Letters From War Wednesday: World War II – Tom Franks.

This edition of Letters From War Wednesday continues with our Irish theme of the week.  Many followers may not realize that Ireland actually remained neutral during World War II.  However, Northern Ireland, with its ties to England, fought with the Allies.

Multiple U.S. Army outfits, including the 34th Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Division and 508th Parachute Infantry, were stationed in Northern Ireland.  Tom Franks was assigned to Company I, 121st Infantry, 8th Infantry Division.  He and his unit disembarked at Belfast on December 15, 1943, and trained near Enniskillen.

Tom Franks - 8th Infantry Division

“Our voyage over was about like I expected,” Franks wrote home in January 1944.  “We were crowded and the ocean was rough at times.  My intestinal fortitude was strong enough to allow me to eat and hold what they had to offer.  One soldier who was hanging over the rail, head bowed, was asked if he had a weak stomach.  He replied that he could throw his farther than anyone.

“Ireland is a beautiful country when the sun shines. One can squeeze water out of the air.  We are in comfortable quarters and the food is as good as could be expected.”

A divided Ireland presented Franks with an unlikely alternative.  “We were only a mile or two north of the border,” he explained.  “The southern part of Ireland was neutral and we were told that if we crossed that border, we would be locked up in an Irish prison for the duration of the war.  There were times during the war that I thought that might not have been too bad an idea.”

Franks would be wounded twice in battle in Northern Europe, including a bullet through the neck near Brest, France.   Yet, he would survive, and still holds fond memories of his time in Northern Ireland.

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