Uniform group - T4 James Grubbs, M5A1 Stuart crewman - D Co., 753rd Tank Battalion

[36thIDAlex]

     Super excited to share a new group from a unit I never thought I’d find, an M5A1 Stuart Tanker of the 753rd Tank Battalion, the primary tank detachment who served with the 36th ID

 

      This set belonged to T/4 James S. Grubbs, of Bright, Indiana, who didn’t join the army til after his 18th birthday in 1944. His training was rushed, however, and he went overseas early qualified as an assistant driver and bow gunner. He likely got to Europe by late February or early March after which he was assigned as a replacement to D Company of the 753rd Tank Battalion, the unit’s light tank detachment until using M5A1 Stuart’s for reconnaissance and infantry support operations. 
 

     His first major combat operation would’ve been the large 36th Division push through the Siegfried line and across the Rhine River, pushing back and capturing thousands of German troops while using mounted infantry riding on their hull to secure town after town as they drove into the Nazi homeland. By the beginning of April he and the battalion began fighting alongside the 63rd Infantry Division Performing many of the same actions for the final drive into the deepest of southern Germany before ending the war with the 36th training on newly acquired M24 Chaffees. He ended up staying in the army until returning home in the fall of 1946, coming home to marry and settle down before beginning a long career in paper manufacturing and later, running a gardening supply store.

 

His full story is on my site here:
https://www.36thdivisionarchive.com/pa-36-grubbs

 

       It’s a great grouping that I’m glad to add to my 36th Division collection. The 753rd was almost exclusively attached to the division from Southern France to the end of the war, playing key roles supporting T-Patchers across the European mainland. It is a very difficult unit to find as I have seen only one other uniform, and this set is particularly exceptional with its numbered insignia, Company marked patches, German camo-lined cap, DUI, and being from a confirmed tanker crewman.

 

[BEAST]

Outstanding group! A very nice piece of Hoosier history! I’m jealous, I’ve been looking for a good armor group ID’d to a Hoosier for several years.

[268th C.A.]

Very nice group, really like the double patches 753rd both sleeves. Nice touch to the overseas cap, German camo sweat band. That is really a nice group. Thanks for sharing.  

[manayunkman]

Fantastic armor group.

[JSkaggs29]

Nice patches!!

[rebeldevil89]

753rd later became 77th AR after the war which I was a part of in Iraq. Very cool to see this grouping and read the story! Thank you for sharing.