Hi guys,i'm not sure if this is the best place for this but i couldn't think of where elso to enquire.I recently bought a small group of bits that i was told belonged to an airborne trooper.Seller stated the trooper was with the 82nd airbourne after D day and then jumped with the 17th on the Rhine[the only info].I have attached a pic of his ID tag and a ring that came with the group.Also included was 2 sets of silver qualification wings[one early p/war Meyer marked],an 82nd ssi patch with arc,a small silver marked set of wings,a pair of ww2 pin back 17th Airborne dui's and a Purple heart medal with a seperate cloth bar.Can anyone tell me the best way to find more info about this trooper.I havn't a clue where to start so any info would be a great help.

Thanks,Steve.

PM Sent

Hi Tom,thanks for the info.Please send your email address and i will send pics of all the items.This is the 1st airborne grouping that i have managed to acquire,but may be able to do a deal if you have items i would rather have.

Regards,Steve.

Thank you Steve.

I´ve send you another PM with my e-mail address.

 

Regards, Tom

So what did you find out on this guy....please fill us in regardless of the deal in the works. I find it interesting that he was with the 82nd during D-Day and maybe MG, then transferred to the 17th for Varsity? Unusual to say the least.....I am interested in the details. Thanks!

Steve,

 

Here is a little more information for your man,

 

http://home.comcast.net/~ingallsam/WWII/WWIIEnlistM-Z.htm

 

12214433 RICHMOND MAURICE T SYRACUSE NY

 

The website has the Army Enlistment records for Madison County NY, from 1938-1946..

 

I did a basic "Google Search" and put the name in parenthesis and this is what I found. The Dog tag serial number matches what was on the web site. It's a start...

 

A 1956 Munnsville, NY directory listed him living at Richmond Maurice T, r, N Main 3111

 

Hope this helps a little..

 

Leigh..

Thanks Leigh,nice to know he survived the war.Tom V informed me that Maurice served with the 513th PIR,17th Airborne Division,and served in company D,Tom has a friend that served in companyD from the beginning untill the end of the war.Apparently the 82nd connection is a bit strange,but although the patch was with the group i have very little knowledge about the group or the structure of the WW2 US Airborne so i'm still hopeing for more info.

Steve.

Here is how i got the group,and also the small drogue parachute that came with it.

Steve.

Hi Steve.

Actually, the 82nd AB patch with a 17th AB grouping is not all that unusual at all. After the war, the 82nd high point men were sent home AFTER they were transferred to the 17th for their drumming out. Just the opposite happened with a lot of 17th AB guys, they were transferred to the 82nd to fill in for those previously mentioned high point All-Americans. This is why I wonder if maybe your guy was in the 17th, and then transferred to the 82nd during occupation duty. Again, many many 17th guys transferred to the 82nd to take the place of the 82nd high pointers.

 

This would be my guess on your little (nice) grouping and your guy. Just wanted to let you know that the 82nd patch very likely belongs with the other items so no worries! :thumbsup:

Heres his enlistment record from the national archives.

 

Field Title Value Meaning

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 12214433 12214433

NAME RICHMOND#MAURICE#T###### RICHMOND#MAURICE#T######

RESIDENCE: STATE 23 NEW YORK

RESIDENCE: COUNTY 053 MADISON

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 2386 SYRACUSE NEW YORK

DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 11 11

DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 12 12

DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 42 42

GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private

GRADE: CODE 8 Private

BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION INF Infantry

BRANCH: CODE 10 Infantry

FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #

TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law

LONGEVITY ### ###

SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life

NATIVITY 23 NEW YORK

YEAR OF BIRTH 24 24

RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen

EDUCATION 1 1 year of high school

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 583 Skilled mechanics and repairmen, n.e.c.

MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents

COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 6 Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of the United States under Army Regulations 605-10

CARD NUMBER # #

BOX NUMBER 0104 0104

FILM REEL NUMBER 1.97# 1.97#

Who is the maker of the ring? I have one that looks very similar. It came without provenance and I've never been able to determine if it was WWII-era or later. I believe mine was made by Art-Craft.

 

Bill

Hi,the one in this group is stamped inside CREST-CRAFT And STIRLING, unfortunately the black part has a hair line crack but is not lose.

Steve.

Got to think about that the 507th PIR was part of the 82nd for the June 44 drop, later they were transfered to the 17th AB Div also.

Got to think about that the 507th PIR was part of the 82nd for the June 44 drop, later they were transfered to the 17th AB Div also.

 

True, true.....and this could very well be the case. Notice in my posts that I said that it was more likely that the transfer happened after...not for sure though. But, this could be certainly be the case as well......507th.

Got to think about that the 507th PIR was part of the 82nd for the June 44 drop, later they were transfered to the 17th AB Div also.

 

That would be my guess.Possible 507th man.I knew one vet personally.Every man in his stick was KIA in Normandy except his best friend.The man I knew missed normandy because of an injury and spent a few months in hospital.Upon returning to the unit his friend had been killed in Holland or Belgium.He stated that by the time he caught up with the 507th they had been assigned to the 17th and he then served at the Buldge and jumped into Germany.I have a camo chute he used after the drop and even had a couple souveniers made from pieces of it.

 

RD

Hi all,

When I first saw this thread I was really surprised.

I found out that Maurice T. Richmond served with Company D, 513th PIR, 17th Airborne Division.

I have a friend that served with this Company from beginning till the end.

 

Steve and I worked out a deal and I managed to purchase this grouping from him.

(Once again, thank you very much Steve!)

 

I have asked the D/513 veteran and he told me that he knew Richmond, but they did not buddy up. The main reason was that they were in different platoons.

 

Well here is part of an e-mail I sent to Steve:

"To answer your other question. It is very well possible that a soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division transferred to the 17th Airborne Division at a later date. Perhaps you know but there is even one regiment, the 507th PIR, that at first belonged to the 82nd, but was completely transferred to the 17th. So a lot of the men of the 507th made the Normandy Jump and later crossed the Rhine during Operation Varsity. Richmond served with the 513th PIR, instead of the 507th. I have a letter grouping of a guy who served with the 507th during training, but later joined the 513th PIR. This was before the Normandy Jump.

I just want to point out that it is possible to make the Normandy Jump and the Rhine Jump, but I cannot confirm that Richmond actually did so..."

 

A part from that, it's very well possible that the 82nd Airborne Division connection is related to his occupation duty. As stated before, a lot of men ended up with the 82nd late in 1945, most of them to obtain higher points to go home.

 

Best regards,

 

Tom