Virgil Cox's WWII Service Diary

And now for something completely different.

I thought it might be interesting to some to read this. This is my father's service diary from World War II. It's not terribly dramatic - except in spots - but I thought some might enjoy reading it.

He was terribly bad at keeping it up to date, so there isn't that much.

Please feel free to comment, especially if you have information about what's happening in the diary or where he is at the time. Especially you military folks. I will pass anything you say back to my family.

So here goes.

Identification

Name: Virgil L. Cox

Rank: Sergeant Serial Number: 180254447

Unit: 53rd Troop Carrier Squadron

Stationed at: Pope Field, Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Religion: Baptist
Date of Birth: 5-8-20 Weight: 155

Color: White Color of Hair: Brown

Height: 6' 1 1/2' Color of Eyes: Gray

Birthmarks or other Distinguishing Features:
Scar in right eyebrow

Nearest Relative or Friend: Mrs. Susan Cox

Service Record

Transfers and Changes in Rank



From 53rd Troop Carrier Squadron to 59th Troop Carrier Squadron on November 23, 1943

Private First Class on July 15, 1942
Corporal on December 1, 1942
Sergeant January 1, 1943
Staff Sergeant, February 1, 1943
Technical Sergeant, June 15, 1943




Physical Record on Entering the Service:

Date 12-31-41 Weight: 144





Citations, Awards and Decorations

Air Medal 7-15-43
Oak Leaf Cluster 10-15-43
Second Oak Leaf Cluster 7-18-44
Unit Citation or Presidential Citation

Officers I Have Met

Capt. Jack J. Spielberg
South Bend, Indiana
Pilot, flew my ship a lot. Is now my C.O. He is just as good a C.O. As he is a pilot, which is tops.

1st Lt. Vernon C. Wallach
St. Louis Missouri
He was Engineering Officer in my old outfit and is now Engineering Officer in the 59th. He is a swell fellow if not crossed. He is rough then. He isn't so hot as a pilot but knows his airplanes.

1st Lt. J. E. Cook
Georgia
A swell fellow and officer. Southerner with the accent that goes with it. He is very comical most of the time. He always has some funny remark to make.
(Later addition) Since I know him better I have decided he is a rat.

First Officer R. L. Schaffer
Louisiana
He was promoted to First Officer from Staff Sergeant. He also is southern with the accent and very swell fellow. He is comical when in a good mood which is most of the time.

Maj. General Swing
Capt. Spielberg and Lt. E. White flew my ship with the General as a passenger on a week's trip. The General seemed genial enough. I talked with him some about different types of ships. He was very punctual. I really had to be on the ball to have the ship ready on time. I kept him waiting 15 minutes at Wright Field.

Jan. 1st - 43

Today I received the rank of Sergeant one year to the day after I entered the service. A year I would not care to live over again even though it wasn't a bad year as army life goes.

Jan. 25.
I flew 'til 1:00 a.m. this morning & slept 'til 11:15. Received a swell letter from Zelma, but of course any letter from her is swell.

Feb. 5.
My orders came though yesterday for my Staff Sergeant rating. Flew last night, slept till 11:00. Flew this evening.

June 22, 1943
I am afraid I haven't been very faithful in the keeping of my Diary but intend to try harder in the future. Following is without a doubt the longest and most interesting trip I have made in my life. It is my trip from N.C. to North Africa.

Here goes:

April 30.
Left Pope Field at 12:30 on Fri. afternoon, after "buzzing" the field we proceeded to Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida. Spent 31st and 1st getting supplies and shortages for the trip.

May 2, 1943
Left Florida and the good old U.S.A. and started on the first leg of the trip which was to end in North Africa. We headed for Barmquen Field in Puerto Rico. It was the first time I had ever set foot on foreign soil and, as I realize now, it was to be far from the last time. We spent the nite in Puerto Rico. It was beautiful weather and it was also a beautiful island from the ground as well as the air. They say there are there no snakes there but some parts of it sure looked "snaky" to me.

May 3, 1943
We left Puerto Rico for Atkinson Field in British Guiana. Arrived there at 1:30 p.m. I picked up some of their currency as a souvenir. It was my firs sight of Jungle Land and it sure looked "spooky".

I had to take my oil pressure gauges out and fill the lines with oil to keep the pressure from fluctuating. Was surprised when the truck we went to chow in drove on the wrong side of the road in the British style. We spent the night there.

May 4, 1943
Left British Guiana on way south. Flew over more water, Jungle and Swampland. We landed in Belem, Brazil at 11:45 a.m. Weather was hot and Sticky.

We crossed the Amazon River on the way down. It is easy to understand why it is the World's largest river. I have never seen anything to compare with it.

Spent my first night under a Mosquito Bar. I don't like the smell of Brazil. Spent my first nite under a Mosquito Bar but I guess that is just the beginning.

[Jocko]

This is very cool stuff. My grandfather passed away almost a year ago. We were very close and he was fond of talking about the war (WWII, he was in Africa and later in Italy, where he lost a leg to a Nazi landmine). He was about the coolest person I've ever known.

After he died, my father (his son) produced a mountain of scrapbooks from the 40's and 50's, including local newspaper reports of my grandfather, dodging certain death time and time again. He must have been the sole survivor of at least three catastrophic battles.

I truly wish I had such a thing as you have found. As close as we were, I can't help but think I still missed out on a lot of who he was and what he stood for.

Originally posted by Jocko

I truly wish I had such a thing as you have found. As close as we were, I can't help but think I still missed out on a lot of who he was and what he stood for.

Thank you. This won't be nearly as dramatic as that but it gets a bit exciting in spots. I just thought it would remind us all that there are a lot of scared young kids out there right now that need our support, whether we are for the war or not.

May 5
My 23rd Birthday and what a place and way to spend a birthday. Let's hope my next one is more pleasant.
Still in Belem waiting on Pilots to take off time for the 4th leg of the trip.
Arrived in Natal Brazil at 2:30 and pulled a 50 hr. inspection on my airplane.
Weather is a little cooler but not much. Still don't like the smell of things.

May 6, 1943
We spend the day here in Natal and take off across the "big pond" tomorrow.
Went swimming at the beach this evening - sure was swell. The natives swarmed us with food to sell such as bananas and watermelons. I bought two bunches of bananas for 50 cents which was cheap to me but high to them. These natives are nobody's fools.
Bought two knives as souvenirs from a native. The big one sure is handy.

May 7, 1943
It has been a week today since I left the good old states and all chances of getting a letter from Zelma and my folks for a while. I sure will miss getting their mail regularly.

We arrived at Ascension Island after 8 hours over water. Sure was good to get my feet on mother earth again after so much water.

Had my first meal of all-American food - it sure was welcome after the food in Brazil.

May 8, 1943
Pulled out for Africa and another long lap over the water this morning.

We arrived at Roberts Field at 12:30. Africa lived up to my expectations. The villages looked just like some you would see in a picture show or story book.

I tied my litter up under the belly of my ship in hammock style and hung my mosquito net. Sure slept good. The food was the best since I left the states. Plenty of it and native boys to serve it.

Is this too boring, or shall I continue?

Can any military people give us some background on any of this? His decorations, for instance; can you tell us what they mean?

Thanks for the PM's some have sent me about this, but feel free to talk about it here.

[DanishDynamite]

Just saw this thread. Keep 'em coming, sundog. I find it very interesting. If nothing else, it's interesting to see the language he used. "Swell", for example. Straight out of a black and white American movie.:)

May 9, 1943
We started for Dakar at 10:00 a.m. but was forced back because of a sandstorm which limited our visibility.

We turned back to Waterloo, an English Field, for the night. Ate supper consisting of pork and beans and tea (British Style). The British set Scotch out to us out of their rationed stock. They treated us swell but I didn't get much sleep on their three piece mattresses and horse-hair blankets. Had to sleep in my clothes to keep blankets from scratching me.

May 10, 1943
We left Waterloo for Dakar and delivered at 10:30 a.m. after flying straight through a sandstorm with visibility less than two miles.

We hit the runway on the nose and could have landed without changing course. Some Navigating!

May 11, 1943
We left Dakar for Marrakech and arrived at 3:30 p.m. The city is beautiful from the air but I won't be able to go in for it is my time to stay with the ship. I am now in the country of the Arabian Knights.

May 12, 1943
We left Marrakech for Oujda arriving there at 11:30 a.m. I never have seen country so beautiful. There is nothing to compare with it in beauty and as an agricultural land.

We set up our first camp at Oujda. It sure was a relief after so many days on the airplane. We stayed at Oujda and then moved to our own field at Laurmel.

June 22, 1943 (cont.)
Over a month has gone by since I have written in my diary. A month in which we have had training flights at night. Most of our flying has been done at night except for hauling freight and towing gliders from Casablanca and Oran.

We have already moved to our Ground Echelon. Up close to Tunis and will soon leave to go up there to our new field. We sure do move a lot.

I will try to make a habit of writing each night.

July 11, 1943
I suppose I can thank my lucky stars that I am able to write in this Diary today. Night before last we dropped Paratroops on Sicily! It was a show I shall remember long after this war is over. We took off from the field at 8:15 with a load of Paratroops. Our Wing which consists of 208 ships took troops.

The valley we are located in was literally a dust bowl because of ships taking off out of it. Ships of all kinds, Bombers, transports and fighters. Most of us had it figured as a "dry run" but when we left Sousse and headed out to sea I knew differently. We took a roundabout way over to Sicily, flying from 20 to 200 feet off the water at all times. We were on the water twice for the propellers of my ship hit the water twice. The ship flying directly across from us off the left wing of the lead ship hit once. That is just a little too low for comfort but there wasn't any comfort to the trip that night unless it was the hot cakes and coffee after we got back.

About half an hour out we could see the bombers giving the town a blasting and they did a thorough job of it too for when I saw it later it was one solid mass of flames.

We seemed to have just a little trouble finding the point of land where we were supposed to go inland. We started in once and got fired on for the first time. What a feeling! I had never before experienced such a feeling. It was a mixed feeling of fright and helplessness for you could only hope none of the shells had your name on it.

We went back out to sea and followed the coastline for a while looking for our check point and all during that time I was watching for more firing. After finding the place we started in, heading straight for the burning town and you could see the anti-aircraft fire. We were fired on two more times before we got to the spot where we were to drop the troops. God! How I hated for the pilot to slow down to 90 miles an hour to let the troops out. We were a perfect target! After we let them out I pulled in their static lines and went up front and got my tommy-gun to do a little ground-strafing. When I got back to the rear all Hell broke loose.

I laid my gun down and hung on to the side of my ship for Capt. Carter, my pilot, started turning the ship inside out getting away from it. We got away from it and started a wide turn around the burning town on our way back. As we passed over a small town a machine-gun gave us a few burst and that was the end of the firing for the night but believe me brother! That was enough for me for one night!

As soon as we landed I started looking for holes for I knew the ship was full of them. But to my great surprise we didn't have a hole. I believe I can thank my pilot for that. One ship, "Chuck" Morris, had three holes. That's all till the next raid.

[Denise]

I like it!

[richardm]

Originally posted by sundog
Is this too boring, or shall I continue?


It's not at all boring. I love to read the minutiae of other people's lives, especially when they're living in interesting times. If you can be bothered to type it up I'll be delighted, for one!

December 7, 1943
Here I am again still as unfaithful to my Diary as ever. Many things have happened since the last time I have written.

Since then I have made two parachute drops on Italy. They were perfectly executed missions in which we dropped troops on the Beachead at Salerno without a mishap. It sure was a relief to drop them and get the heck out for I had had a taste of being fired upon before and thought I knew what to expect. All the firing I saw that nite was the flashes from the heavy artillery about ten miles from where we dropped the troops and I had no way of knowing whether it was our guns or the Jerrie's.

We heard afterward from the paratroopers we dropped that the sky was full of enemy night fighters but you can't rely on it much although it does give a person "food for thought".

Since those raids I have been practically all over the country over here. I have been to Italy numbers of times also Sardinia and Corsica once.

I forgot to mention we moved from North Africa to Sicily on Sept. 3 and six days later we got the ships ready in 30 minutes notice for the paratroop drop on Italy.

Well it was just two years ago today that Ervin, my bud, and I were out riding around listening to the radio when we heard the news that the dirty Japs had bombed Pearl Harbor! I remember that the future looked pretty black for me then.

Well as far as I know Zelma is married now and I believe it is all for the best, although I must admit it was quite a blow to me. I think since I have had time to think it over, that I am glad she did. I never had the feeling that she was really the only one for me. So-that is it and I am glad.

Well I spent the morning cleaning out the ship and rearranging my life rafts. Spent the evening loafing around the ship. Went to a lecture on Chemical Warfare. I have just learned I am scheduled to make a freight run to Sardinia tomorrow. Well tomorrow is another day, maybe I will think to tell about my trip.

[rikzilla]

Sundog...

Thanks for sharing. It is interesting! Reminds me of the way my grandaddy talked.

Well as far as I know Zelma is married now and I believe it is all for the best, although I must admit it was quite a blow to me. I think since I have had time to think it over, that I am glad she did. I never had the feeling that she was really the only one for me. So-that is it and I am glad.

The poor guy even got a "Dear John" from Zelma I'm guessing, though this is the first mention of it. Most all the GI's I knew in training got them after the first couple of months. Some things never change. :( I'm currently indulging my military side by reading the memoir of Col. Robert Black entitled "A Ranger Born" which details his service in Korea and 'Nam. Your father's diary is very cool....thanks again for sharing.

-z

I was going to space these out but there doesn't seem to be much interest so I'll go ahead and post what remains sometime today.

December 10, 1943
My trip to Sardinia turned out to be a two day trip. We got to Sardinia and loaded up and left there about 12:30 for Taranto, Italy. We got there at 3:30 and unloaded and went on up to Bari where we spent the night. Carson Meyers and I went to town late and all the beds were taken at the Red Cross and we couldn't find a hotel room so we paid a taxi driver $5.00 to take us back to the field where we slept in the airplane. Needless to say, we darned near froze to death. We were pretty sore when we learned that none of the 18 beds at the Red Cross were used which our officers had reserved for themselves, but you just have to take stuff like that.

We left Bari at 10:00 a.m. the next day (9) and went to Naples where we picked up a load of wounded and took them to Palermo, Italy. After unloading them we came on down to our base and I was very glad to get back.

The ship flew today but Louie went with it so I have read and slept all day. Wrote Mom and Ray tonite.

December 11, 1943
Well nothing much happened today. I am pulling a 600 hour inspection on my ship but the rain has kept me from doing much work on it.

I had a letter from Mom today and was very relieved to get one from Clifford.

I guess Eldon doesn't write much at all for Cliff says he hasn't heard from him since he left the states.

Eldon and I have some tall running around to do after this war. Shorty too if we can get him to go with us.

December 12, 1943
Today is Eldon's birthday and I guess I will write him a letter tonight. I finished my 600 hour inspection today and glad of it. I sure am tired tonight.

Well I don't have anything exciting to write tonight so I will wait until tomorrow.

December 13, 1943
I took off at 8:15 this morning for North Africa. We landed at Tunis and picked up passengers and freight to fly them to Faggia, Italy. We got to Italy at 12:30, unloaded, ate and I serviced the ship. We took off for Sciacca at 1:30 and stopped at Palermo to let a pair of passengers off. We got back to Scicca at 4:15. I flew 6.9 hours.

December 14, 1943
I didn't fly today. Spent the morning cleaning the ship up and we drilled an hour this evening for a revue we are to put on for a General. We drilled in the mud and it was some fun. I am wondering what kind of a schedule we will have for tomorrow.

December 15, 1943
Today was another day spent in fooling around the ship. You can always find something to do on them. Louie gave me a picture he took of me by the ship today. It's really a good one and I will keep it to remind me of "The Schooner" in days to come. I have covered some territory in her and no doubt will cover plenty more before the war is over.

This is all until I have something more important to write about.

June 8, 1944
Here I am, through what, I suppose, will be the largest invasion ever attempted.

I really "sweated" this one out but as it turned out it wasn't as bad as Sicily. Our Group was the last to crack the peninsula of Cherbourg and drop our troops. We took off at 11:55 and dropped our troops around 2:30 a.m.

We ran into a lot of ground fire and in the maneuvering my pilot did to miss it a water can, filled, fell from the ship. I hope it hit a Kraut on the head.

Twelve hours before we took off we had to start painting five black and white striped 24" wide around the fuselage at the rear and around both wings. We sure were covered with paint as it was windy as heck.

I have been through the first nights of three invasions now and myself and my ship came through without a scratch until the invasion of France when I got a rifle bullet through my right stabilizer. I can consider myself lucky for quite a number of boys weren't so lucky.

August 20, 1944
Yesterday I was assigned to a new airplane. I finally parted company with "The Schooner".

September 24, 1944
I have had my new ship over a month now and have already had a bad accident which could easily have ended in a more serious way. Luckily on one was hurt.

I had 5,000 pounds of ammunition aboard and we were taking off for Brussels, Belgium when the dumb pilot who was flying it let it get out of control. We were taking off in formation and we were the second ship in the lead element. He cut across the runway to the left and into the path of the third ship. He got into the prop-wash of the lead ship and pulled the ship off the ground and 65 m.p.h. It stalled off to the left and hit with the left wing first then slid sideways for about 200 yards. The wet grass was all that saved us. We had to change the left wing and had hardly gotten it ready to fly when I went on a re-supply mission to Holland.

I had already missed two missions to Holland. We ran into the heaviest flak and ground-fire I had ever seen. We lost our first ship in combat. It was an awful feeling to see it burning in the air. The crew had plenty of time to jump. They all got back to camp four days later. They sure were lucky.

Our group dropped English Airborne on Sunday, Sept. 17, towed gliders in on the 18 and dropped bundles of supplies on the 19.

We have been alerted for another glider mission for a few days but the restriction has been lifted today so it looks like things will be quite for a while. Of course you can never tell what will happen around this place, we may pull another mission tomorrow for all I know. We have learned not to be surprised at anything that happens.

I guess I got back from the last mission by the grace of God. One ship that was flying directly behind me was shot down and it crashed and burned with no one getting out. I may not be so lucky next time. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

October 1, 1944
Today is Sunday and I have nothing to do so I am resting up a bit. I have just written mom.

We all flew down to a field near London yesterday and loaded up with 5 gallon cans of gas to take over to Brussels, Belgium. Brussels is a large town and surprisingly modernistic from the air. We landed at a field near the town and unloaded. We took off a few minutes later and got back to England at 2:45.

My ship went back to the same place today but I wanted to rest so I sent another boy with it.

We went down to a field near London last Monday and were to tow Gliders loaded with engineers to a place up by Arnheim in Holland where they were to build an airstrip. It was called off three mornings and on the fourth day we loaded the equipment into the airplanes and were to take it to Brussels, Belgium, but that, also, was called off. We unloaded the stuff Friday and came back to our own field. That would have been a rough mission if we had pulled it. The Germans took back the place to which we were to tow the Gliders. The British airborne held out as long as it was humanly possible. They really had a tough time. I guess there aren't many of them left.

I learned today that we have freight hauls scheduled every day for the next two weeks. It looks as if we were going to be very busy for the time being.

At least we are once again doing something helpful.



October 4, 1944
I have made three trips to Belgium in the last three days and today was spent in flying to different places. Went down to London and back to take on passengers. We then went down to Kemble to take a cargo door to one of the ships that a truck backed into. We had just gotten back when we had to take an officer over to a place on the coast. We missed dinner of course but we have gotten used to it lately.

Bad weather over the Channel caused our Squadron to come back to the field. They will take off early in the morning. I may have to go but I don't think so for I have an inspection overdue on my airplane and we are supposed to pull it tomorrow.

I am listening to the first game of the world series and I sure wish I were there to see it in person. Not so much to see the games but just to be back in the good old states. Maj. Carter says we who have over 800 hours will get to go home soon for 30 days but I don't believe so. It sure would be grand though. I guess I will make it sooner or later.

October 11, 1944
I finally got off to Brussels today The ships have been setting on the field for the past few days loaded but we haven't been able to fly because of bad weather. It was really rough today and we ran into low cloud formations on the way back. It was bad weather to be flying in. We are scheduled tomorrow but I don't think we will be able to get off.

Had a letter from Arah today, sure was glad to hear from her. She hadn't received my letter thanking her for the pen and pencil set yet.

October 12, 1944
Another day gone by and another freight haul to Brussels, Belgium completed. We hit three or four spots of bad weather today and had to fly on instruments.

I flew back across the channel today and over part of England until we ran into over part of England until we ran into some more bad weather and then the pilot took over.

I traded ships again and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning it up after I got back. Lt. Breault wants to name it "Lucky Lady". O.K. by me.

October 16, 1944
It has rained most of the day and I spent most of it working on my ship. I have tried to write some letters tonight but for some reason it is impossible. I get so tired of writing about the same things. And because of this stupid censorship you can't write of anything interesting.

I guess the folks at home think I have forgotten them. Except for Mom and Dad they can all go to H---, It doesn't take much of my time to read all they write.

November 1, 1944
Last night was Halloween and it brought back memories of others I have spent in civilian life. It couldn't have been quieter for me. I went to bed at 8:30 and got up at 7:00 this morning. We went down to Memberry this afternoon and picked up a load of ammunition to take to France tomorrow if the weather permits. They have been helping us on the ground quite a lot lately.

We will probably do very little between now and Spring.

OK, that's the end of it. I'm glad at least a few enjoyed it. :)

My father came home, met my mother, became a rural mail carrier, raised a family, became Mayor, spent many years in public service from volunteer firefighting to Civil Defense, spent his final years loved and respected by our whole town, and died in 2001, a couple of months before 9/11.

I miss him but I'm glad he didn't live to see it.

[Andalyn]

Letting you know I am here and reading. Very interesting and an enjoyable read.

Originally posted by Andalyn
Letting you know I am here and reading. Very interesting and an enjoyable read.

Thanks. He was quite a guy. I will always live in his shadow.

This was very difficult for me posting this, much more so than I expected.

[Andalyn]

Originally posted by sundog


Thanks. He was quite a guy. I will always live in his shadow.

This was very difficult for me posting this, much more so than I expected.

I think most of us live in the shadow of that generation.

I really appreciate you posting the diary.

[DanishDynamite]

Great stuff, sundog! Thanks for posting.

I wonder why your father keeps referring to the plane as a "ship". Was that common back then? I don't seem to recall this term from old American war movies.

Originally posted by DanishDynamite
Great stuff, sundog! Thanks for posting.

I wonder why your father keeps referring to the plane as a "ship". Was that common back then? I don't seem to recall this term from old American war movies.

I don't know. This thread hasn't attracted the attention of many of the military folk as I'd hoped, or we could ask them.

Boy, I miss my dad. :(