517th Paratrooper Grouping

[neil peart]

These uniforms belonged to Lt John Neiler, S-2 Officer of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team. I believe that the M-42s were what he used in the US during training, the four pocket was worn in Toccoa, Ga, the Ike was worn in France when the team was preparing for activities after the Battle of the Bulge. He was promoted to captain while wearing this. The general uniform is what he wore when he retired. I also have his lensatic compass and pouch, the escape compass, canteen, fork, and bedroll.

[VenitHora]

Amazing group!

[Bearmon]

Did you acquire from the family? Estate sale? the group is really super!

[neil peart]

Yes, I got these from his family. I found the other 517th items and added them in.

[neil peart]

The patch was not his. He probably got the 82nd patch when he was reassigned to the 505th after the war.

[neil peart]

Unusual item. Lt. Dick Spencer of the 517th designed the patch and made stamps for the soldiers of the 517th that could be stamped on V-Mail for Christmas 1944. He made one specifically for the S-2 officers. Somehow Mr. Neiler ended up with the stamp. Here is the stamp and where I stamped it onto V-Mail.

[carbinephalen]

This is an incredible find! Right up there on my "favorite groups I've ever seen" list!

 

Being an O in the A-2 shop myself this one is D*MN hard to beat! ?

[551PIB]

Capt John Henry Neiler. Silver Star and Bronze Star . Combat jump South of France . Serial 7 Chalk 1 C47 43-15159 . Passed away on Sept 16, 2012.

[Junior45]

Lovely set, congratulation on the find!!

I must admit, it is one of he most complete sets I have seen here, thank you very much for sharing

 

Kind regards

 

JEB

[neil peart]

Capt John Henry Neiler. Silver Star and Bronze Star . Combat jump South of France . Serial 7 Chalk 1 C47 43-15159 . Passed away on Sept 16, 2012.

Hello 551PIB, just wondering where you found the information about his flight. Thanks

[551PIB]

Hello 551PIB, just wondering where you found the information about his flight. Thanks

 

Will have a look on my book about the Pathfinder .

 

[551PIB]

I don't have any official paper about the Sout of France Jump ... Just to let you know I mixe all I found with books, website, Vet contact or any kind of info. Sometimes it's just one or two name Inside a stick ... For this case I read that Lt Neil was in Lt Col Melvin Zais's stick ... and in the book "Into the Valley" page 216, I found the C47 Crew who was in charge with Lt Col Zais ... and the famous plane "Argonia" .

Will try to find more info.

[neil peart]

I don't have any official paper about the Sout of France Jump ... Just to let you know I mixe all I found with books, website, Vet contact or any kind of info. Sometimes it's just one or two name Inside a stick ... For this case I read that Lt Neil was in Lt Col Melvin Zais's stick ... and in the book "Into the Valley" page 216, I found the C47 Crew who was in charge with Lt Col Zais ... and the famous plane "Argonia" .

Will try to find more info.

Wow, thanks. I listened to an interview of Tom McAvoy on YouTube about the jump and he mentioned that Zais and Neiler were in the same plane. Anything helps. I am giving all of this information to his wife. Thanks again.

[katieony]

Wow, incredible group! Thanks for posting!

 

Mike

[551PIB]

Wow, thanks. I listened to an interview of Tom McAvoy on YouTube about the jump and he mentioned that Zais and Neiler were in the same plane. Anything helps. I am giving all of this information to his wife. Thanks again.

 

I like this king of team work ;-)))

 

Just to let you know more this is the C47 Crew

• Capt Norman C La Forest Cop
• 2Lt Vincent J Paterno Nav
• T/Sgt Charles E Patterson Crew
• S/Sgt John A Dougherty Rad
• + one reporter Ronald M Stead .

Also in the same stick

• Lt Fred Zavattero 596AEC
• Capt Joseph McGeever
• Lt Howard Hensleigh
• Lt Ludlow Gibbons

[empireguns]

a post war roster put together in 2004 lists him as a gen. G, 3rd HQ living in Oak ridge Tn. great find and glad it mostly kept together.

[neil peart]

a post war roster put together in 2004 lists him as a gen. G, 3rd HQ living in Oak ridge Tn. great find and glad it mostly kept together.

Yes, that's him. I am trying to get as much information about him as I can to let his wife know.

[neil peart]

Here are pictures of Lt. Neiler in Taccoa, GA.

[neil peart]

Here is Lt. Neiler in Piera Cava, France near the end of Operation Dragoon. Beside him is Lt. Richard Spencer who designed the 517th's Battling Buzzard patch. He also made the "Merry Christmas" stamp sown above.

[neil peart]

Here he is in Soissons, France where the 517th was stationed just prior to the Battle of the Bulge

[1944]

Outstanding 517th A/B Grouping you got there Very Nice.

[neil peart]

Here is the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Intelligence Section at their headquarters in Joigny, France sometime in the late spring through summer of 1945. Lt. Neiler is at the bottom left. This house was recently used in a short French film and looks pretty much the same. The current owner had no idea that it was used as an American HQ. They do think it was used by the Germans.

[neil peart]

Neiler was promoted to Captain just days after the team left France on their way back to the US. This was probably taken aboard the Madawaska Victory ship.

[carbinephalen]

Here is a great detailed shot of him on a "Victory Train". Taken December 2, 1945.

[carbinephalen]

http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/files/original/89b62dfa98a8877dcd6ea5258c0806bd.jpg

 

Link for the full pic