The Pittsburgh Press (March 17, 1944)
Ernie Pyle hurt by flying glass in Nazi bombing
On the 5th Army beachhead, Italy – (March 16)
Ernie Pyle, roving war reporter and Scripps-Howard columnist, narrowly escaped death or serious injury today when German glider bombs wrecked a correspondents’ headquarters building on the Anzio waterfront.
Mr. Pyle, who was cut by flying glass, leaped from his bed when ack-ack fire gave notice of the approaching bombs, and was blown across the room by the first blast. He got to his feet in a corner when the second bomb landed, blowing down slabs of heavy wall tile on the bed he had occupied a moment before.
Mr. Pyle was cut on the right cheek but did not require hospitalization, although other correspondents agreed that if he had remained in bed, he undoubtedly would have been severely injured or killed by the falling slabs.
Four other American correspondents who were sleeping in the building when the bombers came over shortly after 7:00 a.m. (local time) suffered minor injuries in the raid, three requiring hospital treatment.
The headquarters building was crowded with sleeping reporters and Army Public Relations personnel.
Those requiring hospital treatment were William Strand of The Chicago Tribune, George Tucker of the Associated Press and Wick Fowler of The Dallas News.
George Aarons, correspondent for the Army weekly Yank, was treated at a first-aid station.