My maternal grandfather, Ralph Cooley Gillett (or "Boots") enlisted in the Army in January of 1942. He was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps, and due to his ability with horses was selected to become a horse trainer with the Quartermaster Remount. After finishing training at Camp Lee (with Company C, 6th QM Training Regiment), he was assigned to Troop A, 252nd Squadron Remount based at Fort Reno, Oklahoma.
PFC Gillett, probably in 1942 after completing basic training.
With a friend, date and location unknown.
On parade, likely at Fort Reno.
Out on the town, April 1943.You couldn't put that many horse enthusiasts together in the West and expect them not to have a rodeo:
And of course there were plenty of opportunities to show off your riding skill!
There was always work to do, from lengthy trail rides to other camps (including one to a place called "Concho" which I think was in northeast Texas), to re-shoeing countless hooves.
"Chow Line"
"Floating Picket Line"
"Picket line - Concho - Tents in background."
"Picket line on the Concho Trip"
"Horse shoes - Concho"
Troop A, 252nd Squadron was sent to the India/Burma theater in 1944, where they and the 699th Quartermaster Remount assumed control of training horses and mules for use by the Chinese army in that theater of operations. Ralph Gillett transferred into the 699th at some point, and by the end of his enlistment had risen to the rank of Technical Sergeant.
As a Staff Sergeant, April 1944.
"India, December 1944. At work as usual."
As can be expected, life in India was very different from what the Americans were used to!
Beggars. The fellow on the left is annoyed at being slighted.
A cobbler, multitasking - making shoes and puffing on his hookah.
And there was still work to do, some of it mundane... some of it far from ordinary.
"Rat killing detail - about 900 rats."
"Boots" shipped out for Seattle at the end of 1945, and was formally discharged in February, 1946.
2 comments:
ahhhh, these are fabulous, Geoff! You have the most amazing collection of historical pictures of anyone I know. Thanks for sharing these with the rest of the world!
finally looked up ablecompany. where did you ever get all these pictures of Boots and all the inffo. I only remember seeing a few of them..gramola
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