Camps
Held In: 7A 11B WORK PARTY FARM IN NE GERMANY
How
Long Interned: 417 days
Liberated
/ repatriated:
Date
Liberated: 04/14/45
Age
at Capture: 18
Medals
Received: BRONZE STAR, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL
Military
Job: HEAVY WEAPONS, MORTARMAN
Company:
HOSPITAL PHARMACY DIRECTOR
Occupation
after War: PHARMACIST
Bio:
Bruce volunteered for the draft in January 1943. After induction at Camp
Devens, Mass he was sent to Camp Wolters, Mineral Wells, Texas for 13
weeks of infantry basic training. From there they were sent to Camp
Chenango, PA, then to Ft. Dix, NJ. He boarded a ship in NY and after
about 22 days aboard they landed at Oran, N. Africa. They did some
training there after our long idleness aboard ship and proceeded in
boxcars to Bizerte, Tunisia. They loaded on to LSTs and landed at
Salerno, Italy Sept. 9, 1943. He was assigned to Co. II, 2nd Btn., 157th
Regt. 45th Division. Bruce became an Ammo Bearer for 81 mm mortar. They
fought their way through Italy until they were hit the winter line at
Cassino, which stopped them. Bruce’s outfit was among those chosen to
make the beachhead at Anzio, which they did on January 19, 1944. They
only advanced about 3 miles where they stopped and set up their 81mm
mortars. They soon were surrounded, but held out until February 22 when
Bruce’s company and most of the survivors of our battalion were
captured. They were in several camps in Italy but eventually went to
Stalag 7A, Moosberg, Germany. Being only a private Bruce was obliged to
work. He spent several weeks in Munich clearing the streets. After daily
bombing by their Air Corps they were taken back to 7A and went to Stalag
2B, Hammerstein where again Bruce was sent on work detail to a farm in
Poland where he spent the winter picking potatoes and wood cutting.
As the Russians started their advance everyone was evacuated and marched
west. Bruce walked for about 2-1/2 months, covering about 900 miles.
After crossing the Elbe River heading west they were made to get out of
the field where they were forced to sleep and were going to be sent back
across the Elbe River to go back toward the Russians. Four of the men
decided against that and made a run for it. Bruce’s buddy, Walt Ramsey
and Bruce made it; he doesn’t know what happened to the other two.
After about six days of heading west through the woods at night,
stealing potatoes to eat, they came upon a laborer plowing a field and
he told us after much difficulty explaining that they were Americans
that President Roosevelt had just died. He also got in contact with a
forward patrol of Patton’s armor who brought us some GI rations. Bruce
ended up at Camp Lucky Strike in France and was shipped to the States,
landing at Norfolk, VA some time after May 9, 1945. Then to Camp Devens,
MA, a leave and then Bruce was sent to Camp Hood, TX to train for the
invasion of Japan. Fortunately they surrendered and he went to Camp
Plauche, LA outside New Orleans for 6 weeks of Clerk Training. Back to
Texas for assignment where they discovered he was eligible for
discharge. Bruce was discharged and found his way back to Connecticut on
October 25, 1945.
Bruce graduated from Fordham University, College of Pharmacy with a BS
in Pharmacy in 1949, practiced Pharmacy, having 2 drug stores and then
was a Hospital Pharmacy Director for 12 years, retiring and moving to
Florida. Bruce now has 4 daughters from a previous marriage and he is
currently married to his great wife, “Sami”, who has one son and one
daughter. They have 10 grandchildren plus one grandson from Sami’s
daughter, Paige. Bruce is finally retired and living and loving the
Florida lifestyle.
