980th Field Artillery Battalion Pictures - Training to Germany

Dear Friends,
My father entered service from New York, I recently got hold of a number of photos during training in the desert and others in Belfast. If you guys want I find no problem to show them here.
What i want to know is where did the 980th FAB landed in D-Day, from the studies i did i am concluding that they landed in Utah at about 0900 hrs.

 

B Battery, 980th Field Artillery Battalion landed c. 0900 hours on UTAH. It was attached to the 4th ID. The rest of the 980th (minus residuals still in England) landed later in the day (I do not have a time). The 980th FA Bn was part of VII Corps artillery and was attached to either the 142d or 188th FA Group (I suspect the latter).

 

BTW, the Morris Swett Library at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, OK is the repository for unit histories. They have one for the 980th under "UA30.2 (980), 980th Field Artillery Battalion, Unit History." Reach out to them.

 

Thanks for the info

 

Great pictures and commentary.

 

This is my first time on this site but I'm so pleased to have found it. I've been researching a CPT H O Welch as I recently acquired a S&W revolver which was presented to him by the members of his unit (C Battery, 144th FA) in 1937. I've been trying to find out more information about his life and service (WWI and Korea as well as WWII) and it was terrific to find this post and pictures about the 980th FA which he commanded from the time the unit was formed at Ft. Lewis until the end of the war. I'll try to upload a couple of pictures of the revolver which happens to be a quite rare and highly collectible Smith & Wesson 357 Registered Magnum. Thanks again for the pictures and commentary and especially thanks to Corporal Marvin L. Snyder who captured the pictures and retained them after the war; he was a clearly a hero of the 980th FA.

 

Hi guys I have restored a Willys MB jeep and wish to put the registration of the 980th FAB on it, since my dad served with this battalion in world war two, can any one help me?

Charles 'Portland' Zammit.
Malta, Europe.

 

I researched what I could on this in 2018 when I visited the museum ship LST 325. Great luck that very ship landed portions of the 980th FAB. So cool to walk into the cargo hold knowing there was a very good chance my dad was on this very ship in June 1944. Here's what I found:


From the official unit history:

“At the beginning of this same period, June 1st to 19th, the remaining combat elements [Battery B had landed on the 7th] at camp Mereley, England were awaiting orders. On the morning of the 7th of June they moved to the Marshalling Area D-8; on the 10th they loaded on three LST’s. They arrived on the evening of the 11th off Utah Beach, Normandy and waited in turn to unload. The LST’s were beached at high tide and the Battalion waited until low tide and rolled off on to dry sand. Unloading was completed without casualties on the morning of the 12th……That day the Battalion went into action…..It was the first heavy artillery Battalion of the corps to fire in the Normandy Campaign.”

And confirming that LST-325 was one of the LST’s, from the book Mosier’s Raiders – The Story of LST-325:

“The LST-325 reached England the afternoon of June 9th and anchored overnight near Weymouth, before continuing on to the Hard in Portland the next day. ….That afternoon [next day] vehicles and troops from the 980th Field Artillery Battalion were loaded onboard.”

“On the 11th, the LST-325 began her second trip to France in Convoy EPL-410. As the convoy neared the French coast that evening it split into two groups, the LST-325 following the group lead by the LST-262 to the Utah Beach area, the other group of LST’s continued on to Omaha Beach. As the convoy neared the Utah assault area an explosion rocked another of the ship’s group, the LST-499, after it struck an underwater mine. Immediately the ship began to settle down by the stern. The escort ships moved in to rescue the stricken ships crew, while the remaining LST’s continued on and anchored near Isle of St. Marcouf.”

“At 0350 in the morning of the 12th, the LST-325 beached on Sugar Red sector of Utah Beach and waited for the tide to go out. The crew kept a close eye on the ship as the tide went out, looking for nay signs of stress to the hull. They commenced unloading trucks and artillery at 0700.”

 

Love all the information. My grandfather was in this unit Sgt Howard Freezer. Do you know where I can find all the history of the unit. Interested in all the locations they went in Europe. I would like to retrace the steps of the unit. Any information would be great. Thanks Mike

 

Reminder: I have the 980th unit history and the shorter summary both in pdf I can email anyone who wants one. Just shoot me a pm here.

 

ISU
I’m do WWII Living History with a group called WW2ARMOR.org. We run and gun with operational armor and artillery. I’m part of a 155mm Gun crew representing the 980th Battery B. Was hoping I could get a 'stick (I would be happy to reimburse you) with your photos. I can tell you they would be used at our events to honor your father’s and the others that served in the 144th/980th FA. Also would love the pdf copies of the History of the 980th. Thanks looking forward to hearing from you!

 

My father-in-law was Herbert A. Fletcher. He was the NCO in charge of the personnel section and kept this list of dates and places the 980th was located. The second page would not upload since it is too large. I also have a map where I have placed pins on all of the locations.

 

Thanks Herb this will come in very hand with my living history for the 980th FA would it be possible to e mail me the other page and a picture of the map? gothasteve1904@yahoo.com

 

Ran across this image of the 980th landing at Utah Beach on June 12th. Only had the thumbnail before and this is full size.

 

Also found my dad's list of location by date. Not as detailed as those posted above but have some notations like Free French hanging a mayor. Not sure what the references to "zig zag" of "zig zig" mean, maybe zig zagging road they were moving on. I do recognize the reference to the his friend Cpl. Hutchins getting killed in April 1945. Also the Sgt. Tyree references, some guy my dad got in a fight with, maybe more than once.

 

Would it be possible to get a digital copy of the of the 980th Unit history and the summary as well via email? Email address gothasteve1904@yahoo.com

 

To whom it concerns:
I am a Dutch citizen and have adopted a name on the wall of missing soldiers at Margraten cemetery. The name of this soldier is Ruel L Gardner and served in the 980 Fa Bn B battery, the only thing I know about him is he was KIA near Elsdorf Germany coor. F16717000 a pile of German explosives detonated killing him and corporal Rensink. Their bodies where never recovered or found back, meaning they are MIA.
Is someone at this forum who has more information about this it all happens at the 5th of March 1945