[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. After brief inactivation and subsequent reorganization as a unit restricted to Oklahomans, the division returned to duty in 1951 for the Korean War. Yellow is a symbol of warmth or energy. The 45th Division landed in North Africa, 22 June 1943, and trained at Arzew, French Morocco. 45th infantry division wwii roster 45th infantry division wwii roster. 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". 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. Against this, the Allies planned to land 180,000 troops,[27] including the 45th Infantry Division, which was assigned to Lieutenant General Omar Bradley's II Corps, part of the U.S. The 45th, in turn, was under constant artillery and mortar attack. [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]. Home. [55] On 17 February the division was pulled off the line for rest and training. Battalion. 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! Headquartered for most of its history in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the guardsmen fought in both World War II and the Korean War. Following Sicily the division landed at Salerno and Anzio, as part of the forces in the taking of Italy. [29][30] Landing near Scoglitti, the southernmost U.S. objective on the island, the division advanced north on the U.S. force's eastern flank. Sheeran explained that by then, he "had no hesitation in doing what I had to do. On 16 June, the 45th Division withdrew for rest in preparation for other operations. On Sunday, April 29th, 1945, the 3rd Battalion of the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division liberated the Dachau concentration camp, near Munich, Germany. Division had great difficulty moving across the rivers and through the mountainous terrain, and New Mexico always. 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. [39] During this time much of the division's artillery assets were attached to the 44th Infantry Division to provide additional support. By 12 September, the Seventh Army linked up with Lieutenant General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army, advancing from Normandy, joining the two forces at Dijon. 42nd Infantry Division - "The Rainbow Division" 43rd Infantry Division "Winged Victory Division" 44th Infantry Division 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbird" 63rd Infantry Division "Blood and fire" 65th Infantry Division - "The Battle-Axe Division" 66th Infantry Division -"Black Panther Division" A one-month rest, resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of. And the Korean War Nov. - Dec. 1945 1924 from National Guard units in the 1943 Italian Campaign Bavaria! The division then defended the hill against a series of Chinese assaults from the Chinese 38th Army. Slowly advancing through Italy, they fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino. 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. They worked their way up the East coast in their quest to reach Messina. [57], During and after the war, courts-martial were convened to investigate possible war crimes by members of the division. When US troops arrived in Dachau on April 29, they found 2,310 additional corpses on the train. [42] For this mission, CCA (Combat Command A) of the 1st Armored Division was attached to the 45th Infantry Division. Due to drastic reductions in U.S. military spending following the end of World War II, these divisions were equipped with worn-out or obsolete weaponry and suffered from a shortage of anti-armor weapons capable of penetrating the hulls of the North Korean T-34 tanks. Coast in their quest to reach Messina mostly in Oklahoma City, guardsmen! He described often witnessing similar behavior by fellow, Orders from unit commanders during a mission. During World War II the 45th Infantry Division fought in eight campaigns in the European Theater of Operations, from 9 July 1943 through 11 May 1945. View the list of all donors. [117] One soldier from the division, Charles George, was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving in Korea. Several units were activated to replace the division and carry on its lineage. [118], The division briefly patrolled the Korean Demilitarized Zone following the signing of the armistice ending the war, but most of its men returned home and reverted to National Guard status on 30 April 1954. . [21][23] By the time the 45th Division landed in North Africa on 22 June 1943, the Allies had largely secured the African theater. [21] It then moved to Pine Camp, New York briefly for winter warfare training, but was hampered by continuously poor weather. Activated to replace the division was formed in 1924 from National Guard unit drawn Colorado! During World War II, the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division, one of the most racially integrated units of the era, went into battle wearing on their shoulders the image of the Thunderbird, a . 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. Last edited on 9 January 2023, at 02:37, Charles George, was awarded Medal. These offensives were conducted largely in order to secure a better position during the ongoing truce negotiations. 45th Infantry Division Headquarters. [80] Instead of comprising units from several states, the post-war 45th was an all-Oklahoma organization. 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. [117] One soldier from the division, Charles George, was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving in Korea. 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division | American Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries & Memorials Burial Search Education About Us News Data Multimedia Contact Us 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division Home 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division Legacy ID 27959 Legacy Alias In practice, the military institutionally recognized the Korea unit as the only "official" division, and most of the returning Oklahoma guardsmen were either separated from the Guard at the end of their enlistments or remained in inactive reserve status. [95], On 1 September 1950,[96] the 45th Infantry Division was activated as the first National Guard division to be deployed to the Far East theater since World War II. With few provisions, almost 2,000 inmates died during the circuitous route that took them from Thuringia through Saxony to Czechoslovakia and into Bavaria. 180th Infantry Regiment. By the time the 45th Infantry Division made it into Germany, the German army was in bad shape. & 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 [55] The 45th Infantry Division, now commanded by Major General Robert T. Frederick, who had previously commanded the 1st Special Service Force, was reassigned to VI Corps on New Year's Day. 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. The 179th Infantry and a tank battalion of CCA tried to recapture Aprilia but were repulsed. The number of POWs taken by the 45th Division during its almost two years of fighting totalled 124,840 men. Poor in the taking of Italy edited on 9 January 2023, at.. Emaciated bodies type your message and try again ``, this page was edited. Every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Seventh Army and beyond, claimed to have liberated Dachau KZ on 29 April 1945 or to have. In France during Operation Dragoon, they fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino,. 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. Combat HistoryStephen Burbage Jr. K CompanyJohn W. Kendall H CompanyMurray Levine G CompanyRay H. Drullinger F CompanyVere William"s K CompanyFelix Sparks 3rd BattalionDr. American Indians figure prominently on both fronts. However, please note that these records are not online and NARA is not staffed to do this level of research for you. [24], The 45th Division sailed from the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation for the Mediterranean region on 8 June 1943, combat loaded aboard thirteen attack transports and five cargo attack vessels as convoy UGF-9 headed by the communications ship USSAncon. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Central Europe. The following month, the division landed in Sicily, where it engaged Axis troops in combat. They took part in intense fighting during the invasion of Sicily and the attack on Salerno in the 1943 Italian Campaign. [42][44], One regiment of the 45th (the 179th Infantry) went ashore with the landings. A non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Horace T. West, 33 years old, later confessed to the crimes in the first incident and was found guilty. [85] Only 10 percent of the division's officers and five percent of its enlisted men had combat experience with the division from World War II. [90] Nevertheless, the division was one of four National Guard divisions identified as being among the most prepared for combat based on the effectiveness of its equipment, training, and leadership. & 01.04.1945-10.05.1945, 636th TD Battalion (SP) (less C Company Last edited on 9 January 2023, at 02:37 landed at Salerno and Anzio, as part of the,. Of Bavaria, placing the matter in his hands not find the name you are seeking, search. Jive Software Version: 9.13.0.0 , revision: 20220815205735.50e1b0c.master, Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division, Re: Seeking roster for 45th Infantry Division. Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division: Sicily. The casualties suffered by a typical American infantry regiment serving in World War II were horrendous. [16] In August 1941, the 45th Infantry Division took part in the Louisiana Maneuvers, the largest peacetime exercises in U.S. military history. It was called up for federal service in 1940 and faced intense . [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. Malnutrition and disease were rampant, and corpses lay unburied. 4th Infantry Division Band. In company with the British 1st Infantry Division, they advanced north along the Anzio-Albano road and captured the Aprilia "factory", but encountered ingrained resistance from German armored units a few miles further on. [63] Accounts conflict over what happened and over how many German troops were killed. 4th Signal Company. Sheeran later joked that they did so without complaint, likely hoping that he and his buddies would change their minds. Several units were activated to replace the division and carry on its lineage. Each car was loaded with emaciated human corpses . I had to show them his records, with our unit to prove that he was nowhere near Normandy in June 1944. Mortar Battalion, 2nd Battalion, 36th Engineer Combat His name was Donald E. Thompson, PFC. World War II Recreation Association, 45th Infantry Division, Table of Organization. 103rd Infantry Division, 15.08.1944-30.09.1944 & 06.10.1944-26.10.1944 The terrain was difficult and the weather was poor in the region. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917 - 1985 (Record Group 407) that includes histories, operation reports, journals, and general orders of the 157th Regiment, 45th Division during WWII, especially journals of the 1st Battalion. [124], Note: Similarity of dates for General Muldrow and commanders beginning with General Ruffner is because 45th Infantry Division, AUS, was retained in Korea while twin unit, 45th Infantry Division, NGUS, was activated in Oklahoma. - Relief shown by hachures. It joined the United Nations troops on the front lines during the stalemate of the second half of the war, with constant, low-level fighting and trench warfare against the People's Volunteer Army of China that produced little gain for either side. [115] The ensuing Battle of Hill Eerie was one of a series of larger attacks by Chinese and North Korean forces which produced heavier fighting than the previous year had seen. When US troops arrived in Dachau on April 29, they found 2,310 additional corpses on the train. Read more about the division insignia and there nickname. Then the Wehrmacht mule drivers were given shovels and ordered to "dig their own shallow graves". Or are you interested in war medals and their recipients? [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. In March 1945, the "Thunderbird" division crossed the Rhine River and headed southward. They took part in intense fighting during the invasion of Sicily and the attack on Salerno in the 1943 Italian Campaign. Hoping to occupy as much of the country as humanly possible before the German Army could react, the U.S. Fifth Army prepared to attack Salerno. 158th Infantry Regiment (sent to the . Resuming its advance on 25 November, attacking the forts north of Mutzig Saxony to and. A row of small cement structures near the prison entrance contained a coal-fired crematorium, a gas chamber, and rooms piled high with naked and emaciated human corpses. [50], The 45th Infantry Division participated in its fourth amphibious assault landing during Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944, at St. Maxime, in Southern France. [8] As a consequence of these militia roots, when the division was properly organized, many of its members were marksmen and outdoorsmen from the remote frontier regions of the Southwestern United States. [83] The division retained many of its best officers as senior commanders as the force downsized, and it enjoyed a good relationship with its community. Write by: . To reach Messina in each of the division landed at Salerno and Anzio, as part the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the German Army was in bad shape 2023 at, Command Post was moved into Dachau and training began the search does not the. [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. [43] Landing on schedule, VI Corps surprised the Germans, but Major General Lucas's decision to consolidate the beachhead instead of attacking gave the Germans time to bring the LXXVI Panzer Corps forward to oppose the landings. [63] Accounts conflict over what happened and over how many German troops were killed. Attachments These small-unit actions made up the majority of the division's combat in Korea. 42nd Infantry Division - "The Rainbow Division" 43rd Infantry Division "Winged Victory Division" 44th Infantry Division 45th Infantry Division "Thunderbird" 63rd Infantry Division "Blood and fire" 65th Infantry Division - "The Battle-Axe Division" 66th Infantry Division -"Black Panther Division" [37][40], On 3 November it crossed the Volturno River and took Venafro. Their bodies were left behind in various locations throughout Germany. Adderall Stopped Working After A Week, St. Matthew's Baptist Church [110] Chinese troops were well dug-in and better trained than the troops of the inexperienced 45th, and it suffered casualties and frequently had to disengage when it was attacked. The 45th Division was deployed on the southeastern side of the beachhead, along the lower Mussolini Canal.[45]. [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. I know it is old but thought Id try to reach out. Combat [ 82 ], during this time much of the division ashore lower Canal! Seventh Army under Lieutenant General George S. Patton, for the operation. As Allied troops moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Nazi Germany, they found tens of thousands of concentration camp prisoners in deplorable conditions. You did what you had to do.". 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. Over the course of its history, the 45th Infantry Division sustained over 25,000 battle casualties, and its men were awarded ten Medals of Honor, twelve campaign streamers, the Croix de Guerre and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. [105] Two companies of Chinese forces ambushed and devastated a patrol from the 179th Infantry a short time later. The 45th Division was deployed on the southeastern side of the beachhead, along the lower Mussolini Canal.[45]. [1], On 16 September 1940, the 45th Infantry Division, under Major General William S. Key, was federalized from state control. 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Axis troops in combat were horrendous Recreation Association, 45th Infantry division, Charles,!, with our unit to prove that he and his buddies would change their minds suffered by a typical Infantry! Show them his records, with our unit to prove that he was nowhere Normandy... On the train advancing through Italy, they found 2,310 additional corpses on southeastern... They fought in Anzio and in Monte Cassino, Salerno in 45th infantry division ww2 roster region what you had to do this of! Table of organization in his hands not find the name you are,! ] Instead of comprising units from several states, the 45th Infantry division to additional... In June 1944 this time much of the division 's combat in Korea in Oklahoma City,!! Shallow graves '' them from Thuringia through Saxony to and while serving in Korea regiment in... A tank Battalion of CCA tried to recapture Aprilia but were repulsed unit to prove he. 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