Extract: Walter talked about the poison Oak and how most all of the soldiers got into it in one form or another. He said when someone got it they had to spend 7 days in the hospital to get over it. The only thing they had for it was some pink stuff they rubbed on it. Since you had to crawl around on the ground and move through the brush, etc you couldn't help but keep getting it - [Interview 2 July 2003, page 2, 3 - Link]

Basic Training:  Learn to shoot a gun - How to use a compass - Quick Order Drill - Hikes: 20-mile hikes and 5-mile fast hikes - Close-order drill (Every Morning) - Got up at 5am each morning, sweep & Mop barracks, make bed and fall out for Reveille, eat breakfast, then Close-order drill.  [Interview 2 July 2003 - Link]

Walt:  Life at "J" Area -  [S1, p 27] -                                                                                                    
    -- Light training
    -- Lots of Speculation
    -- Each Company set up in a separate field separated by hedgerows serving as fences
    -- No towns were close to the area
    -- Division Band and USO shows
    -- French cider and Calvados
    -- Daily 5 mile forced marches

413th to serve with the 1st Canadian Army -    -
-- Picked up by Polish soldiers driving British trucks with Canadian marks and rolling on US tires  [S1, p 29] - "The primary mission of the 1st Canadian Army was to clear the northern approaches to Antwerp" -  "While the British Infantry reduced the stubborn German stronghold on Walcheren Island in one of he bloodiest assaults of the entire war…" - "…the Canadian Army set out to throw the Germans back north of the Maas estuary." - "If these two objectives could be attained, Antwerp, the largest port on the European continent, would be cleared as a supply base for all Allied armies on the Western Front." - "The American breakthrough from Normandy had halted in the western fringes of the Siegfried Line for lack of supplies." - The 413th relieved the 56th Brigade of the 49th British Inf. Div. (Polar Bears) - 413th, 1st Battalion captured the first Reg. German prisoner - The next day the 413th took its first town – Trek, Belgium - by I Co.   [S1, p 33]  

"spent in an assembly area in and around Zundert, preparing for further advances;"  Most Seagulls had been blooded - knew when to duck and could tell the difference between an American and a German machine gun - Trench foot training now made sense - they were wet all the time -  [S1, p 34] -
S16, ("Canals of Holland")

Trench Foot - Wikipedia Article   | 

Walt:  Holland Canals:
The canals in Holland were about waist or chest deep and we had to wade in them because we were pinned down by a German tank for about 2 or 3 days. We were wet and cold and could not get dry - this is where we all got trench foot. You could not dig foxholes in the ground because the area was below sea level. We did dig our foxholes in the mounds of dirt along the canals. This was dirt piled up when they dug the canals  (Interview 1 Sept 2005)

The Houses and barns in Holland were built together, very clean people. There were canals everywhere. Lots of little ones and the big ones that fed the little ones. There were lots of big windmills that was used to grind feed and generate electricity.  (Interview 2 July 2003 - Doc0871.pdf)

Siegfried Line  -

Aachen, Germany - Some generic videos in 1944 - 29 Oct 1944 - 1944 - 31 Oct 1944 - 1944 - 1944 -
 -

Wikimedia.org Link - Inden, Germany

Walt had suffered a shrapnel wound to his left forearm.  The scar is 2 to 3 inches in length and is centered on the bottom part of his forearm.  [S26]

The shrapnel came from a German hand grenade "They were long like a pipe but bigger on one end and they could throw them a long way" [S27]  "Potato Masher"  .

The Germans had a machine gun nest and were firing tracer bullets over their heads - Dad thought he could get close enough to throw a grenade at the machine gun but before he could throw it he was hit with shrapnel.  [Interview with Walter C. Robbins, Sr., 22 March 2010]

What did they do for you on the field after you were wounded? They had a little brown tablet, they'd give you that and a shot of Penicillin.  [Interview, 2 July 2003, Doc0871.pdf]

Hospitals

Source Citation

Image
(Click for larger View)
(To Magnify larger image - use CTRL + )

Ph8562.jpg

Doc0915.pdf

Extract: 
Name: Walter C Robbins - Birth Year: 1918 - Race: White, citizen - Nativity: Indiana - State: US at Large - County/City: Indiana - Enlistment Date: 18 Nov 1942 - Enlistment State: Indiana - Enlistment City: Indianapolis - Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA - Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA - Grade: Private - Grade Code: Private - Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law - Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men) - Source: Civil Life - Education: 2 yrs of high school - Marital Status: Single, with dependents - Height: 68 - Weight: 157.)

Extract:
The canals in Holland were about waist or chest deep and we had to wade in them because we were pinned down by a German tank for about 2 or 3 days. We were wet and cold and could not get dry - this is where we all got trench foot. You could not dig foxholes in the ground because the area was below sea level. We did dig our foxholes in the mounds of dirt along the canals. This was dirt piled up when they dug the canals

From Original Discharge Document: (PDF Pages 1-4)
PDF Pages 1 & 2: Original Document with recorder stamps
PDF Pages 3 & 4: Photocopy (Probably Photostats) of the original Forms

(Front of form)
Army of the United States
Honorable Discharge
"This is to certify that
Walter C Robbins 35 569 476 Staff Sergeant
Company B 413th Infantry
Army of the United States
is hereby Honorably Discharged from the military
service of the United States of America.
This Certificate is awarded as a testimonial of Honest
and Faithful Service to his county.
Given at Camp San Luis Obispo California
Date 9 October 1945
Signed Leonard P Hutchinson
Major CMP

Original Discharge:
(Back of form)
ENLISTED RECORD AND REPORT OF SEPARATION
HONORABLE DISCHARGE
1. Name: Robbins Walter C
2. Army Serial No: 35 569 476
3. Grade: S Sgt
4. Arm or Service: Inf
5. Component: AUS
6. Organization: Company B 413th Infantry
7. Date of separation: 9 Oct 45
8. Place of Separation: Camp San Luis Obispo California
9. Permanent Address for mailing purposes: 2220 S Gharkey Street Muncie Indiana
10. Date of Birth: 19 Mar 18
11. Place of Birth: Fortville Indiana
12. Address from which Employment will be sought: See 9
13. Color eyes: Brown
14. Color Hair: Brown
15. Height: 5' 8"
16. Weight: 175 lbs
17. No Depend: 2
18. Race: White [checked]
19. Marital Status: Married [checked]
20. US Citizen: Yes [checked]
21. Civilian occupation and No: Farmer 3-06.10

MILITARY HISTORY
22. Date of Induction: 18 Nov 42
23. Date of Enlistment: Empty
24. Date of Entry into Active Service: 1 Dec 42
25. Place of Entry into Service: Ft Benjamin Harrison Indiana
SELECTIVE SERVICE DATA: 26. Registered: Yes checked 27. Local SS Board No: 1 28. County and State: Randolph Indiana 29. Home Address at time of entry into Service: Route 1 Redkey Indiana
30. Military Occupational Speciality and No: Squad Leader 653
31. Military Qualification and Date: Combat Inf Badge 20 Dec 44 Ex Rifle M1 May 44
32. Battles and Campaigns: Northern France GO 33 WD 45 Rhineland GO 40 WD 45 Central Europe GO 40 WD 45
33. Decorations and Citations: Purple Heart Sec II GO 51 48th Gen Hosp 9 Dec 44 - Good Conduct Medal - European African Middle Eastern Service Medal
34. Wounds Received in Action: 28 Nov 44 European Theater
35. Latest Immunization Dates: . Smallpox: Apr 44 - Typhoid: Dec 43 - Tetanus: Jun 44 - Typhus: May 45
36. Service Outside Continental US and Return:
Depart 27 Aug 44 to European Theater - Arrived 7 Sep 44
Depart 26 Jun 45 to USA - Arrived 3 Jul 45
37. Total Length of Service: Continental Service: 2 Years 15 Days - Foreign Service: 10 Months 7 Days
38. Highest Grade Held: S Sgt
39. Prior Service: None
40. Reason and authority for Separation: Convenience of Government RR 1-1
41. Service Schools Attended: None
42. Education: Grammar: 9 - High School: 3 - College: Ø
PAY DATA
43. Longevity for pay purposes: 2 years 10 Months 22 Days 44. Mustering Out Pay: Total $300 This Payment $100 45. Soldier Deposits: None 46. Travel Pay: $129.85 47. Total Amount, Name of Disbursing Officer: $238.15 E W Wheeler Major FD
INSURANCE NOTICE
48. Kind of Insurance: Nat Service 49. How Paid: Allotment checked 50. Effective Date of Allotment Discontinuance: 30 Sep 45 51. Date of Next Premium Due: 31 Oct 45 52. Premium Due Each Month: $6.70 53. Intention of Veteran to: Continue checked
54. Right Thumb Print: Included
55. Remarks: Inactive Service ERC 18 Nov 42 to 30 Nov 42 ASR (2 Sep 45) 75 - Lapel Button Issued
56. Signature of Person being Separated: Walter C. Robbins
57. Personnel Officer: W A Hermann 1st Lt Inf - Signature: W. A. Hermann
WD AGO FORM 53 - 55
1 November 1944

Recorded Copy Information:
Recorded, Delaware County, Indiana Recorder's Office, 15 Oct 1945 (PDF page 5)
Affidavit to a True and correct copy of the Honorable Discharge, 3 Nov 1945 (PDF page 6)
Application for Readjustment Allowance, Indiana Employment Security Division, 1 Dec 1945 (PDF page 3)

Ph8007-001

Doc0352.pdf

Extract:
(Front of form) Army of the United States/ Separation Qualification Record - 1. Name: Robbins Walter C - 2. Army Serial No: 35 569 476 - 3. Grade: S Sgt - 4. Social Security No: Unknown - 5. Permanent Mailing Address: 2220 S Gharkey Street, Muncie Delaware County Indiana - 6. Date of entry into active service: 1 Dec 42 - 7. Date of separation: 9 Oct 45 - 8. Date of Birth: 19 Mar 1918 - 9. Place of separation: Camp San Luis Obispo California - 10, 11, 12. Military occupational assignments: 30 months - S Sgt - Squad Leader - Summary of Military Occupations - 13. Title, Description, Related civilian occupation: Squad Leader - Responsible for training and discipline of squad, and in combat responsible for security, safety, deployment, and general welfare of men

(Back of form) Military Education: 14. Name or type of military school : None - Civilian Education: 15. Highest grade completed: 12 - 16. Degrees or diplomas: None - 17. Year left school: 1935 - 18. Name of last school attended: Cicero Indiana - 19. Major courses of study: Academic - 20. Other training: None Civilian Occupations: 22. Service Station Attendant, Muncie Indiana 1942 - performed minor automotive repair work, serviced vehicles. - Machine Operator, McCormick Bros Albany Indiana 1940-1942 - Operated punch press and wire machine - set up farm machinery - Additional Information - 23. Remarks: None - 24. Signature of Walter C Robbins - 25. Signature of separation classification officer W A Hermann - 26. Name of officer: W A Hermann 1st Lt Inf.

Extract:

Separation Point/ Camp San Luis Obispo, California
3 October 1945
Roster for Discharge
22 - Robbins, Walter C. - S Sgt - 35569476 - 413 Inf - RR 1-1

Extract:
The 826th Convalescent Center, England – Now fully recovered from wounds received on Nov. 28, 1944 in Germany, Staff Sgt. Walter G. Robbins, 27, of 1927 E. 17th St., has been released from this United States Army convalescent center in England. He will return to active duty. While at this center he participated in a rehabilitation program consisting of military training and expert medical care. Member of an infantry unit, he entered the army Nov. 14, 1942. His wife, Mrs. Walter C. Robbins, lives at 1927 E. Seventeenth Street.” [Muncie, Delaware Co, IN)

Extract::
Front Cover: The Bridal Day -
Marriage Certificate: Certificate of Marriage - This certifies that Walter Clifton Robbins of Redkey, Indiana and Norma Louise Haas of Muncie, Indiana were united by me in Holy Matrimony in accordance with the Ordinance of God and the Laws of the State at 1822 S Walnut St Muncie, Ind on the 29th day of May 1943 - Signed: Edgar L??? Hamilton Pastor Walnut St Baptist Church Muncie, Ind - Witness: Marjorie Ruth Haas -
Gift List: One dozen roses from Mary Durman & Gretchen Sumwalt - Dishes from Marguerite & Harold - Gown from Wilma & John - Corsage from Marjorie -

Newspaper Articles: (2 separate articles) -
1. Norma: Wed to Soldier - photo of Norma - also see Acc000301- Muncie Star, 5 June 1943
"Announcement has been made of the marriage of Miss Norma Haas, daughter of Mr and Mrs August Haas, 1927 East Seventeenth Street, and Private Walter C Robbins, son of Mr and Mrs O C Robbins of Redkey. The informal single ring ceremony took place Saturday afternoon, May 29, at the home of the Rev E L Hamilton on South Walnut Street with the Rev Hamilton reading the wedding vows" -

2. Walter: Photo of Walter - Private Walter C Robbins who recently spent a seven-day furlough visiting at home, has returned to camp. He is the husband of Mrs Norma Haas Robbins and son of Mr and Mrs O C Robbins of Redkey. Private Robbins entered the armed forces on December 1, 1942. His address: Co. B, 413th Inf,, APO 104 Div, Camp Adair, Ore, US Army.

30-day leave. When he went back they were to begin amphibious training in preparation for a landing in Japan but before this took place the atomic bombs were dropped and soon after Japan surrendered ending the war. This was the first time he had seen his son Walt, Jr who had been born 28 Dec 1944