The 1st Infantry Division also nicknamed The Fighting First, is the oldest division in the United States Army, and has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917. The 1st Division started preparing for World War II by moving to Fort Benning on November 19th 1939 and ran its personnel through the Infantry School. It then moved to the Sabine Parish, Louisiana area on May 11th 1940 to participate in the Louisiana Maneuvers, returned to Fort Hamilton on June 5th 1940 then to Fort Devens, Ma., on February 4th 1941. The Division was sent to both Carolina Maneuvres of October and November 1941, moved to Samarcand, North Carolina on October 16th 1941 and on December 6th 1941, returned to Fort Devens, Ma. It was then transfered to Camp Blanding, Florida (February 21st 1942) where it was re-designated 1st Infantry Division on May 15th 1942. The 1st Infantry Division moved then back Fort Benning, on May 22nd 1942, to Indian Town Gap Mil Reservation, on June 21st 1942 and, finally, Division departed New York Port of Embarkation on August 1st 1942. The 1st ID arrived in England on August 7th 1942 and assaulted in North Africa on November 2nd 1942 (Operation Torch).
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Feb
07
2009
The 101st Airborne Division was activated on Aug 15 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, and was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Sept 29 1942.
On Jun 7 1943 the division was moved to Springfield, Tennessee, for the Second Army #1 Maneuvers then returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Jul 20 1943. Moving for oversea duties, the 101st moved to the New York POE Aug 31 1943, departed Sept 5 1943 and arrived Sept 15 in England. The 101st A/B air-assaulted Normandy, France, on Jun 6 1944 and was sent back to England Jul 13. On Sept 17 1944, the 101st air-assaulted the Nijmegen – Arnhem area in Holland during Operation Market Garden. After Holland, the 101st moved back to France on Nov 28 and crossed into Belgium on Dec 18 1944 for the Battle of the Bulge. The division entered Germany on Apr 4 1945 and was inactivated in France on Nov 30 1945.
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Feb
04
2009
Category : 082nd Airborne Division
In late March, 1945, the 82nd Airborne Division was engaged in training activities at its base camps at Sissone, Suippes and Laon, France. Reorganization under the new Table of Organization was under way and a schedule of intensive airborne training was being carried out. Experiments also were being conducted with new equipment, including the new recoilless 57-MM gun. Several tentative airborne missions were in the planning stage at the Division’s Headquarters at Camp Sissone. Late in the afternoon of March 30 1945, the Division CO, Maj Gen James M. Gavin was called to XVIII Corps (Airborne) Headquarters at Epernay France.
Here he received instructions to the effect that the 82nd A/B Div and the 101st A/B Div were to concentrate southwest of Bonn in Germany.
On Mar 31 1945, at 1400-H, the 82nd was attached to the Fifteenth US Army and given the mission to patrol a section of the West bank of the Rhine River. This river was the Western boundary of a hugh pocket of German resistance in the Ruhr area. Aside from patrols the Division probably would not cross the river and movement of the Division to the new area would begin on or about Apr 3 1945.
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