Before the Front: Preparing for War on English Soil

Part 7- England Training

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This blog series, Before the Front, follows the training journey of Company G, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division as seen through morning reports. Beginning with my father’s induction into the Army through basic training at Camp Hood, and the college training program he attended at Hendrix College, these records trace the steps that prepared him and his fellow soldiers for war. From additional training at Camp Maxey, Texas, to shipboard drills and final preparations in England, the morning reports reveal the many stages soldiers experienced before reaching the European front.

Arrival in England: No Time to Rest

The arrival in England did not mean that Company G's training was over. The closer they got to combat, the more focused and demanding it became. The soldiers built upon the training they had in the United States and continued preparing for combat.

Company G arrived in Southampton, England, on October 11, 1944. No time was lost upon arrival. The company quickly boarded a train and traveled forty miles before transferring to trucks for another five miles to their final training area in Piddlehinton, Dorset, England.

Training in the English Countryside

American troops used rural training areas such as Piddlehinton in 1944. The countryside near Dorchester provided the space needed for marches, exercises, and unit training away from major population centers.

Sharpening Skills for Combat

The first couple of days were spent in orientation lectures, housekeeping duties, policing of the company area, doing calisthenics, and cleaning equipment. The first of many five-mile marches was completed in rainy, damp, and cool weather. Each task prepared the soldiers for what was to come.

Throughout October, Company G's training intensified. Five-mile marches became ten-mile ones. Bayonet training began. Many of the skills learned in the United States continued here. Gas mask drills, care and cleaning of equipment, and rifle inspections ensured the men and their equipment were ready. French lessons were part of the routine, preparing the soldiers for their time in a foreign country. Repetition ensured that each drill and movement was practiced until it became second nature.

Additional training, beyond routine exercises, included an overnight bivouac five miles from camp, where the company marched from their camp to a training area. The company spent the night in the field under conditions similar to what they would face in combat. Living in the field meant carrying everything they needed on their backs, from extra clothing to essential gear. They kept their weapons near. No camp cooks were there to cook their food, and meals came from field rations. The weather in Southern England at this time of year was cold and damp, and staying dry was a challenge. Guard duty, marches, drills, and constant movement filled their days and nights. The rigid training of the past was no longer present, and routine was no longer part of daily life. All of this was to prepare the soldiers for combat. The training began to resemble combat conditions.

Back at Camp: Final Preparations

Once back at camp, the physical demands increased. There were organized athletics, foot inspections, and lectures, including one given by the division commander. Equipment was turned in and reissued. Men were occasionally sent to the hospital, and replacements arrived. The reports reflect a unit that was constantly adjusting, maintaining readiness, and preparing for movement.

In the 66 days between their arrival in England and the beginning of what would become the Battle of the Bulge, Company G trained almost continuously. The records carefully document each march, each drill, and each inspection. They show an increasing intensity and steady progress toward combat.

A Soldier’s Memory vs. the Record

My dad did not write much about his experience in England, and he remembered it a little differently.

We finally arrived at Southampton and were immediately transported to Chester, a large city located close to the border of Wales. Its main claim to fame is that it is a well-preserved walled city that dates to the Middle Ages. We were there the better half of a month.

While the records capture the structure of daily life, his memory reflects the experience of being there. Throughout all this training, he remembered the history of Chester, but not Piddlehinton.

Leaving England: The Last Calm

November 3, 1944, was the last day of training in England. The company left Piddlehinton by truck and arrived in Dorchester. From Dorchester, they traveled by train approximately 70 miles and arrived in Southampton, England, where they boarded the SS Mecklenburg and departed seven hours later en route to Le Havre, France. This day of travel happened over eighteen and a half hours, marking the last hours of what I imagine was the final calm they would feel for a while.

Within weeks, they would find themselves in Belgium, moving toward the German border and into conditions far different from the fields of southern England. The company would need to trust their training and their fellow soldiers, because no training can prepare them for conditions they have never seen. In the next post, I will follow Company G as they leave England behind and enter the final days before the Battle of the Bulge, where preparation gave way to combat.

AI Disclosure

This blog post was created with the assistance of ChatGPT artificial intelligence (AI) tools. While the content reflects my own research, interpretation, and writing, AI was used for grammar, style, and organizational suggestions. All content has been reviewed and edited by the author.

The image used in this post was created using artificial intelligence (AI) based on prompts written by the author. It is intended to enhance the reader’s experience and illustrate the topic.