William Thomas Illingworth May 3, 1925-April 29, 2001

2. William Thomas Illingworth • May 3, 1925-April 29, 2001

3. “I can still remember Sunday December 7, 1941 like it was yesterday. The news came over the radio that we were bombed at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese’s. People left their home , went to the streets- thousands and thousands in every city in the United States rushed down to enlist and remember it was a Sunday. Everyone hated the Japanese and the Germans. I tried to enlist vu the Navy would not take me until I was 17 and improve my acne as well s had some teeth take care of. Patriotism was high and long lines formed with men waiting to enlisted and serve, senior class were emptied as young men eagerly went to war.”

5. Bermuda waiting for war orders “First assignment was to a new experimental hospital called USN mobile hospital #1 MOB1. Today I would be called MASH. The reason the USN required a land based mobile hospital was to treat war wounded prior to allowing them back into the states. All the men wounded from Germans torpedoed ships in the Atlantic and Caribbean were brought first to our MOB1 In Bermuda, where many died others receive amputation ad all received critical care, in this was the people at home did not see what was really happening to so many American. They also prevented any antiwar movements”

6. January 1943 –Been in Bermuda now for 6 days three emergency periods where everyone had to turn out. January 1, 1943- Liberty boat capazied 38 men drown all bodies were handed over to us for autopsies-every man was taken care of and emergency secured.

7. He was stationed in Bermuda for almost a year while waiting for an official assignment. At this point he had gone from Apprentice seaman to a Pharmacist Mate 2nd class. On small ships the pharmacist mate was your doctor as in this case • December 1, 1943 “orders to go to war assigned to USS PC627 submarine chaser”

8. “Our crew was 90 men and 5 officers this part of the navy was referred to as the Dungarees Navy , other refers to us as the wood pecker fleet and still other as the Donald’s duck navy. My crew was somewhere in the Mediterranean with a home port of Oran Africa” • PC was a patrol craft, a small fast naval vessel used to destroy submarines and used for landing and escort duties. There were more than 300 patrol craft boats that went to war, fifty thousand men served on them. The ships were small with tight quarter they pitched and rolled in the rough seas with a vengeance. During battle the crews dealt with enemy submarines plus enemy aircraft. Many pcs became control ships that lead landing craft to invading beaches.

9. Liberty ship (EC2) Navy used to move cargo Valueable because of the speed that it could be produced Pre fabricated throughtout the United States Seventy days to build Presdient Roosvelt called them “The Ugly Duckling:

10. “It was a hectic rough sick trip across the north Atlantic during winter time and especially at war, 15 day trip. Met up with Ro-15 for the journey or I would have been alone. Landed In Africa a few day before Christmas and held up in a bombed out French hotel that the navy was using.” • After looking for his ship he was told that his home port was now Bizerte, Tunisia and to get there any way he could. Once again on his own he decided to join some other soldiers heading that way in a box car with a few ‘k” rations for un known trip.

11. January 1944” been on box car for 2 days, bought wine from Arabs no water to drink, wonderful sights very cold. Stole barrel from French converted into stove”January 1944 “3 days under weigh in box car, treating men for colds, aspirin. Drained fat from k rations used for burns. Still drinking wine in place of water Singing and very dirty.”January 1944 “No more wine or water! Hungry-dirty-thirsty cold and tired. Stole 3 cans of coffee out of Limey box car sold for more wine. At least Bizerte sighted least what is left of it what a filthy scummy lot we are….”

12. “Once arriving in Bizerte I am unable to find PC627. Met a sailor he said PC627 is in Naples Italy. Several days later caught a ride on a PC1226 toward Palermo , Sicily. After a 4 day trip pulled in to Nisirlio Italy 6 miles from Naples. Found PC627 and board ship sailed that night into the Invasion of Anzio “

13. New york • Burmuda • Oran Africia • Bizerte, Tunisia • Palermu, Scily • Nisirlio, Italy • Naples, Italy

14. Naples, Italy Brooklyn, NY Nisirlio, Italy Palermo, Sicily Bizerte, Tunisia Bermuda Oran, Africa

15. USS PC 627 Small fast navel vessel used to destroy submarines Landings and escort duties Held about 100 men

16. The battle of Anzio was the beach head invasion of Italy January 22 through May 23 1944 failure of intelligence to decipher German code caused the allied troops to be stranded on the beachhead for five months. At the time of the invasion of Anzio operation overlord was top priority. This was the invasion of Normandy. Which left less man power for the battle of Anzio. Success of the invasion would depend greatly on the navy. The invasion of Anzio was also referred to as operation shingle. Military analyst have written a great deal of the negative aspects of the invasion calling it the biggest gamble of World War II citing mistakes made that kept allied troops stranded for 5 months but for the nay it was an extraordinary success.

17. January 14, 1944- boarded my ship-made fake invasion behind German lines

18. Jan

19. January 22 1944 “0100-tonight is D Day we are lying 3000 yards off of Anzio Italy German territory at “H” hours we invade Anzio” • January 22, 1944 H0215 “Flores all around us Bombs and rockets bursting, small boats landing- caught the Kroc’s by surprise” • January 23, 1944 “Still landing troops at Anzio- Hell of a night”

20. Battle of Anzio

21. Battle of Anzio Beach head invasion of Italy January 22- May 23 1944

22. “At Anzio we played a major role in establishing the beachhead. The first wave of LCM’s would lined up behind us and we would lead the wave onto the beach.”