civilians took care of policing up so that the men of “Old Blood and Guts” were thus relieved of mud
and butts and could turn their attention to more interesting pursuits. Volleyball courts and horseshoe
pits sprang into being all over the place. Softball teams were organized in each Company and round
robin games were a constant and popular attraction. A swimming meet was scheduled for “Sunday” but
was postponed from “Sunday” to “Sunday” and never held. A track meet finally was run off.
Other improvements came in rapid order. A sand floored training barn was cleaned and
converted into a movie theater. Soon a stage was added and served for the production of the elaborate
“Anything Goes” USO Show. By the time the excellent “Hubba Hubba” show came the floor had been
cemented. In no time at all the old cavalrymen had acquired a few horses and the sport became so
popular that the stable soon housed some 40 nags and riding became one of the main sources of
entertainment. Part of the motor park was fenced off for a training ground and a horse show was held
with jumps and stunts, more to the enjoyment of the spectators than to the participants who spilled their
dignity freely. After an evening of riding the men would frequently go up to the “Beer Tank” for a
friendly beer or coke. This was strictly a 712th affair, built from scratch in an empty warehouse room
and decorated with drawings and photographs made by members of the Battalion. Here the Companies
held parties with music by the 712th Downbeats. The latter outfit was constantly in demand playing
dinner music in the Mess Hall and Officers Mess, accompanying many of the entertainers at the Opera
House, and giving out with jive for dances and impromptu get-togethers.
A Tailor Shop was established with three pressing machines and civilian seamstresses who did
pressing and alterations first for a fee and then for free, to keep the tankers looking sharp for guard and
fraternizing. That old Army institution the PX got off to a slow start because of the delay in the
shipment of supplies but it gradually got in gear and toward the end was getting a few such luxuries as
wrist watches and kodak films. A Battalion Dark Room was set up and furnished with excellent
equipment. It was forced to curtail activities sharply on account of the shortage of film so that much of
the developing work was done in town, although instruction classes in such were held frequently. Other
classes soon commenced. The Opportunity Course was carried through for those who had not had much
civilian education. German Language Classes were held three days a week to supplement the work of
“Private tutors” in AMBERG. And several of the more fortunate were sent to various schools in France
and England.
Most popular of all the I & E projects were the sightseeing tours. The Italy trip, including
AUGSBURG, OBERAMMERGAU, GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, INNSBRUCK, BRENNER
PASS, BODENSEE, ULM and NUREMBURG, was the most interesting until it had to be curtailed due
to difficulties in crossing the French zone of occupation. The BERCHTESGADEN trip included visits
to such famous places as MUNICH, FREISING, CHIEMSEE, where Mad Ludwig had his fantastic
castle, BAD REICHENHALL, KONIGSSEE, the Eagle’s Nest, SALZBURG, LINZ, PASSEAU and
REGENSBURG. That trip, with slight variations, was operated every week during the latter part of the
stay. Two other trips, one to PILSEN and one into Switzerland, were inaugurated near the last. Besides
the conducted tours there were individual furloughs to PARIS, LONDON and the RIVI ERA. For those
not lucky enough to draw one of the fancy furloughs and not interested in the conducted tours there was
still opportunity for fun and relaxation in the hunting and fishing trips to the nearby lodge.
Life wasn’t all play. The Camp was primarily a military establishment. Tanks require a lot of
work, even when they are not running regularly and there were persistent rumors that they would be
turned into Ordnance at any time, so they had to be kept in tip-top shape. Morning on a typical day
would find the motor pool and maintenance shops a beehive of activity; a roar and a blue cloud of
smoke from an engine tuning up, three men on a rammer staff swabbing a gun tube, a crewman using a
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