Melvin V. Park, K Company, 329th Infantry, 83rd Division, Liberation of Langenstein Concentration Camp by 83rd Division, Everett W. Singleton, Sr., G Company, 331st Infantry, 83rd Infantry, 329th Reenactment Group, Reading, PA, Indiana Military Organization (Camp Atterbury) Website, AWON (American World War II Orphans Network). If you are having trouble orienting yourself, le Port is toward the lower rightcorner, Sainteny to the left about 1/3 of the way down from the top, Culot is at the top, left, mostly off the map and Hottot toward the top about 2/3 of the way from the left. After 17 weeks of training my father received his certificate as an armorer-artificer and was transferred to Ft. George Meade, Maryland on 4 March 1944. The blue items come from the overlays; the brownish points, if you can see them, are geographic locations reported inthe various reports, while the dark blue / purplish items are labels explaining the geographic location data points. Their patrols advance beyond the line The 83rd Division has special ties to Luxembourg. It was initially formed from the garrison infantry regiments of Fortress Posen (Festung Posen). D Company Thanks to Kathy Mobley Mathews for allowing us to use this material. Clarence W. Brown; Pvt. We honor them in loving memory. December 2"These shoes we wear are quite the thing--sometimes I think my feet would be warmer without shoes. Seems they would have been better off being purely on the defensive; but that was definitely not the German way. Assistant Division Commanders: Brig. Actually 12,000 defended the walled city, and they vowed to "fight to the last stone." 83d Infantry Division "Thunderbolt Division" "Ohio Division" The 83 rd Division insignia consists of a monogrammatic design in gold spelling out the word "O-H-I-O" on a black triangular. The 331st sped along not far behind on the flank. Although it was not the same as being at home, the people of Luxembourg opened their homes to the GIs. I knew it was to the south-southwest of Sainteny, which of course he never knew; but Ive yet to get it nailed down this close. It suffered heavy losses at Normandie and Falaise pocket in August 1944 and was disbanded in October 1944. The insignia was selected during World War I because the division contained mostly Ohio draftees.[3]. Contents 1 Operational history 1.1 Formation 1.2 1942 1.3 1943 1.4 1944 1.5 Dissolution 2 Organizational history 3 Noteworthy individuals John Helms said that my dad was taken out by an 88-mm artillery shell. At times they had to blast supply routes through the hedges. This overlay obviously has more to do with the 331st IR than the 330th IR. 1st Platoon Find topics of interest and explore encyclopedia content related to those topics, Find articles, photos, maps, films, and more listed alphabetically, Recommended resources and topics if you have limited time to teach about the Holocaust, Explore the ID Cards to learn more about personal experiences during the Holocaust. The Thunderbolt Across Europe The division was disbanded in . Hq. 5 July 1944 is very confused; a lot was going on,and I have realized there area lot of discrepancies amongthe reportsespecially the Morning Reportsand I really need to incorporate all the information from the After Action Reports and Unit Journals and collate it with what information can be gleanedfrom the morning reports. They consisted of the various occupation forces from along the Atlantic coast and down to the Pyrenees. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. That city was taken on 13 April. Popularity; Last added; Last edited; Name; Date of birth; Date of death; Grid List. *83rd Infantry Division * Normandy * Brittany * Ardennes * Rhineland * Central Europe * 83rd Infantry Division * Rolland Joseph Gustave Despres is the man that started this project, and to tell his story I must also tell the the story of the 83rd infantry division. Even so, his ETO Enlisted Man's Identification Card lists his weight at 139 pounds. When, where and if they saw action in WWI. From Normandy To the Bulge. The 329th IR is shown being just about 1000 m south of where its 2 Bn. The division was formed in November 1914 as the "Division Posen 1", part of the Posen Corps ( Korps Posen ), and became the 83rd Infantry Division in June 1915. Sharp J Company They literally raced across the rest of Germany, covering 280 miles in 13 days and were within 60 miles of Berlin when they were ordered to stop. 1 platoon from 513th Engr Light Pon Co, from August 6th to 15th, 1944 Soldiers of the 83rd Infantry Division of the U.S. move on the street in the French town of Saint-Malo (Saint Malo). L Company, 83rd Artillery Division (F) Parson, Robert L. Jr. Terhanko, George Waple, George H., III Promotion of Leinbach to the 83rd Field Artillery October 10, 1920. Go to top.. A Co, 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion (SP), from July 10th to 13th, 1944 My father, Thomas Dickson Curry, was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 331st Infantry Regiment, 83rd Division. Second row, left to right are: Willard Strauss (B.A.R. The barn and the house are all built together and the front yard is the stable yard. They not only fought in Normandy and Brittany, but liberated Luxembourg. Company B, 231st Infantry Training Battalion. man); Pfc. Organized 26 August 1917 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. When I finished with this map, it was a bit eerie. Chapter Twenty-Six of the author's The Great Boer War, which Smith, Elder, & Co. published in 1900.This web version is based on the Internet Archive version digitized from an unidentified library in 2010 with funding from the Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation.. Mobley was the same medic that Robert Parsons (Sarge) describes in his book "Remembrances." The DPAA said that in December 1944, Bernard Sweeney was assigned to Company 1, 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division. guns destroyed much of the enemy artillery and machine gun emplacements and forced them to surrender. German guns in the Siegfried Line east of the Moselle poured salvos into the lines, resulting in 30 casualties, the heaviest losses in over a month. The division was activated in September 1917 at Camp Sherman, Ohio. The 83d Infantry Division arrived in England on 16 April 1944. November 14"It looks like we not only will have to lick these supermen, but will have to go in and knock their heads off. The 22nd Division's artillery regiment was positioned to the east of Le Quesnoy with security provided by a battalion of Infantry Regiment 82. The next battle would be to get across these. They Served With Honor; A World War II Family Website The people still seemed surprised at the sight of American soldiers in their city. It was deployed to France in 1918. On the 7th, the 329th took the city of Echternach on the Sauer River. Time after time they only gained an advantage for a few hours before being completely cut up themselves, accumulating losses they could not afford. Click on the First Sergeant stripes to read his story. Michael Harris, 2nd Platoon, Company F, is among the many listed here. In the 331st, the 2nd and 3rd battalions jumped off abreast at 0445 hours from the vicinity of Meautis. The 83rd Infantry Division ("Thunderbolt"[1]) was a formation of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Liberation of Langenstein Concentration Camp by 83rd Division Then they raced through Germany. After high school graduation he attended the Washburn University School of Law and was admitted to the Bar as a practicing attorney. The post-war operations reports contains information on the activities of the unit such as movements, tasks and training. Many of them are buried in U. S. Military Cemeteries, and can be found by searching the Once in France with the AEF and soon after the 332nd Infantry had been chosen for duty in Italy, Private Young was one of the men selected by and transferred to the 332nd Infantry's Company "L" from the 331st Infantry (the transfers between the two regiments were made in order to have the fittest and most qualified men in the ranks of the . The 3rd Battalion captured the high ground northwest of Ehnen, but had to fight through heavy machine gun and mortar fire to do it. Troupes de la 83rd Division traquant les derniers snipers allemands dans les rues de Saint-Malo. After liberation, the death rate continued at approximately 2550 people per day, due to the severe physical debilitation of the prisoners. Click on the image for a larger view. rifle and rocket grenades. 331st Infantry Regiment; 83rd Infantry Division "Thunderbolt" U.S. Army; B; Sort by: name . They cut the St. Lo-Periers road, and forced their way into Le Mesnil Vigot. serving as Platoon Sgt. Credits. Photo courtesy Jon Aller and Kevin Harris. You will notice, maybe, there are more points than labels; for this map I wanted to only identify what related to the end-of-day situation since that was what bothoverlays were all about The unidentified points refer to either earlier in the day, or have no time information, though I did include a few of these latter if there was room. We also get a position for the 329 IR HQ, the 330 IR HQ, as well the 1 Bn, 329 IR HQ. They also estimated that, due to severe physical debilitation, prisoners continued to die at a rate of 25 to 30 persons per day. The 83rd Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Robert C. Macon, arrived in England on 16 April 1944 with its first divisional headquarters at Keele Hall in Staffordshire. C Co, 709th Tank Battalion, from August 12th to 16th, 1944 they swarm around you, crouching low. The 83rd spent Thanksgiving in that tiny country. On the first day, the 83rd jumped off along the Carentan-Periers road, with the entire division artillery in support. His letter is the incredible story of a GI's journey through the war. June 26, 1944: Bricqueville The assault against the German 17th SS Division and 6th Parachute Regiment was slow and costly. Another photo taken at Camp Breckenridge, showing M Company/331st, can be seen by clicking here. The 83rd was held in reserve until after D-Day, and entered France on 21 through 24 June. Grave ,Name,Rank,Co,Unit/Branch,D.O.D.,Removed ,Location,Civil War Soldier,1867 Dedication List,"Roll of Honor, 1868" 301,"A., Ira J. The Trench Line 331 Infantry Regiment, 83 Division Share 3 posts heed72 4 Private Sep 27, 2006 #1 Does anyone have any info on the US, 331 Infantry Regiment, 83 Divison? June 25, 1944: Omaha Beach The GIs of the 83rd Division were awarded one Medal of Honor, one Distinguished Service Medal, five Legions of Merit, 798 Silver Stars, 34 Soldier's Medals, 7,776 Bronze Star Medals, 4,747 Purple Hearts, 271 Medical Badges, 20 Meritorious Service Unit Plaques, and 106 Air Medals. He was not a large man, but my mother said the Army "built him up," and he never looked better. In addition, the "Thunderbolt" division recovered the camp's documents for use by war crimes investigators. As the regimental journal says for this overlay, Defense areas to use in an emergency.. All Company related information refers to 330 IR Companies; neither the 329th IR nor the 331 IR had map coordinates on the Morning reports for 5 July. Shonak The photo at the top of this page--taken around Thanksgiving time--is, according to Larry Dalton, what was left of the 2nd platoon--less than half strength. In one of your letters you wanted to know how things were over here. The 83rd Division crossed the Rhine south of Wesel, 29 March, and advanced across the Munster Plain to the Weser, crossing it at Bodenwerder. Click here to read more of his story. My worst nightmares are still in those rows.". Deeply hostile to the extension of the franchise, he composed one of his better efforts"The Female of the Species"as a sort of teasing satire. Cemeteries & Memorials; Burial Search; About Us; Education; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Instagram; ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501. The wounded and defenseless GIs were then shot and killed, one by one. On April 11, 1945, the 83rd encountered Langenstein, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Casualty figures for the 83rd Infantry Division, European theater of operations: The 83rd Infantry Division received its nickname, the "Thunderbolt" division, after a division-wide contest for a new nickname held in early 1945. To halt the spread of sickness and death, the 83rd ordered the local German mayor to supply the camp with food and water. For three days the Nazis continued to pour reinforcements into the town. It was active between 1941 and 1944, with a brief period of inactivity between 30 December 1943 and 16 March 1944. The journey took them through the thick forests of the highland country east of Verdun. 14 July 1944, 330 IR, 83 ID near Sainteny. Many soldiers were killed instantly. At a height of 5 ft. 7.5 in., he probably didn't have an ounce of fat on his body. W. L. Arnold--AT Company, 329th Infantry Regiment, Pvt. Infantrymen of the 83rd Infantry Division warm themselves around a fire near Fays, Belgium, on January 3, 1945. Moving to the Hurtgen Forest, the 83rd Division thrust forward from Gressenich to the west bank of the Roer. His unit had been engaged in battle with German forces near Strass, Germany, in the Hrtgen Forest, when he was reported missing in action on Dec. 16. UNITED PRESS LjEASED WIRE SERVICE THE EVENING G ESTABLISHED 1S81 XENIA, OHIO, SATURDAY, JU^E 29, PRICE THREE CENTS SUPPLY Y D-Day and Battle of Normandy media library: archives photos and videos, Souvenir shop featuring t-shirts, caps, mugs, models or posters inspired by D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, D-Day Overlord - Marc Laurenceau 2003-2023. While the 2nd Battalion of the 331st was attacking south, the 2nd Battalion of the 329th Infantry was attacking west to an "island" in the swamp. All I hope is that he puts these Germans in their place, when this is over. Yet as you wander down these quiet paths Deaths, the division's report continued, reached 500 per month. email _ | _ 83rd Division "Thunderbolt" Message Board _. FULL. The 83rd. The 330th took Strass and the 331st took Gey, one of the most strategic points in the network of German defenses protecting the vital approaches to Duren. TTY: 202.488.0406, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC, The Holocaust and World War II: Key Dates, Nazi Territorial Aggression: The Anschluss, Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment, Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center. Indiana Military Organization (Camp Atterbury) Website 331 Infantry Regiment 83rd Infantry Division. Sgt. It can be seen by clicking here. Also, that the prisoners had been forced to work 16-hour days in nearby mines, and were shot if they became too weak to work. Return to Top They advanced toward the Taute River while rain soaked the earth and drenched their already muddy fatigues. At the camp, the troops found approximately 1,100 inmates. First a nudge, then a sign-- Move out! See It Through! They are in our hearts and minds--always. 08 July 1944 83 ID Approaching Sainteny. Unit: 1 st Battalion, 24 th Field Artillery Regiment (Philippine Scouts) Service Number: O-11578; Date of Birth . OH 332nd Infantry Regiment ; 369th Experience ; Americans All! I got a half-dozen packs of cigarettes from Mom the other day and they just got here in time--we didn't get any for a few days, so you can see that we are having the same trouble over here as the people back home. See through the mindless death and grinding pain. J Company Private First Class David Allen Glascock ASN 35671319 served as a member of the 330th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division during World War Two and fought in Normandy, Northern France and Rhineland before getting Wounded in Action on December 5th, 1944.