August 15, 1944 Allies land in southern France
One hour after midnight on 15 August the 517th Parachute Combat Team began its original mission participating in Operation Dragoon. This operation was the second largest combined Airborne/Seaborne invasion of World War II. It involved 1,000 ships, several thousand warplanes and 300,000 men including a 9,100 man contingent of Airborne Troops. The most fascinating and successful Allied Airborne assault of World War II.
In all, 300,000 Allied soldiers (French, American, Australian, British) stormed France's Mediterranean shore, 70 days after D-Day Landing at Normandy (6 June 1944) catching German troops in a pincer so tight that Hitler mentioned to his aides, "This is the darkest day of my life."
My stick jumped between 4 & 4:30 a.m.. Although our military planners had hoped for a clear night of August 15th a large high pressure system moved and settled in over southern France and over our objective creating a heavy fog. Being the lead stick of my 20 man Demolition Team and looking out the open plane door I couldn't see anything. About that time the Red light over the open plane door came on signifying to stand up, hook up and ready to jump when the Green light signal over the open door came on. At the Green light I jumped into the thick foggy soup like a frog not knowing whether I would land in water or the good terra firma. Our pilot navigated the plane right on our designated target for I landed directly on the DZ (Drop Zone) near Le Muy and began searching for my men. I figured they should be nearby as they all jumped from the same C-47 but could not locate a single one. Then I remembered, a split second after I jumped the plane made a sharp L-Bank and the remainder of my stick parachuted down on top of a German bivouac. A violent firefight erupted and the Germans attacked my trapped men from all sides. Sizing up the situation in the confusion and darkness Sergeant Brown my squad leader managed to get eight men together but they were quickly surrounded by thirty or more Germans. Private Giner was killed instantly by a bullet. The uneven slugging match could have only on ending. Sergeant Brown and his remaining seven parachutist were captured and taken prisoners to Le Muy. Shortly after, they and others captured were released after our Regimental S-2, Intelligence Officer, Captain Dearing who was also captured brilliantly negotiated with the Germans into surrendering.
Escapades by
W.T.W. 
 |
54 pages; perfect bound; catalogue #03-2229; ISBN 1-4120-1851-X;
US$10.45
Trafford Publishing (www.trafford.com search for "Escapades") Escapades is a true story about an overseas paratrooper in World War II. Like all paratroopers, in World War II, he felt his parachute regimental combat team (the 517 PRT) to be the best there was. Details: Paratrooper in World War II. Aviator with over 25,000 flight hours. District Manager of large retail fuel company. Owned and ran seven Florida citrus groves. |
Excerpts:
from Italy:
I peeked around the end of this fence just as "C" companies captain stood up
in front of this kill of Germans and signaled real deliberate to fix bay nets
three times. On the third time about 100 bayonets came up. "G" company was going
in.
Comm. Platoon got up to follow. No one fired at us as the Germans
switched their fire on "G" company. They were too late as "G" company was in on
top of them, "G" company took more German prisoners than "C" company had
personnel in the company.
from The Bulge:
In the process a couple of tanks were digging in and one of their sergeants
was standing talking to me. Major Paxton walked by and said to the tank sergeant
"Your outfit has a reputation of pulling out and leaving people in the lurch.
You don't do that to the 517, I gave orders to my gunners to shot you if you try
it, we are all staying." Major Paxton then went on his way.
from Germany
About the 4th night we were called on to make a night attack. But just before jump off the attacking force did not want a wire team, as there is no way to keep the reels of wire completely quite. Sgt. Horne, Ed Inman, myself and I believe one other wireman was near Col. Paxton as he sent his people in. The engineers along with "I" company went first. The Engineers to clear the mines, "I" company in five man patrols to go up through the mines, wade the river, find each other on the other side of the river, and prepare to attack the dams from their back side.
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