May 1-11, 1944. More Training - In Africa

From Ang's scrapbook. John Hill, Roberts Field. Original crew, Algiers. Gunner & Henthorn, Roberts Field.

     As May 1944 begins, Ang finds himself ordered to do more training and will spend more time in North Africa. Sadly, he does not get a chance to see Bud again. Betty has settled in to life in Chicago. She is living at her in-laws and working. She continues to spend her spare time visiting friends and her family, writing letters, shopping. On the 11th, she mentions going downtown to buy tickets. I'm assuming she is making plans to join her mother, Margaret, in California. But first Margaret arrives in Chicago later in the month. In June they are both in California and some of Ang's letters show they were addressed to Chicago and forwarded to the Los Angeles address.

Monday, May 1. Rainy again, but clouds cleared up and very warm. Worked till 9:30. Dead tired. Two letters from Ang! Bed 11:30
   A-1, Administrative flight as navigator, B25-J, 1:15h
May 2. Didn’t work quite so hard today. Warm. Shopped at noon. To Betty Hillis in evening. Bed by 12:00. Dead.
May 3. Was going to stay home and clean up—and Specs came in. Nuts. Wrote Ang a long letter. Bed at 1:00. Ugh!

May 3, 1944 orders - apparently for more training. Courtesy of Sterling Ditchey. Note that Ang's crew is the last crew on the right. Many of these names will show up in crews in his Flight Log. He becomes good friends with Tom Cahill on the left. For the most part, these "original crews" will not stay together as crews.

[V-Mail. Postmark 5-13-44. Note the handwritten "5-15" notation. Betty sometimes noted what I assume is the date the letter arrived. For V-mail, the postmark is the date it was printed stateside.]
5-3-44 Africa
Hello Darling:
As you no doubt have noticed—my address has been changed. If you will figure out what the TNG stands for—you can guess what I’m doing some more of. Oh me—won’t it ever stop? As you’ve also guessed—I’ve left Bud’s area—however, I’m not to far from him, so I should see him once in awhile.
By the way darling—I won’t be needing any of the money in the bank—so please use all of it. That is, if the allotment has come thru. If it hasn’t—go to the Red Cross and see if they can do anything about rushing it up.
My mail hasn’t caught up with me yet—I should really get a stack of it when it does.
I love you my darling. Love, Ang

May 4. Awfully windy and coolish. To Grams for dinner and then to Bell___[?]—and stayed all night. Bed about 11:30. Tired.​
[V-Mail. Postmark 5-17-44]
5-4-44 Africa
Hello Darling:
Haven’t much of news today—we’ve started back on the old, old schedule of school etc. Well, you know how that affects me. Oh well—such is life.
I do wish your mail would catch up with me—then, when I write, I could answer your letters. We lead a pretty boring life—and there really is nothing to write about.
We walk about a mile to the showers—a half mile to the toilet—about the same to the mess hall—and everything else is like that. It seems like I spend all my time walking to or from some place. What a life. Oh well—this walking is good for me—I’m bound to lose weight.
I love you honey—Love, Ang
May 5. Sunny but cold. Worked hard as usual. Had letters from Bud and Ang--They met!! Wrote letters all evening.
V-Mail, 5-5-44 [5-17-44]
Hello Honey:
I’ve a request to make. I wish you’d start trying to get some film for that little camera of yours. Get as much as you can—and then send them to me (camera & film). Don’t send it yet. When I get settled permanently—I’ll tell you to send it. I just wanted to get you started on buying film. Get all you can—maybe Goldsmiths—or Uncle George can help you.
Everyone is growing a beard around here—I had one too—but it tickled and I shaved it off. However, I’m going to let my upper lip grow until I get home again. I’ll have the most beautiful handlebar you ever saw by then.
That’s about all I have now dear—I love you very, very much. Love, Ang
May 6. Shopped in PM but no luck. Downtown in evening to movies. Quite a day. Dead tired. Bed about one.
May 7. To Gram’s for dinner and then to Aunt Bea’s for afternoon. Back home and in all evening. Wrote some letters.
May 8. Rained all day long--hard too. Met Al after work and out to their place for dinner. He drove me home--late of course.
May 9. Made a date with Pat C. for Friday. To Gram’s for dinner and home with Aunt Kay. To bed late--as usual. Dead tired.
May 10. Late for work - missed the early train. Awfully foggy. Bot Adams some flowers for anniv. [Ang's parents Sam and Stella. 24th anniversary.] Wrote some letters. Bed late.
V-Mail, May 10, 1944 [5-17-44 V Mail]
[no dateline]
Darling:
I finally got a letter from you—in fact two of them, dated 22 & 24th. Boy, when they tell you that the most important thing to the boys overseas is mail from home—believe them! I can’t even begin to tell you what those two letters did for me—I feel like a human being again. I’ll bet I haven’t read them more than a dozen times apiece. Boy, oh boy!
I imagine there must be about thirty of them chasing me around the world—and sure wish they’d catch up. However, now that they’ve found me—I guess they’ll be coming in pretty regular. I hate to fill the whole letter with raving about my mail—but that’s about all I can think of now. I love you honey—and very, very much.
Love, Ang
May 11. Up early and downtown for tickets. Very warm. Worked all evening. Wrote Ang and to bed. Dead tired.
V-Mail, 5-11-44 [5-22-44]
Hello Darling:
Please excuse the Elizabeth Ann—but I get tired of seeing that name Angelo all over these “V” mails. Between the 2nd Lt. Angelo and the Mrs. Angelo—it counts up to six.
I didn’t get any more of your letters today—but I don’t feel so bad. I’ve got yesterday’s two to read over and over—and don’t think I’m kidding.
I suppose by now that you are a working girl again. I hope you get a job you like as much as you did the last one you had in Chicago. I suppose it will help relieve the monotony. I can imagine what its like—spending your time between my relatives and darling Uncle Walt. It must be exciting—ha, ha!
Please excuse any jumbled parts of this letter. Arne is singing his songs (champaign affects him that way). and you know how he likes to get confidential and sing in your ear.
I love you sweets—Love, Ang
[Below: May 10, 1944 orders, also courtesy of Sterling Ditchey. Ang's crew at tope left. Finally a Permanent Change of Status! Next stop: Corsica!]