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30th Infantry Division, Old Hickory

Discussion in 'Western Europe' started by Ruud, Mar 12, 2012.

  1. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I don't know if you could say that he is "embracing" it. I'd lean more toward tolerating it.

    He had a good time-he likes to talk, ya know.
     
  2. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    Go figure. You got a book out of him, after all.
     
  3. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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  4. merdiolu

    merdiolu Member

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    This division was everywhere I looked in Western Europe. Battle of St. Lo in July , Operation Cobra in 25th July 1944 (where they had the duly honor of being bombed by US Air Force heavy strategic bombers by mistake ) , repulsing Hitler's large scale offensive Operation Luttlich in Mortain in August 1944 , liberated Maastrict in September , fought in Battle of Aachen in October 1944 , hold the Malmedy sector during Battle of Bulge...
     
  5. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Right so. They weren't called the Workhorse of the Western Front for nothing.
     
  6. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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  7. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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    Currey's MoH citation:

    He was an automatic rifleman with the 3d Platoon defending a strong point near Malmedy, Belgium, on 21 December 1944, when the enemy launched a powerful attack. Overrunning tank destroyers and antitank guns located near the strong point, German tanks advanced to the 3d Platoon's position, and, after prolonged fighting, forced the withdrawal of this group to a nearby factory. Sgt. Currey found a bazooka in the building and crossed the street to secure rockets meanwhile enduring intense fire from enemy tanks and hostile infantrymen who had taken up a position at a house a short distance away. In the face of small-arms, machinegun, and artillery fire, he, with a companion, knocked out a tank with 1 shot. Moving to another position, he observed 3 Germans in the doorway of an enemy-held house. He killed or wounded all 3 with his automatic rifle. He emerged from cover and advanced alone to within 50 yards of the house, intent on wrecking it with rockets. Covered by friendly fire, he stood erect, and fired a shot which knocked down half of 1 wall. While in this forward position, he observed 5 Americans who had been pinned down for hours by fire from the house and 3 tanks. Realizing that they could not escape until the enemy tank and infantry guns had been silenced, Sgt. Currey crossed the street to a vehicle, where he procured an armful of antitank grenades. These he launched while under heavy enemy fire, driving the tankmen from the vehicles into the house. He then climbed onto a half-track in full view of the Germans and fired a machinegun at the house. Once again changing his position, he manned another machinegun whose crew had been killed; under his covering fire the 5 soldiers were able to retire to safety. Deprived of tanks and with heavy infantry casualties, the enemy was forced to withdraw. Through his extensive knowledge of weapons and by his heroic and repeated braving of murderous enemy fire, Sgt. Currey was greatly responsible for inflicting heavy losses in men and material on the enemy, for rescuing 5 comrades, 2 of whom were wounded, and for stemming an attack which threatened to flank his battalion's position.[3]
     
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  8. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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    pictures occupation - Liberation Heerlen 1940 -1945 and pictures occupation - Liberation Kerkrade 1940 -1945

    please follow these links to my SKydrive:

    Heerlen : http://sdrv.ms/1be7Eu2

    Kerkrade: http://sdrv.ms/1be88jR
     
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  9. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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    Finally meeting some Liberators of Old Hickory, including Mr Marion Sanford of Old Hickory Recon:

    http://1drv.ms/XBtWoZ
     
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  10. pistol

    pistol Member

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    They also made two assault river crossings: one in Feb 45 over the Rur (Op Grenade); and one across the Rhine in March 45 (Op Plunder).
     
  11. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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    To me, one of the interesting things about Old Hickory is that they had two direct clashes with the LAH (1st Waffen SS Panzer Division) and defeated them on both occasions. The first was at Mortain and the second along the Ambleve river during the Battle of the Bulge. LAH was the preeminent German division, so it's quite significant that they had handed them their asses twice.
     
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  12. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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    Part two of Old Hickory in Holland: pics i took in Maastricht during parade and pics of Mr Sanford's visit to Margraten Warcemetery, were he visits graves of comrades. Mr Sanford gave a signed copy of his book to representatives of Margraten War Cemetery. He said they took good care of his friends. Mr Sanford received an insign and the representative said it stood symbol for the fact that he could be sure that they will continue to take care for them as good as they can. Mr Sanford and his wife miss Peggy both signed guestbook. Also on the pics are Jeff Rogers, Ron (who made everything possible, thanks again Ron) Mr Vaessen (Rotaryclub) and myself.

    please use this link to pics:

    http://1drv.ms/1pkQrow
     
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  13. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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  14. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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  15. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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    Thanks all for salute.
     
  16. Cas

    Cas Member

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    [​IMG]

    Monument Ssgt Roy L Booher
    Noorbeek Limburg Netherlans
     
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  17. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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    There is a story about Roy L Booher, i citate website:

    http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=5039

    Posted 11 September 2008 - 03:28 PM
    Well let's put it this way. I don't know how to make a long story short in English.

    A year ago I (together with 2 of my friends) got the question to participate in a search for the name of the trooper who was killed near our village. We knew that an American trooper was killed but we didn't know the exact spot (we knew it for a perimeter of 300 meters). After a search of a week we came up with 2 names.

    Roy L. Booher and Adan Farias. Roy Booher was from K-Company and Adan Farias from L-Company.

    The after action reports told us that K and L Company came through our village on the evening of September 12, 1944. K was leading and L was following. So our first thought was: It's Booher because K was leading. "Unfortunately" it wasn't that easy. More documents came up and, when we were in a pub in our village, we decided to create a now and then website. A man in the pub overheard us and when he was at his home he told the story of the fallen soldier to his mother. He got the best answer from her we could wish.

    We knew that there was 1 eyewitness. It was her. He contacted us and we spoke to her a couple of days later. She told us that she went to the trooper on September 13 and saw that he was lying facedown. His helmet still on his head. She saw a little bit of hair. It was light and reddish. She never saw a wound or anything else. She couldn't give us any details about the colour of his skin.

    We contact a nephew of Roy Booher with this information. He asked around in his family and we got an answer. He had sandy coloured hair.

    Later we received the IDPF's of both men. Again some more information.

    Now we know everything we have to know we thought but we were still not sure for 100%. After contacting the national archives and veterans of both companies we still didn't know for sure. Lots of people (even from the USA) would like to help us.

    We were still finding documents about the movements but there were no documents which described one of these 2 men being killed in action. These documents were not as accurate as we hoped. They told us in which direction they went but not very accurate.

    Suddenly one of us found a person on the internet who was interested in the World War 2 casualties of the hometown of Adan Farias. His name was also included. He got in touch with the person and got an emailaddress of the former mayor of that town. We were lucky. The plumber of the former mayor was a family member of Adan Farias. What a coincidence. He got in touch with the family members and a few days later we received some pictures of Adan Farias. We knew that he was Mexican and we thought that every Mexican had black hair. When we had the pictures we would know it for sure. But... A brother of Adan Farias was still alive and he told that Adan Farias had some brown/red hair. Again we weren't sure and now we were thinking that it could be Adan Farias.

    A month ago we decided to write a little story in the local magazine about what we were doing. We got a few responses but one of them was very good. A man contacted us and told us that he was 3 years old in 1944 and lived in the house directly at the spot where the soldier was killed. He told us the story his father told him:

    At September 12, 1944. In the evening the father saw 2 American soldiers coming through a field. He decided to go out and warn them because he knew that about 200 meters away there were still Germans. One American soldier climbed over a hedge and was immediately shot and died at the same spot. A few minutes later other soldiers were arriving and stayed there. 3 Hours later 3 airplanes flew in and they destroyed whatever the Germans had overthere. One day later 2 dead Germans where found at that spot. The dead American soldier was carried away on September 13. So his body stayed in the field for 1 night. That was about 1 kilometer to the south of the hamlet Terlinden.

    That's the same as we read in the after action reports. They told us that 1 kilometer south of Terlinden there was a fight where K-company was involved. We assumed that when there was a reconnaisance squad up front it must be from K-Company because they were leading. So at that moment we were thinking about Booher again. But we didn't know how L-company moved. Where they directly behind K or did they move in another direction to Terlinden. BTW Terlinden was the main objective for that day because of an important through road.

    Yesterday evening we went to a man who witnessed the war and did "some" research for the past 50 years.

    Adan Farias was buried on September 13 and Roy Booher on September 14. We knew that and we knew that the soldier near our village was transported back to Belgium on September 13. Near the town of Luik (Luttich). Then they were shipped (!!!) to the cemetery at Fosse which is near the town of Namur. Then off course the bodies had to be identified and then they could be buried. Because "our" trooper was transported back behind the lines at September 13 and the distance between Noorbeek and Namur is about 100-150 kilometers, it's very unlikely that he was buried that day. Even because they were shipped back which takes some time.

    And he had another important issue.

    He told us that he found out that K-company went to the south of Terlinden and L-company came into our village and went into another direction to go to Terlinden. He even knew the road in our village they took 64 years ago. They never came to the place where the soldier was killed. So that made us sure for Roy Booher.

    Tomorrow we will go to Henri-Chapelle cemetery and put some flowers on his grave. 1 Detail: tomorrow it's 64 years ago that he was killed in action. So we were just in time.


    I knew I couldn't make a short story but I hope it was interesting to you and for the people who know that a soldier is killed near your hometown and you don't know the name. Start your research. It's worth it.

    I will add a picture of Adan Farias too because he gave his life for our freedom and you will also see his face.

    Perhaps you will say that you would be sure baout it when you see his haircolour but we don't know how much the paper and time did with the colour of the picture.
     
  18. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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  19. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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  20. Ruud

    Ruud Member

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