Red Ball Express Links

Ozark Volunteers

The Red Ball Express
The Red Ball Express Information Page
POL on the Red Ball Express
African Americans Gain Fame
www.514th.co.uk
(if anyone has any more links
about the Red Ball Express,
Please mail me and I will
add them)
Readings about the Redball Express--
1.  Book    THE ROAD TO VICTORY by David Colley
publisher:  Brassey's  2000 ISBN  1574881736 or 157488302X 
This book is probably in your local library.  If it isn't, ask them to order it or order it yourself and donate it to your library after you read it.

Mearl R. Guthrie, Co. B, 407th Inf. email:  lguthrie@wcnet.org

Below you will find the names of Ozarks who volunteered to be drivers on the Red Ball Express and some of their rememberances. If you are not sure what the Red Ball Express was, you can visit the links to the left for a history lesson..

(If you have any rememberances of the Red Ball Express that you would like to put below, please email them to the webmaster or the assistant webmaster and we will copy/paste them here.)

Ozark Red Ballers
(please forgive any errors or omissions in this list. They are totally unintentional. Please email the webmaster about any errors or omissions that you find so we can correct it.)
Joe Barkley
5715 Bankside Dr.
Houston, TX 77096
ph: 713-723-5826

Bill Barnett
327 Magnolia Bend
New Caney, TX 77357
ph: 281-399-3635


Fred Crane
26 Briar Rd
Somerset, MA 02726
ph 508-676-1322

Glenn Fisher
2510 N. Roosevelt St.
Wichita, KS 67220
ph 316-978-6528


Vincent Gannon
121 Plain St.
Willis, MA 02054
ph 508-376-2213


Mearl R. Guthrie
123 N. Grove St.
Bowling Green, OH 43402
ph 419-352-4940


George Hagerty
8420 Hegerman St.
Philadelphia, PA 19136
ph: 215-333-6112


Fred Hay
14170 Huron River Drive
Romulus, MI 48174
ph: 313-941-0728

C. S. Jasper - [379th FA B]
6301 Village Grove Dr, Apt 228
Memphis, TN 38122 
home ph 901-795-1454


Eugene L. Newman
3757 Doroco Dr
Atlanta, GA 30340
ph 770-938-8984

Chet Perkins
6437 Bramshaw Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
ph: 317-253-1095


Robert J. Phillips
727 N. Brighton St.
Burbank, CA 92560
ph 818-845-6415


Ernie Potter (Gini)
3896 Fairlington
Columbus, OH 43220
ph 614-451-2970

Ed Putz
14049 Burns
Southgate, MI
ph 734-282-1498

Frank Reilly
4783 San Carle Ct.
Naples, FL 34109
ph 239-597-1362


Chuck Schibener [May-Sept]
5 Loon Way
Norway, ME 04268
ph 207-743-6918 [after 10 a.m]
and
Chuck Schibener [Oct-Apr]
77 Red Fox Run
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
ph 727-669-9690

George W. Walker
14350 Co. Rd. J
Wauseon, OH 43567
ph 419-335-5806

Walter Ruff
3738 Truesdell Place
Dallas TX 75244
972 247-7917

Louis Coke
Lyndonville, NY
Company B, 327th Engineer Combat Battalion
Deceased 1987

Urho Richard Koski
24 Unity Road
Newport NH 03773
(603) 863-2198

Emory G. Hatcher
3953 S. Olive St
Denver CO 80237

Norman F. Kaskinen
PO Box 73
Kaleva, MI 49645-0073

Jim Lockshin
PO Box 1097
Massillon OH 44648

Paul Howard
340 Orange Tree Dr Apt #1
Atlantas FL 33462

George Pankey
905 N. Harbor City Blvd, Apt 303
Melbourne FL 32935

Warren A. Ritter
909 N. 7th St
Wyomissing PA 19610-1712

Lester Aho
2125 11th Ave East
Hibbing MN 55746

John A. Bowen
423 Tenth Ave.
Huntington WV 25701

Charles G. Jones
17358 Rim Rd
Abington VA 24210

Michael J. Truppo
921 Garden St
Union NJ 07083
908-688-8928

Le Roy Newton
120 NW 5th St #202
Cohasset MN 55721

Joseph T. Dennis
2303 Camrose Ave
San Jose, CA 95130

William Funce
7103 Airline Ave
Unbandale IA 50322

MacDonald, Robert L.
Corporal
ASN: 13 154 611
Battery A
927th Field Artillery Battalion
DOS: 25 Nov. 1942 - 6 Feb. 1946
Contact Son,
Bill McDonald
149 Vermont Route 25
White River, VT 05086

Warren Ebling
P.O.Box 113
Richland, PA 17087

Philo R. King
127 Fisk Street
West Dennis, MA 02670

Earl Carlson
6715 Grimes Ave. N
Minneapolis, MN 55429
ph 763-561-4796

Fred Schlunz
2100 Fillmore Ave
Ames, IA 50010

Rock King
137 Fisk St
West Dennis, MA 02670

Homer Watkins Jr
512 Sherbrook Dr
High Point NC 27262-2432

Rememberances of Red Ball Drivers

From Walter Ruff
ONE RAINY NIGHT IN AN APPLE ORCHARD NEAR ST.LO FRANCE, A WHISTLE BLEW ABOUT 2:30AM, AND WE ALL FELL OUT. THE 1st SGT. ASKED ANYONE HOLDING A BLUE CARD SHOWING PROFICIENCY IN DRIVING A 2 = TON GI TRUCK WHO WANTED TO VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE THE RED BALL, TO STEP FORWARD. I LEARNED EARLY IN MY ARMY CAREER TO NEVER VOLUNTEER FOR ANYTHING, BUT STANDING THERE WITH RAIN STREAMING OFF MY HELMET AND DOWN MY NOSE, I FIGURED WHAT THE HECK, AND DID. THE DEAL WAS TWO MAN TEAMS PER TRUCK, 20 TRUCK TO A GROUP PLUS ONE JEEP TO LEAD, AND ROUND TRIPS FROM LEHARVE OR CHERBOURG TO PATTONS REAR NEAR METZ HAULING GASOLINE OR ARTILLERY SHELLS TO HIS ARMY. 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, DOWN FRENCH ROADS, ABOUT 24 FEET WIDE, AND GENERALLY LINED ON BOTH SIDE WITH ROWS OF TALL TREES. ALTHOUGH PAVED, THEY HAD OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN DESIGNED TO CARRY THESE CONTINUOUS HEAVY LOADS, AND THEREFORE HAD MANY POTHOLES TO BE DODGED. MY PARTNER WAS PFC. CHARLIE MORGAN FROM PISGAH, ALABAMA, A REAL CHARACTER. THE DRILL WAS ONE MAN WOULD DRIVE 2 HOURS, THEN A 10 MINUTE BREAK TO ANSWER NATURES CALL, WHEN THE OTHER DRIVER WOULD TAKE OVER. ONE NIGHT WHILE HAULING 155mm ARTILLERY SHELLS, CHARLIE WAS DRIVING, WHILE I, IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS TRYING TO TAKE A NAP, USING THE GUN RACK AT THE EDGE OF THE SEAT AS MY PILLOW. WE USUALLY WERE NUMBER 20 IN THE COLUMN, WHICH MEANT WE USUALLY DROVE FASTER TO KEEP UP WITH THE CONVOY SPACING. CHARLIE WAS HELLING IT, WHEN HE HIT WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE MOTHER OF ALL POTHOLES, SENDING QUITE A SHOCK THROUGH OUR TRUCK, THE FORCE OF WHICH SEEMED TO RAM THE END OF THE STEEL RIFLE RACK UP THRU MY SKULL. I OF COURSE IMMEDIATELY AWOKE, FEARING THE WORSE, AND IN THE SAME MOMENT IN GREAT PAIN, SAID GRACIOUS CHARLES, WHY DONT YOU BE A TAD MORE CAREFUL WHERE YOU ARE GOING!! ILL GO TO MY GRAVE REMEMBERING HIS IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. I DONT KNOW WHY YOU ARE SO GODDAMNED UPSET, IT WOKE ME UP TOO!!

TRUE STORY.

RUFF

Excerpt from the journal of Louis Coke - 327th Combat Engineer with the 102D

All men with driver's permits (and a few without) were to become Red Ball drivers hauling vital supplies to rail centers. I was very excited about it. Action at last and a chance to see some more of France. Before we left we heard a speech that further quickened our pulses. General Keating said, "Men, the 102nd Division will take its place in the toughest part of the Siegfried Line in the near future. I have the utmost confidence in your willingness and ability to carry the name of the 102nd to fame and glory."

 We rode for many long hours and by some miracle it didn't rain. The farther we got into France the friendlier the people seemed. However, I developed a real dislike for French kids on that trip. One of the little stinkers slugged me right between the eyes with a big hard apple. It wasn't even ripe enough to eat when I finally regained consciousness. As usual it was about midnight when we reached the area outside of Houdan. We pitched tents all over a hill and in the morning I found that I'd been floated right out of the tent. We found a better spot and made a fairly good camp. The chow was swell and we soon discovered that just about anything you needed could be gotten because Redball had priority. While waiting for the first convoy to pull out we sneaked into Houdan without passes. In about two hours many of the boys bought bracelets,  _____ pictures, and some even found some cognac and beer. Girls were plentiful and friendly so I need say no more about that.

 I didn't get to go on the first convoy which had the best trip of all. They hauled medical supplies up to Liege, Belgium and came close enough to the front lines to hear artillery. A few robot bombs also dropped in.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the company learned to drive and except for a few men, all joined Redball at a different camp. Everyone seemed to think it might become permanent and rumors even had us changed to a Q.M. outfit.

I finally got my turn to go out. My driving was somewhat ragged, and with about five tons on my two and a half I had some thrilling moments. Our route was from Houdan to Paris loaded and then to St. Lo and the beaches from where we brought a load back to Houdan. The 102nd had the fastest convoys on the road and I believe we did a fine job of delivering the goods. I enjoyed it all tremendously. We saw so many towns, and so many beautiful girls waved and cheered us on.

We also saw how desperately hungry the French were. Grown men and women begged us for our "dog biscuits". In Paris it was different. They had money and were only too anxious to pay a small fortune for almost anything edible. Many of the boys sold extra rations which they didn't like or didn't need. Even a can of 10 in 1 lima beans brought a pretty good price. I only know of one instance where anyone actually sold any of the load he was hauling. There are bound to be a few people like that in
every outfit.

We lost our second man on Redball. Lomonacco was burned to death when his truck collided with a big Air Corps gas truck. Everyone felt very badly  about it because he was so well liked and was so intelligent that he was bound to have a brilliant future. The boys drove more slowly and carefully after that.

Redball ended as suddenly as it had started for us. The Division was alerted for movement and in a few days the first elements were on their way to Holland.

Annotation by Lou Coke's daughter:
From the book "With the 102d Infantry Division Through Germany"
Roster of Company B, 327th Engineer Combat Battalion:
Lo Monaco, Gaetano, Pfc.
514 Park Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y

Redball Express Rememberances
are continued here