WWII USMC Officer PH Certificate

[TrevorR]

Just purchased this Document. All information came from the 2nd Armored Amphibious battalion website.

 

 

KENNETH E. SMITH: A kid who hadn’t been out of Iowa but twice, now I was halfway around the world traveling at government expense to visit a place I wasn't welcome but seeing our Company CO Capt Handyside's amtank alongside I felt reassured. He was as fine an officer as you could imagine. I didn't dream he was about to be killed right in front of us.

Capt Handyside's crew also included Gunnery Sergeant George "Gunny" Roberts manning its 75mm Howitzer with loader James Hartman also up in the turret and ammo passers Fred Betz and Chester Scivetti down below the turret. Driver Harold Moody sat up front next to radioman/machine gunner Eugene Lyne Jr.

HAROLD C. MOODY: I was driving Captain Handyside's tank. His orders were to get ashore and set up a CP station at a sugar mill about a half mile inland from the landing beach. Half way across the reef we took a hit that split a pontoon on our left side making it hard to steer. Captain Handyside kept saying, Keep it moving, Driver. As we hit the beach, a sniper killed him.

ROBERT E. WOLLIN: My platoon was on the far right flank. Captain Handyside's amtank held that flank's center. Beyond Captain Handyside's amtank on that flank's right side, Lt. Ambrose's amtank was shifting left. At the time we didn't know that strong currents washing north off the beach were carrying us north. Meanwhile Japanese artillery was still bracketing us, trying to get our range, and drenching us with near misses, splashing water into open turret hatches. Still they were misses. We were lucky. As the Japs sharpened their range, the assault wave coming in behind us looked to be having the harder time. Note: The artillery and mortar fire coming at the first two assault waves were relatively light compared to what those waves would meet on the beach and inland from it and when contrasted to the fire encountered by later waves crossing the lagoon for the next two days after the enemy refined their targeting.

Meanwhile 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, and Amtank Company B landed on Red 2. This left Red 3 wide open on their right flank and created a yawning gap between the divisions two Regimental Combat Teams as most (but not all) of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines and Amtank Company C landed as planned on Green 1. Adding to the confusion the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines and Amtank Company D also landed on Green 1 instead of on Green 2 further south as planned. Thus two Battalions and Amtank Companies became densely packed on a single beach exposed to heavy fire from Afetna Point on their right flank to the south.

HAROLD C. MOODY: We got heavy fire from the right flank and drifted left coming in. Capt. Handyside was killed. Roberts, Hartman and Scivetti were wounded. Scivetti was killed at the beach aid station when it took a direct artillery hit.

ROBERT WOLLIN: Capt. Handyside's last words: "Ambrose, take command" went out over the radio. No one knows how he said it. We considered it a sort of miracle. The bullet hit him over one eye.

CHARLES F. AMBROSE: My tank was far right, Handyside's was in center. Despite noise and confusion, a lot of us heard his order over the radio.

Platoon Report on Tank 70: After Captain Handyside was hit in the head by rifle fire and rendered unconscious, Gunny Sgt. Roberts proceeded inland 100 feet to camouflaged position, rendered first aid to the Captain, evacuated him to 3^rd Battalion 8^th Marines Aid Station, and then pulled Sgt. Norton's tank from a shell hole. Next, realizing they'd landed on the wrong beach, he went by foot on reconnaissance, leaving Sgt. Hartman in charge of tank. On recon Sgt. Roberts wounded by Hip Mortar.

 

 

 

[LuftStalg1]

Amazing story.

[Kurt Barickman]

Great document Glad you were able to get a hold of that battalion history; it is by FAR the best unit history I have ever encountered. I talked to a couple of those guys mentioned in your write up as a retired veterinarian from my church was a member of the unit and very active in reunions.

 

Kurt