A Music Box

[jim armstroong]

 

This is a story I have tried for years to forget without any success - UGH!!

 

This one is not pretty to relate even today:-

 

Outside the town of Rennes,Normandy there was a school that we used one night because it was open ground all around so we felt it would be a good spot to bed down for the night with only a few awake on a rotating schedule.

 

Next morning as we were leaving three little girls came up from somewhere and asked if they could get the music box that was on the teacher's desk. One of our guys had been admiring it all the night before but since everybody was exhausted they told him to leave it alone. Thank God he did!!!

 

We let them get it and they skipped off down the road towards the town and just about got out of sight down the road when there was one H**L of an explosion. One of the first guys to reach them was a Medic and he signaled us to slow down because it was too late for the kids(all three).

 

Some one of the Krauts had apparently booby-trapped the music box so that when it was wound up it would get the one that wound it up.

 

Fortunate for us but fatal for the three little girls.

 

Why things like this happened could never be explained to me!!

 

Sgtleo

[Walt's Daughter]

Guess no words will suffice for an answer. Those poor little angels.

[chambers]

How very sad. Thanks for all you're doing Sgtleo!

 

Brooke

[Custermen]

Why things like this happened could never be explained to me!!

 

While searching through the NARA records, I found a jewel in the Intellegience Reports of the 85th Division. One report had a sketch of a 5-inch round device that was described as a Booby-Trap. It was about 3/4 inch in diameter and was painted black and had scroll work on it and a hexagonal end piece. In a blank oval section of the tube was printed "HAIR PENCIL" and directions on how to use it and the Manufacturer's address. It said it would remove grey and was marked "Harmless".

Well, it was a booby trap that was small but powerful as it blew 3 fingers off a 9-year old Italian girl.

 

Steve

[Walt's Daughter]

Of course you hear about all the mine accidents within the army, but one can only sadly wonder how many innocent citizens during and AFTER the war were mangled or killed by all these booby-traps. A child's incident is always sadder indeed.