Tag: Cigarette Camp

A Cigarette Camp in Le Havre

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Le Havre offered a setting for the large-scale U.S. exodus from the War. Tens of thousands of GI’s gathered in the Cigarette Camps, including Camp Home Run where my dad Bernard McKenzie spent his final days in-continent.

A view of Camp Home Run. Notice the German fort surrounding the camp.

Bernard McKenzie, Camp Home Run, Sanvic, France, June 26, 1945

 

M. P.’s out on a little stroll in Le Havre, France. Many white and negro troops were stationed in Le Havre.

Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945

The Slow Road Home

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I’ve seen this stack of photos stuffed inside a shoebox since I was a young boy. My dad would take the box out to show the photos to close friends in hushed tones. They’ve taken on a mythical quality to me, and I’m so thankful I’ve found this outlet to truly examine them closely for the first time myself, and to share them with anyone who’s interested.

Ruins of Le Havre. Enroute to our boat & then the U.S.A.

Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945

 

We had stayed at “Home Run” for 5 days. We were sweating out boarding our ship. Here we are leaving “Home Run”–boarding trucks & enroute to our boat.

Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945

 

Enroute to our ship. One small sector of Le Havre that had missed our bombs in the early days of the war.

Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945

 

Most of us are loaded on trucks. Approximately two hours later we got on the “Marine Dragon.”

Bernard McKenzie, June 26, 1945

A Short Time Spent at Camp Home Run, Le Havre, France, June 1945

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Once a German fort, Camp Home Run was a restful place for American GI’s awaiting shipment home.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945

In his last stop in Europe after being freed from a German POW camp, my dad and many others spent about a week at Camp Home Run in Le Havre, France.

Underground tunnel barracks that we were housed in during our 5 days at Home Run.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945

A flag raising ceremony at Camp Home Run.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 24, 1945

Here we could write letters, play cards, checkers, ping pong, read, etc.

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, Le Havre, France, June 24, 1945

Service deluxe was to be had at Camp Home Run. These are a few French girls who dished out food in the kitchen.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 23, 1945

We had stayed at “Home Run” for 5 days. We were sweating out boarding our ship. Here we are leaving “Home Run”–boarding trucks and en route to our boat.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 26, 1945

By just looking at the calendar, my dad’s time in Europe was only a little more than six months. But the events of the short time he was there cover more than one full chapter in a history textbook. He landed in France and moved with his infantry division north through France into Belgium, to help protect the Allies eastern front in the Ardennes. Little did he know that just after Christmas, he and thousands of other Americans would be captured in one of Germany’s largest, final offenses, in what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. After nearly six months of captivity, my dad and others like him must have so welcomed settling down to sleep in a place named Home Run before getting on a ship for the long journey home.

A Preview of My Dad’s Past, Through His Eyes and Words

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German PW’s are completing work on a volley ball court. Soon after they finished we played a game.

Bernard McKenzie, June 24, 1945

With a camera and a pen, my dad recorded for all of us many of his experiences and thoughts while in Europe during World War 2. With nearly 200 photos, many of which have incredible descriptions inked on the back, my dad left me a bit of a puzzle. While I have a pretty good idea of my dad’s story–including the six-month interruption in these photos caused by his internment by the Germans–spending the time to focus on these photos and inscriptions while I publish them here will surely help me fill in some of the blanks. I plan to tell the story of this enlisted member of the Army’s 87th Infantry Division, the Golden Acorns. And in doing so, I want to share his story told by these amazing mementos with the world.