[48] The U.S. [107] The division suffered its first casualty on 11 December 1951. In 1963, the formation was reorganized in accordance with the Reorganization Objective Army Divisions plan, which saw the establishment of a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigade within the division. By mid-February, the 45th was positioned astride the "Via Anziate," the road leading to Rome. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we balance mission-critical work and the safety of our staff during the pandemic. Please complete a. and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. The female cooks were first allowed to leave unmolested, then Sheeran and his fellow GIs "ate what we wanted and soiled the rest with our waste". The 45th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Scouts, was an element of the Philippine Division, U.S. Army, based at Ft. McKinley. [33] For most of the first two weeks while the division moved slowly north, it encountered only light resistance from Italian forces fighting delaying actions. We have every reason to believe him, because he was not the kind to tell stories just to make himself look good. It arrived on December 2, 1920 and redesignated as a Philippine Scout regiment the next day. [39] It sent half of its artillery to support the 70th Infantry Division. [105] In the spring, the division launched Operation Counter, which was an effort to establish 11 patrol bases around Old Baldy Hill. [39] The division captured Munich during the next two days, occupying the city until V-E Day and the surrender of Germany. 45th Inf Div (WWII & Korea) ATTN: National Secty 2145 NE 36th St Oklahoma City, OK 73111-5302 405/424-5393 45th Infantry Division Association. [101] By 1952, it was fully integrated. These brigades would see no major deployments or events, and were inactivated five years later in 1968. Originally organized in the continental U.S. in 1917, this organization sailed to the Philippines with all of its records and colors. Campaigns Commanding General Assistant Division Commander Artillery Commander 15.08.1944 I've always wondered why there is a 3rd ID patch on his uniform when his discharge indicates 75th ID. Documents. You can not post a blank message. Please be aware that NPRC is prioritizing the requests for separation documents needed by veterans and their dependents to prove eligibility for a variety of benefits. Regarding his Discharge showing him attached to the HQ CO 290 INF, (75th INF DIV), his personal effects include a 75th ID patch. [11] The onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s severely curtailed its funding for training and equipment. [35] After this, the division was allocated to drive towards Messina, being ordered by the Seventh Army commander to cover the distance as quickly as possible. Horrible images. On 23 May, VI Corps, now commanded by Major General Lucian Truscott, went on the offensive, breaking out of the beachhead to the northeast, with the 45th Division forming the left half of the attack. However, please note that these records are not online and NARA is not staffed to do this level of research for you. [50] Against slight opposition, it spearheaded the drive for the Belfort Gap. I think that means he would have been in one of the artillery units for the 45th Infantry Division, but I don't know where to find a roster to check. [45] For the next few months the 45th Infantry Division was mostly stuck in place, holding its ground during repeated German counterattacks, and subjected to bombardment from aircraft and artillery.[39]. Rosters. Division, 1st Battalion, 315th Infantry Regiment,
Once this rest period was complete, the division was assigned to XV Corps for the final push into German territory. Visit the 45th Infantry Museum. [39] The division was then reassigned to V Corps, under the command of Major General Leonard T. Gerow, for its next advance. Yellow is a symbol of warmth or energy. [37] Against stiff resistance, the 45th pushed to the Calore River after a week of heavy fighting. His photos seem to point to him potentially being in the 45th Infantry.We know he entered as a private and within 6 months was a Master Seargent. Men from the state militias of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma made up the division. One of our soldiers told his family about his participation in D-Day in France. In Section 1, Item 1, where it asks which items you are requesting, please check Other and specify that you want the entire file. Casualty figures for the 45th Infantry Division, European theater of operations: The 45th Infantry Division gained its nickname, "Thunderbird" division, from the gold thunderbird. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Southern France, Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Rhineland. But the mule drivers were shot and buried in the holes they had dug. The proximity of the US Army gave hope to the prisoners in the camp and to anti-Nazis outside it. [7] It was assigned the 89th Infantry Brigade of the Colorado and Arizona National Guards, and the 90th Infantry Brigade of the Oklahoma National Guard. [64] Some veterans of the 45th Infantry Division have said that only 30 to 50 German soldiers were killed and that very few were killed trying to surrender, while others have admitted to killing or refusing to treat wounded German guards.[65]. [41] Until 9 January 1944, the division, now under Major General William W. Eagles (replacing Major General Middleton who, struck down with arthritis, was sent to England to command VIII Corps in the Normandy invasion), inched forward into the mountains reaching St. Elia, north of Monte Cassino, before moving to a rest area. [94][98] Following its arrival, the division moved to the front line to replace the 1st Cavalry Division, who were then delegated to the Far East reserve, having suffered over 16,000 casualties in less than 18 months of fighting. The division remained on the front lines in such engagements as Old Baldy Hill and Hill Eerie until the end of the war, returning to the U.S. in 1954. Rosters for units serving in World War II from 1944 - 1946 were destroyed in accordance with Army disposition authorities. It quickly advanced through western France, reaching the German border by the end of the year. The 45th moved north to the Sarreguemines area and smashed through the Siegfried Line. [4], On 19 October 1920, units of the Oklahoma National Guard were organized as part of the 45th Infantry Division, also manned with troops from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. The division remained a National Guard formation until its downsizing in 1968. By 31 May, the German defenses were shattered, and the 45th Division turned northwest, toward the Alban Hills and Rome. PFC Donald E. Thompson, member of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, per the 29 June 1945 Roster of the. For more information about these records, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL) at stl.archives@nara.gov. For more information see, Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests, Please be aware that NPRC is prioritizing the requests for separation documents needed by veterans and their dependents to prove eligibility for a variety of benefits. A Company), A Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, C Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, B Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, D Company, 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion, 3rd Chemical Mortar Battalion (less
[94] Its anti-aircraft and armor assets were used as mobile artillery, which continuously pounded Chinese positions. George Patton, the Seventh Army commanding general, asked Omar Bradley, II Corps commanding general, to get the cases dismissed to prevent bad press, but Bradley refused. These pages are built and maintained by the World War II Recreation Association with membership in Northern Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In each of them the floor of the car was covered with dead, emaciated bodies. According to the regimental After Action Report of May 1945. the 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to guard duty at KZ Dachau. [39] The division had great difficulty moving across the rivers and through the mountainous terrain, and the advance was slow. With the American entry into World War I, in April 1917, troops of the National Guard were formed into the units which exist today, with elements of the Colorado National Guard forming the 157th Infantry Regiment, the Arizona National Guard forming the 158th Infantry Regiment, and the New Mexico National Guard forming the 120th Engineer Regiment. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the, , proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. In March 1945, the "Thunderbird" division crossed the Rhine River and headed southward. & 01.01.1945-16.02.1945 & 04.03.1945-09.05.1945, 191st Tank Battalion (less A Company & 3rd
These offensives were conducted largely in order to secure a better position during the ongoing truce negotiations. The number of POWs taken by the 45th Division during its almost two years of fighting totalled 124,840 men. However, everyone at that time had heard of Dachu so it is what stuck in people's minds. The 45th landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, and for 4 months stood its ground against violent assaults. (155mm Howitzer), 925th FA Battalion, 100th Infantry
B Company, 325th Engineer Combat
[15] Its men immediately began basic combat training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Dragoon was originally planned to coincide with the Normandy landings in the north, but was delayed until August because of a shortage of landing craft. The 45th Division next crossed the Zintzel River before pushing through the Maginot Line defenses. Keywords: Korean War, 45th Infantry Division, Thunderbirds. [39] It would remain in the area for a month waiting for other units to catch up before crossing the Mortagne River on 23 October. Immediately after Dachau's liberation, US Army authorities and other Allied representatives began treating the sick prisoners, implementing health and sanitary measures to curb the typhus epidemic, and bringing in tons of food to feed the starving prisoners. The 45th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1985. These units were assigned to the 40th Division, and deployed to France where the division was used as a "depot" unit to process and provide replacements for front-line units. Send Email To NORA DREWRY. Devers. [26] Nine soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during their service with the 45th Infantry Division: Van T. Barfoot,[72] Ernest Childers,[73] Almond E. Fisher,[74] William J. Johnston,[75] Salvador J. Lara,[76] Jack C. Montgomery,[77] James D. Slaton,[73] Jack Treadwell,[78] and Edward G. I'm trying to find information on my great grandfather's service in WWII. A shame. Nonetheless, I do have a roster of the 45th Infantry Division for 1945. It will take considerably longer to eliminate the backlog on other types of requests, such as genealogical requests for complete copies of records. Welcome to our 45th Infantry Division photo Galleries. After landing in France during Operation Dragoon, they joined the 1945 drive into Germany that ended the War in Europe. ", This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 02:37. [59][60][61], In a third incident, the Army considered court-martialling several officers of the 157th Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Felix L. Sparks after servicemen were accused of massacring German soldiers who were surrendering at the Dachau concentration camp in 1945. You may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RL-SL. [11], The division's original shoulder sleeve insignia, approved in August 1924,[12] featured a swastika, a common Native American symbol, as a tribute to the Southwestern United States region which had a large population of Native Americans. Sheeran claimed to have participated in numerous massacres and summary executions of German POWs, acts which violated the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the 1929 Geneva Convention on POWs. After entering the camp, the soldiers found boxcars filled with dead bodies of prisoners who had succumbed to starvation or last-minute executions, and in rooms adjacent to gas chambers they found naked bodies piled from the floor to the ceiling. Anzio - Operation Shingle, 22 January- 24 May, 1944: The 45th began landing at Anzio on 22 January, 1944, with the 179th Regiment seeing the Division's first action of the campaign at Aprilia, also known as "the factory" on 27 January. The 45th Infantry Museum honors not just their service, but that of all Oklahomans. [26], Most of the division returned to New York in September 1945, and from there went to Camp Bowie, Texas. The 45th Infantry Division World War II in Germany. You can not post a blank message. The following year, on 10 September 1946, the 45th Infantry Division was reconstituted as a National Guard unit. [112], In early 1953, North Korean forces launched a large-scale attack against Hill 812, which was then under the control of K Company, 3rd Battalion, 179th Infantry. After linking up with the British Eighth Army, which had advanced from the south, the combined force, under the 15th Army Group, commanded by British General Sir Harold Alexander, was stalled when it reached the Gustav Line. [80] Its colors were returned to Oklahoma on 25 September of that year, formally ending the division's presence in Korea. Also in that collection are two Army Air Corps patches - he started out in the Air Corps - and one USSTAF patch, which the Air Corps evolved into sometime prior to the crossing of the Rhine. The Maginot Line defenses the Siegfried Line camp and to anti-Nazis outside it of Oklahomans. ] Against stiff resistance, the German border by the end of the Great in... Copies of records next two days, occupying the city until V-E day and surrender. 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