SC Historical Society: southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org Wire -- A South Carolinian Goes to War: A.T.S. Stoney in North Africa and Sicily

A South Carolinian Goes to War:
A.T.S. Stoney in North Africa and Sicily
By Karen Stokes and Michael Coker

Right: Stoney was also an illustrator and cartographer. This is one of the Christmas cards he designed. | 200 dpi

During World War II South Carolinian A.T.S Stoney served as an officer in the United States Army air arm in North Africa. Stoney's diary from 1943 details the operations of an air transport squadron stationed in Morocco and Tunisia over the period of several months.

On June 25th Stoney writes of his units preparations to move to a new camp, and of the severe weather conditions they faced:

"The last tents taken down and packed ready to load. Officers and men sleep under the stars tonight. Many of the men have been without tents for several days already. The dust has been dreadful here...twisters varying from five to one hundred feet in diameter, starting from a little dancing wisp of dust and building themselves into a whirling mass hundreds of feet high, gyrate across the field and camp area snatching and scattering papers, loose clothing and tempers, and filling eyes, teeth, and chow with dust and straw."

He adds, not surprisingly: "We will be glad to leave this place."

Left: Another card of Stoney's design. | 200 dpi

On July 11th Stoney took part in an air-mission near Sicily. He gives a harrowing account of the difficulties faced by the flight-crew of a C-47 during combat:

"I had only glimpsed down when one of our squadron on our left hit the top of a hill and instantly burst into flame. At the same time I saw ackack ahead a few miles...we saw another plane hit a hill about 3 miles right and burn instantly..."

Despite these obstacles Stoney 's crew managed to get their bearings and drop their paratroopers over their target, then make their way back to base successfully.

Just seven days later in his July 18th entry Stoney writes of the dangers of trying to land aircraft in a previously enemy occupied area.

"Landed at Pont Olivio...Capt O'Connor parked on East Side of runway and a mine went off not far from his plane. Before he could move a second mine went off near enough to blow his tail sideways. Just after he moved a third went off at the point where he had been parked...During the two hours we stayed there between twenty and thirty mines went off in various parts of the field, having been planted there by the Italians before we took it. There must have been hundreds hidden because the men reported that they had been going off like that all the previous afternoon and night."

There are some light-hearted moments mixed in with these grim details. An entry in early July reveals how Stoney and his comrades got a little relief from the harsh, often dirty conditions by utilizing a unique device called a camel bath:

"30 to 40 gallons of cool water pulled out of well and sloshed over one's sweaty sweltering body has a reviving effect which lasts several hours."

Above: A unique invention called the "Camel Bath" provided Stoney and his comrades some much-needed relief. | 200 dpi

Stoney's diary gives valuable insight into the hardships and sacrifices endured by all those who served their country in World War II. In the closing pages of his diary Stoney pens an emotional tribute in remembrance to all of his fallen comrades:

"Rescuing your world from manic power
We died. Now you must build again.
Build on our graves a mighty tower
Of peace and honor among men.

Carve on its cornerstone our deed;
Tell that our death was glorious.
Be vigilant! Let sloth nor greed
Nor prating fools make fools of us."

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Last modified: 05/21/01/PLW.

URL: http://www.southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org/wire/2001_may/stoney.html