seeking some basic info re: Torch

[SIZE=medium]Greetings, all[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I'm new here, so I don't know forum etiquette. I posted these questions on the introductory thread, but haven't got answers yet, and I thought there might be more traffic here. So I hope it's alright for me to post them in more than one place at a time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I’m working on a novel that spans several generations, one of which is immediately following the WWII. The father of main character in that section was killed in the war, early on after the US entered the war. None of the action takes place in the war, there’s just some conversation about it, so I don’t need a lot of detail. Assuming he enlisted in the Army (not Navy), immediately after Pearl Harbor, it seems like the earliest action he would have been likely to have died in would have been November 8, 1942, in North Africa. Does this make sense?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Assuming it does, I have a few (I hope very simple) questions. I need to know: [/SIZE]

1. [SIZE=medium]How long would it take after someone was killed in action before the family would be notified? (Assuming the CO knew right away) [/SIZE]
2. [SIZE=medium]Would that notification have come as a telegram, as portrayed in some movies, or a letter? Or was there a personal visit? [/SIZE]
3. [SIZE=medium]Is there anywhere online I could view a few facsimiles of such messages? (I found one on Google images, but it might be good to look at a few more)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Thanks![/SIZE]

 

Managed to find 5 examples for you to have a look at:

http://speakitsname.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/telegram1.jpg?w=468&h=341
http://tarawa1943.com/images/Telegram-KIA.jpg
http://thebenninobrothers.weebly.com/notifying-families.html another two here.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/hgjohns.htm

I believe that telegram was the standard method of notification. Letters confirming the telegram and giving further details and dealing with arrangements for burial etc would follow. I don't think personal visits were standard but i have read accounts of the local WUnion operator organising for the telegrams to be delivered with the local doctor or friends to help ease the shock. Cant remember any sources for that off the top of my head though.

If you go to the internet archive: https://archive.org/ and do a search for : creator:"United States. Adjutant-General's Office" you may be able to dig out a protocol manual.

 

Re: Bedford

http://speakitsname.com/2009/12/05/delivering-bad-newswestern-union-in-the-mid-20th-century-us/

 

So it appears both from what you say about the Bedford Boys, and the information in the telegrams, that although the time was understandably variable, 3 to 4 weeks was a fairly common time lapse.

Once again, I thank both of you very much. This is very helpful. I'm pretty sure that at this point, between this information and Mr. Howe's book on the Northwest Africa campaign that you linked me to, I have everything I will need.

Once again, I am very grateful. I will be in touch again, if this project goes anywhere.

Have a great holiday!

 

!!!!!???? I tried to "like" jimmytwohand's response above, and got an error message saying I had "reached my quote of votes for the day" Sorry...

 

Don't sweat it Nick. I enjoyed poking around for answers to your questions. They give a solemn reminder of the human aspect of the conflict which can often get pushed to the side in the grand sweeping narratives of such a grand struggle.

I seem to remember the first of Rick Atkinson's trilogy is very good for the American side of the N.African campaign and might give you a more human angle than the green book account. It should be pretty cheap in paperback, I got one for less than a quid.

It's worth checking back in case any of the more knowledgeable members have spotted any errors or have anything to add. I am firmly amateur. Also as that info about Bedford is unattributed you might want to see if slipdigit can confirm from source. I thought i had a copy of the "Bedford Boys" but for the life of me i cant find it....

 

Fascinating little nugget! Id always envisioned huge piles of mail being freighted about the place. Really interesting that they had a techie solution. It must have saved a lot of tonnage.

 

You may find these to be marginally interesting. Unfortunately, even when I cut the articles from the magazines they are too big to upload so the URLs are the direct links to the issues. These, are, by the way, official USN publications.

First is the August 1944 issue of the the Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin, the article of interest starts on page 10.

http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/archcover.asp?issue=194408#.Uqp44yeDlqU

Next is the July 1945 issue of All Hands Magazine (new title for the above publication), article starts on page 24.

http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/archcover.asp?issue=194507#.Uqp5cCeDlqU

Rich

 

Nice! Slow to load like you say, but definitely worth it.

 

Thank you Rich. I have downloaded and look forward to looking through them