Paul Tice Story Page 3

One vivid recollection from the Spa: Early one morning we were awakened suddenly by the shrieking, braying of the resident donkey who wandered freely around the compound – we called him “Alley Oop” – only because he was in the way most of the time and the French word for vamoose is “Alles!” pronounced Ah-ley! Being wakened in the middle of the night with such a racket, not knowing what the commotion, I jammed a clip of shells in my pistol and went out in the night with the flashlight to look around.

We had had a couple of German Paratroopers captured in our neighborhood recently and sort of wondered about the cause of the ruckus…never did find out, but surmised it may have been some sort of predator.

Signal Intelligence Clerical staff

L to R

Pete Considene, Paul Tice, Anita Cochran, Art Mundt

Shortly after getting downtown, (Algiers), I was able to start church services out at the Spa and would ride back and forth on the company truck which brought men and messages from there to the Office downtown. These lasted for a few months and were profitable for my own SPIRITual growth, whether or not the men were helped.

Legion Of Merit Ceremony

General Eisenhower's and other cars are seen below

Photo taken from Balcony of St Georges Hotel

August 1943

And speaking of church services, my secondary occupation, if it can be called that, was to travel to the surrounding Battalions, Companys, etc. in the Algiers area as the song leader for our Chaplain. As we had a gospel quartet back in New Jersey, we started one here in Algiers also, again with five men, so that if one couldn’t make it, we still had four who were able to do a fairly good job.

Chaplain Cochran's Gospel Quartet

Paul, Leo, George and Brawnie

Our Chaplain was either in his late 50’s or early 60’s and came ashore with the 9^th Infantry Division at Casablanca on the West Coast of Africa. He was a Southern Baptist preacher from North Carolina and really preached the Gospel…In fact, the Chief of Chaplains in Algiers, a full Colonel was a hale-fellow-well-met, who told the men in the Army Post Office, next door as he looked at the semi-naked pin-up girls plastered all over their walls, “This is what we should have in our office!” What they had in his office, right over the door as you exit was Galations 6:7: “Be not deceived, GOD is not mocked”…That man was sent back to the States in a straight-jacket! Our Chaplain was sent back because he preached too much and too strongly!!

Chaplain Cochran's North Africa Choir

Paul directed the choir over radio Algiers around Easter 1944

Our Chaplain also introduced us to a wonderful Swiss Missionary family in a suburb of Algiers, in whose home he eventually established a branch church of his church back in North Carolina…We CHRISTian G.I.’s were over there quite frequently, and often at night as we walked back to our billets we sort of had to feel our way through thick black woods (French word: “Bois De Bulogne”) When you met someone walking toward you you were on the alert, not knowing who it may be…

The Duffey's Swiss Missionary Family in Algiers's

L to R

Jeanette, Jackie, Mamma, Papa, Madeline, and Sammy

Another time, some of the fellows were acquainted with some Methodist Missionaries in another suburb, and they were having a conference of all Methodist . Missionaries in North Africa, and we went over and sang for them…They had two sisters from England who had been on the African field for 52 years, and as they told of it, they both said, “If we had them, we’d give 52 more!” That’s a Missionary Calling!