Manday, May 21 (1945)

Felt very good. Walk took a lot of soreness out of my shoulder. Same old jobs at plant pushing chlorimeter freshair, etc. Fresh air main gives a lot of trouble but it nearly done. In evening worked out with soft ball team who beat Stone and Webster very soundly. Rack 8 with new columns back in service. Hear Germans had a "heavy water" plant in Norway.

Wednesday, May 16 (1945)

Got my new alteration on carriage laid out. Work ragged. Should have been done by noon but just finished before quitting. Had rained early but cleared to a hot steamy day. Wore cotton and got terribly dirty. In evening took a nap and then watched AIT and Stone & Webster at hardball. Woodward again driven to the showers but at 10:30 AIT led 703. Very hot and stuffy. Last group of Germans reported to have surrendered. World War II ends. (ex. Japs).

Monday, May 14 (1945)

Hot and bright. Thought I'de have gibbet going by noon but one thing after another interfered. The tank wasn't weighted. One trunion had a bad weld. Roberts changed ideas on how to heat tanks. Lannie had a hand. Oh hell. Finally came home and went up to soft ball game. We trounced Roane-Anderson. Carbide beat Clinton Lab in interesting game. Only a few Germans still holdout in Czecho Slavakio. Russian lease lend virtually stopped. Trouble with Tito.

Thursday, May 10 (1945)

The Russians decided it ended today. It seems that the Kennedy "break" was due to fear by the Russians that they'd get stung somehow so they had to do their own negotiating and fought for sometime after it might have been possible to quit. Hitler reported to have been given all scientific data to Japan. Very wet morning. Regular cloud burst. Major bawled about the 1000 lb experimental trap and the boys wasted time terribly on the new gallows. No excitement.

Wednesday, May 9 (1945)

Well, this is the day after the war "ended." The Germans are still fighting in Czecho Slavakia and about 100,000 up in Latoria haven't quit. Goering surrounded to our 7th Army. At the plant business as usual. Still trying to get the gibbet built. Found we were out of he three inch pipe and fittings. That balls up the condensate job! Lots of talk about racks and pressure chambers. Very little else. Oh yes. They say now it wasn't VE day after all. At 8:00 went down to watch Fercleve play Engineers hard ball. Did pretty fair for six innings. then their pitcher had to leave and it was another massacre.

Tuesday, May 8 (1945)

Today was formally announced as VE Day, whatever that is. There was the premature announcement last week, then the denial, then the surrender in Holland, then last night's accurate AP dispatch. Then Mr. Kennedy, who sent it, was suspended. Then it was officially confirmed. Now it is reported that large groups of Germans are still holding out at Brelau, on the French Coast, in Jugo Slovakia and around Prague. At the plant unexciting day. Power house steel work going up. Peeler got soused and had to be fired. 28 years since I reported to Old Col. Treat and was asked what in the hell I was there for.

Monday, May 7 (1945)

Warner and clear in morning. Still not very heavily engaged. The gibbet continues to rise and we have the shop moved under orders. In PM tried to find end of old 3" line. Most of our new power units are now on their foundations. After supper watched Eastman beat Carbide in a loosely played but hard fought game - 11 innings. Fercleve then started to give J.A. Jones a good going over but it rained hard. GERMANS IN CZECHO SLOVAKIA AND NORWAY SURRENDER. Just 28 years since I left du Ponts to can the Kaiser!

Thurdsday, May 3 (1945)

Another cold rainy day. Steams full of yellow water. Found batter boards not set. Then found gas line in the way. Then heard condenser not to go in at all. Finally got posts located and then tried to design. Finally found hoist a very clumsy affair. Started to design and then found beams are tool light. Boy wattajob. Finally came home and worked most of evening on it. Berlin taken and whole German Regime collapsing. Bordeaux. Hamburg surrendered. Russians claim Hitler and Goebels suicides. Laval arrested in Spain.

Wednesday, May 2 (1945)

Rainy and very cold. Not very exciting in AM. Heard Ross leaving us and then heard his draft call cancelled. Went on working on condenser. In PM, Roberts called to say transfer structure very important. Must do something at once. Tried to start. No poles. No steel. No nothin and late to finish up a design. Germans in Italy about 1,000,000 surrender.

Thursday, January 11 (1945)

Mary up at 5:00 for Red Cross work at air base. Had breakfast and went back to sleep. She returned about 7:30 half frozen and disgusted. It seems the call for nurses had been cancelled but the people in charge at the R.C. had neglected to notify the nurses aides. Snook still in bed. Did some errands in morning and in afternoon went movie thriller at the Grand - very punk. Mary feeling rotten. Our dispatches ignore situation on 7th Army front. Germans are gaining. Apparently much friction in European command.

Monday, January 8 (1945)

Weather got worse during night. Morning everything covered with ice. Went up to Philly to buy some shoes. Couldn't get a fit in Bostonians. Got some Florsheims. Went to a newsy. Looked into clothes question. Not so good. Very few good cit suits available. Caught Capital Ltd home. No news here. Snowed during afternoon. Japs say we've landed one Div. at Lingagan. Our communique says all going well in West. German communique says they have us in trouble.

Friday, January 5 (1945)

Rather pretty but crisp day. Walked downtown with no bandages on my knee. Knee stood it pretty well. Brought home some mackerel for supper. Got Mary a slop can and tried to buy shoes but couldn't get a fit. In afternoon took a short walk with Butch in Brandwine Park and saw where the "Kwan duckies" used to swim. Quiet evening at home. Germans have busted through the 7th Army. Pacific fleet has reached China coast.

Thursday, December 28 (1944)

Sleeted all night. Had to get down to doctor;s in morning. Quite a strain on knee. After treatment read in du Pont lobby for an hour or so and rode home. Wrote letters to Sneddon. In evening, Mary and I to Frenchman's Cruk. Poor story wonderfully photographed in technicolor. Report American armies closing on Germans. Bastogne relieved.

Wednedsay, December 27 (1944)

Up so late. I had little time more than to read the news which is a trifle better. Germans still advancing and near Neuse but moving slowly. Bastogne holds out. Met Sneddon at Iniv. Club at noon. Nice talk. Had to catch 21st train at Columbus circle. Began to snow near Plainfield. Found Wilmington half an inch deep in sleet. Nice supper.