The bustle of activity and heightened tenor of preparation before they boarded the vehicles, gave way to the tense menontiny of hours of driving in the dark. The temperatures dropped. The convoys sped ahead at times, and, at others,  crawled or came to a complete stop becuase an exhaused driver had fallen asleep while driving.  The 10 miles long  convoy snaked  it's way through the countryside, initially headed towards Werbomont, unknown to most, the destination changed to Bastogne while they were en route.

 

Clancy's unit arrived in the very early morning hours well before daybreak and detrucked somewhere between St. Mande Etienne and Champs. A short respite  for some, digging foxholes for others, soon changed to marching toward Bastogne. The weather was nothing short of miserable and it was not to get better. Rain and fox intermixed in the darkenss which was light by the flashed of the distant, but closing battle raging to the east. 

 

The 506 PIR narrative notes the movement began around 0830, which would have been first light, with the 2nd Battalion at the rear of the column as it headed towards Bastogne via Hemroule and walked along the Rue de La Roche. The Regiment moved through the edge of Bastogne past the Bastogne Barracks, cutting the corner at Rue Pierre Thomas. Someone took a few pictures of the unit as they rounded to corner on to what is now called N30 and futher down is called Chaussee de Houffalize. The images have been published in several books on the subject of the 506 PIR.  The route overall remains recognizable, though a modern section of N834 runs further to the east of the original route where it departs Hemroule. The old route can still be followed from the point the new and old roads diverge. 

 

Having detrucked after a dozen or so hours of driving with only a short time of rest before the march began would have an impact on the men.  For Clancy's unit, the 2nd Battalion, did not move into direct battle that first day. The unit was moved into reserve at Luzery on the morning of the 19th. 

 

The following day, they were moved into position, walking along the houffalize road towards Foy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I arrived during daylight hours in my trip, it was early morning in the timezone I had flown from and I was running a temperature. I had the flu and had worked half a day before going to the airport to take a flight, which had been delayed an hour or so. I grasped just a little of the tiredness these men felt as they were dropped off in the dark, in the cold and misty rain of the Bastogne area. It was the middle of the night to me physically. And, it was raining when I had arrived in the area. To make it a little more miserable, a cold wind cut into you like little icy knives. How appropos, I thought. I've been in 40 below zero temperatures during the Winter where I come from, but this wind was especially piercing though not terribly strong.

 

Here are some images taken by one of the men who was there. These are some of the more remarkable images I have seen of Bastogne among the photos Fred Korb Bastogne Photos