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2/503rd Research Help


docbutzen
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Thanks for all the recommendations, I'm working on getting several of those books.

 

Doc Butzen

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Thanks for all the recommendations, I'm working on getting several of those books.

 

Doc Butzen

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They are all 82d preparing for the jump into Sicily brother - have seen the originals & negatives at the Division Archives at Fort Bragg

 

Flags were sewn over where the Division Patches should of been to hide what unit the Troopers were in (shirts were faded from use & one could clearly see the outline of the 82d's shoulder sleeve patch)

 

Chris

 

I am building a 2/503rd impression for the Operation Torch jumps. If anyone has any photos or research to help that would be greatly appreciated.

 

I believe these photos to be 2/503 in North Africa even though they are labeled as 82nd. My gut tells me otherwise.

 

509thNA.jpg

 

509thNA1.jpg

 

PICT1840.jpg

 

PICT1842.jpg

 

PICT1846.jpg

 

Sicilymounted1.jpg

 

Note the heavy use of mounted cartridge belts and .45 pistols. Flag on left sleeve and hawley liners.

 

Doc Butzen :thumbsup:

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A man can dream... but you crushed it :( lol But still very cool for my 82nd impression.

 

Doc Butzen

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09 Jul 43 - 509th are attached to 82nd Airborne Division at Oujda, French Morocco for Operation HUSKY the invasion of Sicily however 2nd Bn 509th PIR was designated division reserve and did not participate in the invasion. (Field Order #1 of Force 343 (Seventh Army) "(B) 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry, remain in North Africa, in Force 343 reserve, available for drop missions as directed.")

 

509th only ever wore the 5th Army patch for a short time and even though they were attached to the 82nd For Husky, they never wore the 82nd SSI, this would account for them wearing the flag on the SSI Arm in these pictures IMHO. Pictures seen of the 82nd in Sicily certainly show the standard configeration of SSI on Left Sleeve and Flag on right sleeve on un-renforced jump suits.

 

Regards

 

Lee

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From what I can remember, the original negatives and prints I saw in the Archives at Bragg had these images labeled as the 504th - these images were taken by the same photographer (using color Kodachrome) that had taken photos of a 325th GIR 2LT in standard wool uniform w/ leggings wearing an 82d patch. If I remember correctly, the print pictures had the original Signal Corps stamp on the back w/ a small, typed paragraph attached to it, stating that they were all 504th

 

The statement I made about the flag being worn on the right sleeve was what we came up with based on that no Division units wore shoulder patches during their transit from the States to N.Africa, but you could inevitably see the outline of the patches, and an after-action report we found in the archives - I'll be at Bragg next month & will dig this intel up again & post for everyone

 

Chris

 

09 Jul 43 - 509th are attached to 82nd Airborne Division at Oujda, French Morocco for Operation HUSKY the invasion of Sicily however 2nd Bn 509th PIR was designated division reserve and did not participate in the invasion. (Field Order #1 of Force 343 (Seventh Army) "(B) 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry, remain in North Africa, in Force 343 reserve, available for drop missions as directed.")

 

509th only ever wore the 5th Army patch for a short time and even though they were attached to the 82nd For Husky, they never wore the 82nd SSI, this would account for them wearing the flag on the SSI Arm in these pictures IMHO. Pictures seen of the 82nd in Sicily certainly show the standard configeration of SSI on Left Sleeve and Flag on right sleeve on un-renforced jump suits.

 

Regards

 

Lee

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If the 509th was attached to the 82nd wouldn't they have been bivouacked in the same area?

 

Doc Butzen

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