Tag: Le Havre

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

Is it the beginning? Or is it the end?

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An African-American Navy Band sent the troops off in style.

Negro musicians play as we leave Le Havre.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

A group of negro musicians played as we left the European Theater.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 27, 1945

 

Some French civilians and U.S. soldiers watch on as we leave Le Havre.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

Our “Marine Dragon” that returned us safely to the U.S.A. The gang plank to the right. Boarded this the evening of the 26th–sailed June 27, 1945.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 27, 1945

The War Machine Bringing GI’s Home

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More than 2 million Americans fought in Europe in WW2. Bringing them home was just the next chapter. Learn more about the USS West Point, in the background of the first photo below, which was used to transport troops during World War 2.

Ships & tugs docked at Le Havre. The U.S. West Point in the background.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

A sister ship of our Marine Dragon.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 27, 1945

 

This tug is about to take us through the channel ahead. You can see the rope attached.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 27, 1945

 

The tug at front is slowly pulling our ship out.

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, June 27, 1945

 

Harbor at Le Havre.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

Remnants of Le Havre

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In order to be repatriated, Le Havre was destroyed. See Before and After video of Le Havre.

In harbor at Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

A dock at Le Havre, France. Our Air Forces had visited here frequently.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

The congested harbor at Le Havre.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

Harbor. Le Havre, France

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

In the harbor at Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

Battlefront, Le Havre

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The Germans dug in at Le Havre, determined to defend one of France’s largest ports at all costs–the port was very important for them to secure, and very important for the Allies to seize! This is the aftermath of “defending at all costs”. Read more about Operation Estonia.

Harbor view, Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

This ship, a victim of enemy shells, still lies submerged in the harbor at Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

 

A submerged ship, a victim of enemy shells. Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

Leaving War-Torn Le Havre

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His whole life my dad hated standing in lines. He wouldn’t do it at Disneyworld, not at a cafeteria, not at a movie theater. In looking at this index of his photos from the time he and his buddies were readying to leave the war continent, they didn’t accomplish much or move very far in this week-plus of time. They deserved a break, for sure, but knowing what awaited them on the other side of the ocean must have been an agonizing delay. The open ocean ahead and the destroyed city in the rearview mirror is a perfect memory of that time. (See Le Havre today here and here.)

Coastline at Le Havre.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

The coastline at Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

A U.S. barge carrying army rations. Le Havre coastline in background.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

A harbor view of war torn Le Havre, France.

Bernard McKenzie, June 27, 1945

WW2 Cigarette Camp, Camp Home Run

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During the early stages of the American European offensive, “cigarette camps” sprung up as staging areas for American troops about to engage in battle. After the German surrender, the camps took on a new life as as disembarkation staging areas for GIs waiting to sail across the Atlantic to head back home. The camps were named after cigarette brands to help conceal their location from the Germans, and actual cigarettes were plentiful, which was welcomed by many GIs.

One such camp was Camp Home Run, located just outside Le Havre, France in the town of Sanvic. After his release as a POW, my father Bernard McKenzie called Home Run home for about a week at the end of June, 1945. Learn more about the cigarette camps and Camp Home Run here.

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

Bernard McKenzie, Le Havre, France, 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.