Snapshots of WWII: Across the Atlantic: Arrival in Wartime England

Season 1, Episode 2 of 6

There are parts of World War II history that often get skipped over. We hear about the battles, the beaches, and the victories—but not always the waiting. Not always the crossing. Episode 2 of Snapshots of WWII follows our grandfather and the 357th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment as they left behind everything familiar and crossed the Atlantic toward war in the spring of 1944.

By this point, the journey had already become real. Camp Kilmer was behind them. Home was fading into the distance. Ahead was England, D-Day preparations, and an unknown future none of them could fully imagine yet.

This episode became one of the most emotional for us to research because the records are so simple on paper: departed New York, crossed Atlantic, arrived Liverpool. But behind those few words were thousands of young soldiers packed onto troop ships sailing through dangerous waters hunted by German U-boats.

Crossing the Atlantic During World War II

Our grandfather crossed the Atlantic aboard the HMS Dominion Monarch, a British luxury liner converted into a wartime troop transport ship. By 1944, elegance had long disappeared from ships like these. Troops slept in cramped bunks stacked four high, stood in endless food lines, rationed water, endured blackout drills, and lived with the constant fear of submarine attack beneath the waves.

The military records describe the Atlantic crossing as “uneventful,” but history tells a different story. Convoys zigzagged through U-boat infested waters while soldiers practiced emergency drills day and night. Seasickness spread through overcrowded ships, nerves were stretched thin, and many young men had never even seen the ocean before.

When we researched this part of Grandpa’s journey, it stopped feeling like a military movement report and started feeling deeply human. We imagined him standing on deck watching the Statue of Liberty disappear into the distance—not knowing if he would ever see home again.

WWII Oral Histories That Helped Bring This Episode to Life

One of the most powerful moments in this episode comes from WWII veteran Warren R. Kahler of the 8th Armored Division. His firsthand oral history described Atlantic crossings aboard small converted troop ships during the war and gave incredible insight into the fear, seasickness, rough waters, and uncertainty soldiers endured while crossing the Atlantic.

His story about “Puke Alley,” stalled engines, and convoy fears reminded us that these weren’t just troop movements—they were human experiences lived by young men heading into war. Including his story felt important not only for historical context, but to honor veterans like him whose memories continue helping future generations understand WWII beyond textbooks and headlines.

We also included a family interview with our dad, Malcolm Neil Moersch, our grandfather Malcolm’s firstborn son. He shared a story Grandpa once told him about nonstop submarine drills aboard the troop ship and one exhausted soldier finally throwing his gear overboard after repeated emergency exercises. It was one of those small personal stories that suddenly makes history feel real.

Liverpool, England: First Steps Into War

On April 3, 1944, the 357th arrived in Liverpool, England. For many American soldiers, this was their first glimpse of a country already scarred by years of war. Liverpool still carried visible damage from the Blitz. Bombed buildings, rationing, crowded docks, and constant military movement surrounded them as they stepped onto foreign soil.

This moment feels important to us because it marks the point where our grandfather’s journey stopped being training and truly became war. The crossing was over. England was real. D-Day was getting closer.

Training Near Kidderminster

On April 3, 1944, the 357th Infantry Regiment arrived in Liverpool, England. But England was already carrying the scars of war. Liverpool had endured years of bombing during the Blitz, and American soldiers arrived to a city marked by destruction, rationing, and exhaustion.

The next day, the men traveled by train toward a temporary training camp near Kidderminster in Worcestershire, England. The English countryside must have felt worlds away from home—rolling farmland, muddy roads, hedgerows, old estates, and military camps filled with thousands of Allied troops preparing for the largest invasion in modern history.

For medics like our grandfather, training intensified quickly. Gas mask drills, battlefield evacuation exercises, long marches, mine detection, obstacle courses, and amphibious assault preparation became daily life. The waiting period before D-Day is often overlooked, but this episode reminded us how critical those weeks were. These men weren’t just waiting—they were preparing themselves mentally and physically for the reality of combat.

Why This Story Matters to Us

This podcast started because of photographs. Our grandfather Malcolm left behind hundreds of World War II photographs he took as a frontline medic during the war. At first, we simply wanted to know where they were taken. But that curiosity slowly became something much bigger.

Now we’re retracing his footsteps through Europe ourselves—researching his movements, restoring his photographs, visiting the same towns, and recreating his images nearly 80 years later through our own lens.

This episode marks the moment where his journey truly leaves home behind. And honestly, researching it made us feel closer to him than ever before. Not just as a soldier, but as a young man navigating fear, uncertainty, exhaustion, and hope alongside thousands of others experiencing the same thing.

Episode 2 Highlights

In this episode of Snapshots of WWII, we cover the Atlantic crossing aboard the HMS Dominion Monarch, WWII convoy travel and U-boat dangers, Liverpool during World War II, the 90th Infantry Division’s arrival in England, Kidderminster training camps, frontline medic preparation before D-Day, firsthand oral histories from WWII veterans, and family stories passed down through generations.

Show Notes & Resources

Please see the show notes below for download:

Snapshots of WWII Season 1 EP 2 Show notes Download

Key Topics in This Episode

HMS Dominion Monarch troop ship
WWII Atlantic convoy crossings German U-boats during World War II
Liverpool
Blitz aftermath
357th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment
90th Infantry Division
Preparations for D-Day
Kidderminster
WWII training camps
WWII medic training
Battlefield preparation
Oral histories from WWII Veterans
Family History
Historical retracing

Key Locations Mentioned

New York Port of Embarkation
Atlantic Ocean convoy routes
Liverpool, England
Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
Southern and Central England training camps

💛 Support the Roots Revival Fund

If you’d like to support this project, you can contribute here:
https://rootsofdiscovery.me/roots-revival-fund/

Your support helps fund podcast production, WWII archival research, photograph preservation, and travel to historical locations connected to our grandfather and the soldiers who served beside him.

Where to Find Us

🎙️ Podcast: Snapshots of WWII
🎧 Spotify: Listen on Spotify
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🌐 Website: Roots of Discovery
📷 Instagram: Instagram @rootsofdiscovery
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📝 Full Blog + Show Notes: Snapshots of WWII Podcast Page

Snapshots of WWII: March 22, 1944 — The Journey Begins

Season 1, Episode 1 of 6

There are moments in family history that don’t look like much on paper—but once you start digging, they end up meaning everything. March 22, 1944 is one of those moments for us. It marks the beginning of our grandfather’s journey in World War II—and the beginning of us trying to follow him, step by step. This is Snapshots of WWII, and this is where it all starts: Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

Camp Kilmer WWII: The Place Before Everything Changed

Before soldiers went overseas in World War II, many passed through Camp Kilmer, a major U.S. Army staging area in New Jersey. It wasn’t a battlefield—but it was a threshold between home and war. On March 22, 1944, our grandfather arrived there with the 357th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment, part of the 90th Infantry Division (Tough ‘Ombres). At Camp Kilmer WWII staging area, soldiers were quickly processed through medical checks, equipment issue, final overseas briefings, and deployment preparation. For many men, this was the last place they stood on American soil.

From Camp Kilmer to Overseas Deployment

The official records from this moment are short—but powerful: moved by train, processed through port of embarkation, departed for overseas duty. That’s it. But behind those lines is everything. Within days of arriving at Camp Kilmer, our grandfather was already moving toward a ship bound for England and the European theater. Everything happened fast. There wasn’t much time to process it. Just movement forward.

HMT Dominion Monarch: Crossing the Atlantic in WWII

After Camp Kilmer came the Atlantic Ocean. Our grandfather boarded the HMT Dominion Monarch, a British liner converted into a WWII troop transport ship. It carried thousands of soldiers across the Atlantic. And it was far from peaceful. German U-boats patrolled the waters, convoys traveled under blackout conditions, sleeping quarters were tight and crowded, and everything felt uncertain. This was the moment the war stopped feeling distant. It was happening.

Why We Started Snapshots of WWII

This podcast didn’t start as a history project. It started with photographs. We found our grandfather’s WWII images and couldn’t stop thinking about them. We didn’t just want to look at them—we wanted to understand them. So we made a decision. We would follow him. We began retracing his footsteps, studying military records, and comparing his photographs to the world as it exists today. But more than anything, we wanted to understand him—not just as a soldier in a record, but as a young medic, a husband, and a man stepping into a world he couldn’t yet see. This journey is about connection between sisters, connection between past and present, and connection to the grandfather we are still getting to know. It is also about honoring him—and the medics and soldiers of World War II who served alongside him.

Camp Kilmer as a Living Layer of History

One of the most meaningful parts of this episode comes from researcher Kimberly A. Tryba. Her work helped us understand Camp Kilmer on a deeper level—not just as a military site, but as a layered landscape of history. She describes Camp Kilmer as a palimpsest—a place where history is never fully erased, only built over. Her full research is here: https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/57598/

Camp Kilmer isn’t just history. It is still there with the roads, buildings, and everyday life.

Episode 1 Highlights

In this episode of Snapshots of WWII, we cover the arrival of the 357th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment at Camp Kilmer on March 22, 1944, WWII soldier processing and staging procedures, emotional reflections on leaving home for war, Camp Kilmer WWII history and its role in deployment, the 90th Infantry Division movement to Europe, boarding the HMT Dominion Monarch troop ship, and the beginning of the Atlantic crossing during WWII.

What This Really Is for Us

When you first read WWII records, they feel distant. Just dates. Units. Movements. But when you follow them closely enough, they become something else. A train platform in New Jersey. A young man standing quietly in line. Thousands of soldiers moving at the same time toward the unknown. And suddenly, it’s not distant anymore. It’s personal.

Show Notes & Resources

Please see the show notes below for download:

snapshotsofwwiishownotess1ep1 Download

Podcast: Snapshots of WWII: Sisters Explore their Grandfathers Legacy
Season 1, Episode 1: “March 22, 1944 — The Journey Begins”

Key Topics in This Episode

Camp Kilmer WWII staging and processing
357th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment
90th Infantry Division (Tough ‘Ombres)
WWII troop deployment process in 1944
HMT Dominion Monarch troop transport ship
Atlantic crossing during World War II
Family genealogy and WWII research journey

Key Locations Mentioned

Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
Fort Dix, New Jersey
Atlantic Ocean convoy routes
England (arrival point for U.S. troops in 1944)

Featured Research & Sources

Camp Kilmer Research – Rutgers University
Research on Camp Kilmer as a layered historical landscape (“palimpsest”), helping explain how WWII history still exists beneath modern-day infrastructure.

Featured Guest

Kimberly A. Tryba
Landscape architect and researcher whose work focuses on historical landscapes and layered environments. Her research helped us understand Camp Kilmer not just as a WWII staging site, but as a place where history is still physically embedded in the land today.

👉 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlytryba/

Her full paper:
https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/57598/

💛 Support the Roots Revival Fund

If you’d like to support this project, you can contribute here: https://rootsofdiscovery.me/roots-revival-fund/

Your support helps fund podcast production, WWII archival research, and travel to historical sites connected to our grandfather and other service members.