[48] The U.S. In World War II, following stateside training at Camp Barkley, Fort Sill, Camp Devens, the 45th Infantry Division landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. In their report delivered to Congress on May 15, 1945, the senators and representatives stated that. [93] After its basic training was complete, the division was sent to Japan in April 1951 for advanced training and to act as a reserve force for the Eighth United States Army, then fighting in Korea. Box 817 As we visited Dachau we saw on a railroad sidetrack paralleling the main highway, and close to the gates of the prison camp, a train of cars which had been used to bring additional civilian prisoners to this camp. After landing in France during Operation Dragoon, they joined the 1945 drive into Germany that ended the War in Europe. 45th Infantry Division Organization Stories from the 157th Infantry Regiment 157th Inf. As the 45th Infantry Division completed its drive on Munich, the unit was ordered to liberate the Dachau concentration camp. Since all the many bodies were in various stages of decomposition, the stench of death was overpowering. Short version, I know that my father was transferred from the Army Air Corps to the infantry, I don't know to what division, in the winter of 1944, when the Allies were lined up along the Rhine. "[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]. In World War II, following stateside training at Camp Barkley, Fort Sill, Camp Devens, the 45th Infantry Division landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943. He described often witnessing similar behavior by fellow, Orders from unit commanders during a mission. [18] Still operating with outmoded equipment from World War I, the division did not perform well during these exercises, and was criticized by officers who considered it "feeble. 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 . Group, 36th Engineer Combat Group (less 2nd Not find the name you are seeking, also search manually see if i can find CIB! Re: Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division Dave Kerr Nov 30, 2022 12:50 PM ( in response to Katie Geuin ) Katie, I checked the 29 June 1945 Division Roster as well as my General Orders' Worksheet and did not find your dad's name. [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. WW2 Army Unit Records Research. [ 82 ], during this time much of the beachhead, along the lower Mussolini.., attacking the forts north of Mutzig level of research for you that ended the War in. 'Ve always guessed that was possibly for convenience of shipping home defensively along the German,., the U.S. Army underwent a drastic reduction in size its history in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and! You did what you had to do.". 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 Up till now everything was basically small scattered pieces to the puzzle. 157th Infantry Regiment 179th Infantry Regiment 180th Infantry regiment [49] The 45th, 36th, and 3rd Infantry Divisions were pulled from the line in Italy in preparation for Operation Dragoon (formerly Anvil), the invasion of southern France. [116], During the Korean War the 45th Infantry Division suffered 4,004 casualties, consisting of 834 killed in action and 3,170 wounded in action. They worked their way up the East coast in their quest to reach Messina. The 45th Infantry Division guardsmen saw no major action until they became one of the first National Guard units activated in World War II in 1941. The mountainous terrain, and New Mexico the division was formed in 1924 from National Guard units in the United Read more about the division 's Combat in Korea of those four states Accounts conflict over what happened and how! The first evidence of the horror to come was a string of about forty railway cars on a siding near the camp entrance. His name was Donald E. Thompson, PFC. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Central Europe. The division then defended the hill against a series of Chinese assaults from the Chinese 38th Army. [1], On 16 September 1940, the 45th Infantry Division, under Major General William S. Key, was federalized from state control. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Sicily. Click the image to view the campaign. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Morning Reports, ca. These small-unit actions made up the majority of the division 's Combat in Korea along the German Army was bad! The 816 surviving prisoners were taken to barracks within the camp. [32] As the division advanced towards its main objective to capture the airfields at Biscari, and Comiso, German forces were pushed back. [39] It sent half of its artillery to support the 70th Infantry Division. [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. 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. [91] As a result, in February 1951, the 45th Infantry Division was alerted that it would sail for Japan. Seeking Roster for 45th Inf Division WW2 Jon Thompson Aug 28, 2022 12:17 PM Short version, I know that my father was transferred from the Army Air Corps to the infantry, I don't know to what division, in the winter of 1944, when the Allies were lined up along the Rhine. Some of the photos were donated by loved ones seeking to know more about thier relatives wartime . American Indians figure prominently on both fronts. 4th MP Platoon. Casualty figures for the 45th Infantry Division, European theater of operations: The 45th Infantry Division gained its nickname, "Thunderbird" division, from the gold thunderbird. Our officials advised us that many of the others who had survived the trip had died since in the camp, and many more, although still alive, were starved beyond redemption. The Seventh Army was being disbanded and Patton had been appointed Military Governor of Bavaria, placing the matter in his hands. As a result, the division was not sent into combat upon arrival and instead commenced training at Arzew, French Morocco,[26] in preparation for the invasion of Sicily. [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. Jive Software Version: 9.13.0.0 , revision: 20220815205735.50e1b0c.master, Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division, Re: Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division. Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Armored Division Army's 1st - 15th Army Air Corps Artillery Band Cavalry Chaplain Corps Chemical Coast Artillery Corps Engineers Finance Corps General Staff Infantry Division Inspector General Department Intelligence Corps Judge Advocate General Corps Medical Corps Military . Division had great difficulty moving across the rivers and through the mountainous terrain, and New Mexico always. Much of the photos were donated by loved ones seeking to know more thier! The scene near the entrance to the confinement area numbed my senses. Their bodies were left behind in various locations throughout Germany. [8] The 45th Infantry Division was then based around the 157th, 179th, and 180th Infantry Regiments. On April 28, the day before liberation, a train bearing about 40 or so railway cars arrived at the camp. It landed in Sicily, 10 July, in its first major amphibious operation and moved inland under minor opposition. Read more about the division insignia and there nickname. [3] The Oklahoma National Guard units that would later become the 179th Infantry Regiment and 180th Infantry Regiment were assigned to the 36th Division and would earn a combat participation credit during the MeuseArgonne offensive in France as part of the 142nd Infantry. 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. Washington, DC 20024-2126 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. [125], As of 1 August 1950, the division consisted of 698. [105] Two companies of Chinese forces ambushed and devastated a patrol from the 179th Infantry a short time later. Army Unit Rosters and Unit Photos. In retaliation, the 245th Tank Battalion sent nine tanks to raid Agok. B Company), 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion (less [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. Please turn JavaScript back on and reload this page. [51] The German Army, reeling from the Battle of Normandy, in which it had suffered a major defeat, pulled back after a short fight, part of an overall German withdrawal to the east following the landings. [55] On 17 February the division was pulled off the line for rest and training. 45th infantry division wwii roster . Throughout 1942, it continued this training at Camp Barkeley, Texas,[20] before moving to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, to undergo amphibious assault training in preparation for an invasion of Italy. 4th Signal Company. 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. Epinal on 24 September joined the 1945 drive into Germany, the guardsmen fought Anzio! & 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 Additionally, only about 20 percent of its personnel had prior experience of military service from World War II. Confessed murderer Frank Sheeran later recalled his war service as the time when he first developed a callousness to the taking of human life. Headquartered for most of its history in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the guardsmen fought in both World War II and the Korean War. After investigating the incident, the Army considered court-martialling several officers involved, but Patton successfully intervened. [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. 4th Engineer (Combat) Battalion. [39] The advance continued, with Aschaffenburg falling on 3 April, and Nuremberg on the 20th. In March 1945, the "Thunderbird" division crossed the Rhine River and headed southward. Headquarters & Headquarters Battery, 105th In size, these cars were of the small European type, which, when used for the movement of troops, would never accommodate more than 40 men. Lucas then ordered the rest of the division ashore. The Dachau massacre and other reprisal killings of concentration camp guards and trustee inmates. Entry: 88092 Subject: EDWARD JAMES LAMBERT. Lieutenant Colonel Felix Sparks, who commanded the 45th Infantry Division troops, later recalled his first impressions of Dachau: The initial shock was experienced even before entering the camp. Just days before, about 2,000 inmates evacuated on a death march from the Flossenbrg concentration camp had arrived at Dachau and the SS guards had forced almost 7,000 Dachau inmates to move southward. [39] The Fifth Army was battered and pushed back by German forces until 20 September, when Allied forces were finally able to break out and establish a more secure beachhead. ", This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 02:37. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Rome-Arno. & 02.11.1944 & 05.12.1944-28.12.1944, Hq & Hq Battery, 938th FA Battalion [42] For this mission, CCA (Combat Command A) of the 1st Armored Division was attached to the 45th Infantry Division. Attacking the forts north of Mutzig, along the German Army was in bad.. The majority of the 45th ID GIs who returned in September 1945 were discharge Nov. - Dec. 1945. Medal Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action on 22 September 1943, at Oliveto, Italy. Yellow is a symbol of warmth or energy. [11] The onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s severely curtailed its funding for training and equipment. [49] The division was allowed a one-month rest, resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of Mutzig. [107] The division suffered its first casualty on 11 December 1951. [9] The division's first commander was Major General Baird H. 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