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Berlin, Richard E., 1894- / Diary of a flight to occupied Germany, July 20 to August 27, 1945.
(1945?)
From Paris to Reims, pp. 33-34
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Page 33
in Germany in the black market for a dollar Mickey Mouse watch. The seller in turn converts the Russian occupation marks into American funds, sending the money home in the form of a Money Order. Accordingly the American taxpayer is out $500 and also a watch, which goes back to Russia. We afterward saw black market performances going on in the Tiergarten in Berlin. Later in the day I met our INS reporter, Jim Kilgallen, who had just come from Berlin; I also talked to Mme. Corsant about buying some lingerie to take home. XWas informed that the price of slips was 8,000 francs or $160. From Paris to Reims Tuesday, July 31 Left the hotel early by motor car on a beautiful ride to Reims. Passed the American cemetery of the past war . . . the British monument at Fleury where some 30,000 British soldiers are buried from the last wxar . . . through Chateau Thierry. where we saw the same bridge blown out in this war as it was in the last. German tiger tanks lay demolished all along the road going up to Chateau Thierry: and we saw pill-boxes that were relies from the first World War. Chateau Thierry was the same sleepy liatle village, full of American troops. it was in 1918. although it did not suffer in this war as in the last. At Reims we were met by Major General Royal B. Lord, who commands the assembly area here. We lunched with him. Reims is the re-deployment center to which American soldiers are shipped from all over Europe, preparatory to being sent home or via Marseilles to the Japanese theatre. There are some 18 camps, each with a capacity of 15,000 to 25.000 men, the area being about 100 miles long and 60 miles wide. We inspected Camp Cleveland, one of the large camps. The boys all live in tents, and everything possible is done for them. We inspected the kitchens and the mess saw tons of food beef. 33
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