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CLARENCE ENGEBRETSEN : 1942 ORIGINAL WARTIME DIARY OF CLARENCE ENGEBRETSEN, WHO SERVED THE COUNTRY AS A TECHNICIAN OF THE 301ST ORDNANCE REGIMENT IN NORTH AFRICA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR ACCOMPANIED BY 3 POSTCARDS WITH VIEWS OF ORAN

48mo - over 3" - 4" tall. On offer is a handwritten diary of Clarence Engbretson, a technician of the 301st Ordnance Regiment, that documents main events of his military service and provides account of his training at Fort Dix, a trip to Oran, Algeria in 1942 on board of the United States army transport (USAT) H.F. Alexander, the former "Great Northern", and service in North Africa. The diary is a pocket size note pad with brown cover, with personal details and military post number: Clarence Engbretson, Co. B 1st Btn. 301st Ord. R., A.P.O. 600, including 14 pages describing the period from November 1942 to Spring 1943, and a two pages with the text of "A table prayer after the war". The diary is accompanied with 3 separate leaves with notes of main dates and places of his service from April 23, 1942 to October 29, 1944, and 3 black-and-white cards with views of Oran. Clarence M. Engebretson was probably from Minneapolis, Minnesota, he served in Ordnance Regiment 301, one of the five regiments established by government and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and consisting mainly of mechanics and technicians recruited from factories to provide skilled force to the army. He started his service and was sworn at Fort Snelling, staying there for about a week, was transferred to Camp Sutton, which was opened in 1942 for army engineers, and called "Camp Suffering" because of its harsh conditions. He stayed there from April to September, spent 14 days at hospital, received furlough for 12 days, and on October 5 his regiment was transferred to Camp McCoy, a small training camp for units preparing to enter combat. On November 21, 1942 they were transferred to Fort Dix, the final stop before their way overseas, and that is where Engebretson starts more detailed account, describing poor living conditions: "There were tents and barracks, we got tents - rumour immediately of tents being lousy. Cold sleeping with small stove. All our clothes on when sleeping, winter and summer underwear, wool shirt - wool sweater - heavy wool socks - 3 wool blankets and overcoat...poor washing facilities". On December 11 they left Fort Dix, and the next day were loaded on H.F. Alexander, part of a UGF trans-Atlantic convoy to North Africa: "Marched to train at 6:00 am. Train to Jersey city - Walked to ferry - Ferry to Pier No 14 Staten Island. Waited in mist and water on docks. First time I seen ocean going vessel". It took 2 weeks to arrive in Oran, and Engebretson describes being sea sick in the storm: "Chair and davenport sliding...I run for bucket...Smell in kitchen was enough - Didn't eat much for 3 or 4 days", he mentions entertainment on board, sea burial, deck drills and practice with machine guns. He writes about salt water and foul baths, and gives some details of ship course, mentioning passing Gibraltar and Canary Islands. Before arrival they had Christmas dinner on board: "Christmas dinner 24 because we expected to land on 25th - Nurse pinned up green cut out trees in mass hall (Galley)...Long chow lines for dinner- wonderful dinner - all and more than we could eat...Stealing boxes of icecream.". He describes first days in Africa, "First morning in Africa...shots at night. First air raid - Sleep through it. Woke up in water...Bath big problem". The notes also mention some work he did: "moved to shop area... light maintenance ...started motorcycle repair...started tanks." At the end of September 1944 they left Oran for Southern France on L.S.T. (tank landing ship), the last entry is dated October 29th, 1944: "Left for road work (camp Djon)". Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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