
A typical German pill box. This particular one was located near the harbor at Le Havre, France.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
The truck just ahead of the vehicle I was riding in enroute to Le Havre from Germany. Chuck Miller seated and facing my camera.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
Enroute to Camp Oklahoma City, France (assembly area near Reims) our convoy stopped frequently for breaks. We amateur photographers had a lot of material here.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945, near French Border in Germany
Vineyards by the acres were a common sight. This flat section of vineyards was nothing like the mountainous ones in the Moselle River area.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945, near Bonn, Germany
Willie, Herman Rhinehart, & Peck. Bivouac area near Schleiz, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 1945
Theodore Roosevelt Boginski (Bo) and “Doc” Snipes consented to pose briefly in front of the mess hall at Camp Oklahoma City, France. “Bo” is Mess Sgt & Snipes is Company Aid Man.
Our field mess hall at Camp Oklahoma City, France. Our 87th Division was the first unit to be processed here in redeployment home & then to the Pacific.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945, near Reims, France
“Bo” orients Doc Snipes on the Pacific War. War in Europe was over, but we were all thinking of the Japs.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945
A soft drinks truck paused briefly to take care of business in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17,1945
Trier, Germany, on the Moselle River, was also the victim of our bombs.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945
Large cities of Germany were not the only ones who saw the havoc of war. This is the view of a small town outside Cologne.
Bernard McKenzie, June 17, 1945
Complete & successful destruction of a Nazi Party headquarters building near Cologne, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
A view of the picturesque Moselle River near Wasserbillig, Germany. Our regiment had taken Wasserbillig only after a terrific price in human lives last winter.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
The cathedral was to have been the chief subject near Bonn, Germany, and while hurriedly passing through, the picture was snapped.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
This photo, which I’d always assumed was of a sign constructed by a home-sick G.I., pointed the directions of American redeployment camps, or repo-depos. The camps were named after U.S. cities. My dad was at Oklahoma City.
Redeployment centers near Reims, France, were organized & functioning in these U.S. city named camps . Our Division was redeployed at Oklahoma City.
Bernard McKenzie, June 19, 1945
These redeployment camps near Reims served as a funnel to prepare millions of American G.I.’s for military operations elsewhere in the world and to send the luckier ones home. The map below shows the location of the various camps around Reims. The first photo shows the long lines for the “Gourmet Restaurant” at Camp Boston. The second photo is of my dad’s camp, Oklahoma City.
American soldiers & not French are boarding this GI vehicle with some of the ruins.
Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945
Camp Home Run, once a German held fort, was our waiting place for the boat.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 20-26, 1945
This picture was taken as our advance party convoy entered the city of Aachen, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 20, 1945
American Cemetery of World War II soldiers. Located in Belgium, just across the German border.
Bernard McKenzie, June 20, 1945
“In Flanders Fields the Poppies Grow…” This snap is but a tiny sector of Flanders in Belgium. Nothing but poppies were visible in the field. A very beautiful sight.
Bernard McKenzie, Flanders, Belgium, June 20, 1945, quoting a 1918 poem by John McCrae
The very busy business cross intersection in the heart of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Bernard McKenzie, June 20, 1945
All of the photographs on this site are scans of originals that my father Bernard McKenzie took on his trek across western Europe at the end of World War 2. To this point the descriptions written on the back have been meticulous, detailed in the handwriting of my dad and the vernacular of the times. They’ve also been accurate, both chronological and locations. This blog post has helped me identify the first discrepancy, a photo and description dated far out of sequence. What’s going on? I hope to figure it out as I keep following the trail of photographs back into Germany.
The lazy Moselle River near Wasserbillig, Germany.
Bernard McKenzie, June 22, 1945
While this photo does appear to be of the Moselle River, Luxembourg is on one side while Germany is on the other. The photo is also obviously extremely mis-dated, as my dad was at Camp Home Run in Le Havre, France, on June 22.
Three or four roofs remained intact at Le Havre.
Bernard McKenzie, June 22, 1945
Can Le Havre ever be a great city (again)? The used stone should be a prosperous business.
Bernard McKenzie, June 22, 1945
French girls were on hand at Camp Home Run to make for a less “G.I.” atmosphere.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
A German-constructed pill box surrounding their old fort at Le Havre, France.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
A distant view of Le Havre, France. Taken from the top of an old German fort. Church and other buildings in the foreground were relatively untouched–buildings in the background were demolished.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
Entrance gate to Camp Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945
Underground tunnel barracks that we were housed in during our 5 days at Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945
A sector of Le Havre that had missed some bombs.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
Service deluxe was to be had at Camp Home Run. Here are a few French girls who dished out food in the kitchen.
Bernard McKenzie, June 23, 1945
Once a German fort, Camp Home Run was a restful place for American G.I.’s awaiting shipment home.
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945
Veteran’s Day need not be a politicized holiday. Looking back at these amazing photos that are the greatest gift my father left us, I see Americans fighting oppression and tyranny. I see the great nation and people of France so devastated yet only weeks after the end of the war the smiles have returned to many of their faces. Veteran’s Day is a day to remember what binds us all together, the valor of generations of young people to protect fellow humans. I am proud to say that my dad was a veteran of World War 2 along with his brother, who landed in Normandy 24 hours after D-Day, and their dad before them was a veteran of World War 1.
Le Havre & her harbor from the distant hill at Camp Home Run.Bernard McKenzie,
June 24, 1945
German PW’s are completing work on a volley ball court. Soon after they finished we played a game.
Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945, Camp Home Run
A flag raising ceremony at Camp Home Run.
Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945
Here we could write letters, play cards, checkers, ping pong, read, etc. (Camp Home Run Day Room)
Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 24, 1945
At Camp Home Run–near Le Havre, France–we had all the service one would want. French girls served us in a cafeteria manner.
Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945
Past Present Future 