I Need Help : 255th Reg 63rd Infantry Div

My dad works nursing home for the elderly. One of the residents there fought in Europe and served in several battles most notably the Battle of the Bulge. His unit also liberated a concentration camp.
That's where I need help. He cannot remember the name of the town where it was located near or the actual camp name. He and his family have tried to find out but have had no luck.
I asked what unit he was in and he was in the 63rd Infantry Division. He said he was in G Company. I looked up the division and went on their site and found out that the 255th regiment took part in the liberation of the Landsberg Concentration camp. It was the only regiment that said anything about liberating a concentration camp.
Now sorry for the long background intro, here is what I need help with: is it possible that someone can help find maybe a list of men of the 255th Regiment 63rd Infantry Division? I have tried searching but I have also had no luck yet.

 

The crew here is usually pretty good with this sort of thing. If you can put more relevant info in the title it's likely to get a quicker response though.

 

I followed your advice and decided to make a new topic with a more relevant title. Thank you.

 

My father's service name is PFC William C. Lewis, "255th Infantry, Company "G" , REQ - 63rd Division" - served in WWII, from CAMP VAN DORN, MISS. to Normandy, Omaha Beach...June 6, 1944....through the hedgerows and survived the Battle of the Bulge, Arden Mountains...liberated the SAME concentration camp....I have his Camp Van Dorn Diary that reads "255th Infantry, Company "G" , REQ 63rd Division. Camp Van Dorn, Miss. He told me all about what took place and how he said he couldn';t believe he survived. More on this later.

My father was a great guy. I miss him so much. He was born Sept 21, 1906 and passed away May 18, 1985. He was around 78... He was in his late 30's when he served. If you read this, PLEASE get a hold of me.

I would like to know if you know more of the company servicemen in his company who may have remembered him. I have his diary that is so interesting to read of the other servicemen that were his "buddies". I will stop here but if I hear from you, that would be great. You are the FIRST person I have ever found looking for the exact company that my Dad served in!!

Sincerely,

Leland H. Lewis

 

Welcome to the Forums, Leland. The 63rd was at Camp Van Dorn, but they did not arrive in Europe until December 1944 when advance elements of the Division landed at Marseille in Southern France. They moved north to the Alsace-Lorraine region along the France-Germany border where they supported the 3rd, 44th, and 100th Infantry Divisions. The remainder of the Division landed in Southern France mid-January 1945 and the Division was finally united in early Feb 1945. Thought they arrived late in the War, they were involved in some ferocious battles, in particular in their assault on the Siegfried Line in March 1945. The First Battalion of the 255th Infantry did participate in the liberation of concentration sub-camps in the Landesberg area. There is a lot of good information regarding the 63rd ID available online. Here is a link to the 63rd Division website. There are also a lot of 63rd Division information that is available on the Fold3.com website. It is a pay site, but the 63rd records are FREE.

 

My father landed on Omaha Beach on the Second Wave of the Normandy landing. He was almost killed by a sniper when he make it to the hedgerows. He told me how the sea was red with blood as the made landfall. So, I dont know what to tell you, but he was for a fact on Omaha Beach on D -day.

He spoke of liberating a concentration camp. So I know all what was said of Company "G" was true. Dad said he didnt know HOW he was in the second wave of the landing. He said they selected people and put them in a landing boat and that was it. He said he had no idea what was to come. No one knew of what their mission was, he said, till they were told to go.

Perhaps he trained with the 255th, but was he selected Omaha Beach for some reason?? He also spoke of fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in the winter. He got severe frostbite where they had to cut his boots from his feet, where they were deformed , black...terrible. He couldnt feel them he said and didnt know. I will upload his Identification Record which says he was with company "G"...His book says he was discharged Sept. 28, 1945 because of the severe frostbite...
His feet were terrible looking. I remember watching him struggle to walk.

I hated the V.A Administration for not helping fast enough. After MANY years of appointments with doctors , they ended up making him what he used to cal "Frankenstein shoes" as they said they could not operate and correct the disfigurement. He was in pain alot I remember. I can go on my dislike for the V.A Administration when he was passing away, but I will bite my tongue with that.
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Please open the PDF file below to view.

 

My father landed on Omaha Beach on the Second Wave of the Normandy landing. He was almost killed by a sniper when he make it to the hedgerows. He told me how the sea was red with blood as the made landfall. So, I dont know what to tell you, but he was for a fact on Omaha Beach on D -day.

He spoke of liberating a concentration camp. So I know all what was said of Company "G" was true. Dad said he didnt know HOW he was in the second wave of the landing. He said they selected people and put them in a landing boat and that was it. He said he had no idea what was to come. No one knew of what their mission was, he said, till they were told to go.

Perhaps he trained with the 255th but was selected for this? He also spoke of fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in the winter. He got severe frostbite where they had to cut his boots from his feet, where they were deformed , black...terrible. He couldnt feel them he said and didnt know. I will upload his Identification Record which says he was with company "G"...His book says he was discharged Sept. 28, 1945 because of the severe frostbite...
His feet were terrible looking. I remember watching him struggle to walk.

I hated the V.A Administration for not helping fast enough. After MANY years of appointments with doctors , they ended up making him what he used to cal "Frankenstein shoes" as they said they could not operate and correct the disfigurement. He was in pain alot I remember. I can go on my dislike for the V.A Administration when he was passing away, but I will bite my tongue with that.
.
Please open the PDF file below to view.

 

Yes, that is exactly what happened. Well, ok...a good speculation. Hahah...Anyway, He trained with Company "G", 255th untill at least Monday, March 20th, Where his captain came in through the barracks of Company "G", wishing everyone goodbye...."Won't be long now before we are gone too."

...then, according to the final entries in his service book, he writes: ".May 1944 - Leek - Staff. England... I was stationed at Blackshamoredry, the Buxton outside of Leek for 6 weeks. I'd walk in from camp. It was 4 miles."

Next he writes: E.T.O. - Mondorf - NOV. 25, 1944 - For 6 days my company rested up in a 6 story hotel with a room all to myself - with electric lights and a telephone."
Then an entry for LUXEMBURG...but no writing after that.

Going through "My Buddies In The Service" section I came across an interesting entry...He said after Basic Training he was transferred to Co. "L" of the 83rd Div. at Camp Breckenridge where he saw Willard Jannusch. Saw him again during maneauvers in North Wales, and then finaly at the front line in Luxemborg.

 

It does make sense that he trained with the 63rd ID and was transferred to the 83rd ID. The 83rd Infantry Division did land on OMAHA Beach on 18 June 1944 and was in the BotB. They also liberated Langenstein, a sub-camp of Buchenwald, in April 1945.

The website 83rdinfdivdocs.org has a lot of documents, including Morning Reports and After Action Reports. I don't know if the Morning Reports are complete, but if they are you may be able to find your father's name mentioned. You will need to figure out which Regiment he was in: 329th, 330th, or 331st. They each have a Company L.