question about the 101st airborne during ww2 in bastogne

[Mr.B]

Hi Everyone,

I have been getting into a arguement with my dad recently about a vet he met that was in the 101st airborne division during ww2. My dad claims that his son and the vet told my dad that the vet jumped in to bastogne like a parachute jump with the 101st airborne.

 

I really found this hard to believe. I remember reading about the 101st being in the battle but I don't remember ever hearing of any sort of jump during ww2 into the battle of the bulge. My dad says the vet was right but I have a difference of opinion so would someone please like to clear the air. Did anyone from the 101st ever jump into bastogne?

All Help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Scott

[Johan Willaert]

A few pathfinders jumped into Bastogne to mark the Dropzones for the Bastogne Resupply drops.

[doyler]

When the weather cleared at Batogne there was a small contingent of Pathfinder that jumped in to set up a drop zone for the resupply.Jake Powers was one of the men who went in and its documented in several books

 

RON

[doyler]

If you know the mans name it wouldnt be hard to trace.You also can go to the Trigger Time web page by Mark Bando and contact him.He will definately have the answer to your question(s).

 

RON

[Johan Willaert]

Jake Powers is the E/506 historian, not a WW2 paratrooper.

 

Jack Agnew was amongst one of those jumping in Bastogne and he's on top of this pile with a radio beacon guiding in the supply planes...

 

[Bugme]

There's a great story about the Bastogne Drop at this link from HistoryNet.com http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-pat...drop.htm#high_1

 

Hey Mr.B, It's great to see another Chessehead on the Forum!

[Mr.B]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for the great responses. I got the vets name is Wally Jero Sr. I don't have any other information on him. I know he passed away. I hope this can help someone

All help is truely greatly appreciated

Scott

[doyler]

Jake Powers is the E/506 historian, not a WW2 paratrooper.

 

Jack Agnew was amongst one of those jumping in Bastogne and he's on top of this pile with a radio beacon guiding in the supply planes...

 

 

 

Johan,You are correct.I meant to say Jake McNiece not Powers.Guess Im having a senior moment today.Cant type and think at the same time!!!!

[J_Andrews]

The men in the photo of PFs at the "Brickpile" are (left to right) LT Schrable D. Williams (who stayed in the army and was the boss of the SF WHITE STAR project in Laos circa 1963-65), John Dewy (near covered), Jake McNiece, Charles H. Partlow, Lochman M. Tillman, Carl Fenstamachter and (up top) John Agnew.

 

Two sticks -- a total of 20 Pathfinders -- jumped into Bastogne, flying from England, on 23 Dec 44. I addition to the above they were: John Mossman, Cleo Merz, Leroy E. Schulenberg, George H. Blain, William E. Coad, and geo. H. Slater (all Team 1); LT Gordon O. Rothwell, Richard M. Wrihgt, Lavon P. Reese, Martin Majewski, Mathan M. Forster, Floyd Thomas and Irvin L. Shumaker.

[Bugme]

The men in the photo of PFs at the "Brickpile" are (left to right) LT Schrable D. Williams (who stayed in the army and was the boss of the SF WHITE STAR project in Laos circa 1963-65), John Dewy (near covered), Jake McNiece, Charles H. Partlow, Lochman M. Tillman, Carl Fenstamachter and (up top) John Agnew.

 

Two sticks -- a total of 20 Pathfinders -- jumped into Bastogne, flying from England, on 23 Dec 44. I addition to the above they were: John Mossman, Cleo Merz, Leroy E. Schulenberg, George H. Blain, William E. Coad, and geo. H. Slater (all Team 1); LT Gordon O. Rothwell, Richard M. Wrihgt, Lavon P. Reese, Martin Majewski, Mathan M. Forster, Floyd Thomas and Irvin L. Shumaker.

 

Hmmmm, I don't see a Wally Jero on that list. I think you got your answer Scott.

[Jeeper704]

Maybe he was part of the gliderborne troops who landed in the Bastogne sector?

I read they transported a complete surgical team with gliders to replace the one lost when 2nd Panzer overrun the 101st AB hospital.

 

Erwin

[Kurt Barickman]

Irving Schuhmacher lived up the road from me until his passing several years ago. Came back to MN after the war and stopped his new car on the bridge over the Mississippi between MN and WISC and threw all his "stuff" into the river

 

Kurt Barickman

[teufelhund]

If you know the mans name it wouldnt be hard to trace.You also can go to the Trigger Time web page by Mark Bando and contact him.He will definately have the answer to your question(s).

 

RON

 

Jack Mc Neice

Bob Inzumi

Jack Andrews

Loyd Neblett

Dropped on Bastogne 22/12/1944

T

[Jumpin Jack]

With the exception of the small group of Pathfinders, the only jump at Bastogne by the 101st was a "Tail Gate jump". Replacement personnel, many newly released from medical care, were loaded on 21/2 ton trucks, trucked into Bastogne, and exited the trucks via the tail gate, thus the term. This form of "jump" was and probably is common during the initial training of would-be paratroopers. Jack Angolia

[Baker502]

Actually the trucks were semi trucks with Air Corps trailers, which were large cattle type trailers with no top. They men were loaded so tight they couldn't sit down. A rough ride into the battle area. Paul

[teufelhund]

Beacon AN PPN2

T

[glenm]

To be pedantic, the 101st pathfinders at Bastogne were still using the PPN1 beacon, not the PPN2.

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[Old Marine]

I have had the honor and pleasure of talking with Mr. Jack Agnew a few years ago and YES he did jump in to Bastogne.

He told me that he and other Pathfinders were in England for Pathfinder training at the time and they did indeed jump in to Bastogne to set up the beacons for the supply planes that would follow.

 

I also showed Jack that photo of himself up there on top of that brick pile. He sort of laughed and said that wasn't the smartest thing he had ever done. He said, about a second after he climbed down, an 88 shell whizzed right by where he was. He thought the Germans were trying to snipe him with an 88.

 

You just have to admire, and be a in awe of men like this.

 

Imagine the scenario, they are safe in England, their boss comes in and tells them "our unit is surrounded, they are out numbered, low on food, medicine, and ammo, and the weather is horrible, cold, snow, fog and almost zero visibility, and we want you to jump in there." And they say "ok" and do it!

 

These Guys are just amazing.

 

 

Dennis

[teufelhund]

Beacon AN PPN2

T

 

 

You are 99.99% probably right but the Eureka Rebecca AN PPN2 was developped in 1943 in order to replace the SCR 729

The Aircraft laboratory developped converted the MARK III IFF radar SCR 695 into AN PPN1 and 3 However the

AN PPN1 and 2 was transfered to the Camp Evans Signal Laboratory in NJ

The Air Force in mid 1943 requested that the Signal Corps procure 1.366 sets of AN PPN1 in 1943 and a like number of AN PPN2

Though the goal was not reached... nearly a thousand of sets of AN PPN2 were delivered before mid 1944, just in time for D day operations in Normandy

 

Source ( US ARMY PUBLICATION)

"The signal Corps Equipments : Developments to V-J Day

page 488

 

Teufelhund

[glenm]

Hi mate,

 

Makes the ha'peth of difference whether they were delivered or not in mid-1944, and I would put money on that they were delivered from the factory to the Army in mid-1944, not to the front line units. Fact is that they weren't used in the ETO by the Airborne until the Rhine Crossing by the 17th Airborne Pathfinders who were on the Allied side of the Rhine to guide the planes in. That's from the AAR that passed my way a while back.

 

The 101st, 82nd & FABTF were still using the PPN1 in their respective campaigns in Normandy, Holland, Southern France & the Ardennes.

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[teufelhund]

You are 99.99% probably right but the Eureka Rebecca AN PPN2 was developped in 1943 in order to replace the SCR 729

The Aircraft laboratory developped converted the MARK III IFF radar SCR 695 into AN PPN1 and 3 However the

AN PPN1 and 2 was transfered to the Camp Evans Signal Laboratory in NJ

The Air Force in mid 1943 requested that the Signal Corps procure 1.366 sets of AN PPN1 in 1943 and a like number of AN PPN2

Though the goal was not reached... nearly a thousand of sets of AN PPN2 were delivered before mid 1944, just in time for D day operations in Normandy

 

Source ( US ARMY PUBLICATION)

"The signal Corps Equipments : Developments to V-J Day

page 488

 

Teufelhund

 

Reason Why I have said that you are at 99.99 % right, but the 0.01% left has not be ascertained...

But You are probably 100% right

T

[alphie5002]

I learn something new everyday. What a great discussion!

[APO472]

Well I know Jack Agnew, I guess you could say fairly well, he carries my two daughters pictures in his wallet and they are also on he and Betty's 'Fridge. He is a dear friend and I, for research purposes, have asked these very questions many times over the past 30 years. First off they were trained on and used the PPN-1 system. He had seen the PPN-2 post war and was able to navigate around it but at the end of the day it was the PPN-1 that they jumped into Bastogne. They also scrounged AAC weapons while airborne to jump into Bastogne. I have the TSMG Sling Jack carried that day.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jake Powers

[Gregory]

I have been getting into a arguement with my dad recently about a vet he met that was in the 101st airborne division during ww2. My dad claims that his son and the vet told my dad that the vet jumped in to bastogne like a parachute jump with the 101st airborne.

 

I really found this hard to believe.

J_Andrews answered precisely in his post. Additional question may be if those pathfinders came from well-known Frank L. Lillyman's school of pathfinders in the 101st or not, because Lillyman was in the SAARF structure then?

 

What is worth to add, rescuing the Bastogne hospital started not from the moment of glider operations. At first 4th Auxiliary Surgical Group doctor Maj. Howard P. Serrell had been carried by an L-4 liaison aircraft to Bastogne on December 24th, 1944.

 

There's a great story about the Bastogne Drop at this link from HistoryNet.com http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-pat...drop.htm#high_1

The article is interesting of course, but it is general only. For more demanding forumers interested in airborne operations related to the Ardennes I would recommend three-part series under the title of "Remembering the Bulge" published by the Air Classics magazine. They were published as follows:

Part One – Air Classics Vol. 30 No. 4, April 1994

Part Two – Air Classics Vol. 30 No. 5, May 1994

Part Three – Air Classics Vol. 30 No. 7, July 1994

 

Maybe he was part of the gliderborne troops who landed in the Bastogne sector?

I read they transported a complete surgical team with gliders to replace the one lost when 2nd Panzer overrun the 101st AB hospital.

In the articles I recommend above the following US glider pilots tell about it:

▪ Charlton W. "Corky" Corwin

▪ Claude Berry

▪ John Wesley

▪ William W. Burnett

 

All glider pilots taking part in Bastogne mission got Air Medal although John Wesley told in the interview "I was told six or seven years ago at one of our reunion, that I had been put in for the DFC and Silver Star but it was turned down."

 

Regards

 

Greg