WW2 - How do I find out where US troops were stationed-UK?

As you all know, WW I was billed as the war to end all wars; this is the basis for my belief that there was no WW II.

Have you ever thought of being a history lecturer, Dys?

You never fail to make me giggle!

So sorry Lord but i was actually a Uni lecturer in the field of Urban Sociology where i was encourged to create even more fictionalized accounts of human behavior which is why I ended up in government service during my declining years, which led me to participate here on a2k.

Never in the field of Urban Sociology, was so much owed, by so many to so few.

Control Tower

With the Mighty 8th Cross-Reference-website, you can not only find all airfields but a lot more ..

Call or check British Tourist Information on the Internet. They have all sorts of information about where American troops were based because American Troops Want To Know.

I left the house with mad dog in tow at 8ish this morning, feeling a bit down in the dumps and determined to walk it off in what looked like a lovely Autumnal day.

Within a short while, however, the skies opened and before too long, I was drenched.

I'd taken a different route today, alongside the Grand Union Canal, in the hope of finding a particular grove of Beech trees that he (the gentleman at the beginning of this thread) had told me about.

This place, apparently, was where the American servicemen tended to congregate in their free time, lounging about and swimming in the Canal (rather them than me....maybe they were trying to get sent home with blood poisoning or something).

Anyhoo, about half an hour and several more gallons of rain on my head later, I came to the Iron Bridge he'd mentioned, and started rooting about in the adjacent woods, looking for big old Beech trees.

The reason I was trying to find them is that the gent had said all the soldier boys had spent time carving their names in the trunks. Whether this carving would still be decipherable would be another matter, seeing as it is now 60 years on, but I thought it was worth a quick search, just in case.

I soon found a clump of Beech trees nearby, numbering maybe fifteen or so and, lo and behold, most of them had clear signs that things had been carved into their trunk.

I had a good, close look at four or five, but couldn't make out the lettering as the trunk had obviously "healed" itself over time, and distorted whatever had been written there.

Then......I found THIS one!.....



"WTDM"
"USA"
"1943"

View of tree with Canal in background.....



It was quite weird finding it. A mixed feeling of triumph (having succeeded in my hunt), wonder and sadness, really.

I wonder who WTDM was? Or was WTDM the initials of his unit?
Was it in fact TWO separate sets of initials?...as in WT and DM?
If so, were they best mates?

I wonder what happened to him/them?

Glad I found it though. I'm now going to try and decipher the other writing on my next couple of walks.

That's actually kind of cool, Lord.

I suppose it is, Gus. Bloody fascinating, really.

Bit of a double whammy this morning, as he'd also told me something fascinating about the workings of the Canal system, and evidence relating to this, that could be found on a nearby brickbuilt Victorian bridge.

I found it, photographed it and will stick it on the "my walk in the park" thread when I can get bloody photobucket to upload the pics.

A very long, muddy, cold, wet walk, but worth it in the end.

Still feel a bit under the weather though. Must be the weather!

Lord E--

History--especially this social history of the young--is very fragile.

Thanks to your research, Kilroy lives!

I hope you're rewarded with a bit of physical euphoria. Everyone knows the flesh is weak, but I age I'm also learning that it creaks.

Lord Ellpus, do you know or did the gentleman that you met in the park mention only American soldiers in Cassiobury park or were there British regiments there as well? possibly a recuperation/rest camp or whatever they might have been called?

I am particularly interested as a family taboo subject started to open up a little where it came to light that my nan, whilst living and working as a nanny in Cassiobury park avenue, had a one night stand which is the reason for my Dad's, and therefore my, being. All I have is a (probable) name and that he was (again probably) Welsh. (surely she couldn't have got a Welsh accent and an American one mixed up!??!)

I live in Iceland but will be coming across late October when I hope to dig some records out of the public records office or somewhere..

Regards
Darren

hi darrin and welcome to a2k

I'm not sure if you'll get a reply from Lord E, we havent seen him around for a long while.

Good luck with your researches.

ok, thanks. I did notice that this thread had died about a year ago. thought I'd try anyway, you never know.

Cheers
Darren