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A 57mm anti-tank gun and a patrol of American GI's from the 30th Infantry Division peer eastward toward Maastricht, Holland from the outskirts of Cadier-en-Keer in mid-September of 1944. The men belong to Company C, 1st Battalion, 117th Infantry Regiment.

  Red Arrow marks the location of photo. This email is from Luuk Jonkers of Heer:

With the red arrow I have pointed the position on which the photo, I think, was taken and the red oval shows the two houses, you can see in the background of the picture. They still exist and are still the last houses on this road called the Heerderweg, later today I will take my bike and take a picture for you at almost the same position as which the picture was taken then in September 1944.

At about halfway the Heerderweg there is still a café called Victoria, it was the first liberated café in Maastricht, that is why the owners renamed it Victoria.

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A company of American infantry awaiting the end of the pre-attack bombardment before leaving their entrenchments and assaulting across the Roer River on February 23, 1945.  Soldier nearest has been identified as Joe Boncek Sr. of East Dedham, Mass.  He served with the 119th, Co. K which would put these men close to Schophoven, Germany. 

The beginning of the 9th Army's autumn offensive in mid-November, 1944. Here, a column of tanks and armored infantry leave their jump-off points and head forward to engage the Germans.  On  Nov. 18th, 117th IR men rode on tanks of Verify Co. of the 734rd Tank Battalion.  Whether this is a photo of that operation or not….it had to look very similar.

A patrol of American troops from the 4th Infantry Division moving up through a shattered Normandy town north of Mortain after the German armored counter-attack against the 30th vainly attempted to recapture the strategic town in August of 1944.   The 4th infantry's 8th Regiment was called out of reserve to reinforce the 30th's left flank north of the See River. 

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German Sturmgeschutz III, a 75mm assault gun, knocked out by the 743rd tank battalion. From the U.S. 743d Tank Battalion destroyed German StuG III in Warden in the Jakobstrasse  (11/18/1944)

Email concerning above photo:

Hi Warren,

I attached the link below here.

The house belonged to the Jewish family Lucas. Parts of this family became
victim of the Shoa. Other persons emigrated to Canada, the States and
England. One of the boys came back to Germany as an American soldier and
helped to fight against Hitler.

I myself (*1953) was born in the centre of Wurselen, close to the front
line.
My relatives told me, that (most of them)had been very happy to see the
American flag in autumn 1944 and how helpful the US soldiers had been to the
civilian people in this time and also after the war was over.

You have a wonderful site. Cause I know this area very well, all theses
pictures mean very much to me.

 

 

117th soldiers at attention Rolduc abbey in Kerkrade, Holland.  The abbey served as a divisional rest area with USO shows, movies, and actual sleeping in beds.  On this day, Nov. 4th, 1944 Gen. Hobbs was presenting Silver and Bronze Stars.

 

Tiger II from schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 506, abandoned near Villers-la-Bonne-Eau south of Bastogne.  The position of the gun barrel, locked in the fully recoiled position, indicates that the crew sabotaged their Tiger before abandoning it.  U. S. soldiers are of the 35th Infantry Division.  The original wartime caption was in error…it wrongly placed this Tiger ‘on the road from Bastogne to Houffalize’.  Although this is not 30th Bulge territory I thought this a great photo of the mighty Tiger.

"Valley of Death"  Normandy road through hedgerows.  Many 30th men made this walk.

Basic German Defense of Hedgerow country.

120th, 3rd Battalion men under fire in the Staatsforst, Germany on March 24, 1945.  This photo is also found in the 117th history book on page 37.

M-8 Motor Gun Carriage men of the113th Calvary Squadron of the 113th Calvary Group take a supper break Sept. 8th, 1944 near St. Trond, Belgium.  The 113th Calvary lead the way for the advance of the 30th Infantry Division across Belgium and into Holland.  The "Red Horse Calvary had its roots with the 113th Calvary Regiment, an Iowa National Guard organization.  They fought with the 30th division on numerous occasions. I do have the Red Horse history book if you have further questions.  

Men on a 2nd Armored Division tank ride through the fire and wreckage of the captured city of Magdeburg, Germany, April 18th, 1945.  The 2nd AD and the 119th Infantry Regiment captured the southern portion of the city. This same photo is found in the 119th Infantry official history book, page 126.

120th Infantry Regiment men are stopped temporarily at the outskirts of Kirchherten, Germany by a German Mark IV tank that was firing at this road.  February 27, 1945...Second Phase of the Roer River battle. The tank destroyer is from Company "B", 823rd TD Battalion.  Men of from either the 1st or 2nd Battalions of the 120th.  A description of this action can be found on page 175 of the 120th official history book.

Men of the Co. H, 117th IR cross the Meuse (Maas) river in engineer boats and Dutch rowboats to enter Maastricht from the west.  This photo is taken from the already liberated Wyck area. They made contact with the 120th on the Maastricht island.  All enemy troops had fled northward during the night. September 14th, 1944.  Photo also found on page 129, 117th History.

A squad from Co. K, 119th IR, rush across an open area to the cover of building as the 30th division advances into territory beyond Kohlscheid, Germany, October 15th, 1944.

M-8 Gun Carriage of the 113th Cavalry Squadron with men of a platoon from Co. K, 117th Infantry Regiment advance up a road near Vise, Belgium  Sept. 11th, 1944.  Seconds after this photo was taken the Germans opened up fire upon the group.

A Nazi pillbox, disguised as a house, is examined by PFC Clarence McDonald, Co. I, 119th, of Parangunt, W.V. in the Siegfried Line sector.  This photo was taken sometime around Oct. 5th.  Co. I would have been near Rimburg.  This photo is actually found also in the 117th's official history book.  Signal Corp description on back of photo lists McDonald of 119th.

  M-8 Light Tanks of the 113th Cavalry Recon Regiment near Heure le Remain, Belgium, September 9th, 1944.  The 113th lead the way for the 30th through Belgium.

Signal Corp description on back of photo reads: Flanked by houses flying white flags of surrender U.S. infantrymen cautiously advance down the street of a German town beyond Kohlscheid, Germany, October 16th, 1944. Co. I, 3rd Battalion, Regt. and Div. scratched out.  I believe this may be Co. I of the 119th in Wurselen.

Altembroek Castle, Belgium...Col. Edwin Sutherland and a few days later Gen. Leland Hobbs slept here.  It is on the Dutch border.  Photo courtesy of Vincent Heggen of Fouron le Comte, Belgium.

Not sure if these are 30th infantrymen or not, but photo was taken east of the Roer River on February 23rd, 1945.

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NEW INFORMATION ON Arlon Adams photo below....Jan. 16th, 2014

>>> Volker Dederichs Donnerstag, 16. Januar 2014 14:23 >>>
 
Pfc. Arlon L. Adams, the photo is made on the Hill 194 in Wuerselen-Scherberg, not between Bardenberg and Wuerselen.

Here is a picture of the place might be where it been
And a photo of his grave!
 
Volker

Pfc. Arlon L. Adams, 119th Inf. Reg., of Temperance, Mich. awaits German counterattacks in his foxhole in the vicinity of Bardenberg and Wurselen, Germany, October 17th, 1944.  Interestingly enough this same picture is found in the 120th's official history on page 93.  Pfc. Adams was later KIA on Feb. 24th, 1945 in the Roer River assault.  The 119th crossed and attacked just south of the Hambach Forest. Pfc. Adams was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star. Any additional information would be greatly appreciated.
Additional Information from
David L. Eby
Post Historian
Monroe VFW Post 11138
Monroe, MI
July 2010
Hi,
I saw your website wanting info on Arlon L. Adams. He was from Temperance Michigan and was single when he was killed. He and another soldier while in an open field knocked out two German tanks and held four others at bay with a bazooka. They were killed by enemy machine gun fire. He still has relatives in this area.
The Custer brothers, George and Tom were also from our county. George was the youngest Army General in American history at age 23 and Tom was the highest decorated soldier in the Civil war. He was the first two time recipient of the Medal of Honor in American history. They died together at the Little Big Horn.
Additional Information from  
Mark LaPointe
The other soldier with Pfc. Adams in the above engagement has been identified by his grandson, Mark LaPointe.  "
On your 30th Division website, you have a photograph of Arlon Adams in a foxhole. Underneath the photo, there is now a description of the action he and "another soldier" were engaged in at the time of their deaths. The "other soldier" was my grandfather Sgt William Aubut. This is according to Comm Sgt Charles Miner who was there at the time. Sgt. William G. Aubut, Co. F, 119th Inf. Reg. was from Massachuestts.
 

 




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  He is buried in a cemetery in the Netherlands.

I am going to assume these wiremen are from the 119th...photo came from same batch as Pfc. Adams photo.  Date is the same, October 17th, 1944...around Wurselen, Germany.  Siegfried Line Campaign. Caption reads: Two GI wiremen repair a telephone line that was knocked out during an enemy artillery barrage south of.....scratched outScratched out Infantry Regiment, 30th Division.

  Grasshopper Piper Cub type L4 of the 30th Division in a field near the village of Fouron le Comte, Belgium, September 12th, 1944.  Serial Number 298522. This is the last village before the Dutch border.  Fouron le Comte was liberated by the 119th.  These photos were provided by Vincent Heggen of Fouron le Comte.  We would appreciate any additional information. Correction!!! The second photo is not a Grasshopper (Piper  L-4) but  a Stinson Sentinel L-5.
Easiest hints are the triangle windows and fully covered engine (no cylinders sticking out).  MANY THANKS to Iza Bazin

 

A M-8 Motor Gun Carriage most probably of the 113th Cavalry Group speeds down a road outside of St. Giles, France, July 27th, 1944 past the wreck of a German Panther medium tank.  113th was in support of the 30th Division.

Column of 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion M-10 Wolverines roll through downtown Magdeburg, Germany, April, 1945.

30th Infantry Division forward observers light weapons patrol cross a field outside of Stavelot looking for German activity to bring an artillery barrage down upon.  Jan. 14th, 1945

  Germans captured in Magdeburg, Germany, April, 1945.

Pfc. George E. Neidhardt, Chicago, IL,120th Infantry Regiment, Co. F., opens a holiday package sent from his home.  Dec. 1944.

Photo taken after the 117th and 119th regiments had captured and departed from the village of La Gleize, Belgium.  Within La Gleize a Panther (left of group of men) was abandoned at the junction of N33 and a small lane bypassing the church.  At the bottom of this lane that leads to the Cheneux road is a Tiger II.  On Jan. 18th, 1945 men of the 82nd Airborne reconnaissance platoon decided to have some fun testing the so-called invincibility of the the King Tiger.  The lane was a ready-made shooting gallery; the weapons chosen for the competition were the Bazooka vs. the Panzerschreck.  The armor on the glacis of the Tiger II is 150mm- just about six inches.  Both weapons only penetrated to a depth of four inches although this was sufficient to pass through the 80mm armor plate on the side of the turret.  (Information from Battle of Bulge, Then and Now by Jean Pallud)

Infantrymen of Co. B, 120th IR, carry a wounded German soldier to an aid station on a litter sled in Thirimont, Belgium after bitter fighting during the St. Vith counteroffensive.  Jan. 16th, 1945

Medics of the 1st Battalion, 117th IR starting out with a ski litter mounted on a jeep during the Battle of the Bulge.  Jan. 17th, 1945.  Also found on page 126 in 117th official history book.  Also found on page 75 in "Curlew", official history of 1st Battalion.  Men are identified as: Left, Capt. Joseph M. Battle, acting surgeon during the period, and at right Technician 3rd Grade Edward J. Shepaum.  Others are not identified.  Photo taken near Ligneuville, Belgium.

117th or 119th IR G.I.s walking down the main street in Alsdorf, Germany, abiding by the "no fraternizing with civilians" order as German girls look on.  November 11, 1944  Also found on page 86, 117th history book and on page 77 in the 119th history book.

Infantrymen of Co. E, 117th IR, at the outskirts of Sart-Lez-St. Vith, Belgium, during their advance on St. Vith.  January 23rd, 1945.  Also on page 117, 117th history book.  They never entered St. Vith but left it for the 7th Armored Division to retake.

Pfc. Edward Nobles of Chadbourn, N.C., Co. D, 119th IR.  He is manning his 30 Cal. machine gun near Pont, Belgium.  Jan. 17th, 1945.  Interestingly this photo is found in the 117th history book on page 87.

VERY popular photo showing 30th infantry crossing a narrow, precarious footbridge over a canal east of the Roer River February 23rd, 1945.  Found in 117th/120th and 30th official history books.

Photo taken from Borgoumont to Roanne, Belgium across the valley.  117th Co. K were in and around both villages along with other 117th units.  Photo by Hans Weber.

Photo from Borgoumont looking East.  Photo by Hans Weber.

  Pfc. Edmund Dill opens a Christmas package received from his wife.  His buddies share the treat. Left, Pfc. Carl Anker;  Right, T/Sergt. Ted Bailey  Even though this photo is in the 117th history book, Work Horse of the Western Front lists them as men of the 120th.  11/18/44  This photo was taken somewhere in the Euchen, Vorweiden, Neusen, Germany area.  Another different photo of these men plus a couple more men can be found on page 117 in the 120th Official History Book.

120th Regiment infantrymen pass through a German village as they move up to the front lines near Warden, Germany.  November 21st, 1944.  US Army Photo

  This statue recalls the liberation of Kerkrade by the 30th Division in Sept/Oct. '44. Photo courtesy of Paul Geilenkirchen.

  Present day photo of the remains of the Siegfried Line near Kohlscheid.  Photo courtesy of Paul Geilenkirchen.

Chateau Rochette, west of Stavelot.  Photo taken by Hans Weber from southern side of Ambleve River.  This was the CP of Capt. John Kent, 117th, Co. A.

Ferme Mazures, Ster, Belgium.  West of Stavelot, this building was hotly contested by both sides. Photo by Hans Weber.

Soldiers of the 117th Infantry Regiment, Company A, 30th Division, including Pvt. Florian B. Lawniczak, with the 30-cal ammo around his neck, arriving in the court-yard of Rolduc, the old Abbey in Kerkrade, before returning to the front line.  I may be mistaken but soldier with parcel bag certainly looks like Capt. John E. Kent, Co. A.

Ordinance heavy transports of the 458th Ord. Evac. Bn. 30th ID, Roermand, Holland, loaded with Alligators for special training purposes, file into the U.S. Ninth Army training area in Belgium.  March 10th, 1945. The 117th was HQed in Sittard, Holland; the 119th in Susteren, Holland; and the 120th in Broeksittard, Holland for training with the Alligators for the crossing of the Rhine River.
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The following are7th Armored Division photos.  The 7th AD was north of the 30th in Sept/Oct. moved south during the Bugle:

1944-11 (November 1944) - Holland, Germany
November began with a new Division commander: Gen. Hasbrocuk assumed command of the relieved Gen. Silvester, as of 2400 on 31 October. The fierce German counter-attack through Meijel continued. The Division remained in combat, suffering heavy casualties, until November 7, when relieved by British and Scottish troops. The Division then became part of Ninth U. S. Army, XIII Corps, on 9 November 1944. The Division, which had suffered maulings in September, October and November, had many new replacements, so that extensive reorganization and retraining were undertaken during the rest of November, as they remained out of combat in southeastern Holland. Some elements of the Division crossed into Germany on 28 November, to bivouac at Ubach, north of Aachen, as the Division prepared for new attacks in December.

     Ubach, Germany.

  Aachen, Germany.  Sign in front of Aachen RR
                                                                                                                                                                            Station.
Dragon Teeth.  Blasted Pillbox. 

Looking for damage after bombs fell.  Just broken windows.

  Belgium during the Bulge. Crashed plane burning on the horizon.  You can barely see the smoke in the center of the picture.

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