History and Social Networking

Okay, this is just plain cool. Someone has started up a photo account that features pictures from the Normandy invasion. These seem to be period pictures, I'm guessing from press photographers who landed on the beaches and with the invasion force during Operation Overlord.

The entire photoset can be seen here, but be warned, there are some pretty graphic shots. The account has a number of other photosets, with thousands of pictures.

I find this interesting on a couple of levels. The first, as a history geek - these are pictures that seem to me to be pretty candid of the invasion - I'm guessing that most of these weren't staged - as some Civil War photographs have been - and show a side of the Normandy invasion that really looks past the invasion component. We see the civilians caught in the path of war here, a lot of the devastation that the war left behind, and some of the very brutal elements as well.

The second thing that makes me interested here is that this helps to illustrate how the internet is potentially changing things. I came across these pictures via random search, something that I might not have come across otherwise. Social Networking sites such as Flickr have the potential to really link up some historical content together. Imagine an interactive historical site that allows for uploads of various events, written historical content and user comments about the event. This could really bring about some interesting changes in the way that historical events are studied, researched and interpreted, especially with events that are currently happening.

I've posted pictures up on flickr as well - when I was working on my Normandy Project back in 2007, I uploaded my shots of the Norwich students who fought at Normandy. I've since taken them down because they were only up there because I had forgotten a thumb drive, but I can see the benefit of having content such as this online.

What would be facinating would be a way to look over the entire Iraq war from its beginning, and watching how opinions change over time, but also to get first hand comments from people who were there. First-hand accounts, from the moment, are extremely handy, especially without the use of hindsight and interpretation from people at the scene.

There are some obvious problems with something like this, and other user-generated content sources, such as Wikipedia, as items can be updated, but they can be updated incorrectly at the same time. At the Society for Military History conference that I attended earlier this year, this seems like it has become, and will be a very contentious issue. Thus, items such as this can only be trusted so far, as incorrect information is a really bad thing to have when doing research.

I suspect that as the internet gains even more prominance when it comes to research in the near future, this will become more of an issue, but we will also see more historical content being published via sites such as this. It should be very interesting.

Operation Overlord

Today is June 6th, the anniversary of the beginning of Operation Overlord, which began the end of the German hold on mainland Europe. It's also been a little over a year since I traveled to Normandy and got to see it for myself with a couple highly qualified tour guides, and it's been over a year since I finished my final paper on the Norwich Students who fought at Normandy.

The past year has marked some changes since I went abroad. Last December, the last Norwich veteran of the day, Arthur Harrington, passed away. I've since begun my master's degree in Military History, largely guided by my experiences in the country. Since then, I've done a lot of reading on the campaign.

Studying Normandy is an incredibly complex and difficult thing to comprehend. It was one of the largest military operations in history, even through to today. Millions of Allied and Axis soldiers were involved in the operation, which successfully liberated Paris on August 25, 1944. The sheer logistics of this is mind boggling.

World War II, in my mind, is one of the wars that shouldn't be labeled as the Last Good War, or something along those lines. I'd label it as the Last Popular War. The sheer amount of media attention on the conflict in recent years is immense, and while such information is good, it's overwhelming at times, and popular history tends to perpetuate things, like the labeling that WWII has received. In my mind, it's a shame that some of the other conflicts, such as Korea, World War I, and others haven't received the same attention, as this not only draws more people to the field of history, but it also helps uncover a lot of baseline data from people who were there.

Overlord and D-Day still hold a great deal of interest to me, as it's a fairly easy thing for me to research, study but most of all conceptualize. I'm hoping that I'll be able to revisit my Normandy project again and continue to research what the Norwich people did there, in more detail. For that, I'll be visiting the National Archives, which should still have the original mission reports from various units, which will give me all the information that I need.

D-Day was a success. I've read accounts of where people have said that it was a horrible disaster, based on how many people had perished and how long it took to push further into France. I would argue that, when you look at the War in context, and think about just how complicated the situation was, and how everything came together. There were issues, and problems during the invasion. Many people died, some needlessly, but by doing so, they helped bring an end to Hitler's hold on Europe.

In the meantime, it's a good time to reflect on the invasion. It's one of the few points in history where there is a really clear tipping point in a conflict, and the successes of this operation really changed the way the world operated in and helped shape today.

Writing Slate

So, I've been doing a bit of independent projects with history since I've graduated, both centered around the history of Camp Abnaki. I started this summer with archiving a lot of the records and sorting them out in house, and from there, I embarked on two projects:

1 - Comprehensive History of Camp Abnaki. This is going to be an extremely long-term writing project, given the scope of what I'm trying to do. Rather than just writing a history paper that essentially goes from point A to B to C to D, this project is going to look at the history of Abnaki in the context of 20th century history - how major events such as the stock market crash, the first and second world wars, the cold war, outbreak of flu, the 1960s and how attitudes towards child care have been changing since 1901. This is going to take me a long time to finish, and it's currently on the back burner due to it's size and due to the next project:

2 - The life of Byron Clark. This paper's in a more complete form now, standing at 25 pages, with probably another ten or so to be written. I've just gotten Clark's journal, which I'm working on translating from cursive to a regular text file. However, in order to finish this in time, I'm going to have to forgo some of the translating and pick out sections where needed. I currently have one feeler out for a presentation at a historical conference in April, and I'm hoping to get this published (it will probably need to be edited down.) I've also currently put out requests for editing from three PhDs that I know.

3- Norwich University and the Invasion of Normandy. This was my thesis paper for my senior year at Norwich, and while I completed it for the course, topping out at 38 pages (50 with maps and sources), I'm not at the point where this is finished for me. I need to visit the National Archives and pull unit records for various infantry and armored divisions, which I found to give incredibly detailed information on the going-ons of the campaign. This is something that I'd love to get published someday.

4 - The Class the Stars Fell On - this is going to be my next project, and I'm going to start it right after I finish with my Byron Clark Paper. I came across the reference earlier this weekend when I finished Rick Atkinson's An Army At Dawn (FINALLY), when he mentioned that the American Military Academy (West Point) class of 1915 numbered 162 graduates. Out of that class, 59 were made general, two of them reaching the highest rank possible, five stars (Eisenhower and Bradley). Following that, there were two 4-star generals, seventy-three 3-stars, twenty four 2-stars and twenty four 1-stars. The intent it to examine what role this class played in the world following their graduation and why this class was so extraordinary - no class since has graduated as many people who obtained the rank of General. This will probably be a long project as well - possibly book length. I know that there's a lot of information, particularly about the more visible members of the class, such as Eisenhower and Bradley, but I'm going to need to research a lot of other people, to see what they were up to. I'm excited for the prospect of this project, and I suspect that it'll take me a bit longer than I'd like because I'll be starting my Masters in March, although maybe this can be a part of it.

RIP - Arthur Harringon

I just received an e-letter from Norwich from the alumni office, something that they've recently started doing. While looking through the obituary list, I came across one name - Arthur Harrington - that I recognized.

Some of you might remember that I did my final thesis on Norwich alumni who fought at Normandy, France during D-Day. Of the 43 people that I was able to find, I was only able to speak with one, Arthur Harrington, who landed on Omaha Beach on D+0 H + 6.

He was assigned to the 5th Special Engineering Brigade, where he was tasked with linking up communications between the 1st Infantry Division and the 29th Infantry division. He landed on Easy One, under enemy fire.

D-Day was the only time that Harrington took fire. He spent the rest of the war on the beaches, tasked to another special communications group that helped coordinate communications between the various branches (Army, Army Air Corp, Navy and Coast Guard), while helping set up a port at Normandy to supply the soldiers fighting further inland.

Prior to the invasion, he was involved with the planning of Overlord by analyzing reconnaissance photographs to help place equipment. Just before that, he was stationed in Iceland.

When I spoke with him a little under a year ago, he was happy to speak with me about my work, and about his role in the invasion. He told me then that he would not likely live to see the school again, and sent me a package of some papers relating to D-Day for the library's special collections. I mailed him a copy of my final paper, and never heard back from him again. I gathered that he was fairly active where he lived in North Carolina. He was 89 years old.

His official obituary can be found here.

You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely....The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking." ~General Dwight D. Eisenhower giving the D-Day order on June 6, 1944.

Sixty-Three years ago, 43 Norwich University alumni were fighting or preparing to fight as part of the first combined allied actions in France. On this day, Major Bill McNamara, NU '36, Lieutenant Thurber Raymond, NU ’41, and Lt. Colonel Carroll Stowell, NU '40, of the 1st Infantry, Major Jim Ballard, NU '39, and Lieutenant George Briggs, NU '32, of the 29th Infantry, Captain Arthur Harrington, NU ’40, of the 5th Special Engineer Brigade, Lieutenant Eugenio Bonafin, NU '43, of the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion, Lieutenant Thomas Fulham, NU ’47, and Lieutenant Robert Harrington, NU ’47, of the 4th Infantry Division, Lieutenant Lawrence Elman, NU '43 and Lieutenant Fredrick Meinken, NU '47, of the 4th Cavalry Regiment and Private Richard Austin, NU '44 of the 101st Airborne. In the air, Lieutenant David Steward, NU '47, Captain Jim McCarthy, NU ‘40, Lieutenant Sherman Crocker, NU ‘44, and Sergeant William Crawthorne, NU ’47, and possibly Sergeant Edward T. Yeller, NU ‘49, of the 9th Air Force, Lieutenant Edwyn Florcyk, NU ‘44, rgeant Mitchell Esoian, NU ‘49, Sergeant George Edwin Guidi, NU ‘49 and Sergeant Robert Wieler, NU ‘49 of the 8th Air Force, were all in Normandy at this time.

It's a bit late, but here's the conclusion to my paper:

Conclusion
While the locations of a number of alumni during the invasion can be determined by way of their units, there are several other alumni who are known to have participated in the invasion, but their whereabouts cannot be accounted for because of insufficient or conflicting information. The first of these is Wesley Goddard, NU ’33, who, according to the Norwich University Record, commanded field artillery during the invasion, and there is some indication that he served in the 18th Field Artillery Battalion. However, there is conflicting information regarding this unit, and it is not known exactly what Major Goddard was doing during the invasion. Similarly, alumnus Philip Bracket was also confirmed to have been in Normandy, given his award of the Normandy ribbon indicated in his alumni file at Norwich. He was a dentist in the US Army, but it is unknown what unit he was part of, or what his rank was. Lieutenant Colonel Storer Humphrey, NU ‘28, also in the medical field, was found to be listed in three separate units, the 100th General Hospital, 91st Evacuation Hospital and 160 Station, some of these having been in Normandy. As a brain surgeon, it is possible that he was called to duty during the invasion, as there were thousands of men injured throughout the invasion. In addition to these three men, there were a number of other Norwich alumni who were in Normandy at this time, but it is not known whether they participated in the invasion, or were replacements for casualties in their units. Further research could most likely clear this up.
The Normandy invasion spelled the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. From the breakout from Normandy at St. Lo, the allied forces went on to free Paris, the rest of France, Belgium, and Holland before moving on towards Germany. While they were rebuffed at times, they reached Germany by the end of 1944, and on May 7th of the following year, the last German forces surrendered. The war in Europe was over, and in August of 1945, the Second World War concluded.
Norwich University alumni would maintain close ties to the University through their letters to the Norwich University Record, as well as with each other, remaining in contact with one another or coming across each other during their leaves and chance meetings.
By examining the role of its alumni who participated in the war, it is clear that Norwich University alumni played a multifaceted and significant role in the Invasion of Normandy, serving in a variety of units throughout the invasion. Their experiences can be viewed as a microcosm for the rest of the Normandy Invasion. They exhibited bravery and courage, as several of the Norwich alumni would be cited for such with the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and in one case, after Normandy, the Medal of Honor. It is fairly clear that the training that they received at Norwich University prepared them for a role in their work at Normandy, as 75% of the Norwich Alumni would serve in the invasion as officers. This demonstrates that Norwich University alumni were largely in a command role through the invasion, and through their leadership, most likely helped ensure the success of the invasion on their unit levels, although in some cases, it is likely that the leadership of Norwich alumni helped spell the success of the US forces.
A letter from Lt. Colonel Carroll Stowell, NU ‘30, perhaps best summarizes the role that Norwich University played in the minds of the Norwich Alumni:

Rose in rank during the two and one-half years I was in the first from 2nd Lt. to Major. During that period the battalion was awarded three Presidential Unit Citations. Have always felt that my Norwich background and trained were factors in my being assigned to the First Engineers and in the contributions that I was able to make to the successes of the unit.

Back in the USA

So, I'm back - currently in New Hampshire, with my Aunt and Uncle, who picked me up from the airport. Yesterday was incredibly long and with probably two of the worst flights that I've ever had. They were smooth, which was nice, but both legs of my trip home had one thing in common: screaming infants. Three of them. One on the transatlantic flight over, and another two on the two hour flight up. I don't know what it is, biology maybe, that makes a squalling baby such a horrible thing, but it's a horrible thing on a flight because of the limited space. The two in the last flight were also RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. Fortunately, I had my CD player and Victoria's Wars to keep my sanity to some degree.
So, I'm back in New England, trying to readjust me biological clock, which is currently telling me that it's around 2 in the afternoon, even though it's really 9 in the morning. Aunt Jan and Uncle Tom are currently out to a meeting with a doctor (Uncle Tom had surgery a while back) and after they get back, I'll head out and go home.

The trip was amazing, and it hasn't really struck me until now how fast it went by. I have to say thank you so much to people who sheltered me and were able to meet up with me during the trip (And I feel really bad that I didn't get to see everyone), but because of people's help, I was able to survive in London and eat at the same time, so I'm thankful for that. Meeting up with people, such as Sara and Naomi was also great, because I haven't seen them in a long time, and it was good to have someone to talk to, or bug, depending on the hour.

Normandy was surreal. Seeing the battlefields with two Army Generals is probably the best way to see the battlefields, given their background, and we got such a detailed look at the battlefields, that I think I need to go and throw out my paper and re-write the thing. As it is, it needs significantly more research time and writing time, because I'm still finding mistakes in it. (I did get an A for it though, which is a plus). Hell, while I was out there I was able to do some work on it - I found the resting places of four of my guys, as well as their service numbers, exact units and date of death, something that I either didn't have or was incorrect. Yeah, I'm a geek like that.
Actually seeing Normandy put a huge spin on how I perceived the battle - the books and things that I've read don't really tell the entire story - we looked at terrain and things like that at points, something that I'd never really thought of. And, Normandy is HUGE. Hundreds of square miles, all one fairly continuous battlefield. Most people think of just the landing beaches as where the fighting was - that was just the first day. And, like when I went and visited the battlefields at Marathon, Greece, I got chills thinking about what had transpired there, although in this case, there's still a huge active local memory for the event. People still remember the battle there, and appreciate us for it. There's still the bunkers, the beaches, bullet and bomb craters, and I'm sure if you really really looked, you'd find some of the equipment that the allies lost in the airborne drops (they lost almost 90% of the soldier's leg bags due to prop-blast), bullets, guns and I'm sure that there's still a couple bodies kicking around somewhere that were just never recovered. The battle here isn't nearly as abstract as the one in Marathon.

Seeing London again was nice, but a little empty. I didn't have anything official to do there, like school or work, or a larger circle of friends to hang out with. But, it was nice seeing everything again, the accents, the To Let signs, everything about London just came right back to me, and I was comfortable there. I got to see a bunch of familiar things, like the Imperial War Museum (I did end up finding and splurging on a book on the Falklands War) and some new things, like the Geological Society of London and got to see an original print of William Smith's first Geological map, which was something like 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide. And lots of walking and bus riding.

All in all, it was a very very fun trip. I'll have good memories from it, but I am happy to be back home (sorta - soon) and get back on with work here.

London / France Update

So, as I've mentioned, I'm in London. I went abroad last Wednesday from Manchester NH, and arrived sometime mid afternoon here. I went and found my hostel, and walked around London for a little while, refinding old places. Later in the afternoon, another Norwich alum, Naomi arrived at Waterloo - we were staying at the same hostel, and I was able to lead her to it. We walked around, found dinner and hung out for a little while. Thursday was fun - We went out to Oxford in the morning and walked around the place for a little while, went to most of the cool sites, although we didn't go into any of the schools, but we did end up at the Eagle and Child, then went back home to London. From there, we discovered that the musical Spamalot was playing in the West End, and went out to go see that - absolutely fantastic and brilliant musical. Anyone who's a fan of the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail would absolutely love it - it's a fantastic adaptation, and they've thrown in a huge number of references to Flying Circus and Life of Brian. I can't remember when I laughed so hard. Highly recommended for everyone. The next day, we went out and met up with Sara, who's still in London. We also met up with her friend Rob, who I met last time I was here. We walked around for the rest of the day, got lunch and dinner and generally caught up and chatted. It was a lot of fun. I brought my suitcase over to her apartment, which is waay out in Zone 3. It's quite a ride out. The next morning, I left Naomi, who was to leave later in the week and went out to Heathrow, where I flew to Paris. It was a quick flight, and I arrived in Charles De Gaulle somewhat disoriented, but I found my hotel within an hour or so, where I met up with the Norwich people who were already there. I met up with Vice President Whaley and President Schneider, as well as several trustees, General Sullivan and General Nelson, which was cool. We had dinner there, which was fantastic, and then went to bed. The next morning, we were up early, got on the bus and picked out a couple more people, and then drove out to Normandy, via Caen. We stopped along the way at Pegasus Bridge, which was the first structure in Normandy to be liberated by the allied forces, the 6th British Airborne Company C. The store was a literal shrine to the American and British soldiers. I, along with General Sullivan, General Nelson, President Schneider and V. President Whaley had dinner in the back room, where I suspect that few tourists see. Afterwards, we walked around the area, saw where the three gliders of the Company C landed, as well as looked over the bridge. It was a cool walkaround. Our next stop was a windshield survey of the British and Canadian beaches and the tactical significance of their actions. We got back on the bus and went out to our hotel, which was really really high quality place. We had a seminar where we went over the overal world situations of World War 2, and I presented on half of my paper. We had dinner there and went to bed. The next morning (Tuesday), we set out for the vicinity of Utah Beach. While we were driving around, we spent a lot of time on tactics and the overall stratigy of the invasion and how all the elements fit in together. We first looked over the airborne forces and how they operated and the conditions in which they landed. We stopped by St Mere Eglis, which was captured on the first day, and where a lot of the American soldiers assembled. From there, we went to Utah Beach, where we went over the beaches. Utah was the easier of the two beaches, and we discussed that. There were a couple of bunkers on site, and we looked over those. We then got lunch and move on to Point Du Hoc, the site where the Rangers landed and took a German Battery that could fire down on the beaches and Allied forces. There are still a number of bunkers and craters still there, although the actual memorial is off limits due to cliff erosion. We returned to the hotel, dinner, etc, and the next day, we set out for Omaha Beach. We arrived there and talked about the people who landed there, and how it differed from Utah beach (2000 people killed as opposed to 200). We visited several sites there. I was presented a book by the entire group, who'd signed it, in thanks for my work on the Norwich people. I talked a bit about the Norwich alumni there, and we visited the American cemetary overlooking the beach. It was a horrible sight. I was a little disgusted by the people there - taking video and tons of photographs, generally acting like tourists. It seemed disrespectful. I found the resting places of four Norwich people (None were at that site). We then went on to lunch at Arromannes, where we got lunch and I sent off my postcards to the US (Various people should be getting them in a couple days). I went out to the cliffs and looked at the rocks and did some drawings, and we returned back to the hotel where we took a rest and had our last seminar, where we discussed the trip and how it can be used in the future. It was an interesting talk, and we took another break, packed and went to our last dinner there. Yesterday morning, we drove back to Paris, where I got my flight. I'd hoped to meet up with Linh, but we didn't get around to meeting up like we'd hoped (Sorry!). I flew back to London, where I dropped by bags off and bought a couple of books, found a park and read for a while, then met up with Sara, got dinner and went up to her place, where I am right now. I called home, Sarah and work (to brag), and passed out. I'm taking a break today, just staying in, resting from all the walking around that I've been doing, and catching up on TV show finales that I missed. LOST was mindblowing, and Heroes (which I'm watching now) is just jaw dropping. Many thanks to Sara for letting me stay here, because it's a much appreciated break and good to talk with people that I know. Pictures can be seen in the links below. Now, for the rest of Heroes and lunch.

Album 1

Album 2

Post-Invasion and Aftermath

With the first phase of Operation Overlord completed after the arrival of the Second Armored Division, the next objective was to secure the Normandy peninsula, pushing the German forces out and leaving the allies with a firm toehold in the continent, where they could reinforce the invasion forces, as well as establish ports and temporary airstrips. This would prove to be a slow, costly process, as the region is covered in banks and hedgerows – ideal terrain for a defending enemy, not for an invading army. During this time, a number of the Norwich University alumni who participated in the invasion would die by enemy fire.

The 3rd Armored Division would arrive in Normandy by June 29th, and included Norwich alumni Major Nathan ‘Duffy’ Quinn, NU ’34, and Major Howard Gardner, NU ‘36. They arrived in time for the attack on St. Lo.[1]

The last of the Norwich alumni to arrive during the invasion period of the war, by July 19th, and before the battles to capture the Cotentin Peninsula was Private Stephen Woynar, NU ‘45, of the 86th Cavalry Recon, Lieutenant John Hammell, NU ’47, Sergeant Jon Pimm, NU ’47, of the 1252nd Combat Engineers, Captain Arthur Pottle, NU ’47, of the 86th Cavalry Recon, and Captain Fredrick Wing, NU ’47 with the 15th Tank Battalion, all part of the 6th Armored Division. While Private Woynar is the only member of the unit confirmed to have been there through records, it seems likely that the remaining four soldiers were also present, given their unit and prior locations.

During this time, there were a number of meetings between Norwich men, in between combat stints. After thirty days of combat, Pvt. Richard Austin’s unit was pulled off the line, where he returned to England, and returned in September to Holland.[2] Captain Sherman Crocker (‘44) would be promoted to become the commanding officer of the 507th Fighter Group in December.[3]

The first casualty during the campaign was Major Jim Ballard, NU ‘39, of the 29th Infantry Division, on July 12th. The 29th Infantry was beginning a push towards the town of St. Lô, and exact details of Ballard’s injury are not known, although he does not appear to have been wounded seriously, and looked forward to returning to his unit in a letter to the Norwich Record[4].

The next day, Lieutenant Eugenio Bonafin, NU ‘43, of the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion died. While acting as a forward observer for the 83rd Infantry Division, 330th Regiment, launching mortars to cover the unit’s advance, the battalion broke through the lines into a trap, and was enveloped by four German tanks. During the attack, Lieutenant Bonafin was killed by one of the tank’s machine guns. For his actions in the unit, he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.[5]

Colonel Harry ‘Paddy’ Flint, NU ’10, would die on the 24th of July. He was killed by a gunshot wound to the head while leading his men towards St. Lô on the main road. He told his executive officer: “From Paddy to Van: Strangely quiet here. Could take nap. Have spotted pillboxes; will start them cooking.”[6] Up farther, at a farmhouse, Flint was shot by a sniper, while explaining to a sergeant “how he should take up positions to drive the Germans out from their hedgerow trenches.”[7] His men quickly found the sniper and dispatched him, while their Colonel was given a cigarette and a dose of morphine before he passed away. Further casualties during this time included Lieutenant Edwyn Florcyk, NU ‘44, when his plane’s left wing was destroyed by anti-aircraft fire and crashed[8]. Lieutenant Lawrence Elman, NU ‘42, with the 4th Cavalry, would be the next to die, on July 27th, while reconnoitering a road near Marginey, when an enemy shell killed him. Lieutenant George Briggs would die on August 8th near St. Lo, when members of his platoon would find him after being hit by shrapnel. Private Stephen Woynar, NU ’45, died on the 12th of August during a patrol in Northern France, a booby-trapped landmine would kill Lieutenant Thurber Raymond, NU ’41, on September 10th, and Private Richard Austin, NU ‘44 perished on September 22nd by a mortar shell during actions in Holland. Captain Sten Bergstedt, NU ’32, would be killed in Germany on September 24th, Major Wesley Goddard, NU ’33, was wounded at Aachen in December and while being returned home, he passed away on December 13th. Captain Sherman Crocker, NU ’44, would be killed over Germany when his fighter was hit by anti-aircraft fire – his body was never recovered.

The Norwich alumni who had been with the invasion forces continued to work to clear the region of German forces. Perhaps the biggest moment would come during the breakout at St. Lô, after weeks of movement and attacks, when the US forces broke the German lines, led by General Brook’s 2nd Armored Division, along with (Newly promoted) Brigadier General I.D. White, NU ‘22, Captain James Burt, NU ’39 and Lieutenant Colonel Briard Johnson, NU ’27 and Commandant (1950). During the massive assault, the entire city was ruined, and the Second Armored division is credited with the success of the attack and break out.



[1] Harrison, 444

[2] 1947 War Whoop (Need Page #)

[3] 1947 War Whoop (Need Page #)

[4] October 27 1944 Record, 22

[5] Ellion, 39-40

[6] Norwich Record, Feb 2, 1945, 23

[7] Ibid

[8] 1947 War Whoop (Need Page #)

D-Day 4 – 9: Days 5 to 10

On the 9th of June, the 101st Airborne, with the 506th, 502nd and 501st regiments, and presumably, Private Austin, attacked the German-held town of Carentan. The 501st attacked from the Northwest, where they captured a hill. Over the next several days, the 101st airborne would work to hold the town and defend key routes into the city.[1] Elements of the 175th Infantry would also participate in Carentan, but is it not likely that Lieutenant Jerome Eastman, NU ’32, would have participated. As he had been wounded several days earlier, when he first reached Normandy.[2] The capture of Carentan would link the two American beaches into a continuous front.

June 7th through the 11th showed the arrival of one of the most important units to the battle, the 2nd Armored Division, and along with it, Captain Gordon Fuller, NU ‘38, General Edward Brooks, NU ‘16, Colonel I.D. White, NU ‘22, Captain Sten Bergstedt, NU ’32, Lieutenant Col Briard Johnson, NU ’27 (and later, Commandant and Professor of Military Sciences), and Captain James Burt, NU ‘39. They arrived on Omaha Beach. In addition, the 39th Infantry, with Norwich alumni Colonel Harry ‘Paddy’ Flint, NU ’10, and Lieutenant Arnold MacKerer, NU ‘46, arrived on Utah Beach.

The Second Armored division, under the command of General Brooks, embarked for Normandy on the 6th of June, and arrived on the 7th, where they appear to have landed in several stages. General Brooks arrived on the 7th. While landing, a landing craft exploded next to Brook’s ship; close enough to push it around.[3] It is likely that Captain Gordon Fuller, NU ’38, was aboard this LST, as Colonel White, NU ’22, noted in an interview years later that the LST belonged to the 67th Regiment, which Captain Fuller was assigned to[4]. He would prove to be the first Norwich casualty in the Normandy Invasion, before he even reached the beachhead.

Command Combat B, which was commanded by Col. I.D. White (‘22), arrived June 8th, where they spent the rest of the day de-waterproofing their equipment and by that night, the entire unit moved to the Tournieres and Littry area, where they prepared for combat and scouted the area for enemy emplacements and for safe routes in the region[5]. Once the 2nd Armored division had landed in Normandy, the initial phase of the invasion was completed.[6] The next phase was to secure the Normandy region. The 2nd Armored Division was called into action to help reinforce the forces already in the battlefield, as there were reports that the Germans were launching a counter attack. On the 12th of June, the division began to carry out attacks on the Germans, first reinforcing a group of soldiers from the 101st Airborne division near Carentan. The 66th Regiment, which Captain Sten Bergstedt, NU ’32, was attached to, would remain with the 101st Airborne division and the 83rd Infantry division, until early July.[7] While this was happening, Combat Command B, under Colonel I.D. White, was clearing the assembly area of mines and the unit worked to find ways to fight in the Normandy hedgerows, as well as the use of armored and infantry units in support of each other.

The 39th Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel Harry Flint, NU ’10, also landed on the 11th of June, at Utah Beach. Lieutenant Arnold MacKerer Jr., NU ’46, was also a member of this unit, assigned to E-Company. The unit landed in the morning and marched to St. Mere Eglise and was immediately sent to Quinneville with Patton’s 4th Division. They arrived on June 14th and engaged the German defenders in the area there. Initially, they met heavy enemy fire and were forced to withdraw, but within the day, the Division was able to break the German lines at Quinneville. The unit was able to rest for a couple days, but was back on the line by the 16th, where they worked to cut off the peninsula that was one of the larger goals of the American forces in the area, something that was achieved by the 18th of June, granting the Allied forces a large port. The next week would be spent neutralizing the enemy forces that had been cornered by the attack.



[1] Ibid, 359-360

[2] Ibid

[3] Huston, 199

[4] Strodter, 224

[5] CCB Periodic Report, 7-11 June

[6] Huston, 200

[7] Huston, 203

D+ 1-3: Days 2-4

The subsequent days after the initial invasion brought in a number of new units to reinforce the soldiers who had arrived earlier. The only Norwich alumnus to arrive on June 7th was Jerome Eastman, NU ’32, of the 747th Tank Battalion. He arrived in France through Omaha beach and was attached to the 175th Infantry of the 29th Division.[1] They landed at 1230, later than expected, and seem to be the first real reinforcements that the forces at Omaha received.[2] The 175th went into action near the town of Gruchy, and it is assumed that the 747th was with them there as well.[3] During the invasion, Eastman was wounded and awarded the Silver Star for his actions in Normandy.[4] It is assumed that he was pulled from the front line, and would return later.

Other units were also in action on the 7th of June. Private Austin with the 501st may have been located with the rest of his unit near Douve, where they were running short of ammunition, although they were able to hold off a battalion of German paratroopers from advancing on St. Marie-du-mont.[5] Lieutenant Eugenio Bonafin (‘43) with the 87th Chemical Mortars was still linked with the 8th Infantry for one more day, before being reassigned to the 12th Infantry on the 8th of June. They advanced on Ste. Mere Eglise on the 7th, and moved towards Montebourg on the 8th.[6] McNamara and Raymond with the 1st Division would have spend much of the 7th fighting around Colleville[7], with the assumption that they were able to find their unit, as it appears that they had been in a different area the day before. In the day after D-Day, the units would have been working more closely together, as they would have had the time and space to regroup.

Major Jim Ballard, NU ’39, and Lieutenant George Briggs, NU ‘32, with the 116th Infantry Regiment, were sent to Pointe Du Hoe, where the US Army Rangers had landed the day before. They made quick progress out to them, and were able to free the Rangers, who had been under heavy fire throughout the night.[8]

On June 8th, the 357th Infantry Regiment, landed at Utah Beach. It is possible that Private Henry Ball, NU ’36, landed with them on this day. The regiment arrived on short around noon, and by the next day, went into action, helping to expand the beachfront. [9]

No Norwich alumni seem to have landed in Normandy on the 9th of June, but on the 10th, Major Henry Osthues, NU ’40, of the 413th AAA Gun Battalion arrived as part of the 9th Infantry Division through Utah Beach. They seem to have had a couple of days to organize, and by the 14th of June, the 9th Division was placed in charge of the attack on Cherbourg.[10] The exact nature of Major Osthues’s role in the battle is not known.



[1] Ibid, 352

[2] Ibid, 337

[3] Ibid, 345

[4] 1947 War Whoop (Need Page)

[5] Harrison, 347

[6] Elliot, 17

[7] Ambrose, Stephen, Citizen Soldiers, Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, 38

[8] Harrison, 341

[9] Roeder, George Von, Regimental History of the 357th Regiment. http://www.90thdivisionassoc.org/90thDivisionFolders/357thbook/357thhistory.htm

[10] Harrison, 403

Day 1: D-Day

The invasion of Normandy was undertaken by the American, British and Canadian militaries on five separate beaches in Normandy France. The British forces landed at Gold and Sword, the Canadian forces landed at Juno, and the American army landed on Omaha and Utah, with Airborne forces being dropped behind Utah overnight.

The Norwich University alumni who were in the ground invasion were Major Bill
McNamara, NU '36, Lieutenant Thurber Raymond, NU ’41, and Lt. Colonel Carroll Stowell, NU '40, of the 1st Infantry, Major Jim Ballard, NU '39, and Lieutenant George Briggs, NU '32, of the 29th Infantry, Captain Arthur Harrington, NU ’40, of the 5th Special Engineer Brigade, Lieutenant Eugenio Bonafin, NU '43, of the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion, Lieutenant Thomas Fulham, NU ’47, and Lieutenant Robert Harrington, NU ’47, of the 4th Infantry Division, Lieutenant Lawrence Elman, NU '43 and Lieutenant Fredrick Meinken, NU '47, of the 4th Cavalry Regiment and Private Richard Austin, NU '44 of the 101st Airborne. In the air, Lieutenant David Steward, NU '47, Captain Jim McCarthy, NU ‘40, Lieutenant Sherman Crocker, NU ‘44, and Sergeant William Crawthorne, NU ’47, and possibly Sergeant Edward T. Yeller, NU ‘49, of the 9th Air Force were also involved with the invasion, covering the ground forces with bombardment runs in Thunderbolt fighters or bombers. In addition, Lieutenant Edwyn Florcyk, NU ‘44, of the 8th Air Force, was also present in the airs above Normandy. It is also possible that Sergeant Mitchell Esoian, NU ‘49, Sergeant George Edwin Guidi, NU ‘49 and Sergeant Robert Wieler, NU ‘49, all part of the 8th Air Force also participated in various bombing or escort missions during the lead up to D-Day or during the actual invasion.

Prior to the beach landings, elements of the 8th and 9th Air Force Bombers began to bomb German emplacements, in order to hamper the enemy’s ability to repel the incoming American soldiers. However, due to the poor weather and overcast skies, pilots were forced to rely on instruments, or release their payloads late, causing most of the bombs to land in the wrong places.[1] In addition to the aerial bombardments, allied ships just off the coast of Normandy began their own bombardment of the landing sites, to further disrupt the German force’s ability to counter attack. These would be slightly more effective, as they would later be credited to opening up key areas for infantry to enter.[2] Captain McCarthy described some of what he saw on June 6th to reporters, an account that was later picked up by the Norwich University Record for the July, 1944 edition:

One minute, the houses of Caen were sitting side by side and the next minute, there weren’t any houses in the center of town at all. There was nothing but flames, rubble and dust…. We dropped down through the overcast on inspection. All of a sudden Caen just went completely to pieces in the center. Sidewalks, trees, houses, parked vehicles seemed to melt away.[3]

Captain McCarthy had witnessed the navel bombardment from off the coast of Normandy, targeting German emplacements inland.

Private Richard Austin, NU ’44, would have been the first of the Norwich alumni to land in Normandy, just after midnight on June the 6th. Over 13,000 airborne soldiers were dropped over the Normandy region during the early hours of the 6th, taking the German forces in the area completely by surprise.[4] The airborne mission was to secure vital areas behind the beaches that would soon be visited by American soldiers. While the German forces were surprised, they did react to the airborne invasion, throwing up flak that would scatter the planes, and along with less than favorable weather conditions, turn the airborne landings into a mess of soldiers. Most would not land in the right place. It is unknown where Private Austin landed on the morning of the 6th, although much of the 101st Airborne division landed somewhere behind Utah Beach. Austin survived the jump into Normandy, and it is possible that he would have found some of his fellow members of the 501st Regiment and, most likely, other members of the 101st and 82nd airborne divisions. Many objectives were undertaken by soldiers from different units, improvising to their surroundings and nearby targets. By the end of the day on June 6th, only 2,500 of the 6,600 troopers were organized into their units. While very disorganized, they were instrumental in beginning to secure the area for the soldiers coming in from the beaches.[5]

In front of the airborne landings was Utah Beach. The Norwich alumni who landed there was Lieutenant Eugenio Bonafin of the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion, Lieutenant Lawrence Elman, NU ’42, Lieutenant Fredrick Meinken, NU '47, with the 4th Cavalry Regiment, Lieutenant Thomas Fulham, NU ’47, and Lieutenant Robert Harrington, NU ’47, of the 4th Infantry Division.

The 4th Cavalry Regiment put the first sea-borne soldiers into Normandy, two hours before H-Hour (0430) to take out a suspected observation post. Off shore to the North from Utah Beach are the St. Marcouf Islands; reconnaissance planes had spotted buildings that could pose a problem for the upcoming landings. The unit, along with the 24th Cavalry, found that the islands were abandoned, but was cluttered with mines, which killed and wounded a number of soldiers who had landed.[6] Neither Lieutenant Lawrence Elman, NU ‘42, nor Lieutenant Fredrick Meinken, NU '47, was among the casualties on the island.

The 4th Infantry Division was one of the first divisions to land on Utah Beach, and was able to do so with little difficulty – they received only scattered gunfire. Because of the weather, the entire landing was pushed down the beach, into a quieter region. While this meant that there was little resistance, the invading army had only one exit, a single causeway, rather than two at the original landing site. From the beaches, the US forces would move inwards, and link up with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, who had landed the night before, and had been tasked with securing the key roads in the area. The exact role that Lieutenant Thomas Fulham, NU ’47, and Lieutenant Robert Harrington, NU ’47, played in the invasion is unknown, although it is likely that they were involved with the invasion, given their unit. Harrington (No relation to Captain Arthur Harrington, who was landing at Omaha on the same day) was a member of the 4th Recon Troop, which might have been an early arrival to the beach. Fulham was a member of the 22nd Infantry Regiment, and would have most likely landed with the bulk of the attacking force.

In the 87th Mortar Battalion, Lieutenant Bonafin, NU ’43, would have landed alongside various infantry units as they landed on Utah. He was assigned to A Company, in support of 1st Battalion of the 8th Infantry Division. The mortar battalion landed later in the attack, after the first waves of infantry hit the beaches. With the first waves, forward observers had landed from his unit, and by the time Lieutenant Bonafin would have landed, they would have called in information once the unit had deployed their mortars. The mortar battalions launched a number of rounds that morning in support of infantry, and after about an hour, moved inland, keeping pace with the advancing infantry. During the attack, they targeted a number of enemy emplacements, such as machine gun posts and pillboxes. His unit would continue to support the 8th Infantry in the days ahead.[7]

The initial landings at Utah Beach went along fairly smoothly. There was almost no opposition during H-Hour (0630), but the entire first waves of soldiers arrived at the beaches in the wrong locations, almost two thousand yards from where they were supposed to land. While the units landed on in an area that was lightly defended, all of their planned actions were useless, and units were forced to improvise.

Omaha Beach was another story entirely. Landing teams faced heavy opposition on the beaches, with entire platoons being killed before they even reached the sand and a number of the landing craft ended up in the wrong place due to poor weather. The Norwich Alumni who landed on Omaha were Major Bill McNamara, NU ‘36, Lieutenant Thurber Raymond ‘41, Lt. Colonel Carroll Stowell, NU ‘40, Major Jim Ballard, NU ’39, Lieutenant George Briggs, NU ’32 and Captain Arthur Harrington, NU ‘40. Major McNamara and Lieutenant Raymond were both part of the 1st Infantry, 1st Regiment, and were some of the first soldiers to land on the beaches, although their exact landing sites are unknown. Lt. Colonel Stowell was also part of the 1st Infantry, but was a member of the 1st Engineer Combat Battalion. Major Ballard and Lieutenant Briggs were both members of the 29th Infantry. Major McNamara’s boat dropped his platoon in the wrong location, due to rough seas and upon landing, came under fire from German machine guns. While he was unharmed, the next boat down the line was hit, cutting down most of the soldiers inside. After the landing, he and his soldiers moved up the beach, seeking shelter in a trench. They were on the beach for about an hour, before moving on.[8] Major McNamara would later be awarded an oak leaf cluster for the Silver Star for his actions on June 6th, as his unit came under fire, he moved up the beach and was able to locate a trench, which he led his unit to, possibly saving many lives.[9]

Major Jim Ballard, NU ‘39, and Lieutenant George Briggs, NU ’32, of the 116th Infantry, attached to the 29th Infantry, would have also likely been among the first waves of the assault on Omaha Beach. It is not known exactly what squads they was attached to, but it is likely that he would have landed on the Easy Green, Dog Red, Dog White or Dog Green sectors, within the first 50 minutes of the attack.[10] Lieutenant Briggs led a platoon of riflemen during the invasion.

Captain Arthur Harrington, NU ’40, landed in-between the 1st and 29th Divisions, and was attached to the 5th Engineer Special Brigade, and was tasked with linking communications between both divisions to better coordinate their attacks on the beach. He landed at H + 6 on Easy One, a beach sector on Omaha, several hours after the initial waves, but still received enemy fire, the only time during the war.

In most cases, the mission of the first waves of soldiers was to do either one of two things: attack the German emplacements to secure the beach for the next wave, or to clear the beach of emplacements, booby traps and barriers, as the latter waves of tanks and heavy artillery would be slowed by the German defenses. They were to breach the German defenses in two hours, and work their way inland. However , a number of problems occurred as a result of mis-landings and heavy enemy fire, destroying the engineering equipment or detonating explosives. In addition, few of the landing craft made it to the shores before beaching, requiring most of the soldiers to wade into the beaches, making them easy targets for Germans soldiers.[11]

By 0800 to 0900, breakthroughs to the bluffs overlooking the beaches were being made, although soldiers did so without the support of much artillery or armor. For the rest of the day, much of the fighting behind Omaha was in three areas: Colleville, St. Laurent and Vierville-sur-Mer. In all areas, units were met with German resistance. It seems, given the citation for Major McNamara’s actions on June 6th, that his unit was in the Vierville-sur-Mer area.[12] This also seems to be where much of the 116th Infantry and Rangers were concentrated, and it is likely that Major Ballard and Lieutenant Briggs were also be in this area after leaving the beach. In the first day, they had only established a foothold that extended roughly a mile and a half into France.[13] At the same time, the units coming in from Utah beach met with far less resistance.[14] By the end of the day, casualties at Utah Beach numbered only around two hundred[15], while the casualties at Omaha beach were nearly ten times that, with around two thousand killed.[16]



[1] Harrison, 300

[2] Harrison, 302

[3] Norwich Record, July 1944

[4] Harrison, 278-279

[5] Harrison, 288

[6] Ryan, Cornelius. The Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D-Day. Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, 162

[7] Elliot, Bruce. Unit History of the 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion, http://www.4point2.org/hist-87.htm#0644. (2006)

[8] Sivret, 1

[9] September 1, 1944 Norwich University Record, 26

[10] US War Department Historical Division, Omaha Beachhead, Washington D.C., 31

[11] Ibid, 42-44

[12] September 1, 1944 Norwich University Record, 26

[13] Harrison, 329

[14] Ibid, 328

[15] Ibid, 329

[16] Ibid, 330

Part One: Pre-Normandy – The War, Invasion Planning and Preparation


By June of 1944, the war in Europe had been raging for almost five years. German forces had occupied much of mainland Europe, North Africa and were preparing to invade Russia. Prior to the United State’s entrance to the war, Great Britain was the only country to rebuff the Germans, mainly due to the location and nature of the British Isles. In December of 1941, Japanese forces successfully attacked US military sites in the Pacific basin, bringing the US to a state of war with Japan, and soon, Germany. Despite Japan’s aggression, the United States made the defeat of Germany a priority, as the German military was deemed as more of a threat to US interests.[1]

Right after the attack, the US and British governments began to work collectively on a plan to defeat Germany. By June 1942, the United States proposed a plan to invade France via the English Channel and begin fighting on the mainland, before the year was out, with the aim to reach Germany by the following year. The British were in favor of this plan, taking to heart memories of World War I, where months of trench warfare proved to be devastating. Across the war zone, the Russians were pushing for an attack on the western front of the war, to relieve pressure off of their own country, as the German military was firmly entrenched in the western sections of Russia. However, American and British military officials would postpone their invasion plans in favor of an attack on North Africa.[2]

In November of 1942, allied forces attacked Morocco and Algeria, catching the occupying Vichi-French forces by surprise. In response, the Germans moved quickly down and occupied French Tunisia, beginning several months of desert warfare before the allied forces were able to surround and capture the remaining German forces in May 1943. The US actions in Northern Africa would become a proving ground for a number of units on the ground – some of the units associated with Norwich alumni, such as the Second Armored Division and the 39th Infantry had fought in Africa, before being moved to England in preparation for the coming invasion. [3]

During this time, Norwich University remained in session until an early commencement in March of 1943, when almost all of the 500 Norwich Cadets departed for military service. Following the exodus of students, the Army Air Corps moved in and used the school as a pre-flight training facility for future pilots and bombers. The Junior Cadet Corps was also set up during this time, which would use an accelerated learning program for pre-high school graduates with the aim to prepare them for military service. The program was discontinued in 1946 after much criticism.[4] The school would resume traditional services after the war ended in 1945.[5]

Following victory in Africa, the allies moved onwards towards Italy, taking Sicily in August of 1943. However, political troubles and a renewed German defense would prevent allies from taking Rome until June 1944. The allies split their attention between Italy and preparations for the upcoming invasion of France. American and British bombers flew over Axis territory from early 1943 onwards, working to disrupt as much of the German infrastructure as possible. Allied forces took heavy losses and were unable to disrupt the Germans as much as had been hoped. They were, however, able to gain air supremacy, and were thus able to focus on the Normandy region.[6]

In the early months of 1944, planning for the cross-channel invasion was well underway, having been started in March of 1943. However, it became clear that any invasion in 1943 would be unreasonable and the invasion was planned for 1944.[7] Numerous units were relocated to England, where they received months of training and preparation for the impending assault. In the months leading up to the invasion, millions of soldiers, as well as their supplies, arrived in England. Field units, such as the Second Armored division, found the move to England to be very favorable. They were set up in proper barracks with beds. Unfortunately, the wet environment led to many soldiers getting ill with respiratory infections. It was also during this time that they were issued new equipment for their training and preparations for the invasion.[8] General I.D. White, NU ’22, recalled that the sheer number of soldiers in the area made field training problematic:

We had rather limited maneuver facilities in England. There was a range, Imber Range, where we could fire very limited ranges with our tank weapons and artillery, as there were few places that were not under cultivation. There was very little room even for tank driving courses in the Salisbury Plain area, really. There were so many units there, US and British units that they were just overcrowded with what room there was.[9]

During this time, in the months leading up to the invasion, the operation was meticulously planned out, under the watch of General Dwight Eisenhower. The overall plan was split the invasion into three parts. The first was the invasion itself, and the immediate establishment of a foothold. The second was a buildup of allied forces and a breakout into the Brittany-Normandy region. Once those two objectives were completed, the allies would push the German forces back on a large scale.[10]

In addition to training, the men in the units were preparing mentally for what they were likely to accomplish. While they did not know specific details about the invasion, such as the timing or exact location; they did know that they were to invade the continent, and in all likelihood, it would be a very costly endeavor. Col. Harry Flint, NU ‘10, commanding officer of the 39th Infantry division, was preparing his men for such an assault as early as April 1944:

Let’s face a few facts flatly. We know that soon the greatest and most powerful force of all history will make an invasion of the west coast of Europe. We know that we will be a part of that first force which lands. We know that the whole operation has been carefully planned…. We know there will be casualties – that can’t be helped. It is certain that if each one will play his part and not fail a comrade then our casualties will be the smaller. [11]

In addition to preparation and planning, the American soldiers were tightly clustered together in the southern regions of England. A number of men would take their leaves and travel to London or any number of the larger English cities and would report back to the Norwich University Record. Norwich alumni often sought each other out or found each other during this time of preparation. The institutional bonds these men formed brought them together, far from home, facing one of the most terrifying things that they would most likely come against. Captain Arthur Harrington, NU ’40, recalled meeting Col. Homer Riggs, NU ’26, in England prior to the invasion, and because of their shared Norwich background, they became friends, with Riggs constantly pushing Harrington for recognition. Others would share similar stories, often meeting in London, or other cities, while on leave.

Training for the invasion covered many aspects of what was expected once the Germans were engaged in Normandy. While it was assumed that a number of units would be ready for action based on their training, British and American planners devised tactics tailored for an England to France invasion. Training centers were established, and units visited to brush up on tactics. Four Norwich alumni, Lieutenant George Briggs, NU ‘32, and Jim Ballard, NU ’39, would have gone through training at the Assault Training Center during their assignment with the 116th Infantry for a refresher course, while Lieutenant Thomas Fulham, NU ‘47, and Lieutenant Robert Harrington, NU ’47 would have also participated with the 4th Infantry Division. Other units would have skipped the training, having already participated in battles against German or Italian forces.[12] Other units were also working to fix problems or concerns that were noted during previous engagements. Members of the 2nd Armored Division, represented by Captain James Burt, NU ‘39, Captain Sten Bergstedt, NU ’32, and Captain Gordon Fuller, NU ’38, would have also received new trainings and briefings in the technical aspects of water landings, mines and other possible hazards.[13] Bergstedt would have also received a very different method of training – in order to better practice field movement, the members of the 66th Regiment chased rabbits (which were found to mimic all the movements of tanks) while training in England.[14]

During the months leading up to the invasion, starting in December of 1943, the Ninth Air Force was brought to England and strengthened. By the time that the invasion was underway, the group had flown over thirty thousand missions against German targets, mainly against flying bomb installations deemed a threat to London and the massing of American soldiers being brought to the country for the upcoming invasion.[15] Captain Jim McCarthy, NU ’40, Lieutenant Sherman Crocker, NU ‘44, Sergeant William Crawthrorne, NU ’47, and Lieutenant David Stewart, NU ’47, were part of the 9th Air Force in fighter squadrons, and would most likely have flown on these missions, in support of the heavy bombers that were also part of the unit. Lieutenant Edwyn Florcyk, NU ’44, was assigned to the 8th Air Force, which had been linked to the 9th for the missions over Europe during this time. In addition, Sergeant Mitchell Esoian, NU ‘49, Sergeant George Edwin Guidi, NU ’49, and Sergeant Robert Wheeler, NU ’49, were members of the 8th Air Force and Sergeant Edward T. Yeller, NU ‘49, was part of the 9th Air Force, and it is probably that they would have also been involved in the bombings prior to the invasion as well. However, the German V-Bomb attac ks were not deemed as much of a threat, and once this was established, the primary target for the Ninth Air Force became the German Air Force; once that was largely eliminated, destruction of the French rail system, with concentrated bombing in routes leading to the Normandy area, to cripple the German’s ability to re-supply and regroup during the invasion. Along with the Eighth Air Force, targets also included industrial sites to slow Germany’s military efforts further.[16] These bombings were carried out into the weeks leading up to D-Day.

In May, the invasion was set for June 5th. Soldiers were moved towards the southern end of England, where the major ports were located, and where final training and preparation for the invasion was made. Units were moved towards the embarkation areas roughly in the order in which they would be landing. An excerpt from Command Combat B, of the Second Armored Division, under the command of General Edward Brooks (’16), details the unit’s movements just prior to the invasion:

1-6 June

Units of Command Combat “B” on alert, prepared for movement to marshalling area for overseas embarkation. Co. “B” 17th Engrs Bn moved to Marshalling Area

7-11 June

On 7 June HQ CC “B” and some units began movement from Tidworth barracks, England, to marshalling area.[17]

The final weeks leading up to the invasion seem to have offered insufficient training for the assault troops. Two exercises were conducted, Tiger and Fabius, to prepare the soldiers for the landings. The American soldiers spent the rest of the month waiting for orders. These would come in the last week of May. Most of the Norwich alumni involved with the landings would have been briefed during this time on the details of the invasion. Then Colonel I.D. White, NU ’22, had been briefed earlier, given his relatively high rank. To gain access to the briefing, he was required to have a security card. While he was entering the briefing, General Bradley appeared, but did not have his card. The guard at the door would not allow him access, so White vouched for him, and they were both given access to the briefing.[18]

The invasion’s final date had been set for June 5th. However, the English Channel was covered in low clouds and high winds, which would hamper the bombardment of the coast by ships and planes. Forecasters believed that the weather would improve the following day, enough to allow for better bombing and landing conditions. However, should the 6th not work, the invasion would have to wait another two weeks for the same lighting and tidal conditions. The two-week wait would also mean that the airborne forces would have to operate without moonlight.[19]

Colonel Harry Flint, NU ’10, and his soldiers from the 39th Infantry, received their orders on May 27th, and on June 3rd, the unit was driven twenty miles to their marshalling area, where they would soon board their ships on the 6th of June.[20]

Other soldiers, such as Major Bill McNamara, NU ’36, Lt. Colonel Carroll Stowell, NU ‘40 and Lieutenant Thurber Raymond, NU ’41, of the 1st Infantry Division, Major Jim Ballard, NU ’39, and Lieutenant George Briggs, NU ‘32 of the 29th Infantry, Lieutenant Eugenio Bonafin, NU ’43, of the 87th Chemical Mortar battalion, and Lieutenant Lawrence Elman, NU ’42, and possibly Lieutenant Fredrick Meinken, NU '47, of the 4th Calvary boarded their ships earlier, and on the evening of June 5th, they made their final preparations to land on the beaches of Normandy. Private Richard Austin, NU‘44, of the 101st Airborne, would have made his final preparations throughout the rest of the afternoon and before midnight on the 5th, would have been flying over the channel towards Normandy, France.



[1] Tindall, George, America: A Narrative History, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York1204-1205

[2] Tindall, 1205-1206

[3] Houston, Donald. Hell on Wheels: The 2nd Armored Division. Presidio Press, San Rafael, California 186

[4] Guinn, Robert. The History Of Norwich University, Volume 4. Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont. 115-116

[5] Ibid, 116

[6] Tindall, 1212

[7] Harrison, Gordon. The European Theater of Operations: Cross Channel Attack. Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington D.C., 49

[8] Stodter, Col. Charles. Project 78-D, Isaac D. White, Retired. 210-211

[9] Ibid, 215

[10] Houston, 197

[11] Anderson, Robert. The Colorful Story of Colonel Harry A. 'Paddy' Flint. Heritage Books, Westminster, Maryland, 114

[12] Harrison, 162-164

[13] Houston, 191

[14] Ibid

[15] Houston, 214-215

[16] Houston, 224

[17] Lt. Col Briard Johnson Papers, Box 1, Operations Repots, 1942 – 1945, Archives and Special Collections, Kreitzberg Library, Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont.

[18] Stodter, 222

[19] Harrison, 272-273

[20] Anderson, 119

Norwich University Alumni and the Invasion of Normandy : Introduction

As promised, I'm going to split up my paper and post it up, section by section over the next week. It's been turned in, along with the map and final appendixes, and I guess now, all that I have to do is wait for my grades. Two exams to write up and a power point, and I'll be completely done with college.

This paper is not to be reprinted anywhere else. It's my own research and feel free to link to this blog, or link and post an excerpt, but no copy and paste jobs please.

Introduction

“Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.”

- General Dwight D. Eisenhower



On June 6th, 1944, the combined forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Canada launched one of the largest amphibious invasions that the world has ever seen to begin the massive task of retaking the European continent from the control of the German military. Over two million soldiers participated in the Allied invasion and aftermath, creating a vital foothold in Europe that would begin the end of the Second World War.

While the number of soldiers that were involved in the invasion numbered in the millions, thirty of Norwich University alumni were among them, representing all levels of the military, from privates to generals, on each of the American invasion beaches and landing sites and from the first moments of the battle through the days after the initial invasion. These soldiers from Norwich University were also represented in a number of different units, ranging from armored divisions to medical units and would have thus been involved in all aspects of the invasion. An examination of the Norwich alumni present during the Invasion of Normandy proves to be a microcosm for the entire invasion – a fairly complete view of the battle can be seen through the actions of the Norwich men who were involved with the invasion.

Up until now, there has been very little research into the role of Norwich University in one of the most notable moments in world and military history. For the 50th anniversary of D-Day, in 1994, a local paper, the Times Argus, interviewed Norwich alumni William McNamara, who participated in the opening moments of the invasion, to commemorate the occasion, while the Norwich University Record reprinted an article regarding the invasion, from its archives in June of 1944. More recently, a list of thirteen men who fought in the battle, only to perish later in the war, was generated from various sources was created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the invasion. This list, however, did not take into account the numerous other soldiers who fought in the invasion, and survived, and in addition, includes several errors regarding battlefield details.

To better understand the role that Norwich University men played in the invasion, a more detailed study and examination of sources was conducted. The Norwich University Record, War Whoop and deceased constituents files were examined, and a list of 121 names was generated, from which, a more accurate list of D-Day invasion veterans, numbering thirty-seven who were either confirmed to have been involved in the invasion, or had a high probability of participating. Each of these sources contained information confirming that there were more than thirteen Norwich alumni present at the battle and that a number of the D-Day veterans survived the invasion and actions afterwards. Careful study of the unit actions offers a better understanding of the role of Norwich men in the invasion. The results of this study show that Norwich University alumni played a significant role in some aspects of the invasion and securing of Normandy, but collectively, they represented every aspect of war fighting.

Done!

As of 11:27 this morning, my Normandy paper is done. Finished. End of story, for me anyway. Rounding out at 46 pages, including the bibliography, order of battle appendix, list of soldiers appendix and the full body of the paper, I have three copies, neatly stapled, sitting in a folder in front of me, looking nice, crisp and ready to turn in to my professor, President Schneider and Captain Arthur Harrington, whom I interviewed. The very last thing that I'm waiting for is a map that will be printed out in the next fifteen or so minutes that shows the Normandy coastline, the beaches and the relative locations and landing times of each of the soldiers that I researched.

But... it's over. It's kind of hard to believe that, when I was sitting in class, wracked with a cold, raising my hand to take the D-Day project when it was first announced. Then came the hours in the library, searching for references, then up to Jackman hall to look at old records, Archives and Special Collections and finding more things, beginning to type up things, making connections between people and places, cross-referencing sources, beginning the writing, scanning pictures, putting together a powerpoint (which I need to revise for a presentation in two weeks), going over the paper with Professor Lord, and now, it's sitting here, a finished product, as good as I can make it (And there's probably some more that can be done to it, including research on a couple of people who I just added in at the last minute), but that's it for me.

If people are interested, I've been thinking of serializing the paper, section by section up here, if people are interested. Because dammit, if I put all this work into it, I get to be a little vain and want to show it off a bit.

I liked doing this paper. I loved the research, finding things and putting together all the pieces into this larger picture. That's what I want to do with my life. I got such a rush being able to put together something new, something that has never been researched like this, and I'm realising that there's a whole lot more that I could do with this project. I could expand it to further battles beyond D-Day for Norwich alumni, such as St. Lo, the Battle of the Bulge, Operation Market-Garden, the Invasion of North Africa and Italy, and the list goes on and on. Who knows, maybe I'll get to do something more like this.

Revisions, Projects and Deadlines

It's one week to go before classes are finally over, and exactly one week before my Normandy paper is due to class. The amount of work that I've done on it since receiving the edits? Minimal. I didn't even start my english paper until about 12 hours before it was due, although that came together really quickly. My work ethic is sucking this week, I think senioritis kicked in becauseohgodintwoweeksi'mgoingtograduateandi'llbedonewithschoolfortheforseeablefuture. Gah. Part of me is very happy about this. The part isn't, because I genuinely enjoy learning and this sort of thing. I'm still thinking and planning on attending graduate school at some point, with the intention to teach or research history somewhere, because this is what I like doing. In the meantime, I have to actually find a job and you know, a place to live.I'm currently editing a paper for another member of my NU History Seminar, on the US Militia System and our school's founder, Alden Partridge. It's an interesting read, and we're hearing three more presentations later today. I need to type up a critique for this paper, and I think I've found some good things to discuss. After being rejected from Abnaki this year, I've started concentrating on full time jobs for the time being. I've applied to another book store with the intent on working there and Walden Books and getting some hours between them, which would be nice. I like Bear Pond Books, and have shopped there all my life. It's one of the independant bookstores in Montpelier, and has a very cool atmosphere to it. I've also gotten a called from the Green Mountain Club for an interview with them, which would be very, very cool. My outlook on the summer has improved dramatically. I've also learned that a new airline is about to start operating, something similar to Ryanair (a UK carrier), that has prices that are literally as low as they can get. On a good day, a round trip flight to Ohio will cost me under $40. Hopefully, this will help me and Sarah get together more often, as it's quite expensive and time consuming to drive from here to there. Also, Drive was cancelled yesterday. Once again, Fox torched a show because of lackluster ratings, although this one was probably cancelled for more reason than Firefly was. (Tim Minear was a producer for Firefly, and the creator of Drive). Poor Nathan Fillion can't get a break with his shows. Drive did have potential, but nowhere near Firefly's. It had an interesting premise, some interesting characters, but a very limited premise - While it would have been an interesting thing to see play out, but some of the characters were really irritating. Fox was behind this show, unlike with Firefly. There was a ton of ads for it, and really early ads for it - Fox wanted this to work - unfortunently, the viewers just weren't there - The show got about a 2.5/6 rating for the first episodes and was dragging 24, one of Fox's most popular shows, down. It's a pity, this year there were a bunch of cool shows that were cancelled. Andy Barker PI, Smith, Drive, Studio 60 (most likely), Black Donnellys, Daybreak, The Nine, among others. Hopefully, there'll be some of the good shows, such as Heroes, Raines, LOST, Supernatural and Veronica Mars, that will get another couple of seasons. Right, back to my editing...

Typing, typing, typing...

That's about what my day amounted today, and will most likely be tomorrow and the day after. Instead of my paper being due in two weeks, like I'd thought, the next-to-last draft is due this Thursday. Which actually has me less frazzled than I thought it would leave me, because the paper's coming together really well. Current page count is 20 pages, with the first three or so sections done:

  • Introduction / Preperation / Planning for D-Day
  • Day 1: D-Day
  • Days 2-4: D-Day 1-3
  • Days 5-10: D-Day 4-9

The first two sections were really long, the last two were shorter, mainly because there was only one Norwich alum landing each day. The next section, starting with June 11th, will be longer, because not only was there two large units, the 2nd Armored Division and the 39th Infantry arriving, they've got almost ten people between the two of them from Norwich, some of those guys who were fairly important (General Brooks and Col. Flint), but I also have found a lot of information on them.
Still trying to find information on some of the other units, like the 18th Field Artillery, which doesn't seem to exist at times, among others, and I've also uncovered a couple of other alumni who are in the Norwich Record, but somehow didn't make it onto my list, bringing my count up to 28 confirmed alumni, 34 possible. It's quite a number of people. Three sections to do, mainly with the remaining days, a look at what happened after the invasion and the buildup in Normandy occured and the breakout, a mention that there's some more people (like Phil Brackett, an army dentist), who was awarded the Normandy ribbon, but I can't figure out when he was at Normandy. Same goes for a doctor and a couple of people who the Record says was at Normandy, but because I don't know their units, I can't figure out when or what they were doing.
With my files, map-that-doesn't-exist-yet and source list, I think this is going to be somewhere in the 30-40 page ballpark. If people are interested, I'll serialize it once it's finalized, and stick it up here.

Overseas Again...

I learned this the other day, and didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but the big news of the week is:

I'm going overseas again, this time to France, and most likely, London.

Basically, a spot opened up on the Normandy trip here at Norwich, and I got the e-mail earlier this week, and was told by President Schnider that I could go with them, cost free, save the flight over there. This is because I'm working on the Norwich Students & Invasion of Normandy paper that will be giving them a lot of information and putting a Norwich face on the battle. Thus, the invite.
I'm rather excited about this, as it's only about 40 or so days away, about a week after graduation.

What's also really got me excited is that this means that there's a very, very good chance that I'll be able to visit London for a couple days. I looked up flights from New York to Paris, and found them to be fairly prohibitive, running into the thousands of dollars. New York to London, on the other hand, is much cheaper, about half of that, along with the flight or train ride from London to Paris. The chance to see London again is fantastic, because I know people there, and will be able to revisit places again, a year after I left, also, when it will be really nice out. Basically, I've been bouncing around since I've heard the news. What's also cool is that when I went up to tell Mom about my thoughts about travelling through London and how it's cheaper, she suggested it to me first.

Don't get me wrong, going to France and to the Normandy beaches also has me very, very excited, because it was one of those places that I had really wanted to visit while I was overseas last time, but never got the oppertunity to really do. Plus, you know, I've been studying D-Day for the entire semester and did a lot of reading beforehand, and to actually see it would be amazing. I guess this means that my paper has to be really good. I'll be starting my writing on the second part either this afternoon or tomorrow. It's two weeks before the last draft is due, which means that I have three more sections to do, and to do fast. I think I'm on top of it though. If people are interested, I'll reprint it here, serialized, once it's finished.

I can't wait.

Norwich + Normandy

So, graduation headaches aside, I'm working on my final project with a seminar class, Norwich University History. It's an interesting class, and I've had the professor before in other classes. In addition to learning about the school (and American Higher Education in general) we're required to do an intensive project on some aspect of the school's history. I selected one that Prof. Lord suggested, an examination of Norwich alumni who participated in the Invasion of Normandy in 1944 towards the end of World War II. Thus far, it's been an interesting project. Apparently, Norwich is sending a number of alumni to the battlefields this summer for a fundraising thing, and they wanted a companion history to go along with it. So, I've had a meeting with the president of the university, who was able to give me some connections that'll help.
So far, the project has been going well, and I've outlined it into three phases. The first phase is tracking down the names and units of Norwich alumni who were in the battle. So far, I've gotten a lot of hits for people in the area at the same time, but there's 23 that I've found thus far who were in the battle - 11 or so more than previously known about. (All they had before was a list of people who were in the battle and died afterwards) So far, my list stands at about 121, of people who I have the units and names, ranks, etc, but no word on whether they were actually in the battle or not. I send my list off to my contact earlier today, and hopefully, I'll get a better view on who was there, based on their unit histories.
The second phase will be research into each unit that was at D-Day that had a Norwich student in it. I'm hoping to get a map and plot their locations on it. Combined with various accounts that I've uncovered, and a couple of sources that I'm going to track down, hopefully, I'll get a good picture on what the Norwich alumni were up to.
The last phase is the report itself, which hopefully shouldn't take too long, after all the research has been done. It's an interesting project, and I'm very happy to be doing this sort of work - I've really been enjoying the process and looking things up. THIS is the sort of history that I've been wanting to do for a while now, and I'm thinking that it's what I want to be doing in the future.