• Camp Chiseldon

     Chiseldon - England

     

    On July 30, 1944 the division was attached to the 9th Army assigned to the ETOUSA (European Theater of Operation of the US Army). The advance party of the Division leaved the USA and arrived in Glasgow on July 31, 1944 to prepare the arrival of the entire division. In August the training was finish and on August 14 the unit received order to make a secret movement toward Miles Standish Camp in Tauton (near Boston), Massachusetts. It arrived on August 16. In that place it prepared its travel for England. Approximately on August 18, the men of the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment boarded on the USS Wakefield in Boston harbor. They arrived in Liverpool on august 26 after an 8 days travel.

      

    On August 30, 1944 the Division took position in its new location at Chiseldon Camp near Swindon, Wiltshire.

    The Second Battalion of the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment was assigned in the vicinity of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division area. That area was largely undeveloped and men were obliged first to make the place livable.

    In August 12, 1944, the Division was integrated in the XVIIIth Airborne Corps.

    Camp Chiseldon 

    Shoulder sleeve insignia of the XVIIIth Airborne Corps (TFH collection).

      

    In September the unit was placed in reserve during the operation Market Garden. The men were in alert and were ready to climb into the planes to help their friends who fought in the Netherlands. After one week the Supreme Headquarter renounced to send up the Division to reinforce and the order alert was suppressed. The training restarted up to December.

     

    On October 22, three troopers of the Headquarters Company, Second Battalion died in a tragic event. That Sunday Max Leatherman, Cliff McGeehon, platoon sergeant Benny Silverstein, private first class Alwin Houghtaling and private Earl W Pasch were on leave and tried to go in Swindon to catch a train for London. They had found a GMC truck that ridded toward the town. They had been underway for only about fifteen minutes when they felt the truck decelerate and then they heard breaking glass and the sharp crunching of metal. The truck had swiped an English bus loaded with Army Air Corps personnel on an outing of Oxford. No English was wounded but twenty-two Americans were killed. Silverstein had been instantly decapitated, Pash also lay dead and Houghtailing had suffered serious injuries to which he would shortly succumb on October 25. Houghtaling was buried in the American Military Cemetery in Cambridge. The bodies of Pasch and Siverstein were returned Stateside. That three men were so the first guys of the 193rd that felt in duty but because of war restrictions, the details of this story were never revealed.

      

    The Division realized its first overseas review on November 15, at Chilbolton Field in presence of Lieutenant General Lewis Brereton, Commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, Major General Matthew B Ridgeway, Commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, and Major General Paul L Williams, Commander General of the Troop Carrier Command. 

      

    Camp Chiseldon

    This unpublished photo was realised in Swindon Camp (England), circa 1944. It shows men of Company "A". Front row from left : John F Saggio (ASN 35610007) and George Marish (ASN 33621806) (KIA on January 7, 1945). Second row from left : Daniel L Kubicky (ASN 35058230) and John Senick (ASN 32599324). Note that George Marish still wears an M42 jump jacket while the other men wear the new M43 jacket (with courtesy of John Senick Jr).

      

    Camp Chiseldon

    Other unpublished photo realised at Camp Chiseldon (England). This one was realised by Robert McGlasson (ASN 35700878) Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion. Note the writing on the tent to the left of the door "LIMEY MOTEL" (with courtesy of Bob McGlasson).

      

    Camp Chiseldon

     Swindon 1944 - Donald B Canfield (ASN 33621791) from Company "E" and his brother Clayton. Note that Donald looks like a paratrooper with his jumpboots and the wings on his uniforme. He doesn't wear insignia on his overseas cap. Clayton J Canfield (ASN 33485284) served in the 84th Infantry Division and also fought in the Bulge (with courtesy of Donald Canfield). 

     

    Camp Chiseldon

     

    Chiseldon, fall 1944. From left to right : Captain Francis B Mc ALLISTER (O-387607), 2nd Lieutnant Jackson T ROACH (O-313799), 2nd Lieutnant John R CASKEY (O-1314592), 2nd Lieutnant Edward E A GILLAM (O-512954) and 2nd Lieutnant Ross L PARKS. McALLISTER will be wounded in action and will received the Purple Heart Medal on January 7, 1945, 2nd Lieutnant John R CASKEY will be killed in action several weeks later, on January 7, 1945. He is burried on American cemetery of Ham, Great Dutchy of Luxembourg. All men are from B Company (with permission of Bill TOM). Click to enlarge.