Information concerning Miami, FL during war requested

Hi,
I'm also a student at FIU. I'm working on a thesis and have a few questions vis a vis a story I'm writing about Miami Beach during WW2. I'd be very grateful for any answers:
1. Where did officers? and enlisted men? billet during the war?
2. Would it be possible for two people who did basic training together to also be shipped to the front together? Specifically to t he beach on d day?
3. When officers and enlisted men arrive at the train station in Miami for training, would they be able to take a cab or was a convoy required? If a convoy truck, could you see out of it?

 

More questions from Joan.
1. Would a vet use the term D-day
2. Were soldiers sent from basic training in Miami Beach to the coast on D day. ANy beach in particular?

 

Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy it here.

 

Welcome! This is a fine place and you will enjoy your time here! I hope that to the extent your studies encompass WWII, you will share what you learn with us in our threads.

Cheers!

 

Welcome Iron!

Joan, it's best to start your own thread in the appropriate section, thanks.

 

I'd be grateful if someone would help me with a few questions about doing military training in Miami during WW2. I wanted to find out, for a thesis,
1. Whether you arrived at the Miami train station and took a cab or convoy truck over to Miami Beach. What causeway did you take and could you see out of the convoy truck if that was the mode of transportation.
2. Would people who did boot camp in Miami be sent to the coast of France (say, Omaha beach) on D Day. And is it possible that two people who trained together would land on the coast there together?
Thank you.


Moderator Edit - Let's leave this topic to one thread please.

 

Welcome, someone sohuld be able to help you out.

 

thanks ... I just tried that and hope it'll yield results. Best wishes.

 

Don't know if this will help - hope it does

Camp Blanding, located in Starke, Florida:-

Camp Blanding was a major U.S. Army training facility during
the Second World War. It was originally established as a
state-owned training reservation in 1939 for the Florida National
Guard. However, as war clouds materialized, the mobilization of
reserve forces and the rapid expansion of the entire United States
Army required Camp Blanding to be converted to a federal reservation.
It was subsequently enlarged to house two complete infantry
divisions along with many separate units.

Prior to turning Camp Blanding into an Infantry Replacement
Center (IRTC) in 1943, dozens and dozens of army formations
comprising hundreds of thousands of troops trained at Camp
Blanding. Included were formations of Infantry, Cavalry, Tank
Destroyer, Field Artillery, Engineer, Medical and other specialist
troops. Nine entire Infantry Divisions trained at Camp Blanding:
1st ID (Big Red One), 29th ID (Blue & Gray), 30th ID (Old Hickory),
31st ID (Dixie), 36th ID (Texas), 43rd ID (Winged Victory), 63rd ID
(Blood and Fire), 66th ID (Panther) and the 79th ID (Cross of Lorainne).

For most of 1944 and 1945, a very large percentage of the
individuals sent to replenish the ranks of America’s combat
infantry formations trained at the Camp’s IRTC. In Addition,
the Camp was the site of a 2800-bed hospital, a German
Prisoner of War Compound and at the war’s end, a
Separation Center.

Following the war, Camp Blanding reverted to state control, and
today is a Joint Training Site for the National Guard and other
Reserve Components and some Active Component training.

Sgtleo

 

Officers were billetted on base in housing when married and accompanied. If unaccompanied or single an officer would usually stay at a BOQ, if available. If base housing was unavailable he would be authorized funds to pay for suitable quarters in town. This could be an hotel room, apartment, or house depending on rank and what was available.
Enlisted would be quartered on base whenever possible. Junior enlisted in particular would be assigned to a barracks. Senior enlisted, might be authorized quarters in town but this is rare. Generally, they had a seperate room in the barracks next to the area their subordinates were assigned.
Tents were not unheard of as quarters on many bases particularly early in the war. Officers and enlisted would simply be assigned a spot for their tent to go. Enlisted would be two men per tent minimum and possibly up to 40 men in a large tent with cots might be in use. Officers and senior enlisted would be in seperate tents. The officers would be either two man or single tents but have more room in theirs. The senior enlisted would likewise be one, two or, possibly several to a fairly roomy tent.
Note also, in the WW 2 period the US military did not authorize enlisted men to wear civilian clothes or have them on base. Many men would rent lockers at a local bus station or even business for that purpose so they could store some civilian clothing for liberty / furlough in town. This would occur if they were to be permanently stationed at that location for a tour of duty and not temporary training or duties.

It could happen. But, the US Army of the period did not make any special effort to put and keep troops in units together. There were frequent draws of troops called "Cadre" made from most divisions and other units to form the core of a new unit giving it some already trained troops.
Replacements could be travelling singlely but it was more common for replacements to be put under an officer or senior nco and brough to their unit as a block.
For units that had deployed overseas the men that deployed wiith it would remain with that unit until they were either a casualty or reassigned to other duties in some cases. An example of the later might be a man serving in an antiaircraft unit. By late 1944 in the ETO many soldiers in AA units were pulled and used as replacement infantry due to a lack of enemy aircraft and a shortage of infantry.

An officer was generally expected to make his own way to his command. He could purchase his own train ticket, bus ticket, etc. If he needed a cab he could get one and pay like anyone else. He would be reimbursed for his expenses in travel once at his command. Officers generally travelled individually although several going to the same location might travel together if of similar rank.

For enlisted they were generally moved on military trains or civilian ones seconded for the purpose of this movement and would arrive as a single block of men under an officer or senior nco. From the train station they would either be trucked in military trucks or marched to their base.
For trucks, it depends on the weather. If the canvas tilt (cover) was up and the rear flap down due to rain, cold weather etc., no they couldn't really see out. If it was good weather the truck bed was usually open to give more air and a breeze so yes, they could see where they were going.
But, most bases of the time were not located near enough to major cities that a soldier would see much of anything once he arrived at there. Unfamiliarity with the area would be a second problem. Usually, most GI's knew only a sparse amount of details about the surrounding area unless there was a local man in the unit.
In some places there was literally nowhere to go on a pass off base if you got one.

 

slipdigit:-

Could be having a senior moment but this is from the history
and I was there with the 79th ID and don't mean to be a wise
guy but....

In a short time, Camp Blanding included 125 miles of paved
roads, in excess of one million square yards of motor parking
areas, eighty one miles of water lines, twenty six and a half
miles of railroad, and over two hundred fifty miles of electrical
wiring. More important, the reservation boasted a highly
advanced artillery range, and top notch rifle, anti-aircraft,
mortar and grenade ranges. Paralleling the development on
the Post, was the rapid building taking place outside the gates.
State Road #230, which was only partially complete by the end
of the war, was a four lane road under construction to provide
access to Camp Blanding's west gate. Meanwhile, towns like
Starke mushroomed with the influx of military, and support
personnel. Perhaps most noteworthy was the development of
"Boomtown" along State Road #16, just outside of Camp Blanding.

Sgtleo

 

For my own edification I went to Google for info and I guess
everybody there is having the same problem as I have since
practically all of the sites say Starke is the place for Blanding.

One states it is 37 miles south of Jacksonville and only 12 miles
from Starke.


Confusing to say the least. Do we take our pick???


Sgtleo