1943 USA WW2 postcard from Corporal stationed in North Africa

June 1943 postcard from Cpl Joe Barbieri, 209th Coast Artillery in North Africa, to his mother in West Haven CT. Image of African woman serving tea to two GIs.

FIVE O’CLOCK TEA

Postmarked U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE A.P.O.   512 JUN 22 1943  and Free note. Also signed red censor cancel.

Message

June 20

Dear mom, Here is my 23^rd card to you from North Africa. Of course tis picture isn’t true but its just what the books say it is. I don’t like tea anyways.

Cpl Joe Barbieri  Hq Btry,. 209 C.A. (a.a.) a.p.o.700 New York city

Light toning left side.

4 x 5 ¾”

The 209th Coast Artillery Regiment (AA) (Semimobile) was a NY National Guard outfit inducted into service in 1941. Don't worry about it being from NY; most NG units had about lost their state identity by they time they saw combat.

The 209th CA moved to various locations in the US and UK, then participated in campaign in North Africa, landing 3 Jan 43. It landed in Italy 28 Oct 44, where it was attached to the 5th Army. On 14 Mar 44, it was broken up into:

• Headquarters and HQ Battalion -> HHB 209th AAA Group
• 1st Battalion -> 72nd AAA Gun Battaion
• 2nd Battalion -> 898th Autoweapons Battalion.
• 3rd Battalion -> 335 AAA Searchlight Battalion

Credited with Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno Campaigns

http://ww2f.com/threads/which-aaa-unit.51075/