George's Story (34)

Capt. George Christie, Gene's good friend and often tentmate, has a slightly different take on the situations encountered, and his letters to his wife, Marjorie, got passed around (edited) just like Gene's did.

Japanese plane destroyed on the ground at the Cyclops
Airdrome with U.S. ammunition on the wing

Excerpts from George's letters home: May 14: Now that it's all behind us and no danger of giving away military secrets I'll try to give you more details about our life.  I though surely when I wrote so much about having all that free time to go fishing any time I wanted to that you would realize we had shut down preparatory to leaving Australia [I think this is a hint that they again have lots of free time so ...].  There was almost three weeks when we were in the transit state and it's mighty hard to write interesting letters when you know things and can't write about them.  Anyway we were all packed up and living in the mess hall in our jungle hammocks which Gene has described, and not knowing when we would leave so I got permission to go on a day's fishing, telling when I'd be back, of course.  At the appointed time I am back to shore from up the river and none other than the colonel was waiting with his car.  I thought that was a little unusual so I asked what had been going on that day, and he said casually that everything was about as usual but when we got back I found out that they had packed up about noon and Gene had rolled up my bed roll and packed my stuff which had all gone before I got back.  Consequently I didn't have quite what I'd counted on in my hand luggage on the trip up.  There was really no hurry because it was some hours before we took our last train ride in Australia - and you really can't imagine how primitive their trains are, even from my descriptions.  When we got to our P.O.E. [point of embarkation] I still had plenty of time to do some more fishing while they loaded the boat and I caught a couple of nice ones one night and had a very delicious fish dinner.  We were on canned and boxed rations at the time and the fresh fish were really tasty.
     I guess I told you that we came up on a liberty ship.  After our trip from the states on a luxury liner it was quite a come-down.  At that, I think I got the best sleeping accommodation o the boat.  There were 12 of us in a little "dog house" on deck.  We ate in the mess line with the men and washed our mess kits in the usual GI cans.  Very few were seasick and all in all we had a very pleasant trip without excitement, although we traveled through historic waters.  We saw one of  the seven [natural] wonders of the world when we passed through the Great Barrier Reef.  I didn't think it looked so wonderful.  To be continued.
     Next morning.  It was a perfectly uneventful night.  This morning it is cloudy and is sprinkling a little.  The tide washed up a few planks last night.  I'm certain that some of the big logs along the shore are mahogany.  Too bad I can't make up a little furniture!  I'm sure there are rubber trees around here but I can't distinguish them.
     Across the bay a long white streamer of mist is lying among the hills.  There seems to be quite a lot of that when it is cloudy - about what you'd expect at timberline in our country.
     Last night I awoke about 1 or 2 A.M. and darn if some confounded crows weren't squawking.  It was bright moonlight.  They start in again before daylight.  There are the neatest, smallest swallows that flit around.  In all, I'm astonished at how little bird life there is.  I expected myriads of birds.  Strictly speaking this is the "rain forest" and not the thick jungle like you read about in Africa, etc.  It is plenty thick at that.  The number of vines trailing from all the trees and bushes impresses me most.  If there isn't a path, you have to cut your way.
     I hear the Seabees brought a movie outfit and pictures.  Maybe we will get in on a show.
     Now I wouldn't be certain but I'll bet there are pancakes for breakfast.  Perhaps I'd better go see!!

Gene's diary: May 16, 1944
     No change.  A few alerts but no bombs.  Foot is healing.  Natives brought fish, killed with Jap grenades

Former Imperial Japanese Headquarters near Lake Sentari

May 17, 1944
     Went to Cyclops air strip, Lake Sentari (rode across it in a fast out-board motor boat to I Corps at the former Imperial Jap Hq for this whole area.  Nice place!  According to plans discovered, the Japs had a marvelous defense worked out - if it had been carried out we might not have been able to take this place).  Saw some Jap planes that had been destroyed on the ground.  Beautiful lake, bordered by steep hills, some of them partly covered with grass!  Terrible dusty road and long delays.  Went to Pim (where the road starts to dromes [airdromes or airfields]) in a motor boat, going close to and in around a native village over the water.  Saw a big plantation, including Kapok trees [huge trees that might have been the source for the dugout canoes].  At the village we saw naked children.  I took pictures.  Home by 1 P.M.  coming the back road from Pim was plenty spooky [thinking about snipers, I'm sure].  The road is a regular mountain one, and newly constructed.

Excerpt from George Christie's letter to his wife Marjorie and sent to Beth:  ...  There was an interesting group coming toward us on the lake about 4-5 canoes lashed together and carrying almost 30 natives of all ages and both sexes.  They had cut enormous palm fronds and were holding them up as improvised sails to hasten their progress.  Gene got some pictures of them.

Canoes in Lake Sentari using palm fronds for sails

     Well, we had a nice bath in the lake, which had green algae in the water.  And I may say I never needed a bath more in my life - not even the time I went through the desert to that tank-train wreck.  I didn't realize there was as much open country and hills where there is no jungle or swamp, and the dust lies inches deep all along the road.
     Here were made the biggest mistakes of the day, instead of continuing back on our own, we met and joined our C.O. and Farquahar who had a jeep and rations - both of which seemed desirable.  The only catch was we had to recross the lake by boat to get to where they'd left the car and make the entire trip again by dusty road.  Suffice it to say that we were 1 1/2 hour line one place, and 3 hours in another, stopped dead by traffic and got back at 11 p.m., four very dirty and weary travelers.  Never again, we say.  But we did see some country and I'll tell you about it next time.

Gene: May 18, 1944
     More explosions from the Jap bombs and shells due to a careless fire on the beach.  A huge batch of our own stuff went up.  Immoral negligence that all the Jap bombs and shells had been left scattered around for 3 weeks, under the trucks and vehicles - everywhere.
     The coral reef is something.  Bech de mer [sea cucumbers], blue and red starfish, shells, etc.

Further excerpts from George's letters: I spent the entire afternoon out in the ocean just lounging and fooling around with an outrigger we have.  Oh yes, we spent about an hour catching minnows for fishing bait and Gene might actually get out with me this evening to try [his] luck.  He hasn't been out in the water even as yet on account of his feet, but they seem to be clearing up.  It has been very pleasant here today - about like up in Wisconsin on a hot day - but just back 100 yards from the beach where our kitchen is located on a small hill, it is hotter than hell's half acre.  The hot weather here  now is about like 98 in Chicago.  Nobody has a thermometer here but you don't need one.  Our big refrigerator is a godsend because we can have chilled water or synthetic lemonade.  Now if we just had a movie and electric lights we'd have all the comforts of home - almost.
     We have blackout from sunset to sunrise and there is usually a red alert to rock us to sleep and get [us] up in the morning.  So far there haven't been any evening planes overhead or any bombs dropped since the first week we were here.  Fortunately, nobody in our unit was hurt.  We don't know how long we will continue to have our freedom on the beach but we are enjoying it to the full at present.
     I usually get up between 7:30 and 8 a.m., make a leisurely and abbreviated toilet and wander up half a mile to breakfast.  No use burning up energy needlessly as I tell Gene.  He's an eager beaver still and even here in the tropics he is hurrying like he did in Trinidad.  This morning he came back without breakfast because the line was miles long and he forgot his letters.
     ...  Well, I really did "all dog George" because every time there is an alert at night I scurry into my hole like a Colorado prairie dog, while blasé Gene gets up and looks at the sky and goes back to bed.
     We don't even know what day it is but when we found out it was Sunday Gene and I went to church at the hospital.  Good sermon for the foot soldier and a nice communion service.  They [the chaplains] are beginning to get a better reception the closer we are to the front.

Gene:  May 24, 1944
     Rumor says Biak.

May 25, 1944
     Getting ready to go.  Probably it will be Biak.

May 26, 1944
     We leave tonight or tomorrow for Biak.  We're now on board.  This LST has a few sniper and machine gun bullet holes in it.  One gunner was wounded from the D+1 at Wakde [the Wakde Airfield was seized by the Americans on May 15, 1944]!  Hope our D+1 isn't so hit.

May 27, 1944
     We left today.