Apparently a troopship full of U.S. reinforcements arrived in Liverpool shortly after VE day. Whether they got any shore leave in Liverpool, I do not know. Anyway some one decided that as the European war was over, that they could be sent sraight back to the USA. When their ship arrived back in New York, there was a tumultuous Welcome with bands, flags, rejoicing crowds and ships horns sounding. Just strikes me as a funny story.
Blimey Mark, let me explain.... It's cos the reinforcements were who had never seen action were treated as returning heroes. Anyway sure that not an urban myth ?
The ones that fought the ones that volunteered and the ones that died were all heroes Everyone happy now!!!
The ones that fought the ones that volunteered and the ones that died were all heroes Everyone happy now!!! Have never thought of myself as a 'hero'---I am a 'survivor' who has been blessed to live a long life-- even tho' I was a crewman of USCG Rescue Flotilla 1 and my cutter, CG43, was assigned to Juno Beach---the 'hero's' are sleeping in the cemeteries all over the world----the volunteers (of which I was one) and the draftees, were just men who loved their countries and knew someone had to fight a war to survive as free people--may God Bless each and everyone
My father in law was drafted late in the war because of his age. The war in the Pacific was ended on his way over. He was used in Japan with the Occupational Forces. Some of the men in Europe were facing the possiblity of fighting in the Pacific. It depended on how many points they had. If they were going to the Pacific you would have thought this group would have been sent to the Pacific as well since they had NO points.
Apparently a troopship full of U.S. reinforcements arrived in Liverpool shortly after VE day. Whether they got any shore leave in Liverpool, I do not know. Anyway some one decided that as the European war was over, that they could be sent sraight back to the USA. When their ship arrived back in New York, there was a tumultuous Welcome with bands, flags, rejoicing crowds and ships horns sounding. Just strikes me as a funny story. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I would check the sourcing on this story. Return transport was extremely limited & was allocated by injury, wound, time in service, volunteers for the Pacific front. Unless the whole troop volunteered for the Pacific... There were riots at Aldershot over the dely in returning to North America
I doubt the veracity of the story in the OP, also. Surely, none of the men had enough points to earn an early trip back home. Besides, veteran divisions destined for the far east were being stripped of soldiers who had at least 85 points and these were replaced by men with far fewer points. I also doubt the "tumultuous Welcome" aspect of the welcome. There are many well document examples of crowds at the US ports welcoming the returning units by name, with banners, newspaper headlines and other forms of recognition. One thing my friend, Old Hickory, mentioned about his return trip home was that the various military functionaries he encountered on his trip home were a lot nicer to him than they were on the trip out. Of course, he was a staff sergeant by then and not a corporal, but he said there was a noticeable lack of yelling as he got closer to discharge.