Leaving Africa Behind: 26th Gen. Hospital moves to Italy, 1943

The book I have says there were a couple of "rest camps" set up, one very near Bari and the other a bit farther down the Adriatic coast, where the men could go for rest and relaxation. The one nearest Bari was right on the coast, and I wonder if that is where this batch of pictures was taken.

Dad talked very little about his experiences in the war, but these pictures show one event that he did enjoy telling about. He and his buddies were swimming and just having a good time at the beach when someone on the shore hollered out "Shark" and they saw a fin in the water. They all swam for shore, and it swam right in behind them. It doesn't exactly look like "Jaws" but he said it was big enough that it gave them a bit of a fright while they were swimming. Someone on the shore grabbed a baseball bat and clocked it in the shallow water as it continued to swim toward them. They seem pretty proud of their catch.





My Dad wrote several names on the back of this picture (below) but I there are fewer names than there are men, so I can't be sure who belongs to what name. My Dad (Walt Pugh) is the 3rd from the right. The names he listed are:
Trojan (John P. Trojan);
Coddington (William H. Coddington);
Albertson (Alden L. Albertson);
Moe (actually, hard to read this one, but there is only one name in the index of the book that has 3 letters and starts with Mo, so this name must be Harlan M. Moe); and
Kent (Donald L. Kent).



My Dad (Walt Pugh) is leaning on the shovel in this picture:






For recreation on the base, the book says there were USO shows that came to entertain them. My Dad had this shot from one of them



In the book, it verifies that Irving Berlin came to the hospital to entertain. Evidently he also visited the patients in the wards, as the picture below shows him (center) standing next to my Dad, Walt Pugh, who was the ward master. I can't identify the woman at the far left.

 

Yep. Bari Italia Spiaggia "Before and After"



Looking the opposite direction, but very close to the same spot.
(But I have to wonder if this is in fact the same photo, with your Dad's being developed photo reverse, aka through the backside.)

Very pleasant, quiet, scenic beach. The gang would have spent many pleasant days there.
It is bath water warm right until the end of November. Yum!

 

Duplicate deleted.

 

Love the full body plaster cast...poor bugger....nurse...my nose itches....

 

Kind of looks like Ernie Pyle, but not quite, maybe worth "looking" into. Don't know why he would be in British battle dress though.

 

This group of pictures are ones that Dad must have taken out and about in Bari or on excursions in Italy.



On the back of this one, it says "German Tank" but not where the picture was taken.

 

Some of these pictures have notes on the back, but most don't. Dad must have taken a trip to Rome while he was in Italy.

On the back of this one it says: St. Peter's Cathedral, Rome, 1944






I don't know if this one was taken from an airplane, or just somewhere elevated. I'm guessing it might be Rome, but I really don't know. Someone on here might know a lot more from just looking at it than I do.


Another shot from an elevation, perhaps aerial.


This one looks like it was definitely taken from a plane, but I have no idea where or who took the picture. I guess it could have been my Dad.


This could be from the Roman Coliseum, perhaps? Or it might have been ruins in some other place he visited.






I never thought my Dad was particularly artistic, but some of these "sightseeing" shots are amazing to me. He really did have a good eye for what would make a good photo. I like this one:

 

I would guess that some of these pictures were also taken in Rome, but not sure.

 

I think most of these were taken at the ruins at Pompeii, as this first one is identified on the back.



The rest have nothing in on them.

 

This is the last batch of pictures that I have. I think most of these are from Pompeii or other ruins Dad visited.

I hope you have enjoyed these pictures. It has meant a lot to me to be able to share them. I only wish I could visit with my Dad about them.

It gives me a great deal of pleasure to think someday someone might locate pictures of a relative among them as I am sure that is possible.

I also enjoyed "meeting" some of you on here and hearing your comments. I appreciate the links you shared with me and will look into the suggested pages. And I will share the information with my cousins and my brother who will also enjoy this site, I'm sure.

Bonnie


Anyway, here's the last of the photos in my Dad's album. Going through these nearly 200 photos, scanning them, and reading the history of his unit has brought me closer to him, and given me a glimpse of the world he knew when he was young.

Thanks to the admins who keep this site going, so that we never forget.

Bonnie

 

Wow! You certainly left the best for last. Those photos are truly amazing. I do know that the "German tank" is not a tank. It appears to be some type of half-track, but that's about all I can say. I'm a bit out of my depth when it comes to German vehicles of WWII.

Even if you have no more photos, keep checking back. We have some members who have been to Italy and may be able to identify some of the locations in your photos.

Thank you so much for sharing your father's photos, Bonnie. It has been a pleasure and an honor to see them.

 

Hear hear! I thoroughly enjoyed these. Nicely Done!!!

But, I am looking forward even more so towards the day when you repost these exact same threads...
but with dead accurate "Before and After" pics with you and your family in them.

So start planning a BIG BIG Family Vacation / Reunion in Italy and North Africa!

Ron Goldstein will be tickled Pink to be able to help you Try to make this work out perfectly for you all!

Pink - Try ... Live in Los Angeles (Enjoy!!!)

Crank the speakers up, LOUD!!! (This HAS to be THE Best and most inspiration Music Video Performance - ever.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivPEKaBHjYA

 

Yep...Don't desert us, I'm sure there is something on this board to interest you...And as others have said...Mr.Goldstein...a true British Gentleman....would love to view these I'm sure...Give him and the others there a treat on ww2 talk...They will be as much appreciated there as here...Superb..

And Fred...She's no diva is she...good track.

 

I totally agree. Well done Bonnie
Thank you so much for posting

Lesley

 

I live in Bari... I'm really fascinated about this story. I can help you to set one of your picture in the right place.




https://maps.google.it/maps?q=locali+piazza+mercantile+bari&ll=41.128002,16.871577&spn=0.00066,0.001239&safe=off&hq=locali&hnear=Piazza+Mercantile,+Bari&t=h&fll=41.127939,16.871512&fspn=0.00066,0.001239&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.128002,16.871577&panoid=2AG_ddbcqVtlRXT5PEcHPg&cbp=12,252.41,,0,-4.48

 

Awesome rcolaianni !!!
Great great way to introduce yourself to our lovely forum. Nicely done! :v4victory:

"Before and After" photo sets, like yours above are some of the most popular posts here and on our sister forum at http://ww2talk.com

Thank you!

 

Hi Bonnie

Lovely pics !

As my good friend and virtual press agent, Fred Wilson, pointed out, you could do a lot worse than visiting ww2talk.com, "sister site" to this forum, becoming a member and perhaps putting all of your pics into the member's Photo Gallery as I have done here:
http://ww2talk.com/forums/gallery/member/341-ron-goldstein/

As already pointed out, there have been numerous "Then & Now" threads on the ww2talk.com site, including this one:
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/3601-time-travel/?p=203592

Whilst writing, amongst your pics I spotted the "Wedding Cake" monument in Rome, this features in my Member's Gallery under "Ron's Actual Album", Page 63 as shown below
http://ww2talk.com/forums/gallery/album/42-rons-actual-army-album/
My better half & I have also visited the spot during a couple of trips to Rome

Go see !

Ron

 

The German Tank is really a Sdkw 7 half-tracked truck which was used to tow heavy artillery pieces around.

 

... this place is called piazza del Ferrarese in Bari...



https://maps.google.it/maps?q=piazza+ferrarese+bari&hl=it&ll=41.127181,16.871899&spn=0.000718,0.001552&sll=41.008099,16.727239&sspn=2.930474,6.355591&t=h&hq=piazza+ferrarese&hnear=Bari,+Puglia&fll=41.127464,16.872417&fspn=0.001428,0.003103&z=20&layer=c&cbll=41.127181,16.871899&panoid=C1LpnwTDmWiJuwFFYeJhxA&cbp=12,309.44,,0,1.08