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Julian Victor Beatty 17th Troop Carrier Squadron 64th Troop Carrier Group |
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May 10, 1944 |
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I was
assigned to the 64th Troop Carrier Group at Bari, Italy, but did not know it
until I arrived in Comiso, Sicily.
On Wednesday, May 10, 1944, we left Bari, Italy, by train, twenty-four
men per box car, along with boxes of “C” rations. The next afternoon we arrived in Reggio, Italy, and crossed
over into Messina. |
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May
13, 1944 |
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On
Saturday, May 13th, we left Messina in a British truck for Catania, Sicily,
and spent the night there. The
following day, May 14th, I met my first member of the 64th TCG who brought a
C-47 to pick up several men. It was
my first plane ride and the pilot thought it would be fun to hedge hop all
the way to Comiso. We flew up one
side of the hill and down the other with cattle running in all
directions. Upon reaching Comiso, I
was assigned to the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron and lived in a tent that had
been pitched in an olive grove. When
I arrived in Sicily most of the Group was in the CBI area staging cargo to be
flown over the “Hump” to China. Several
men left in Comiso were assigned duty to help locate equipment that had been
stolen by the Italians. One day we
went to a jail and picked up a prisoner who took us to Gela where we found a
Jeep that had been buried. However,
the Group soon returned from CBI and relieved us of this duty assignment. |
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June
22, 1944 |
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Received
orders signed by Lt. Col. Cerny to get ready to move to Rome. |
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June
28, 1944 |
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Left Comiso by C47 with Jeep and water-trailer for Ciampino, Italy Airfield South of Rome. When we arrived the field was still being used by P47 planes, so we had to find quarters on a hill nearby. In a day or two the P47's moved out and we moved in. One of the Squadron's planes crashed on
take-off returning to Comiso for men and burned on the field. The pilot and co-pilot burned to death in
their seats. One man was seriously injured when thrown from the plane.
Three days later a railroad work crew found another plane
crewman near the tracks. My job
was phone line and repairing electric lighting in the building and repairs to
generators. |
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August
6, 1944 |
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Celebrate second anniversary of 17th Troop Carrier Squadron |
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August
10-12, 1944 |
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Gliders
and crews moved to Ciampino. |
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August
15, 1944 |
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Early this
morning our plane
towing gliders loaded with
supplies left for
invasion of Southern France. Word came back later that a number of men and gliders were lost
due to landing field was smaller than thought. |
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September
6, 1944 |
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It is
my 22nd Birthday. Left
Ciampino with small crew
this morning for Southern France. When reaching the field where we were to
land, it was covered with water and Red Flares were fired. We returned to Bastia, Corsica.
Later in the day, we tried
again but were turned back and ended up sleeping on the plane. |
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September
7, 1944 |
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Left
Bastia for Southern France and again turned back. Later in the day we tried again and landed in Istres, France on
the fourth try.
(Promoted to Sgt. while here.)
In Istres our
planes were used to carry gasolene and supplies to the fast moving
front and carrying out the wounded.
The Free French Army had some B-26 planes on the field
and I never saw any of them used. The men wore American uniforms and
spent most of their time doing nothing, except drinking wine
and eating bread. |
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November
11, 1944 Saturday |
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Left
Istres, France and returned to Ciampino to join the Group. |
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November
23, 1944 Thursday |
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Thanksgiving
Day – Ciampino, Italy |
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December
25, 1944 |
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Christmas
Day - Ciampino |
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January
13, 1945 |
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Left Ciampino for Cicena which
was near the Rosigniano Air
Field. At this time the war in Italy
had moved to the mountains in the North.
The planes were used mostly at night to drop men and supplies in the
mountains to the
fighting partisans. The Partisans
helped bring an
end to the war
in Italy. The
partisans are the ones
that killed Mussolini and his
mistress and hung them by their heels in the square at Milan. |
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March
11, 1945 |
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I was
transferred to 64th Headquarters and
left for 12th Air Force Headquarters in Florence
for training on
maintenance of secret
code machine Sigcum. While in Florence we got word that
President Roosevelt had died. |
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April 13,
1945 |
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Left
Florence and returned to Cicena where I stayed until the war's end May 8th. |
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May
20, 1945 |
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Orders issued for all 64th to prepare to move to Naples, Italy. In the meantime I had received all new
equipment to be
installed at Headquarters. All boxes of equipment were loaded in a trailer, towed by a
Jeep and left in a parking lot in Naples near the Port. |
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May
23, 1945 |
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Personnel
of the 64th Troop Carrier Group boarded
a Troop Transport for place unknown. Rumors on ship that we were going to
Natal. |
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June
1, 1945 |
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Arrived
in Trinidad where 64th disbands.
(Promoted to Staff Sgt.) |
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June
11, 1945 |
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Transferred
from 64th Troop Carrier Group to Co.
C. Signal Service,
1107th Air Force Base Unit, Carribbean Wing, ATC, Waller Field, Trinidad,
BWI. |
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October
1, 1945 |
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Orders
to board plane at 10:00 pm. |
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October 2, 1945
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Arrived
at Miami, Florida. |
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October
4, 1945 |
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Train
to Atlanta, Georgia. |
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October 7, 1945
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Received
Army Discharge at Ft. McPherson, Georgia.
At 11:00 a.m. was
in a taxi to train depot. |
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October
8, 1945 |
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Arrived
home in Eddyville, Kentucky |
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October 9, 1945 |
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Attended
dedication of TVA Kentucky Dam on Tennessee River at Gilbertsville,
Kentucky. President Harry S. Truman was the honored guest and
Speaker. |
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