(written May 9, 1945)

Departure Date

Place of Departure

Method of Transportation

Arrival Date

Place of Arrival

Reason for Journey

Apr 29 1943

New York

U.S.S. George Washington

May 11 1943

Casablanca, Africa

Troop Movement

June 8

Casablanca

40 & 8's

June 10

Oudja, Africa

Troop Movement

June 29

Oudja

C-47

June 29

Kairouan, Africa

Troop Movement

Sicily

Kairouan

C-47 & Parachute

July 9-10

Between Licata and Gela, Sicily

7^th Army

July 31

Trapani - Palermo

Ambulance & C-47

Aug 3

Mature, Africa

Sick- Malaria

Aug 31

Kairouan

C-47

Aug 31

Castlevatrano, Sicily

Preparation for operation

Sept 3

Castlevatrano

C-47

Sept 3

Sicily

Orientation and preparation for use of RADAR

Salerno

Sicily

C-47 & Parachute

Sept 13

Salerno, Italy

5^th Army

Combat up coast, Beach Landing from L.C.I at Maiori Beach. Fighting up along coast to Naples. Entered Naples Oct 1st

Oct 12

Naples

C-47

Oct 12

Comiso, Sicily

RADAR instruction and experimentation

Nov 12

Comiso

C-47

Nov 12

Naples

Return to unit

Nov 17

Naples

U.S.A.T. Frederick Funston

Dec 10

Belfast, Ireland

(7 day layover in Oran)

Troop Movement

Jan 2 1944

Cookstown, Ireland

C-47

Jan 2

Reading, Newbury London

Instruction of RADAR to new unit

Feb 11

Belfast

Train, Boat, Truck

Feb 14

Scotland, England "Quorn" near Leicester

Troop Movement

Jan 11

Hungerford, England

C-47

Jan 11

Ballorina, Ireland

Return to unit

Normandy

Leicester, Eng

C-47 & Parachute

June 5-6

Ste. Mere Eglise, Normandy

1^st Army

 Combat on thru Newville au Plain, Monteburg, la Hay du Puis, San Sauver Le Vicomte, etc.

July 13

Omaha Beach, Normandy

L.S.T.

July 14

Quorn via South Hampton, Eng.

Troop Movement

Holland

Leicester

C-47 & Parachute

Sept 17

Groesbeek, Nijmegen, Beek, Holland

1^st Allied Airborne Army

Nov 12

Beek, Holland

British lorry

Nov 18

(near Rheims)

To base camp

'Bulge'

Suippes, France

Trucks

Dec 19

Near Malmedy Ardennes

Break thru of German Panzer units

This period very full and many movements covering Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, and Germany (Siegfried line) Monteau, Theux, Trois Ponts, Salm Chateau, Hurtgen Forest, Schmidt, Wallheim (valley of death) 

Feb 20 1945

Aachen

40 & 8's

Feb 22

Suippes

Return to base camp

April 4

Suippes

40 & 8's

April 4

Wessling, Germany

Occupation Force Reserve

 In this period thru Secthem, Bruhl, Duren, Bonn, Cologne

April 17

Duren

40 & 8's

April 19

Bleckede, Germany

Preparation to cross Elbe

April 20

Bleckede, Germany

Truck, foot, assault boat

 May 9 1945

Am here just waiting. Location is some 40 miles East of Elbe, 100 miles South East of Hamburg.

• The First U.S. Airborne Division overseas- April 29, 1934

• The First U.S. Airborne Division to see combat- Sicily July 9 1943

• The First ground troops to enter Naples

• The First Allied troops across the Dutch-German border

• The First across the Volturno River in Italy

• The First across the Rhine (Sept 1944 Nijmegen, Holland)

• The First across the Douve and Merderet Rivers in Normandy

• The First to stop and hurl back Von Rundstedts forces in the battle of the Bulge

• The First town liberated on the Western front (Ste. Mere Eglise)

• The First through the Siegfried Line in the Allied spring offensive

• The First bridgehead in Europe, Sicily - July 9 1943

• The Last bridgehead in Europe, Elbe-Bleckede April 30, 1945

• The most airborne invasions (4) Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Holland

• More combat days than other airborne Division (371)
• The First troops to meet the Russians in North Germany (Grabow)