The World War II Story of Chester E. Boyd

From Elm Creek to Handorf is the story of Private Chester E. Boyd and his experiences in World War II. Chet was my father-in-law and I wrote this story as a Christmas gift for my wife in 2005.

It tells of Chet’s journey and experiences, from his home town of Elm Creek, Nebraska, to training at various sites within the U.S., and then to Wales, England, France, Belgium, Germany, and, perhaps, Austria.

The story is in 16 chapters, and it’s on four different pdf files. The first file is on the link below. It includes

I Introduction
II Induction and Basic Training
III Antiaircraft Artillery Battalions, Weapons & Equipment
IV Heavy Machine Gun Training

The second of four files of From Elm Creek to Handorf is on the link below. It includes:

V Trip Overseas
VI Pre-D-Day, World War II Primer
VII The 12th Army Group and the Ninth Air Force
VIII Section Dog, Battery B, 784th Blood Hound
IX England and Preparation for the Normandy Invasion
X D-Day and Normandy

Chet served in the 784th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion, Battery B. Battery B included eight gun crews, each manning a quad .50 caliber machine gun of the type shown at the left photo. Chet’s gun crew, “Section Dog”, is shown in the right photo.

The third of four files of From Elm Creek to Handorf is on the link below. It includes:

XI Northern France
XII Rhineland (Up To The Battle of the Bulge and The Belgian Fourragère)

The left photo is of Chet’s gun crew. The right is Chet posing next to a bomb rack at a German airfield, after a German retreat.

The final file of From Elm Creek to Handorf is on the link above. It includes:

XIII Rhineland (The Battle of the Bulge and The Belgian Fourragère)
XIV Central Europe and the End of the War
XV The Occupation of Germany and the Return Home
XVI Epilogue

The painting at the left is a depiction of the “Legend of Y-29”, January 1st, 1945. The right photograph is of Chet’s quad .50 caliber machine gun, taken around January 1st.

The bottom photo is Chet smiling behind the same gun. The four swastikas signifies four German planes show down by the crew at Y-29.