- Collection:
- Veterans History Project: Oral History Interviews
- Title:
- Oral history interview of James Gibson Hull, part one of two
- Creator:
- Lowance, David
Hull, James Gibson, 1914-2010 - Date of Original:
- 2005-11-23
- Subject:
- Falaise Gap, Battle of, France, 1944
Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Horne, William A., Jr., 1910-1991
Searby, Edmund James, 1896-1944
Patton, George S. (George Smith), 1885-1945
McBride, Horace Logan, 1894-1962
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1887-1944
Marshall, George C. (George Catlett), 1880-1959
United States. Army. Infantry Division, 80th (1942-1946)
Queen Mary (Steamship)
James W. Wetmore (Liberty ship)
Germany. Wehrmacht - Location:
- Belgium, Wallonia, Luxembourg Province, Arrondissement de Bastogne, Bastogne, 50.00347, 5.71844
France, Argentan, 48.7428859, -0.0223695
France, Avranches, 48.688189, -1.36343798957669
France, Le Mans, 48.0073498, 0.1967379
France, Metz, 49.1196964, 6.1763552
France, Saar River Valley
France, Sainte-Mère-Eglise, 49.4117704, -1.32682478113355
Germany, Chemnitz, 50.8322608, 12.9252977
Germany, Saar River Valley
Luxembourg, Luxembourg, 49.8158683, 6.1296751
Moselle River Valley, 49.0207259, 6.53803517035795
United Kingdom, Scotland, Glasgow City, 55.86515, -4.25763
United States, Florida, Clay County, Camp Blanding, 29.94686, -81.97324
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Georgia, Atlanta Metropolitan Area, 33.8498, 84.4383
United States, New Jersey, Burlington County, Fort Dix, 40.02984, -74.61849
United States, Oklahoma, Comanche County, Lawton, Fort Sill, 34.6809319, -98.5708846797856
United States, Tennessee, Coffee County, Tullahoma, Camp Forrest, 35.3656346, -86.1841558 - Medium:
- video recordings (physical artifacts)
mini-dv - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/quicktime
- Description:
- In part one of this two-part interview, Gibson Hull recalls his military experience during World War II. He describes his childhood; his father was a banker and his grandfather a doctor. Graduating college in 1936, he describes his search for employment and some of his jobs. He relates that in his mind, Hitler was far away. Eventually he realized that he had a low draft number and joined the Georgia National Guard. He trained in Florida, "cleaning up swamps." He and his friends would go to Jacksonville for good food and were on their way there when Pearl Harbor was attacked; they left before the gates were closed and from that time, all leave was frozen. After training, he met a "charming lady" and knew he'd better get a commission. After Officers Candidate School, he was shipped overseas as a general's aide. He describes the crossing with no escort; they changed course every three minutes. He was stationed between Manchester and Liverpool. They had to go to Wales to get their guns calibrated and he describes the difficulty of moving them through the streets of Wales. They crossed the channel in a Liberty Ship, landing on Utah beach, which had been secured but they were still taking artillery fire. He describes their march across France and their encounters with the German 6th Army. He recalls how German artillery was horse-drawn, and that the stench was incredible. He describes an incident in which he was injured; he found the back of his Eisenhower jacket to be full of shrapnel holes. They were headed for Paris, but ordered to turn south; this would allow a French unit formed in England the honor of liberating Paris. He worked as a liaison officer to the press so he had a jeep and a radio; he also kept contact with the division on their left. He relates a time when his general was sick, so he had to go to a meeting in his place, and he had an encounter with George Patton. He recalls being impressed with Patton, that he knew tactics, but also relates that his troops were scared to death of him. He describes in great detail the Battle of the Bulge; the weather was so cold they couldn't hold on to their mess kits. The infantry marched alongside tanks to Bastogne; Patton called for the chaplains to pray for a break in the cold, foggy weather. When the weather broke, the planes were able to come in and that turned the tide. He recalls crossing the Rhine on pontoon bridges multiple times because his general forgot the maps. His parents were told he was on the cover of Life magazine, but his mother refused to believe it was him because he had a cigarette in his hands. He reports that the Germans were the best equipped army in the world, and that their 88s were the best gun. They reached the Czech border and turned toward the Austrian border when they received orders to cease fire. He had been given a pass to go to Switzerland, but gave it back, stating that he was going home.
James Gibson Hull was an Army officer in Europe during World War II. - Metadata URL:
- http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/cdm/ref/collection/VHPohr/id/217
- Additional Rights Information:
- This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.
- Extent:
- 59:05
- Original Collection:
- Veterans History Project oral history recordings
Veterans History Project collection, MSS 1010, Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center - Holding Institution:
- Atlanta History Center
- Rights:
-
