I am searching for someone who traveled across France in these 40 et 8 boxcars during WWII. I would like to know the names of towns these trains went through after they left Paris and headed east toward Belgium. My brother was killed in WWII and I am writing his story. I am looking for a small town in eastern France where he enjoyed officer's mess at a small hotel but was housed just outside town on property once owned by a wealthy french family. It had a two story chateau, a larger building for enlisted men and was near a canal. I have reason to believe he entered Belgium (possibly in the Mons area) while a part of a truck convoy. I would appreciate learning ANYTHING you can tell me about your experiences. He traveled this route the first week of January, 1945.

Rosie3811@aol.com

> I am searching for someone who traveled
> across France in these 40 et 8 boxcars
> during WWII.

I may be wrong, but I thought that those cars were from WWI, and were a gift from the French, to the US. There is one in the War Memorial Museum in Newport News, VA, and I'm pretty sure all of the photos hanging in the car, showing them in use, were in the first World War. The web page for the museum is www.warmuseum.org. Their phone is (757) 247-8523.

Another military page you can try is http://www.railroad.net/forums/mil/

I also have several sites in my favorites that deal with armored trains and rail guns during WWII.

Russell Underwood

Jay611@home.com

> I thought that those
> cars were from WWI, and were a gift from the
> French, to the US.

Yep. Go to www.warmusuem.org/hrpe.htm for a picture of the inside of the Virginia car, and a breif history explaining the car.

Jay611@home.com

Be sure and check out the Merci train site at the link below.

Merci Train
hkading@rypn.org

> I may be wrong, but I thought that those
> cars were from WWI,

I agree -- In my experience in WW II, few troops were carried by rail, since most lines in France, Belgium and Germany were out of service until the war had long passed them by.


frankr@ieee.org