ORIG 2-PC 1944 XX 20 CORPS & 65th DIVISION T-3 UNIFORM GROUP W/IKE JACKET 6/8/44

Description

This is a 100% original 2-piece uniform grouping from a soldier who served with an artillery unit in the ETO with XX Corps (20th Corps) and the 65th infantry division, two of the US Army's organizations involved in the Battle of the Bulge and the fighting in the European Theater in the spring of 1945. The items include an OD wool field and dress "Ike" jacket and an OD wool garrison cap piped in red for artillery.  These items are in excellent condition. Both came from the same soldier and are in the same condition they were brought home by the soldier at the end of WWII. ************** The set consists of: (1) An enlisted man's OD wool field jacket, also known as the "Ike" jacket. This jacket has rank insignia for a Technician, Third Grade (T-3, three chevrons above a T). The rank insignia are OD wool sewn onto dark blue wool felt. The chevrons are neatly hand sewn with OD thread. On the left shoulder is a patch for the United States XX Corps ("Patton's Ghost Corps"), it is hand sewn with OD cotton thread.  On the right shoulder is the patch for the US Army 65th Infantry Division, this patch is also hand sewn with OD thread. The lower left sleeve has two overseas bars (gold-colored thread on OD felt), indicating at least 1 year overseas service, and a three year service hash, indicating service in the United States Army for at least three years. Both are hand sewn with OD thread. There is a discharge eagle ("ruptured duck") machine sewn above the right breast pocket.  Above the right pocket is a discharge eagle or "ruptured duck," this is machine sewn with OD thread. Above the left front pocket are four pinback ribbons, one for
Europe, Africa, and Middle Eastern (EAME)
with two battle stars, a Good Conduct medal ribbon, a WWII victory medal ribbon, and an American Campaign medal ribbon. The left right collar lapel has a brass US collar disk, clutchback with two smooth-faced brass clutches having a 1943 patent number, and on the left lapel is collar brass with crossed cannons for artillery, a screwback.  Inside the right front pocket is a specification label, this reads:  "Jackets, Field, Wool, O.D., Stock No. 55-J-384-595, Size 36R, T.D.M. CLOTHING MFG. CORP, Cont. W36-030-44-qm-5976, Dated June 8, 1944, Pattern Date 5?12/44, Spec. P.Q.D. No. 437, Phila. Q.M. Depot, Inspector."  There is a white cotton embroidered size tag in the neck, "36R," for a men's size 36 inch chest, regular height (up to about 5 feet, 10 inches).  The Ike jacket is lined with khaki cotton cloth, and has a khaki cotton neck loop for hanging the jacket. Buttons are OD plastic, the snap at the front of the waist is blackened brass, buckles for side waist adjusting tabs are blackened steel. Front pocket flaps are lined with khaki cotton and have khaki cotton trim at top. There are no names, numbers, or writing anywhere in the jacket. This is definitely one of the earlier Ike jackets, showing khaki cotton cloth and having a relatively early contract date of June, 1944.  (2) An enlisted
man's OD wool garrison cap, piped in red. The cap has a khaki cotton sweatband, this is stamped with the size, "7 1/4." Also stamped inside is the soldier's ID number (first initial of last name, and the last four numbers of his Army Serial Number, this is "G-9033." .  ********** Condition of these items is excellent. The Ike jacket is in fine shape, very clean with no moth damage, holes, or other problems. All buttons, snaps, tabs, buckles, etc. are present. The garrison cap is in excellent shape, has no moth damage or other problems, only some very light soiling. *************
A brief history of the United States XX Corps in World War II is as follows:
The XX Corps of the United States Army fought from northern France to Austria in World War II. Constituted on 10 October 1943 by re-designating the IV Armored Corps of the Army Ground Forces, a training organization which had been activated at Camp Young, California on 5 September 1942, XX Corps became operational in France as part of Lieutenant General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army on 1 August 1944.
Northern France
Initially assigned to protect the south flank of the U.S. Third Army, XX Corps secured the bridgehead at Le Mans and liberated Angers on 10 August 1944. The corps fought a successful five-day battle for Chartres from 15 – 19 August, and seized a bridgehead over the Aunay River. Liberating Fontainebleau on 23 August, the corps moved rapidly east against disorganized German resistance and seized bridgeheads over the Seine River at Melun and Montereau. Still pushing east at a rapid rate of advance, XX Corps liberated Château-Thierry and captured a bridgehead across the Marne River on 27 August 1944. This feat was followed by the liberation of Reims two days later. The August succession of bridgehead captures culminated in the liberation of Verdun and seizure of a bridgehead over the Meuse River on 31 August. Although the corps had conducted a brilliant pursuit of the Germans in August, a crippling shortage of gasoline caused by the unexpectedly rapid advance of Allied armies across France practically immobilized XX Corps at the onset of September 1944.
Movement of XX Corps units was practically nil for the first week of September, 1944, although corps units feinted in the direction of Sedan and the U.S. 90th Infantry Division crossed the Meuse River to join the rest of the corps near the Moselle River. While the corps was at a standstill for a lack of gasoline, the Germans in and south of the fortress city of Metz had been hurriedly reorganizing and establishing cohesive defensive lines. The German Replacement Army had moved into Metz itself the 462nd Volksgrenadier Division, made up of odds and ends such as fortress infantry battalions and infantry leader schools. Despite its less than impressive heritage, the 462nd Division would prove to be a determined foe for no less than three months, significantly delaying XX Corps' push to the German frontier. When XX Corps advanced again, the tactical situation had transformed from a pursuit against a disorganized foe to a slogging advance against regrouped German forces. On 7 September 1944, elements of XX Corps, again refueled but still facing persistent shortages of gasoline and artillery munitions, moved out towards Metz and Thionville.
Across the Moselle
On 8 September 1944, the German 106th Panzer Brigade counterattacked the U.S. 90th Infantry Division near Mairy, but failed to rout the U.S. infantrymen. In the ensuing battle, the "Tough Hombres" of the 90th Division destroyed the Panzer brigade, causing the Germans losses of 30 tanks, 60 halftracks, and almost 100 other vehicles. On the same day, the U.S. 5th Infantry Division forced a crossing of the Moselle at Dornot, but found German opposition intense and carved out a shallow bridgehead. Intense German counterattacks forced the abandonment of the Dornot bridgehead on the night of 10 – 11 September, but the 5th Division had established another bridgehead at Arnaville on 10 September. This crossing, and simultaneous advance toward Metz were met with desperate counterattacks by German forces, including the 17th S.S. Panzergrenadier Division. On 12 September, the U.S. 90th Infantry Division cleared Thionville west of the Moselle River, and engineer bridges were completed at Arnaville, allowing armored fighting vehicles to cross into the bridgehead. Subsequently, artillery fire from Fort Driant (part of the Metz fortifications) made bridging and ferrying operations by the corps at Arnaville quite difficult. Finally, on 16 September, armored elements of the corps (U.S. 7th Armored Division) broke out of the Arnaville bridgehead and advanced toward the river Seille. Attacks by the U.S. 90th Infantry Division towards Metz during this period were handily repulsed by the Germans.
Tentative moves against Metz
Concentrating its units near the Arnaville bridgehead, XX Corps found German resistance between the Moselle and the Seille very intense, with fire from the German bank of the Seille causing significant losses among units of the 7th Armored Division. Taking the village of Pournoy-la-Chétive on 20 September, units of the 5th Division withstood German counterattacks for several days. During this period, the 7th Armored Division left the corps and was replaced by the U.S. 6th Armored Division. Continuing supply difficulties forced the corps into a defensive stance on 24 September, and resulted in some very hard-won ground having to be abandoned. In the final week of September, XX Corps made fruitless probing attacks toward Fort Driant. On 28 September 1944, grasping how difficult Metz would be to take, U.S. Third Army declared the seizure of Metz to be the army's priority mission. October 1944 proved to be a month of grinding, indecisive action for the corps. Reaching the outskirts of Maizières-lès-Metz on 2 October, the 90th Division commenced a lengthy struggle for the town that finally ended with the Americans taking the town on 30 October 1944. This was a significant victory because it opened a direct route for the corps to advance upon Metz from the north. The U.S. 11th Infantry Regiment (5th Division) attacked Fort Driant from 3 – 12 October, but found its strength and weapons wanting against determined German resistance in the old fort. After bitter fighting marked by German raids that emerged from underground chambers, the 11th Infantry broke off the attack. By November, XX Corps had regrouped, and assaulted Metz. US forces entered the city on 18 November, and hostilities ended on 21 November, though some German elements held out in the small forts around the city.
Campaign credits and inactivation
XX Corps is credited with service in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns. Headquarters, XX Corps, was inactivated on 1 March 1946 in Germany. The corps was subsequently active as part of the Regular Army from 1957 until 1970 at Fort Hayes, Ohio. In March 1966, according to the Daily Kent Stater, it was under the command of Maj. Gen. Henry K. Benson Jr.
Honors
XX Corps received the French order of the Legion of Honour from the prefect of the Department of the Upper Marne on 6 November 1944. /Wikipedia
A brief history of the United States 65th Division is as follows:
The 65th Infantry Division—nicknamed the "Battle-Axe Division"—was an infantry division of the United States Army that served in World War II. Its shoulder patch is a white halberd on a blue shield.
The entire length of Pennsylvania Route 65 is named the 65th Infantry Division Memorial Highway in its honor.
World War II
Activated: 16 August 1943.
Overseas: 10 January 1945.
Campaigns: Rhineland, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 55.
Awards:
Medal of Honor - 1 Private First Class (Frederick C. Murphy), Medical Detachment, 259th Infantry, Siegfried Line at Saarlautern, Germany, 18 March 1945.
Distinguished Service Cross - 6
Distinguished Service Medal - 1
Silver Star Medal - 77
Legion of Merit - 14
Soldier's Medal - 4
Bronze Star Medal - 686
Air Medal - 19
Commanders: Major General Stanley Eric Reinhart (August 1943 – 1 August 1945) and Brig. Gen. John E. Copeland (1 August 1945 to disbandment).
Disbanded: 31 August 1945 in Germany.
Combat chronicle
The 65th Infantry Division landed at Le Havre, France, 21 January 1945, and proceeded to Camp Lucky Strike, where training continued until 1 March, when the division moved forward to relieve the 26th Infantry Division. First elements entered the line, 5 March 1945, and the division as a whole took over aggressive defense of the sector along the Saar, from Orscholz to Wadgassen, on 8 March 1945. On 17 March, the division attacked across the Saar, crossing the river at Dillingen and captured Saarlautern, 19 March, as Siegfried Line defenses cracked. Capturing Neunkirchen, 21 March 1945, the division raced to the Rhine, crossed the river at Oppenheim, 30 March, and ran into heavy German resistance and counterattacks. Langensalza fell on 5 April, Struth on the 7th, and Neumarkt on the 22nd.
Continuing its advance against crumbling German opposition, the division crossed the Danube 4 miles below Regensburg, 26 April, took the city, 27 April, seized Passau, cross the Inn River, 4 May, and occupied Linz, Austria, on the 5th. Germans surrendered en masse. On 9 May, as hostilities officially ended in Europe, the troops of the 65th made contact with the Russians at Erlauf.
Order of Battle
Headquarters, 65th Infantry Division
259th Infantry Regiment
260th Infantry Regiment
261st Infantry Regiment
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 65th Infantry Division Artillery
720th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm)
867th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
868th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
869th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
265th Engineer Combat Battalion
365th Medical Battalion
65th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
Headquarters, Special Troops, 65th Infantry Division
Headquarters Company, 65th Infantry Division
765th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
65th Quartermaster Company
565th Signal Company
Military Police Platoon
Band
65th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment
Attached Units
707th Tank Battalion (attached 6 Apr 45 only)
748th Tank Battalion (attached 7 Apr 45-past 9 May 45)
749th Tank Battalion (attached 29 Mar 45-6 Apr 45)
691st Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 4 Mar 45-6 Apr 45)
808th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 5 Apr 45-past 9 May 45)
546th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (attached 4 Mar 45-past 9 May 45)
Source: Order of Battle: U.S. Army World War II by Shelby Stanton.
Casualties
Total battle casualties: 1,230
Killed in action: 233
Wounded in action: 927
Missing in action: 3
Prisoner of war: 67
Assignments in ETO
25 January 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group.
1 March 1945: XX Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
4 April 1945: VIII Corps.
17 April 1945: XX Corps.
************ A nice clean original set from a soldier involved in at least two major actions in the ETO in WWII. This is an original uniform, nothing added or removed. ********* I can ship worldwide. Shipping is free to a US address. Non-US buyers pay exact postage costs only.