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W. Earl Hall World War II stories, 1944
Letter #19
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slug-Sees Woman-4 By W. EARL HALL Globe-Gazette Managing Editor Letter No. 19 Rennes, France--(Air Mail Special)--The cunning for which German Generals are--or used to be--famous failed to reveal itself when the Nazis took hasty exit from this city of 100,000, hotly pursued by Gen. Patton. Their demolition squadron blew up a half dozen bridges over the river which cuts down through the center of the town, causing extensive damage to business houses and public buildings. But--and this is where the stupidity comes in--they failed to destroy one block-wide platform which bridges the stream in front of the principal government structure. As a result, Patton and his forces zoomed through Rennes much as a freight train speeds by a railroad siding in the open country. Tonight I've been mixing with native French people, on the street and in cafes. I'm discovering a deeper hatred toward the Nazis than I observed in Cherbourg or, indeed, on the Cherbourg peninsula. Within an hour of our arrival late in the afternoon our party saw a woman, with head shaved, being marched past our hotel ahead of a taunting crowd. "Collaborationist" and "Traitor" were names heard above the tumult. Later in the evening, just before my lamb chop dinner (but no coffee) I saw the performance repeated. This time the victim was a woman who operated a café at the beginning the war. She had given haven to a Nazi spy, it was claimed. The spirit of Free France has awakened--perhaps with too great a vengeance. The scenes are at least mildly reminiscent of Bastille day. As we moved across the Cherbourg peninsula this forenoon, from the beachhead area to the west coast, we passed through one village after another which had been in the war news a few short weeks ago. Some of the towns had been reduced to rubble, others scarcely touched by guns and bombs. We kept wondering if the dwellers in these latter fully appreciated how fortunate they were. Most interesting perhaps of the battle scenes visited was Avranches. This little city, like St. Lo, had changed hands 3 times. The destruction was almost, but not quite, as great as in the Normandy town. "Historieans," observed Donald Hull, a London war correspondent in our party, "are going to say that it was here that the success of the liberation campaign was insured." As we rounded a curve and started down an almost mountainous decline outside of Avranches, we looked down upon the sea and beheld the famed and picturesque Notre Dame cathedral on St. Michel island. This spot, we are told, has escaped unscathed. All along the road natives lined the pavement, smiling, waving and saluting. Children, even those scarcely big enough to walk, would raise 2 fingers in victory token. Americans have really won a place in French hearts. As we approached Rennes children began to appear on the roadsides with eggs in hands--eggs to sell, not throw. And the only stop we made in our 125 mile trip was for the purpose of letting our London colleague purchase a half dozen of the henfruit. They were tenderly packed and will be taken back to England at the conclusion of his mission in France. That's how very precious they are. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to start in the early morning on the final leg of my jaunt into Paris. It will be a brief stay there, then a return to London--where I hope the buzz bombs have quit falling. I've actually had a feeling of security during my week on the continent where the war is being fought. - 30 -
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slug-Sees Woman-4 By W. EARL HALL Globe-Gazette Managing Editor Letter No. 19 Rennes, France--(Air Mail Special)--The cunning for which German Generals are--or used to be--famous failed to reveal itself when the Nazis took hasty exit from this city of 100,000, hotly pursued by Gen. Patton. Their demolition squadron blew up a half dozen bridges over the river which cuts down through the center of the town, causing extensive damage to business houses and public buildings. But--and this is where the stupidity comes in--they failed to destroy one block-wide platform which bridges the stream in front of the principal government structure. As a result, Patton and his forces zoomed through Rennes much as a freight train speeds by a railroad siding in the open country. Tonight I've been mixing with native French people, on the street and in cafes. I'm discovering a deeper hatred toward the Nazis than I observed in Cherbourg or, indeed, on the Cherbourg peninsula. Within an hour of our arrival late in the afternoon our party saw a woman, with head shaved, being marched past our hotel ahead of a taunting crowd. "Collaborationist" and "Traitor" were names heard above the tumult. Later in the evening, just before my lamb chop dinner (but no coffee) I saw the performance repeated. This time the victim was a woman who operated a café at the beginning the war. She had given haven to a Nazi spy, it was claimed. The spirit of Free France has awakened--perhaps with too great a vengeance. The scenes are at least mildly reminiscent of Bastille day. As we moved across the Cherbourg peninsula this forenoon, from the beachhead area to the west coast, we passed through one village after another which had been in the war news a few short weeks ago. Some of the towns had been reduced to rubble, others scarcely touched by guns and bombs. We kept wondering if the dwellers in these latter fully appreciated how fortunate they were. Most interesting perhaps of the battle scenes visited was Avranches. This little city, like St. Lo, had changed hands 3 times. The destruction was almost, but not quite, as great as in the Normandy town. "Historieans," observed Donald Hull, a London war correspondent in our party, "are going to say that it was here that the success of the liberation campaign was insured." As we rounded a curve and started down an almost mountainous decline outside of Avranches, we looked down upon the sea and beheld the famed and picturesque Notre Dame cathedral on St. Michel island. This spot, we are told, has escaped unscathed. All along the road natives lined the pavement, smiling, waving and saluting. Children, even those scarcely big enough to walk, would raise 2 fingers in victory token. Americans have really won a place in French hearts. As we approached Rennes children began to appear on the roadsides with eggs in hands--eggs to sell, not throw. And the only stop we made in our 125 mile trip was for the purpose of letting our London colleague purchase a half dozen of the henfruit. They were tenderly packed and will be taken back to England at the conclusion of his mission in France. That's how very precious they are. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to start in the early morning on the final leg of my jaunt into Paris. It will be a brief stay there, then a return to London--where I hope the buzz bombs have quit falling. I've actually had a feeling of security during my week on the continent where the war is being fought. - 30 -
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