A 465th Glider(?) Field Artillery Battalion DI

[Patchcollector]

Happy Saturday all,

A recent addition to my collection is this DI.I'm not sure whether the "Glider" designation is correct,but I found this info online:

 

"The 465th Glider Field Artillery Battalion was originally part of the 82nd Airborne Div. This unit reorganized as regular field artillery, and was sent to the Pacific. It took part in the New Guinea campaign and the invasion of the Philippines in 1944 and fought in the liberation of Manila in March, 1945. The unit was later dissolved due to the high number of casualties."

 

If anyone can tell me where this was made and the time frame it was used I would very much appreciate it.

 

Thanks!

[Patchcollector]

Back view

 

[manayunkman]

That's German made and kool as heck !

[Tankpatches]

465 FA Bn

ORC / USAR North Dakota

Auth 5 Nov 51 approval date 28 may 52

ASMIC # 465A1N (gold v. silver)

post war German made

[rlyoun3910]

Tactical lessons learned from action in the Pacific precipitated the need for an additional Direct Support Field Artillery Battalion. They were composed of 75mm pack howitzers pulled by jeeps and glider trained. So the unit was pulled from the 82nd Airborne and sent to Australia. MacArthur endorsed the development of Regimental Combat Teams by adding additional artillery battalions. What a tough job it was in the South Pacific for artilleryman. Originally assigned to the 65th Cavalry Division, it soon turned it's pack howitzers in for 8-inch cannons by the time it reached the Philippines as Corps artillery. However the DI was not approved until 1952... The sunburst symbolizes the unit's firepower in a Melanesian/New Guinea area and the charging caraboa is for their service in the Philippines. The engrailed base is supposed to represent the Pacific Ocean. Did they have a crest in 1943?

 

It does look like a Lauer, though, doesn't it. Really neat. Would be great to talk to someone in North Dakota to see if they did order these from Germany.

[Tonomachi]

I found a lineage on the Internet concerning the 465th Field Artillery Battalion. They were constituted on 25 January 1943 as the 465th Glider Field Artillery Battalion and activated 1 March 1943 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. However they lost their Glider designation when they were redesignated on 15 January 1944 as the 465th Field Artillery Battalion. So they were designated as glider artillery for less than a year. I wonder if they wore a US made pin back or pin back sterling version of this DI during the short time they were designated glider artillery?

[Allan H.]

Tonomachi,

The simple answer to your question about whether this was worn when the unit was still a glider unit is absolutely not! The design of the DI reflects their service in New Guinea and the Philippines. Both were places where they served in 1944 and 1945. The only plausible explanations that I see for this DI are:

1) the unit ordered the insignia from Germany (doubtful as there were plenty of US manufacturers who would have made a nice DI for a relatively inexpensive amount).

2) One of the DI collectors in the 1950's or 60's had these made since the unit was once "airborne" and those sold on their lists.

 

Allan

[patches]

During the Korean War this unit was ordered to active duty on 4 September 1950 and sent to Germany,probably some time in 1951, by early 1952 it was in Baumholder attached to the 142nd Field Artilllery Group 7th Army, see here. It was there I gather till some time in late-sh 1954 and sent back to North Dakota, the date it was relieved from active duty and reverted back to reserve status was 6 Jan 55, it was inactivated the very next day 7 Jan at Minot ND, it's home station when in was activated for active duty.

[Patchcollector]

Thanks guys for all the interesting info and thanks Patches for nailing down the German connection.

 

I also found this while looking around online:

 

465th FA Bn Baumholder 8" How, Towed 30GP 1952 - 1954 465th FA Bn moved to Darmstadt (1953?); redes 760th FA Bn (Jan 1955) ?

[Allan H.]

Great detective work Patches! That answers that!

 

Allan

[patches]

Thank you one and all.

 

As to the 760th FA Bn, I imagine this was a reflagged unit, meaning all the personel, equipment etc remained in place (Darmstadt) and colors of the 760th FA sent over from the states, the colors of the 465th FA sent back to North Dakota, the original reservists activated with the 465th FA in Sept 1950 were long gone by late 1954, as is the case with all the actived Reserve and federalized National Guard units during the Korean War, their place just taken by normal assignees.

 

When the 760th FA Bn was actived the DI for the 465th did not carry over, they got a brand new DI for themselves, approved 31 January 1956, can't find an image of it unfortunately. The 760th FA itself was a few months later inactivated in place at Darmstadt on 2 April 1956, no doubt in preparation for the up coming Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) that was to do away with all the FA Bns and replace them with parent Regiments, ie 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 2nd Battalion 84th Artillery etc etc.

[rlyoun3910]

Here's a crest fro the 760th FA Bn> go to this website for more indepth research, too:

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com

 

see the picture attached of the 760th Field Arty Bn 191st FA Group USA Europe.

 

 

 

[patches]

Here's a crest fro the 760th FA Bn> go to this website for more indepth research, too:

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com

 

see the picture attached of the 760th Field Arty Bn 191st FA Group USA Europe.

 

 

 

Hey thanks rlyoun, didn't think to look around on the USAEUR site.