your comments
Jan Smullen
Nev Bagshaw. My dad used to tell me stories about selling cakes to the yanks. Did you know him or his brothers, Phil, Don & Jim Smullen? Also looking for info/pics of camp & what happened to those troops.
Tue Sep 9 10:39:40 2008
George Simeone
My father was Captain Peter A. Simeone, MD. He was the medical officer of the 733rd. He is the one who wrote "Longmeter's Long Toms" which is the journal referred to above. I would be interested to trade info with Jeff Willets or anyone else who is interested. (I have a copy of the original)
Fri Jul 25 07:54:04 2008
Russell Edwards
Thankyou very much Elvet for the info, as a matter of interest my mother was from Lixwm. Best wishes
Mon Sep 24 16:08:02 2007
Jeff Willets
My father, Elmore A. Willets, was an officer in the 733rd Field Artillery Bn. According to his journal, he landed with the battallion at Utah Beach some days after June 6 and fought across Normandy to St Lo, Chartres, Metz and to the Saar River and finally into Bavaria. At Normandy the battalion was part of the 1st Army but was made part of the 3rd Army soon after. I have my father's journal as a PDF file. It has photographs from Denbigh, Wales all the way through the war. It has numerous references to men in the unit and details of their experience. My father died in 1993 at age 73. This summer I took my family to Normandy and we were moved by the enormity of what our parent's generation accomplished in Europe. To see the greatest gift ever given, go to the American cemetary at Omaha Beach.
Thu Aug 2 17:35:54 2007
Thomas Ciantra, New York, NY, USA
My uncle, Thomas William Ciantra, was in the 733rd FA, Battery B. There was a brief unit history prepared in Germany in 1945 that outlines the unit's location from its Normandy landing until the end of the war. I believe Mr Flarity is quoting from that publication.
Fri Oct 20 10:03:20 2006
Len Salisbury now of Acrefair
To Nev Bagshaw I was surprised to see when your name cropped up that you are still around. Do you remember me I used to stay with my grandparents in 2 Gatewen Road and often came to your house on the main road to Wrexham. I think your brother was Grenville. My cousin was Ann Williams now Andrews who now lives in Coedpoeth.
Fri Sep 8 08:05:40 2006
Philip Roberts from Machias, Maine
I am also looking for information about the 733 Field Artillery, especially Battery A. My uncle, Pvt. Winfield R. Dennison was in that unit and lost his life during the invasion in Normandy.
Mon Aug 21 10:48:06 2006
Nev Bagshaw, one of twins, New Broughton
Have been trying to find out info on Bersham Camp, also was known as Fitzhugh Camp during the war. Kids from New Broughton use to run errands for the Yanks - go to Jimmy Jones bakery near Bradley Road. Butterfly cakes cost 2/6. We kept the remaining money.
Mon Sep 26 07:59:51 2005
Bersham American Camp
Does anyone have any info on where these soldiers were from. My Dad (Dcsd) told me many interesting stories of them and how he found the camp deserted one day around the time of the D-day landings.
Thu Sep 15 15:08:39 2005
Marc from Denbigh
Wow, I never knew any of this. Where can we see old photos from the time?
Fri Sep 24 10:21:18 2004
Howell from Bulwick
To the best of my knowledge and recollections the troops based upon the site of the Colomendy housing area were British. There was a searchlight battery and an anti-aircraft battery that defended the Bodfari Gap. Some of the Luftwaffe air raids on Liverpool and Birkenhead used the gap to make attacks and these batteries were subsequently based there. The US army was based on a tented camp that was bordered by the former railway line to the east and the footpath alongside Howell's School playing fields to the west. The northern boundary was the footpath from St David's Church to the Infimary and to the south the land was bordered by the stream which now runs through a culvert under Clwyd Avenue. The Americans also had a grass airstrip for light aircraft on these fields, which now comprise the Denbigh Town Football ground and some of the High School playing fields. The Americans used to store some of their artillery guns under the town hall in an area that was previously and subsequently the Denbigh Fire Station. This same area doubled up as their mess/canteen. Many soldiers lived in private houses, with families. These were called billets and before the Americans, they'd been used by British troops.
Thu Sep 23 15:50:30 2004
Warren Flarity from Cypress, California, USA
My father-in-law was with the 733rd in Denbigh. Here is an excerpt from a diary of the 733rd: '...10 April 1944, we docked near Greenock, Scotland at about 1930, Sunday 16 April 1944. Some of us left the 'Queen Mary' on the next day while others entrained on 18 April 1944, for our first stay in Denbigh, North Wales. How long we stayed in Denbigh probably has already been forgotten by most of you, but just to refresh your memories I will mention here that we left on 23 June 1944, to go to Lopcombe Corners in South England which was our staging area. We hurriedly left here on 30 June 1944, rushed to Southampton and before the day was over we were on LSTs and LCTs bound for France. We reached Utah Beach early in the morning of 2 July 1944'. Also mentioned that the command and officers quarters were located at one of the main pubs in Denbigh.
Thu Sep 23 10:36:49 2004
Elvet Pierce from Lixwm
Russell, all I can find now is that the US troops were a unit of the 733 Field Artillery who went into Normandy on D-Day at Omaha Beach. I'm still looking into this for other reasons, so I'll put up anything I find.
Thu Sep 23 10:36:23 2004
