A 15 Day European Vacation
Cruise This was Not
Cruise This was Not
U.S.S. J.R. Brooks Navy Transport Ship
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Oct 5, 1944
Dad and his division sailed on the J.R. Brooks from the
P.O. E ( point of demarcation). It was a 15 day journey
across the Atlantic and to the port of Marsellies, France.
across the Atlantic and to the port of Marsellies, France.
They didn't know exactly where in Europe they were headed.
They weren't told in case there was a spy on board or a radio
message was picked up by the Germans. At this time they
were sinking many of our ships.
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Oct 6, 1944
Pay was about 50 dollars a month for a PFC
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Oct 9, 1944
This was the first of 2 storms.
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Oct 10, 1944
The storm caused over 1/3 of the men to get sick. Even
worse the bunks were 5 beds high! Worse yet they
were required to get in line for mess. The thought of food
probably made many men even more sick.
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Oct 11, 1944
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Oct 16, 1944
An air umbrella is a forced air that is turned on to keep
the rain off of you. At this time they still hadn't cracked the
Germany's codes. Their subs were sinking our ships as fast
as we could make them.
the rain off of you. At this time they still hadn't cracked the
Germany's codes. Their subs were sinking our ships as fast
as we could make them.
Frank saw 2 freighters in flames from the convoy that was
ahead of them. He wasn't allowed to have a camera on
board the ship, so we don't have pictures of them. The
freighters were on the flank of the convoy and so they got
the torpedoes while the inner ships like the "General Brooks"
with 1000's of our soldiers stayed protected from a hit.
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Oct 17, 1944
They went into the straights of Gibralter and saw the big rock
and they could see Africa from the Starboard (right) side of
the ship.
and they could see Africa from the Starboard (right) side of
the ship.
This is the Rock of Gibraltar off the coast of Spain
More about the Rock of Gibraltar
More about the Rock of Gibraltar
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Oct 18, 1944
Oran, Algeria
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Oct 19, 1944
The Second Storm as it hit the Mediterranean was even
worse. At least half of the men got sick.
worse. At least half of the men got sick.
The troops still didn't know where they were going and what
the mission was. There were 2 other smaller ships carrying
the soldiers of the 103rd division, the Santa Maria
and the Monticello that steered through the wreckage of this
bombed out port and the men could walk to shore from
gang plank.
the mission was. There were 2 other smaller ships carrying
the soldiers of the 103rd division, the Santa Maria
and the Monticello that steered through the wreckage of this
bombed out port and the men could walk to shore from
gang plank.
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Oct 20, 1944
PFC Frank Block disembarked along with members of
the 103rd off of the USS General Brooks in the
Marseilles harbor at 5 o'clock pm on Oct 20 1944.
the 103rd off of the USS General Brooks in the
Marseilles harbor at 5 o'clock pm on Oct 20 1944.
Getting off the huge ship was not easy. You climbed
down a net and jumped into a "Seep Truck" like the
ones shown below. Frank said there's a special technique to
do it. You are still pretty far from the shore and the Seep is
bobbing up and down as you prepare to jump. So you wait
till it is on the upward part of the bob.
A port in Marseilles
Marseilles in the 40's
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