Memoirs and forbidden photos
Betty Tholen
Friday, November 9, 2007
“Lens of an Infantryman: A World War II Memoir with Photographs from a Hidden Camera,” by Murray Leff, McFarland & Co., 2007, $45
“Lens of an Infantryman” is a fascinating memoir written by Murray Leff.
Leff grew up in New York and was assigned to fight during World War II with Co. E, 137th Infantry Division. This division was predominately made up of Kansans in the National Guard Unit based in Holton.
Leff went to Europe as a recruit and joined the unit as a replacement. He found himself bonding to this group of midwesterners and continues to keep in contact via national reunions and the 35th Division paper (which is still being published.)
Leff’s personal account of the daily life of an army recruit makes interesting reading for anyone interested in history. He gives the reader such details as how to heat and eat K-rations and even pictures of the same.
The pictures in this book were taken with a camera he acquired in Germany and kept hidden under his jacket as he was not supposed to have a camera. He, in fact, tells us that he was ordered not to take pictures.
The notes he wrote of his experiences at the close of the war finally resurfaced after 57 years and Leff did considerable research by getting Army “after action” reports verifying the personal notes he wrote as to army actions, dates and locations. Hence, this small volume is valuable to historians and others interested in descriptions and pictures of items in use by soldiers at that time. There are 129 photos included in this book with appendices of After Action Reports and souvenirs and an index to aid the researcher.
Emporians of the 137th Infantry, Company B, National Guard unit, 35th Division and their families will find Leff’s account very similar to their experiences “from Gremercey Forest through the Battle of the Bulge, the Ruhr Pocket and the fall of Germany.”
F On the Shelf is written by staff and volunteers of the Emporia Public Library.