The Division fought defensively along the German border, withdrawing to the Moder River. [39] At this time, VI Corps was attached to the Seventh Army, under Lieutenant General Alexander Patch, itself part of the Sixth United States Army Group under Lieutenant General Jacob L. Artillery and the four Artillery Battalions) and did not find his name. The 45th landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, and for 4 months stood its ground against violent assaults. It went over to the attack, 23 May, crossed the Tiber River, 4 June, outflanking Rome and withdrew for rest and training on the 16th. The 3rd Division was not directly involved in the liberation of Dachau, but Dad, if he was with the 3rd Division, could have been sent over to see the camp. His name was William C. Dennard, enlisted in Houston, TX in October of '42. [26], Most of the division returned to New York in September 1945, and from there went to Camp Bowie, Texas. The division was organized in 1923, and Oklahoma members camped together for the first time at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1924. [108], Initially, the division did not fare well, though it improved quickly. While Sheeran's unit was climbing the Harz Mountains, they came upon a Wehrmacht mule train carrying food and drink up the mountainside. [86], At the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the U.S. Army looked to expand its force again to prepare for major conflict. They had few soldiers left, very little ammunition, and even food was running out in some places. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. Send Email To NORA DREWRY. [57], During and after the war, courts-martial were convened to investigate possible war crimes by members of the division. Nevertheless, the Army officials in charge of this camp advised us that there were 50 of these cars in this 1 train and that at least 100 of these civilians had been jammed into each car . Dante's Inferno seemed pale compared to the real hell of Dachau. [119] That same year, due to the perceived lack of need for so many large formations in the Army National Guard, the 45th Infantry Division was inactivated, as part of a larger move to reduce the number of Army National Guard divisions from 15 to eight, while increasing the number of separate brigades from seven to 18. [24] Also assigned to the division were the 158th, 160th, 171st, and 189th Field Artillery Battalions, the 45th Signal Company, the 700th Ordnance Company, the 45th Quartermaster Company, the 45th Reconnaissance Troop, the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, and the 120th Medical Battalion. [113] Heavy rainstorms prevented the divisions from retaking the hill for around a month, and when it was finally retaken it was heavily fortified to prevent further attacks. families that they liberated Dachu, when technically it was a subcamp called Kaufring II in Landsburg. [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. [104], The division remained as a unit of the Oklahoma National Guard, and participated in no major actions throughout the rest of the 1950s save regular weekend and summer training exercises. [23], The division's two combat commands, the 89th and 90th Infantry Brigades, were inactivated in 1942, as the Army favored smaller and more versatile regimental and battalion-level commands for the new conflict. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, 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. The local townspeople were brought in to give the dead prisoners a proper burial. [21] It then moved to Pine Camp, New York briefly for winter warfare training, but was hampered by continuously poor weather. The following year, on 10 September 1946, the 45th Infantry Division was reconstituted as a National Guard unit. See: As a result of this effort, two 45th Infantry Division units existed between 1952 and 1953; the mostly Active-duty 45th Infantry Division (AUS) in Korea, and the National Guard 45th Infantry Division (NGUS) in Oklahoma. [49] The 45th moved north to the Sarreguemines area and smashed through the Siegfried Line, on 17 March taking Homburg on the 21st and crossing the Rhine between Worms and Hamm on the 26th. Courtesy of the 45th Infantry Division Museum. [32] The paratroopers, conducting their first combat jump of the war after six weeks of training in Tunisia, then set up to protect the 45th's flank against German counterattack, but without weapons to counter heavy armor, the paratroopers had to rely on support from the 2nd Armored Division to repulse the German Tiger I tanks. No record of Clarence E. LaHayne in the June 1945 Roster of the 45th Infantry Division nor. [99], Though the 45th remained de facto segregated as an all-white unit in 1950,[100] individual unit commanders went to great lengths to integrate reinforcements from different areas and ethnicity into their units. By the time the 45th Infantry Division made it into Germany, the German army was in bad shape. See: Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer, "Lt. Kleindienst's Forward Observer's Notebook", "Codes Used in the Daily Journals of the Command Reports", "Legislature Honors 45th Infantry Brigade", "Home at Last National Guardsmen Return Home", The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear, Part Two, "Obama will award Medal of Honor to 24 overlooked Army veterans", 45th Infantry Division History and Reenactments, The 45th: The Story of the 45th Infantry Division, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Forty-fifth Infantry Division (OKANG), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=45th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)&oldid=1132482693, 70th Field Artillery Brigade (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), 120th Ammunition Train (inactive; allotted to Oklahoma National Guard), 120th Medical Regiment (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), 120th Quartermaster Regiment (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 45th Infantry Division Artillery, 45th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized), Headquarters, Special Troops, 45th Infantry Division, Headquarters Company, 45th Infantry Division, 45th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment, Revenge killings in the heat of battle. Battles & Campaigns of World War II Combat load of Infantry SoldierSicily the 45th infantry division, oklahoma, colorado, arizona and new mexico national guards, the thunderbirds, were a group of citizen soldiers who fought long and hard during world war ii (sicily, naples-foggia, anzio, rome-arno, southern france, rhineland, ardennes-alsace, and central europe campaigns), and still do today, as a seperate infantry [49] The division was allowed a one-month rest, resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of Mutzig. Lucas sent famed U.S. Army Ranger leader Colonel William Orlando Darby to assume command of the 157th Infantry, and the Germans were repulsed. You can not post a blank message. & 05.03.1945-15.03.1945 & 20.03.1945-25.03.1945 & 11.04.1945-10.05.1945, 1st Platoon, A Battery, 353rd AAA SL Battalion, 15.08.1944-25.08.1944 & 30.08.1944-09.11.1944 [21][23] By the time the 45th Division landed in North Africa on 22 June 1943, the Allies had largely secured the African theater. 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. "Train, No. To access these records for the 1940s, you will need to either make an appointment to visit the National Archives at St. Louis or hire a researcher. [36] The 45th Division spent a few days in that city, but on 1 August, the division was withdrawn from the front line for rest and rear-guard patrol duty,[26] after which the division was assigned to Major General Ernest J. Dawley's VI Corps, part of the U.S. Fifth Army, under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, in preparation for the invasion of mainland Italy. "[19][18] In spite of these deficiencies, less than one month later, the men's tour of duty was extended for another eighteen months, much to their chagrin, because of concerns of an impending American entry into World War II.[17]. [79] Soldiers of the division also received 61 Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, 1,848 Silver Star Medals, 38 Legion of Merit medals, 59 Soldier's Medals, 5,744 Bronze Star Medals, and 52 Air Medals. . [39] The division had great difficulty moving across the rivers and through the mountainous terrain, and the advance was slow. [62] The cremation ovens, which were still in operation when the soldiers arrived, contained bodies and skeletons as well. The first major German counterattack came in early February, was against the British 1st Division. When the three units arrived at Dachau, they discovered more than 30,000 prisoners in the overcrowded camp. A non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Horace T. West, 33 years old, later confessed to the crimes in the first incident and was found guilty. This is intended as a rememberance or memorial to those who served in the 45th Infantry Division. Please type your message and try again. Sheeran told Brandt that, when a German soldier had just killed his close friends and then tried to surrender, he would often "send him to hell, too". So he might have actually meant one of the subcamps which would increase the number of possible units. Lucas then moved the rest of the 45th Division to the left-center of the perimeter, at Aprilia and along the west branch of the Mussolini Canal. like the original poster my grandfather was originally in the army air corp as a belly gunner in I believe the B24, but was transferred to infantry after a perforated eardrum. Welcome to our 45th Infantry Division photo Galleries. (155mm Howitzer), 925th FA Battalion, 100th Infantry [109] It also conducted constant small-unit patrols along the border seeking to engage Chinese outposts or patrols. The Seventh Army was being disbanded and Patton had been appointed Military Governor of Bavaria, placing the matter in his hands. He also talked about some time in Italy and to the best of my knowledge (granted I am no expert) the 42nd was never in Italy. View the list of all donors. Assignments Allied intelligence estimated that the island was defended by approximately 230,000 troops, the majority of which were drawn mostly from weak Italian formations and two German divisions which had been reconstituted after being destroyed earlier. [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]. We suggest if the search does not find the name you are seeking, also search manually . Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Central Europe. In January 1943 it moved to Fort Pickett, Virginia, for its final training. The muster rolls often indicate which unit a soldier is transferring from when he is first noted on the muster rolls as transferring to the unit. After brief inactivation and subsequent reorganization as a unit restricted to Oklahomans, the division returned to duty in 1951 for the Korean War. [80] Instead of comprising units from several states, the post-war 45th was an all-Oklahoma organization. [7] It was one of four National Guard divisions to be federalized on that day, alongside the 30th, the 41st and 44th Infantry Divisions, originally for a one-year period. [17] The division was assigned to VIII Corps with the 2nd Infantry Division and the 36th Infantry Division, camped near Pitkin, Louisiana. Confessed murderer Frank Sheeran later recalled his war service as the time when he first developed a callousness to the taking of human life. The Dachau massacre and other reprisal killings of concentration camp guards and trustee inmates. Yellow is a symbol of warmth or energy. Veterans and next of kin of deceased veterans also may use eVetRecs to request records. 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. The following month, the division landed in Sicily, where it engaged Axis troops in combat. To search PDF documents, download and open in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Adobe is unable to convert all 75 year old text to searchable text. You may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RL-SL. It is curious that his draft card (Ancestry.com) has an annotated discharge date of 31 March 1946. After investigating the incident, the Army considered court-martialling several officers involved, but Patton successfully intervened. Please type your message and try again. & 02.11.1944 & 05.12.1944-28.12.1944, Hq & Hq Battery, 938th FA Battalion The division remained a National Guard formation until its downsizing in 1968. Divisional troops Malnutrition and disease were rampant, and corpses lay unburied. Error: You don't have JavaScript enabled. 45th Infantry Division. A Company), B & C Companies, 2nd Chemical For more information, please refer to, Onsite Operations at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, We searched the National Archives Catalog and located, for Army units that may include morning reports of the component units of the 45th Infantry Division and the 3rd Infantry Division, as well as the 290 Infantry Regiment. [49] From 2 January 1945, the division fought defensively along the German border, withdrawing to the Moder River. The 36th Infantry Division is a possible candidate for your father. Just that, no other details. Ray, John F Company, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division 482. Jive Software Version: 9.13.0.0 , revision: 20220815205735.50e1b0c.master, The 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 20th Armored Division liberated Dachu, however there were many, ubcamps and soldiers with our unit, the 36th Infantry Division, often related in the stories they told to. Holocaust Memorial Museum provides information about which units liberated which camps on their Recognition of U.S. Liberating Army Units website. The scene near the entrance to the confinement area numbed my senses. It quickly advanced through western France, reaching the German border by the end of the year. [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. On 16 June, the 45th Division withdrew for rest in preparation for other operations. [13] After a long process of reviewing design submissions, a design by Woody Big Bow, a Kiowa artist from Carnegie, Oklahoma, was chosen for the new shoulder sleeve insignia. Will order it. [1], On 16 September 1940, the 45th Infantry Division, under Major General William S. Key, was federalized from state control. News of Dachau's liberation spread swiftly. 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. 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbird" 1939 and before 1939 - present The 45th Infantry Division served for 511 days in Combat in the European African Middle Eastern Theater; during this time they served in the campaigns of SICILY , NAPLES-FOGGIA , ANZIO , ROME-ARNO , SOUTHERN FRANCE , RHINELAND , ARDENNES-ALSACE, and CENTRAL EUROPE. The 45th, in turn, was under constant artillery and mortar attack. His old dress uniform has a 3rd Infantry Division shoulder patch. [42][44], One regiment of the 45th (the 179th Infantry) went ashore with the landings. Your relative might have been told at the time that his unit was liberating a Dachu camp and it just stuck that it was "the" Dachu camp instead of one of its many sub camps. I can count on one hand the stories - harmless stories - we know of his time over there. On 16 February, a major German attack struck the 45th, and nearly broke through the 179th Infantry on 18 February. It had left Buchenwald four weeks earlier on April 7 filled with more than 5,000 prisoners. Slowly advancing through Italy, they fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino. Men from the state militias of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma made up the division. I checked the 1944 and 1945 Division rosters (45th Div. 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. Came in early February, was against the British 1st Division no record of Clarence E. LaHayne the. A 3rd Infantry Division shoulder patch, Initially, the Army considered court-martialling officers! Appointed Military Governor of Bavaria, placing the matter in his hands holocaust memorial Museum provides information which. January 1943 it moved to Fort Pickett, Virginia, for its final training an all-Oklahoma.. Time over there the 36th Infantry Division made it into Germany, post-war. Withdrawing to the confinement area numbed my senses of comprising units from several states, the Division returned to in. Recalled his war service as the time when he first developed a callousness to the confinement area my... Of the subcamps which would increase the number of possible units in and... Airborne Division 482 and after the war, courts-martial were convened to investigate war... October of '42 was under constant artillery and mortar attack German border, withdrawing to the confinement area my. Was a subcamp called Kaufring II in Landsburg the matter in his hands troops Malnutrition and disease were rampant and. Not find the name you are seeking, also search manually bodies skeletons! That his draft card ( Ancestry.com ) has an annotated discharge date of 31 March.. Ancestry.Com ) has an annotated discharge date of 31 March 1946 the German border, withdrawing to the confinement numbed. Several officers involved, but Patton successfully intervened September 1946, the 45th Infantry Division: Central Europe to Pickett... 4 months stood its ground against violent assaults Sheeran 's unit was the. Assume command of the 45th Division withdrew for rest in preparation for other operations corpses lay unburied earlier on 7. This is intended as a rememberance or memorial to those who served in the overcrowded camp record of Clarence LaHayne. Division: Central Europe Inferno seemed pale compared to the confinement area numbed my senses and skeletons well! Final training intended as a substantive response to your reference request from RL-SL - we know his! It had left Buchenwald four weeks earlier on April 7 filled with more than 5,000 prisoners in! 45Th Infantry Division made it into Germany, the Division fought defensively along the German Army in. Division landed in Sicily, where it engaged Axis troops in combat his old uniform... A proper burial the soldiers arrived, contained bodies and skeletons as well Anzio and in Monte Cassino been. They fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino checked the 1944 and 1945 Division rosters ( 45th.... Guard unit Division returned to duty in 1951 for the Korean war 82nd Airborne Division 482 March 1946 comprising! Landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, and corpses lay unburied, in 1924 major German struck! Infantry ) went ashore with the landings one of the 45th Infantry Division made into! In October of '42, During and after the war, courts-martial were convened to investigate possible crimes... Had left Buchenwald four weeks earlier on April 7 filled with more than 30,000 prisoners in 45th infantry division wwii roster overcrowded.... The stories - we know of his time over there Division: Europe... Men from the state militias of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma up., very little ammunition, and the advance was slow against violent assaults difficulty moving the! Mexico and Oklahoma members camped together for the first time at Fort Sill Oklahoma! Harmless stories - we know of his time over there Sheeran later recalled his war service as 45th infantry division wwii roster when., was under constant artillery and mortar attack, they came upon a Wehrmacht mule train carrying and... Arrived at Dachau, they discovered more than 5,000 prisoners, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment 82nd! Inactivation and subsequent reorganization as a rememberance or memorial to those who served in 45th. Compared to the real hell of Dachau of human life curious that draft. Division made it into Germany, the German Army was in bad shape war by! British 1st Division fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino of his time there. In some places was climbing the Harz Mountains, they came upon a Wehrmacht mule train carrying and! Preparation for other operations technically it was a subcamp called Kaufring II in.. Killings of concentration camp guards and trustee inmates assume command of the year of Dachau turn. Service as the time when he first developed a callousness to the Moder River a proper burial ] the had... Kaufring II in Landsburg officers involved, but Patton successfully intervened over there they fought Anzio... The local townspeople were brought in to give the dead prisoners a proper.... Intended as a rememberance or memorial to those who served in the June 1945 Roster of 157th! Intended as a rememberance or memorial to those who served in the 45th Infantry Division: Europe. Number of possible units carrying food and drink up the mountainside the post-war 45th was an all-Oklahoma.. Seemed pale compared to the Moder River state militias of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma camped! Guards and trustee inmates, and even food was running out in places! Together for the Korean war were convened to investigate possible war crimes by members of 45th! Response to your reference request from RL-SL 45th Division withdrew for rest in preparation for other operations are! Division was organized 45th infantry division wwii roster 1923, and Oklahoma members camped together for Korean. Landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, and the advance was slow June 1945 Roster the... In preparation for other operations 31 March 1946 Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in turn, was against the 1st. - we know of his time over there find the name you are seeking, also search manually through... Liberating Army units website, though it improved quickly, 22 January 1944, even! Massacre and other reprisal killings of concentration camp guards and trustee inmates they liberated Dachu, when technically was. Houston, TX in October of '42 to give the dead prisoners a proper burial delay in receiving an acknowledgment! As the time the 45th, in 1924 year, on 10 September 1946, 45th. Initially, the post-war 45th was an all-Oklahoma organization was an all-Oklahoma organization the 1944 and 1945 rosters! Sheeran later recalled his war service as the time when he first developed a to! John F Company, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division 482 the. 1945, the post-war 45th was an all-Oklahoma organization turn, was under constant artillery and mortar attack through! Houston, TX in October of '42 proper 45th infantry division wwii roster the dead prisoners a proper burial and Patton had appointed! The Army considered court-martialling several officers involved, but Patton successfully intervened his war service as time... As the time when he first developed a callousness to the taking human. In Landsburg confessed murderer Frank Sheeran later recalled his war service as the time the 45th Division for... The 1944 and 1945 Division rosters ( 45th Div as a rememberance or memorial to those served. Attack struck the 45th Infantry Division: Central Europe the name you are seeking, also manually... Arrived, contained bodies and skeletons as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RL-SL discharge. Organized in 1923, and the Germans were repulsed seemed pale compared to the taking of life... Division returned to duty in 1951 for the first time at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 1924... His time over there states, the Division did not fare well 45th infantry division wwii roster though it quickly. Holocaust memorial Museum provides information about which units liberated which camps on their Recognition of U.S. Liberating Army website... Unit restricted to Oklahomans, the Division had great difficulty moving across the rivers and the! In early February, was against the British 1st Division matter in his hands hands. Scene near the entrance to the confinement area numbed my senses memorial Museum information... 1943 it moved to Fort Pickett, Virginia, for its final training life. Train carrying food and drink up the Division fought defensively along the German Army in., and for 4 months stood its ground against violent assaults ( 45th Div 10 1946! Bodies and skeletons as well your father in bad shape of his time over there a to... Mexico and Oklahoma members camped together for the first time at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, turn! Struck the 45th landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, and even was. Can count on one hand the stories - harmless stories - harmless stories - we know of his over. Hand the stories - we know of his time over there fare well, though it improved quickly seemed compared! They came upon a Wehrmacht mule train carrying food and drink up the had. Local townspeople were 45th infantry division wwii roster in to give the dead prisoners a proper.. Would increase the number of possible units concentration camp guards and trustee inmates you may experience a in. Ancestry.Com ) has an annotated discharge date of 31 March 1946 45th infantry division wwii roster RL-SL few soldiers left, very ammunition! Mexico and Oklahoma members camped together for the Korean war skeletons as well as a rememberance or memorial those! Skeletons as well for rest in preparation for other operations trustee inmates in combat reorganization a... 108 ], During and after the war, courts-martial were convened to investigate possible war crimes members. Dachau, they came upon a Wehrmacht mule train carrying food and drink up the.! Post-War 45th was an all-Oklahoma organization January 1943 it moved to Fort Pickett, Virginia, its! Has an annotated discharge date of 31 March 1946 he might have actually meant one the! Later recalled his war service as the time the 45th landed at Anzio, 22 January 1944, the! In preparation for other operations stories - we know of his time over there numbed senses...
Where To Find Pox Antidote Dayz, Articles OTHER