USA Discharge Report - can you help me solve a mystery?

[SIZE=10pt]Dear All,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I am hoping there are some experts on here who can help me decipher a discharge report I have been sent, therefore helping me solve a family mystery. The record relates to Charles Joseph Lupica who was an American GI. And the mystery? Charles could be my maternal grandfather.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]My family has a classic tale of American GI meets a UK girl and the girl falls pregnant without the GI ever knowing. The result was my mother, Janet. She was adopted out a few months after her birth; we searched and reconnected with half brothers and sisters through her maternal side before she sadly passed away 10 years ago from cancer. She always had the unsolved question of who her father was, supposedly and American/Italian GI according to an aunt. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would ever be able to answer that question. We didn’t even have a name! That was until Ancestry.com brought out DNA testing. Both my brother and I linked to…..an American/Italian family in the USA! The predicted relationship was at grandparent level. We carefully approached the tree owner in America and was pleasantly surprised at how excited she was too at the prospect of new family[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I cannot seem to get a small enough file to upload it for you to view so please forgive me for a lengthy post![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]I can see from the paperwork sent from America that an application was made, I presume for service records, and for replacement medals. The front page appears to confirm that the requested files are not available and were, as I feared, lost in the 1973 fire in the Missouri records office. Annoying but I need to see what clues I can gain from the records we do have to see what other information avenues I can explore. I need some help in deciphering some of the information of the discharge form though.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 2. ARMY SERIAL NUMBER – it says 12005063. Would he have kept the same number throughout his service?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 3. GRADE – it says S SGT – Would this be Staff Sergeant and would this have been his final rank?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 4. ARM – it says INF – I assume this refers to Infantry?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 5. COMPONENT – it says RA. What does this mean? I know from reading this forum that it would say AUS if he had been drafted.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 6. ORGANISATION – it says ??(unreadable) CO 125TH INF. Would this be the final unit he served with before being discharged?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 30. MILITARY OCCUPATION – it says RIFLEMAN 745. What would the numbers mean?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 31. MILITARY QUALIFICATIONS – it says M?? R-JUL 42; OIB or maybe CIB WDC 40S-44. Any ideas what these mean or how I can find out?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 32. BATTLES & CAMPAIGNS – Quite straightforward saying ALGERIA, FRENCH MORROCCO, TUNISIA, NORMANDY GO 33 WD 45. He was a busy man! I have learnt that GO 33 WD 45 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]is General Order 33 issued by the War Dept in 1945. Does this relate to Normandy only? I’ve read that the GO contain a list of awards etc but the website listing them online is no longer working. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 33. DECORATIONS & CITATIONS – Now the biggy! Would all the dates listed below refer to the date the award was made or the date of the event? Would he have been serving with the units mentioned at the time the medal was awarded? We are a little confused by the 90[/SIZE][SIZE=small]th[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] Gen Hospital mention as to if he was serving there or was he a patient as it mentions he had shrapnel wounds in both legs. It says BRONZE STAR MEDAL GO 33 RE 1[/SIZE][SIZE=small]ST[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] US INF DIV 27 JUL 44; PURPLE HEART GO 6 HQ 90[/SIZE][SIZE=small]TH[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] GEN HOSP APO 513 2 JUL 44; GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AH 600-68; AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL; EAM?TO WITH THREE BRONZE STARS. Not sure what the last one is? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 36. DEPARTURE -[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]The dates 02/08/42-07/08/42 tie in with sailing on the Queen Mary. For his return to the USA I need him in the UK Oct/Nov 1944. It shows his final departure date as unknown but he arrived back in the USA 27/04/45 so it is possible he was here at the right time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Box 40. REASON FOR SEPARATION – It just lists 2 codes RR 613-365; RR1-1 AS AMENDED. Does anyone know what these mean or are they just standard?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Finally Box 55. REMARKS – this says NO TIME LOST UNDER AW 107. What does that mean please? It also mentions CHARACTER EXCELLENT & LAPEL BUTTON ISSUED. What was the lapel button?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sorry for a lengthy post. I hope you are all still with me. I would like to do mom proud and answer her question. It seems it is not going to be easy with no names and missing records but I am going to try my best.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]I hope you can help me.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Thanks in advance[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Emma.[/SIZE]









​

 

Hi there--welcome to the forum. I'll do my best to answer your questions one at a time...


[SIZE=10pt]Box 2. ARMY SERIAL NUMBER – it says 12005063. Would he have kept the same number throughout his service? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Correct.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 3. GRADE – it says S SGT – Would this be Staff Sergeant and would this have been his final rank?[/SIZE]
Yes, Staff Sergeant and it would have been the highest rank he obtained/final rank.

[SIZE=10pt]Box 4. ARM – it says INF – I assume this refers to Infantry?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Correct.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 5. COMPONENT – it says RA. What does this mean? I know from reading this forum that it would say AUS if he had been drafted.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]RA means "Regular Army". Correct, he was not drafted, he enlisted voluntarily. Another piece of evidence that confirms this is his ASN, which starts with a 1 and not a 3. Draftees in the AUS were given numbers beginning with a 3.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 6. ORGANISATION – it says ??(unreadable) CO 125TH INF. Would this be the final unit he served with before being discharged?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Likely his final unit, yes. It's too bad the Company is unreadable, but getting it down to Regiment is a good start. The 125th Infantry during WWII was originally part of the 32nd Infantry Division "Red Arrow Division" but was then detached. It didn't receive any campaign credits so it would likely have been your father's final unit and not the one he saw combat with. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 30. MILITARY OCCUPATION – it says RIFLEMAN 745. What would the numbers mean?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The number 745 refers to the Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) "Rifleman". More info about MOS codes can be found here. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 31. MILITARY QUALIFICATIONS – it says M?? R-JUL 42; OIB or maybe CIB WDC 40S-44. Any ideas what these mean or how I can find out?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Probably CIB, which means "Combat Infantryman Badge". It means he served in combat against an armed enemy. Many infantrymen considered their qualification for the CIB as their most cherished military achievement. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 32. BATTLES & CAMPAIGNS – Quite straightforward saying ALGERIA, FRENCH MORROCCO, TUNISIA, NORMANDY GO 33 WD 45. He was a busy man! I have learnt that GO 33 WD 45 [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]is General Order 33 issued by the War Dept in 1945. Does this relate to Normandy only? I’ve read that the GO contain a list of awards etc but the website listing them online is no longer working.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]This means that your father fought in North Africa and Europe during four "Campaigns" or time periods. You'd likely need to drill down a bit deeper to determine the unit he served with in combat, which would help fill in a lot of the blanks. Knowing the campaigns he served in will help a bit in that search. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 33. DECORATIONS & CITATIONS – Now the biggy! Would all the dates listed below refer to the date the award was made or the date of the event? Would he have been serving with the units mentioned at the time the medal was awarded? We are a little confused by the 90[/SIZE][SIZE=small]th[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] Gen Hospital mention as to if he was serving there or was he a patient as it mentions he had shrapnel wounds in both legs. It says BRONZE STAR MEDAL GO 33 RE 1[/SIZE][SIZE=small]ST[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] US INF DIV 27 JUL 44; PURPLE HEART GO 6 HQ 90[/SIZE][SIZE=small]TH[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] GEN HOSP APO 513 2 JUL 44; GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AH 600-68; AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL; EAM?TO WITH THREE BRONZE STARS. Not sure what the last one is?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]The date refers to the date of the General Order, not the event. This means he was likely serving with the 1st Infantry Division (but we don't know what component unit) when he earned his Bronze Star, yes. It look like he was wounded in action. The 90th General Hospital is likely where he was recuperating from his wounds received. "EAME" European African Middle Eastern Service Medal. Three bronze stars refers to the tiny bronze "service stars" he'd have worn on the ribbon, denoting the three (although really it should read four, given the information in Box 32) campaigns he served in. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 36. DEPARTURE -[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]The dates 02/08/42-07/08/42 tie in with sailing on the Queen Mary. For his return to the USA I need him in the UK Oct/Nov 1944. It shows his final departure date as unknown but he arrived back in the USA 27/04/45 so it is possible he was here at the right time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Lots of ships went back and forth all the time, so I'd probably urge caution in assuming it was the Queen Mary just based on the dates. Do you have more info that supports your assertion there? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box 40. REASON FOR SEPARATION – It just lists 2 codes RR 613-365; RR1-1 AS AMENDED. Does anyone know what these mean or are they just standard?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]They are standard. I think 613-365 just means "for the convenience of the government". In other words, he had served his time and the war was either over or nearly so, and the didn't require his service anymore. Plus if he had been wounded he was perhaps convalescing. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Finally Box 55. REMARKS – this says NO TIME LOST UNDER AW 107. What does that mean please? It also mentions CHARACTER EXCELLENT & LAPEL BUTTON ISSUED. What was the lapel button?[/SIZE]
No time lost means he was never court-martialed and docked any time. The Lapel Button referred to his Honorable Discharge button or "ruptured duck" that the men were issued upon their discharge. It looks like this, and the man would wear it in the lapel of his civilian suit to show he had served in the army, so people wouldn't assume he was 4-F or some kind of draft dodger. ;o)

There are a ton of folks here who know a lot more than I do, but hopefully that helps answer the bulk of your questions. If you need any more specific help, ask away!

Cheers,
Adam

 

Hi Adam,

Thank you so much for your detailed reply yesterday. I appreciate you took the time and you have taught me so much already! Just to followon from your replies if I may:

Box 6. ORGANISATION – it says ??(unreadable) CO 125TH INF. Would this be the final unit he served with before being discharged?
Likely his final unit, yes. It's too bad the Company is unreadable, but getting it down to his Regiment is a good start. The 125th Infantry (http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0125in.htm) during WWII was originally part of the 32nd Infantry Division "Red Arrow Division" but was then detached. It didn't receive any campaign credits so it would likely have been your father's final unit and not the one he saw combat with.​

We have now flipped the report into a negative to see if the wording appears any clearer. What would we expect to see re the company name? Words or numbers? It appears to be "C" and an "n" or a "2". The second element still is not very clear but it definitely stars with a "C". Unfortunately the link you included does not want to work.

Box 31. MILITARY QUALIFICATIONS – it says M?? R-JUL 42; OIB or maybe CIB WDC 40S-44. Any ideas what these mean or how I can find out?
Probably CIB, which means "Combat Infantryman Badge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Infantryman_Badge)". It means he served in combat against an armed enemy. Many infantrymen considered their qualification for the CIB as their most cherished military achievement.
​
Looking at the negative of the report it now looks like the first one is Mkn or Mkm R-JUL 42. I wonder if either of these are right? Fascinating read about CIB though, thank you.

Box 33. DECORATIONS & CITATIONS – Now the biggy! Would all the dates listed below refer to the date the award was made or the date of the event? Would he have been serving with the units mentioned at the time the medal was awarded? We are a little confused by the 90th Gen Hospital mention as to if he was serving there or was he a patient as it mentions he had shrapnel wounds in both legs. It says BRONZE STAR MEDAL GO 33 RE 1ST US INF DIV 27 JUL 44; PURPLE HEART GO 6 HQ 90TH GEN HOSP APO 513 2 JUL 44; GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AH 600-68; AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL; EAM?TO WITH THREE BRONZE STARS. Not sure what the last one is?
The date refers to the date of the General Order, not the event. He was likely serving with the 1st Infantry Division (but we don't know what component unit) when he earned his Bronze Star, yes. It look like he was wounded in action. The 90th General Hospital is likely where he was recuperating from his wounds received. "EAME" European African Middle Eastern Service Medal. Three bronze stars refers to the tiny bronze "service stars" he'd have worn on the ribbon, denoting the three (although really it should read four, given the information in Box 32) campaigns he served in.​

Not being very up on my military knowledge, how would he likely have gone from being in the 1st US Inf to the 125th Inf, the final unit he served in? I've looked at the movements of the 1st and they went on through Europe after Normandy so as this is the last one listed for him would it be likely that it was in this campaign he was wounded? I am still trying to establish the location of the 90th General Hospital as it was in the UK, in Malvern, until Jul 1944. Then it went to Llandudno for a short time until it moved to France. Information I gained for a knowledgeable author who has written several books on USA bases in the UK. I'm still trying to establish Charles in the UK in Oct/Nov 1944 so we are tantalisingly close! The negative also seems to show the last one as "EAMSTO". Would this be the same African medal you mentioned?

Box 36. DEPARTURE - The dates 02/08/42-07/08/42 tie in with sailing on the Queen Mary. For his return to the USA I need him in the UK Oct/Nov 1944. It shows his final departure date as unknown but he arrived back in the USA 27/04/45 so it is possible he was here at the right time.
Lots of ships went back and forth all the time, so I'd probably urge caution in assuming it was the Queen Mary just based on the dates. Do you have more info that supports your assertion there?​

We found a very good site on USA troop ships and the Queen Mary was carrying the 1st Inf division on the dates on his report. He actually got back to the USA on 27th Jun 1945, not Apr as I previously stated. Can't yet find a ship arriving back on that date.

Thank you again for the information you have already given. It has helped us a lot. We will get there in the end!

Thanks Emma

 

The bronze stars referred to are campaign stars. But, keep in mind that these discharge reports were typed up by harried clerks and often contain mistakes and omissions. if your grandfather served as a rifleman in the 1st Division through the Normandy campaign before being pulled out of combat, he should have 4 such stars since one was authorized for the landing in French Morocco, another for Tunisia, another for Sicily, and yet another for Normandy - all campaigns in which the 1st Division played a vital role. They were known as "The Big Red One."

So, the missing Sicily campaign seems a bit mysterious. If he had been injured and missed it, you'd think another Purple Heart or hospital stay would be noted. And as a rifleman, he certainly wouldn't have been pulled for some special training as sometimes happened for people in a technical field. He certainly wasn't AWOL because his discharge notes him serving with distinction.

Perhaps the family can tell you about Sicily? I suspect it's just a clerical error and he did serve there, and is entitled to that 4th campaign star.

I think you should also know that the 1st Division was one of the finest fighting outfits in the US Army. I'm not well versed in the North African and Sicily fighting, but after D-Day General Bradley used the 1st, 29th and 30th Divisions as the spearheads in most of the offensives through the end of the war. They were tough outfits with good leadership that could be counted on to break through the German defenses.

 

"Box 32. BATTLES & CAMPAIGNS – Quite straightforward saying ALGERIA, FRENCH MORROCCO, TUNISIA, NORMANDY GO 33 WD 45. "

Box #32 already give him credit for four campaigns, and I agree with KB, he should have Sicily, which would be 5 campaign stars.

 

Hi Emma--

Getting a copy of that discharge would really be helpful. Have you tried using a hosting site like Flickr or Shutterfly and linking to it? I think that helps on this forum. Perhaps another set of eyes (or several) on the actual paperwork could be beneficial.

To answer your questions...

What would we expect to see re the company name? Words or numbers? It appears to be "C" and an "n" or a "2". The second element still is not very clear but it definitely stars with a "C".

His company name would be a letter, like "C", yes. For a rifle company it would have been one of the letters A-M, without "J" (it looked too much like an "I" in written communications so they omitted it for clarity). So it could certainly have been C. HOWEVER, since this was his last unit, he was likely in it for only a short time, and probably only for the purposes of mustering out. Even knowing the company name would likely not yield much helpful information in this case. The 125th Infantry never left the US, so it seems likely that he joined them AFTER he came home from Europe and was detached from service. What you really need to find is his COMBAT unit, the company he served with in one of the three regiments of the 1st Infantry Division (in World War II these were the 16th, 18th and 26th Infantry Regiments).
​
Looking at the negative of the report it now looks like the first one is Mkn or Mkm R-JUL 42. I wonder if either of these are right?

That likely reads as an abbreviation for "Marksman", which meant he qualified to be a Marksman with some type of weapon. Does it show something after, like "M-1" perhaps? As a rifleman 745 he'd have carried the M1 Garand rifle, the main infantry weapon of the US Army. More information on weapons qualifications can be found here.

Not being very up on my military knowledge, how would he likely have gone from being in the 1st US Inf to the 125th Inf, the final unit he served in?

An important point to clarify here... He served in the 1st Infantry DIVISION, in one of their three infantry REGIMENTS (Divisions were subdivided into Regiments in the WWII US Army). When we say "125th Infantry", we mean the "125th Infantry Regiment". Saying "1st Infantry" would imply "1st Infantry Regiment", which isn't accurate. Military tradition often leaves off the "regiment" part. Just know that when someone says for example "125th Infantry", they mean "125th Infantry Regiment".

I just wanted to make sure you understood the difference between the two unit types there... But to answer your question, I'm guessing that when Charles was wounded and went to the 90th General Hospital, that was it for him and his time in the 1st Infantry Division. Wounded men didn't get sent back to their original units; if they were well enough to go back to combat they went to a replacement depot for assignment as a replacement in a unit that needed men. If they had a "million dollar wound" , they were sent back to the States for recuperation and eventually separation from service. This may have happened here (seeing his discharge may help).


I've looked at the movements of the 1st and they went on through Europe after Normandy so as this is the last one listed for him would it be likely that it was in this campaign he was wounded?

His discharge should show the date he left Europe for home. Using that date we can figure out the last Campaign during which he was in Europe. Depending on where in the date range of a given campaign his leaving date falls, he could have been wounded during THAT campaign or possibly the one before. To pinpoint it, you'd need to figure out his Company/Regiment, and then obtain a copy of the Morning Reports for that unit (kept at the NPRC in St Louis) by either hiring a researcher or going yourself (unlikely I'm sure given your home country!). His name would be mentioned in those Morning Reports, on the date he was wounded. It would also show where, which is very useful information.

The negative also seems to show the last one as "EAMSTO". Would this be the same African medal you mentioned?

I'm not familiar with that acronym, if it's accurate. The EAME Ribbon was a service ribbon given to every man who served in the European, African and/or Middle Eastern Theaters of combat. It was later made into a medal instead of just awarded in ribbon form.

We found a very good site on USA troop ships and the Queen Mary was carrying the 1st Inf division on the dates on his report. He actually got back to the USA on 27th Jun 1945, not Apr as I previously stated. Can't yet find a ship arriving back on that date.

So there you go, he may have been on the Queen Mary indeed, at least on the trip TO Europe.

Some general thoughts...

The good news is, as KB pointed out, the 1st Infantry Division was a storied outfit with a distinguished history of service. As such, there is a lot of information out there concerning where it was, when, etc. They likely have veterans' associations that may still have a few surviving WWII members. Those groups tend to be very active and very helpful in helping people in your position who want info on where their veteran served and what he may have gone through. I would suggest researching what you can find. A quick Google search will turn up lots of information. I found the Society of the 1st Infantry Division, for example. They may have an archive that contains the information you are looking for, including Morning Reports and After Action Reports. You never know what may be out there. Again, let us know how else we can help!

Cheers,
Adam

 

Hi Emma,

Check this site out for records of the 1st ID. It's kind of an overwhelming amount of material but I would suggest working your way through the titles (upper right corner) until you get to the ones numbered in the "300's". This is where records for the infantry regiments start. I realize we don't know what unit within the 1st Charles served in but it's a place to start. I looked through a couple random casualty reports, one had names and the other had only 'quantities' of various casualty categories.

http://firstdivisionmuseum.nmtvault.com/jsp/browse.jsp

Steve

 

I think I have managed to attach the Separation Report! Please let me know if you can see it. Excuse my scribbles on it

 

Thanks Lou. I see from the list that the hospital was in France from Nov 44. It narrows down the time frame for Charles. I need him in the UK in Oct/Nov 1944 so we are getting closer.

Thanks for the information

Emma

 

Thanks Steve. My brother found this site yesterday and we are slowly working through the documents for any clues. It's amazing what documents are actually out there. Will let you know if we find anything.

Emma

 

Re his medals, Charles's son Richard seems to have applied for replicas as there is a receipt attached to the Separation report. It shows he applied for the following:
1. Bronze Star Medal
2. Purple Heart
3. Good Conduct Medal
4. American Defense Service Medal
5. European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze service stars - Adam you were right!
6. Army of Occupation Medal
7. Combat Infantryman Badge
8. Honorable Service Lapel Button WW11
Also a Marksman Badge with Riffle Bar.

I must remeber to ask my contact in America why Richard did not have his father's medals, he was his only known child. I also need to know if they know of any reason he would not have been in Sicily.

Emma

 

Steve! We have just found him listed in an General Order on the website you suggested. It was for the Bronze Star so we now know the following:

Sec V, GO 50, Hq 1st US Inf Div, 27 Jul 44,

Charles J. Lupica, 12005063, Private First Class, Company B, 18th Infantry.
For heroic achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy
in Normandy, France, 10 June 1944. Residence at enlistment: Albany, New York.​

This is now getting very exciting!

 

Hi Adam

"What you really need to find is his COMBAT unit, the company he served with in one of the three regiments of the 1st Infantry Division (in World War II these were the 16th, 18th and 26th Infantry Regiments)." ​

We have found him! Charles J. Lupica, 12005063, Private First Class, Company B, 18th Infantry.
For heroic achievement in connection with military operations against the enemy in Normandy, France, 10 June 1944. Residence at enlistment: Albany, New York.​ This was in the GO "Sec V, GO 50, Hq 1st US Inf Div, 27 Jul 44" so the date ties up with the one on the separation report.

"His discharge should show the date he left Europe for home"

Unfortunately the date he left Europe in shown as "UNKNOWN" on his discharge with him arriving back in the USA 27 June 1945. So I guess our next course of action is to find out what happened to him between being in hospital and arriving back in the USA. He seems to have had a whole load of inoculations in early June 1945 so perhaps he was going to be sent somewhere rather than being sent home?

We'll search for some veterans associations as you suggest and see if we can get any further.

Thanks Emma

 

Here is Charles Joseph Lupica sitting centre of this photo.

 

A further photo of him, date unknown

 

Excellent stuff, Emma!

Wow, Charles was right in the thick of the fight. He was certainly a hero, and you have a very interesting story you're in the midst of learning.

The fact that you have his company and regiment (B/18th) means you could now shift some of your research to finding organizational documents, including those Morning Reports I mentioned earlier. Those would show you exactly where he was (via not only place names but also map coordinates in many cases) and when. They would include the date he was wounded and where, etc. Connecting that information with where his unit was throughout the war would enable you to trace his path throughout his service timeline (at least up until the time he was wounded).

I think the acronym you had a question about earlier actually says "EAMETO", which simply refers to the EAME ribbon/medal.

In regards to when he was in England, his discharge lists 7 Aug 42 as arriving in the ETO. The 18th Infantry arrived in England 7 Aug 42 so it would seem he made the trip over with them. The ship they sailed on (I think you said the Queen Mary) would be easy enough to identify, since it likely carried the bulk of the regiment. As for when he left Europe... since he arrived stateside 27 Jun 45 (after VE Day), the war was over and it's safe to assume he left about a week prior to that (that's about how long the trip took, given there were no longer any hostilities), so start your research there. The 18th Infantry was still in Germany in Aug 45 (Windsheim), so he either separated from the regiment while in Europe (he likely had enough "points" to go home early given his service record and timeline), or had left the 18th Infantry at some point and finished up his war in Europe with another unit.

You mentioned he earned the Army of Occupation medal, which is interesting, as it would mean he was still with a unit that pushed into Germany and would have been there for at least 30 days after VE-Day (you needed 30 consecutive days to qualify for the medal). That would seem to suggest that when he was wounded he wasn't in a hospital and then sent home but rather that he healed up enough to go back into combat later.

I'd also be interested in learning more about his campaign credits, as the ones on his discharge seem to give him credit for two campaigns that were actually ONE (what his discharge lists as "Algeria, French Morocco" was actually a single campaign called "Algeria-French Morocco" and lasted only from 8 Nov 42 to 11 Nov 42, which essentially was Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa). the 18th Infantry earned an Invasion Arrowhead for this operation, and thus it would seem Charles should have been authorized to wear one on his EAME ribbon (it also earned an Arrowhead for Normandy). Also, there is a gap, as he was given credit for Tunisia (17 Nov 42-13 May 43) and Normandy (6 Jun 44-24 Jul 44) but not Sicily (9 Jul 43-17 Aug 43), which the 18th Infantry took part in and received credit for. Plus if he DID earn the Army of Occupation medal he likely should have even MORE campaign credits to account for the time period at the end of the war, certainly at least the Central Europe campaign. This all could all simply be a clerical error; as someone mentioned, clerks were harried and just trying to process all the soldiers as quickly as possible and often mistakes were made. Often times finding answers inevitably leads to more questions. Finding the date he was wounded would be one key to figuring all that out.

I know none of this answers your primary question "was Charles in England in Oct/Nov 1944?", but his military timeline is another interesting project that I know you're excited to unpack and learn more about. I look forward to learning more about Charles and his service! Thanks a lot for sharing.

Adam

 

For reference, this is the Troopship Crossings website that was referred to above:
http://www.ww2troopships.com/crossings/1942b.htm

 

Good stuff, McCoffee. The dates in Stanton for the 18th Infantry leaving the US via the NY P/E and arriving in the ETO correspond exactly with that site's info about the entire 1st Infantry Division being on the Queen Mary.

 

Emma,

Have you inquired with the family about Sicily? One would think that an Italian family would note his fighting in Sicily (the old country), if he was there. Somebody will know. He was in the fighting in North Africa, and again in Normandy. The 1st Division invaded Sicily between those offensives, so something is missing. If he was wounded in North Africa and missed Sicily, then he's entitled to another Purple Heart. If he did fight in Sicily then he's entitled to another campaign star.

It's a very curious gap and all these brave men should have their records noted and passed down to future generations. More often than not, it's just a clerical error that can be corrected.