1946 Grand Prix

[siege1863]

Here is a great letter found among a collection written by S/Sgt. Charles L. Anderson, Jr. During the war, he was assigned to the 31st Hospital Train. Following the war, with not yet enough points to be sent home, he was re-assigned to the 295th Medical Detachment stationed near Marseilles, France.

 

In April of 1946, he and one of his Army buddies got a furlough and stayed in Nice on the French Riviera. Little did Anderson know that he would have a front-row seat for the first Grand Prix race held after the war! The automobile race was held on April 22 and he wrote of what he saw that evening. Fortunately, the program sent with the letter remained in the envelope.

 

The winner was Luigi Villoresi of Italy, driving a Maserati.

 

 

[siege1863]

[siege1863]

[craig_pickrall]

That is interesting, thanks for posting. I didn't realize they got back to racing so soon in Europe.

[siege1863]

I did a little hunting on the Internet and found some good history of the 1946 GP. Here is a layout of the course, with the approximate location of the Hotel Ruhl shown in red. Anderson did have a good view of the race! The photo is of the winner, Villoresi, during the race.

 

Aside from the horros of the war, think of all that the men were able to experience during their time in the service. I love to read letters describing the places, people, and events they witnessed. These young men, often from rural towns and who may never have ventured outside of their own states, got to see such sites as the pyramids of Egypt; the ancient city of Rome; the Eiffel Tower; the Swiss Alps; the exotic Hawaiian Islands; and the mysterious Far East. Imagine the Catholic boy who, while on a weekend pass, visited the Vatican and happened to see the Pope! Once in a lifetime experiences for sure.