I am including here an excerpt from my father's recollections of his wartime service, which he wrote in the late 1970s. I would be interested in any leads that anyone has on other recollections of 117/C's desperate fight at St. Barthelemy on August 6-8. My father was Robert J. Kenney (1921-2005).
"About midday [on August 8], a little after noon, all hell broke loose. It seemed that the enemy had us in their sights and were raining heavy mortar fire down on us with regularity. All of the trees and tops of the hedgerows were stripped by the devastating enemy fire. The sergeant and lieutenant dived into a foxhole to wait out the storm. I looked around and my hole was taken; I ripped off my knapsack (an action which later could have cost my life) laid my gun against the hedgerow and squeezed in with two other GIs who were digging like burrows for China. The shelling kept up throughout the whole field. On several occasions, we slipped out, fired a few rounds and then dived back into the hole. This hole was deep -- thank God. The only damage I suffered was a shell fragment wound in my hand. On many occasions, we started out only to be beaten back by the mortar barrage.
The enemy obviously had us accurately in their sights and were softening us up for the kill. At about 2:30, just as quickly as it started, the shelling seemed to stop, I started out of my hole and was reaching for my gun when I looked up at the lieutenant in front of me. He had his hands in the air. I looked beyond him and saw three Germans with machine pistols aimed in our direction. I don't know what I would have done if I could have reached my gun or had my rifle with me when the Germans appeared."
Hi , I found the following informations about the 639th AAA . The 639th AAA was attached to the 1st division for the period 18/12/1944-31/12/1944. The D Battery , 639th AAA was well attached to the 30th Infantry Division l for the period 21/12/1944 -05/01/1945. Vincent Heggen Belgium
Hi Bill: It seemed that your indication was that this was a FA Bn. That is why I said that it did not exist. Yes, as an Automatic Anti Aircraft (AAA) Unit, yes it did exist.
Orgamized on 20 Jan '43 at Camp Davis, NC as a separate Bn. From NY POE 29 Sept. '44; Landed in France - ETO 10 Oct. '44; Participated in the Ardennes, Central Europe & Rhineland Campaigns Ended service in ETO at Braunfels, Germany. Ret'd to Cp. Kilmer NJ on 2 Jan '46. This is all that I can find on htis unit. YUou might try to contact the center for Military History at Carlisle Barracks, Pa. They have an extensive library on the history of all units, and they may have sometihng of historical interest to you.
However, no connection to the 30th at any time. You can contasct me further at: towersfw@windstream.net
Frank W. Towers, President, Historian & Editor
30th Inf. Div. Veterans of WWII
All I can say is that my mother gave me this information. She said he was with the 639 AAA AW Bn Mbl Battery D. when I researched, this designation does exist,.
Dear Mr. Bouzan: A 639th FA Bn was never attached to the 30th Inf. Div. In fact, I find no record of a 639th FA Bn. Are you sure this is a correct unit designation?
William Henry Bouzan was my father and he served with the 639th Artillery Battery D can any one help me to put together some history of him and the stories of his unit. Thank you for any help
Hi ; As I previously wrote in one of my replies ; the 3rd Bn was in Stoumont and the HQ, 3rd Bn , had to be in Stoumont also at that time . Vincent Heggen Belgium
Hi ; Hq, 1st Bn was in Targnon ; vincent
Thanks for all your information. You guys really helped me.
Maybee a stupid question but was hq in wich Isaacs was a part of 1st bn or 3rd bn or is hq apart from the 3 batallions
Hi . For the people who are interested in receiving a picture of the 743rd Co A Members; I can send the picture . The 743rd was in my town in september 1944 and liberated my village with the 30th Inf Division . Vincent Heggen belgium
My Uncle was in A Co, 743rd. I have a letter from Sgt. Henry Welch, written to my Uncle on August 1, 1945. He mentions getting a 7 day furlough with Red Williamson. They went to the Riviera, had fun, and had alot of trouble getting back to the outfit when the furlough was over. Want a copy of the letter?
Rob
Another website is http://www.oldhickory30th.com/index.htm. Open reports and they also have casualty list and 119th Reg after action reports. I am working on our 4th of July celebration. have a good week. Jack E Davis
Rob,
While you are on the www.indianamilitary.com website read some of the after action reports and combat journal entries concerning the 119th. These will tell you where the reg was fighting on any specific date. You got to remeber that these guys were fighting for their lives. The 106th Div had already been overrun and people and platoons were shuffled from one bn to the next as the reg G3 saw fit. That is why on the casualty list so many are noted as "unknown company." The company 1st Sgt's got wouded or killed and no one took the time to write down peoples names. That is why my cousin is not attributed to any specific company even though he was listed as a member of the 119th Inf Reg. Glen C Bosman's brother Phillip had been a meber of the 422nd Inf of the 106th Inf Div and had been in one of the first units to get overrun by the Germans in Dec 1944. He evaded and escaped and avoided capture, but the experience haunted him for the rest of his life.
Rob,
While you are on the www.indianamilitary.com website read some of the after action reports and combat journal entries concerning the 119th. These will tell you where the reg was fighting on any specific date. You got to remeber that these guys were fighting for their lives. The 106th Div had already been overrun and people and platoons were shuffled from one bn to the next as the reg G3 saw fit. That is why on the casualty list so many are noted as "unknown company." The company 1st Sgt's got wouded or killed and no one took the time to write down peoples names. That is why my cousin is not attributed to any specific company even though he was listed as a member of the 119th Inf Reg. Glen C Bosman's brother Phillip had been a meber of the 422nd Inf of the 106th Inf Div and had been in one of the first units to get overrun by the Germans in Dec 1944. He evaded and escaped and avoided capture, but the experience haunted him for the rest of his life.
Rob,
Go To http://www.indianamilitary.org/30TH/SoThinkMenu/30thSTART.htm and click on 30th infantry it will open a menu that allows you to access their casualty list. Open the 119th and it will give you all the functioning companies of the 119th at that time. You will find Isaac under the casualties and it will list him as SSg, killed in dec 44 and also he will be attributed to HQ Company. It does not state which Bn. But from the beginning of the BotB all HQ Companies were combined into a Provisional Company for the duration of Dec 44 and early Jan. 1945
Hi ; As I previously wrote in one of my replies ; the 3rd Bn was in Stoumont and the HQ, 3rd Bn , had to be in Stoumont also at that time . Vincent Heggen Belgium
Rob,
SSG Odis M Isaacs was KIA 19 Dec 1944. He was a member of HQ Company 119th Inf Reg. It is on the casualty list for the 119th. Hope this helps. JED
Jack I could not find the list you refer to. Where did you found this? I just found the casualtylist that shows he was in the 119th but not in wich company.
replied to St. Barthelemy, August 6-8, 1944, 117th Infantry, Co. C
posted 2 hrs, 1 min ago in Forum Category by Frank Towers
replied to St. Barthelemy, August 6-8, 1944, 117th Infantry, Co. C
posted 3 hrs, 7 mins ago in Forum Category by Bob Kenney
replied to William Henry Bouzan
posted 9 hrs, 10 mins ago in My First Category by Heggen vincent
replied to William Henry Bouzan
posted 22 hrs, 6 mins ago in My First Category by Frank Towers
replied to William Henry Bouzan
posted 1 day, 1 hr ago in My First Category by BillBouzan
replied to William Henry Bouzan
posted 1 day, 3 hrs ago in My First Category by Frank Towers
replied to William Henry Bouzan
posted 1 day, 9 hrs ago in My First Category by BillBouzan
replied to Anyone who remembers my grandfather Ardie (Red) Williamson 743rd Tank Battalion
posted 1 day, 22 hrs ago in My First Category by John Warner
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 2 days, 8 hrs ago in My First Category by Rob Stal
replied to Anyone who remembers my grandfather Ardie (Red) Williamson 743rd Tank Battalion
posted 2 days, 10 hrs ago in My First Category by Heggen vincent
replied to Anyone who remembers my grandfather Ardie (Red) Williamson 743rd Tank Battalion
posted 2 days, 21 hrs ago in My First Category by John Warner
replied to Anyone who remembers my grandfather Ardie (Red) Williamson 743rd Tank Battalion
posted 3 days, 5 hrs ago in My First Category by John Warner
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 5 hrs ago in My First Category by Jack Davis
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 5 hrs ago in My First Category by Jack Davis
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 5 hrs ago in My First Category by Jack Davis
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 6 hrs ago in My First Category by Jack Davis
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 9 hrs ago in My First Category by Heggen vincent
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 9 hrs ago in My First Category by Heggen vincent
replied to research Odis M Isaacs 119th infantry regiment
posted 3 days, 9 hrs ago in My First Category by Rob Stal
replied to Adrian F Vetter Co. B. 119th
posted 3 days, 22 hrs ago in My First Category by Harold Vetter