Now for a couple stories from Dale:
Marine Raven:
When we boarded to the Raven we had most of what we owned in a back pack. I forget the exact number of bunks, there were either 7 or 8. They folded against the wall (bulkhead?). The bottom bunk was deployed you were instructed to lay down in the bunk, with your backpack on and stay there till notified you could get up. The second bunk was lowered and the next in line got that bunk, lay down and don't move (couldn't move if you had to after the next bunk was lowered). You laid there till all 7or 8 bunks were occupied then you had to wait till the entire room maybe 70 or 80 men were in the bunks. When all the bunks were full and the next room was opened you could get out of the bunk. Of course the top bunk had to get down first and the first bunk was the last to get out. No place for claustrophobia. And of course during the sea trip it was always one of the top bunks that the occupant got sea sick and of course the ensuing "waterfall".
I was just talking to one of my friends I graduated from high school with and we agreed it was a great experience but hoped no one else had to endure anything like it.
40/8s:
Had more room on the 40/8s. While awake pretty much room. Nights were cosy. It was cold but you "spooned" with another G.I. Not all that comfortable but we kept each other not warm but from freezing.
Most of us were pretty lucky but a couple of the 40/8s had been damaged by shell fire and had holes in the roofs. I think those guys were more uncomfortable than we were. Another car had a 4 foot hole in the floor where some idiots had built a bonfire.
I rememeber at a long stop somehow we were furnished bread. I stood outside the car with my arms extended and got as many loaves of bread as I could carry. I was told to run to the end of the train and 2 loaves NO MORE ! to each car. As a result the train started just as I ran out of bread so I just jumped on the car till the next stop. We never knew how long a trip would be or when or how long a stop would last.