Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the 279th departing Gilwern back on 20th May 1945. They operated in the Verdun area till August 1945 and then went on to operate a hospital in the US sector of Berlin.  Most of the wartime personnel finished their war and headed back to the States in March 1946.

Nurse in Colour.

I had a conversation with Hazel Parry who lives in Gilwern.  Her grandfather was a caretaker at the camp and her mother befriended a number of nurses from the hospital, they used to bring her nylons and other things. She does not know how that met but her mother was working at Maindiff Court and Penyfal at the time. She kept a pictire of on of the nurses who became a friend. I wonder if we can get her identified?  Its a colourised photo but it nicely shows the colour of the Service Forces patch. 

Mons Meg.

Not sure when the boys got time to sight see to Edinburgh, but they did !! As far as I can tell by the pics I have they also visited London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Hereford. !

Mac.

Carl McDaniel 75 years on.

Junior Ranks home...

A great shot of the junior ranks accommodation taken from the hill near the isolation wards. The only thing left today (2020) is half of one of the buildings on the right and some of the shower block in the front center.

VE-Day 2020.

VE-Day 2020.  I took the Jeep for a spin around the village to give a wave to all the street parties going on. Took the opportunity to stop by the entrance of the Camp at 11am for the 2 minute silence.

Camp Bowie.

The men of the 279th trained at Camp Bowie Texas before coming over here in late 1943. Their camps were a bit bigger and sunnier than ours !

Mystery Car..

Not sure what car this is, obviously British. Either a visitor to the camp or an officer has bought it for their own use. Parked next to the boiler house in the heart of the camp.

Hereford Trip..

McDaniel & Lacer pictured somewhere in Hereford on a day out. Must be early after their arrival as Carl is still a Pfc. (one stripe).

Group photo.

Carl McDaniel on the left. Don't know the others, maybe Carl will remember some ? Nissen hut accommodation near the top end of the enlisted men's area of the camp.
mac does remember...Carl McDaniel, MAX MITCHEL......SECOND FROM RIGHT,

ELI MAST

Promotion

Promotion day for Tec/4 Anthony J. O'Connor 32139281 (Technical Sergeant). Happy to bark out the orders now (if his friends will let him !!)

Comparison..

And here is todays comparison. Canal bridge '99' then and now.  Youve seen the one picture, the top left is Lazono and Lacer at same spot.

More walks on the Canal.

This is taken on bridge '99' looking back towards Gilwern. Its Oscar Lozano and on the right, Clarence W. Gonder.  Pfc. 39131932. He enlisted on 22nd may 1943 in San Francisco and lived in Mexico. He was a 7th Day Adventist and not treated at all well by the Officers.

Clarence W. Gonder, 1922 - 2015

Clarence W. Gonder was born on May 16 1922.

Clarence passed away on February 5 2015, at age 92.

He was buried in San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa Nella, California, United States.

Today's Comparison

Bill Lacer cycling on the Gilwern-Govilon towpath. You can see Govilon vicarage in the background on the right hand side.

Where did you get that bike ?

Bill Lacer on the canal path near Llanwenarth House, Govilon.

Haircut anyone ?

A view of the camp barber shop. I think I uploaded a pic of this before but this is a clearer image.

Warm tent..

Two of the Red Cross girls again this time in front of one of the many tents set up between the buildings to provide extra storage and accommodation. Notice the wood/coal fired water boiler inside making it extra toastie !

Carmen Longo

Not sure who this guy is, maybe Carl will know ? Carl does know, its T5 Carmen Longo (Mess Department). Seems to have a strange coat on also, as it looks waterproofed, but it could just be a plain M43 issue jacket.

Light Entertainment.

Not sure who this is yet. This must have been the camp piano in the theatre/rec hall.

3 Red Cross Girls

Here are the 3 red Cross girls that we saw in the earlier group photo. Possibly the winter of 1944. Seen here near their billets in the female part of the camp.

Camp Bowie training.

Carl McDaniel, Moreno & Loudermilk  during training at Camp Bowie, Texas, late early 1943, prior to coming to Wales in autumn 1943. They didn't bring the weather with them.

All the mod cons..

Up to date equipment being used in the hospital facilities.  carl states that this its an xray machine made by the Picker Corp of Cleveland Ohio was made in separate pieces son they could drop them from a plane on a chute.

Off to town...

279th members out in the locality.  Probably late 1943..

Time for a swim..

Swimming in the River Usk. The farmhouse of Mardy Farm on the Llanwenarth side of the river can be seen in the background.  The same spot now 2020.

Sparse but effective...

Basic by today's standards. Inside the X-Ray machine building, showing the aparatus and the developing sinks.  Strange to think that most of the images you are viewing were developed into negatives and prints in these very sinks!! Carl states that the top picture is a Picker set up with a Picker table? (Picker Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio.) Ive added a picture of one in use.

Time Off...

Carl reliably informs me this was one of a few 'beer' parties held in the nearby woods to the camp!!

Lacer & lazono

Bill Lacer and Oscar Lazono taking in a walk on one of the canal bridges near Gilwern.

War wounded...

Recovering patients with Medical staff and US Red Cross Nurses, probably mid to late 1944.

Motor Pool Ambulance Drivers

I've had some negatives from Carl for some while and although I have looked at them I have not attempted till yesterday to get them in to image format.  This is the first of a few that I have done and will upload some over the next week or so.  You will agree that this one has come out well.  Shows some of the Ambulance crew of the 279th, at the Motor Pool, with a Jeep belonging to the utilities unit behind. Carl says that the guy front and center is Pfc. Bastiano J. Russo. His name is on the windscreen of the ambulance.  He was from San Francisco area and was Italian born.  This pic has caused some conversation among the military vehicle history buffs due to the jeep markings and the red painted tops on the jerry cans on the vehicles (an un-common thing!!).