Radzwich, Edward R. I Company, 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division 65. Under the direction of the 101st Iraqi forces have taken back a significant amount of geography from the control of ISIS. 508th Prcht Inf Med Det 6 June 1944. Media Request SHOW UNIT INFO. [127], On 17 November 2016, sources reported that the 101st Airborne Division was headed home after a nine-month deployment to Iraq. The 101st Airborne Division's next Rendezvous with Destiny is North to Baghdad. Tick marks at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock indicated to which battalion the individual belonged, while the tick mark at 12 o'clock indicated a headquarters or headquarters company assignment.[35]. [130] Brig. We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies and the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. When the 12th Armored Division and 101st Airborne Division arrived at Kaufering IV on April 27 and 28, respectively, the soldiers discovered some 500 dead inmates. In 1968, Matheson was promoted to Major General and assumed full command of the 101 st Airborne at Fort Campbell, where he was presented with this truncheon. Company 'E' especially distinguished . The 101st was deployed to Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and was subsequently surrounded in Bastogne by German troops. "101st Division" and "101st" redirect here. Explore a timeline of events that occurred before, during, and after the Holocaust. Major Dick Winters Airborne Qualification Certificate Signed By Col. Robert Sink Major Dick Winters Collection. This is the first time since returning from Iraq in 2006 where all four infantry brigades (plus one CAB, SUSBDE) have served in the same combat theater. Using the personnel and equipment of the 187th ARCT and the 508th ARCT,[36] the 101st was reactivated as the first "pentomic" division with five battle groups in place of its World War II structure that included regiments and battalions. Junior officers of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division: Captain Lewis Nixon (September 30, 1918 - January 11, 1995) First Lieutenant . [37] The troops were deployed from September until Thanksgiving 1957, when Task Force 153rd Infantry, (federalized Arkansas Army National Guard) which had also been on duty at the school since 24 September, assumed the responsibility. With three exceptions, they were unmarried." KILLBLANE, RE. Despite the opposition, the 506th's 1st Battalion[notes 1] (the original division reserve) was dropped accurately on DZ C, landing two-thirds of its sticks and regimental commander Col. Robert F. Sink on or within a mile of the drop zone. The Army's accident investigation attributed the crash to pilot error, aircraft design, and the limited field of view afforded pilots using night vision goggles (NVGs). It was an operation to close down the Taliban supply route through the Barawala Kalay Valley and to remove the forces of Taliban warlord Qari Ziaur Rahman from the Barwala Kalay Valley. In the days that followed, the US Army units ordered the local townspeople to bury the dead. Initially the badge was only authorized for wear while assigned to the division, but in 1978 the Army authorized it for service-wide wear. Col. Turner was killed in action the next day, Lt. Col. Robert C. Carroll (1/501), Lt. Col. Robert L. Wolverton (3/506th), and Major George S. Grant (3/506). The next day the 101st Airborne Division was relieved. The commemoration is to honor those men and women of the U.S. military remain forever indebted to WWII veterans who . Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne 502nd PIR (the "Widowmakers") are taking a break. The Screaming Eagles of WWII Foundation transformed the original and well known P.M. Pulles rosters into a comprehensive list of all members of the United States 101st Airborne Division during World War Two. July 6, 2022. The 101st Airborne Division faced the elite of the German military which included such units as 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Fhrerbegleitbrigade, 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, and the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen. The company was formed in 1942 as part of an experimental airborne regiment and fought in the European Theater of World War 2. Simultaneously with training Iraqi soldiers and their leaders, 101st soldiers conducted numerous security operations against terrorist cells operating in the division's assigned, six-province area of operations. Photo courtesy US Army Signal Corps. [15], On 30 July 1942, the Army Ground Forces ordered the activation of two airborne divisions by 15 August 1942. A Company: Captain Jack L. Rogers. The division was inactivated 30 November 1945. "[119], In Spring 2016, 200 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment replaced a unit of the 26th MEU at Firebase Bell; they used M777 155mm howitzers to provide support to Iraqi forces attacking IS-occupied villages between Makhmour and Mosul. [citation needed] This shrank to just over 100 aircraft with the inactivation of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade in 2015,[3] making it no different in configuration from the Army's other light infantry divisions. Show your support with a tax-deductible donation. Lloyd E. Patch (Headquarters Company 1st/506th) and Capt. The 101st met little resistance and captured most of their initial objectives by the end of 17 September. American U.S. Army WWII Style 101st Airborne Division cloth patch. These insignia were first seen in World War II, and can still be seen on 101st Division soldiers today. [3], The 101st's headquarters is at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Two glider airlifts had brought in scant reinforcements and had resulted in the death of his other ADC, Brig. Colorized by Sanna Dullaway. "Nuts!" - The Story Behind the Famous American Reply to the German Easy Company, 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge - Foy Let me call your attention to the fact that our badge is the great American eagle. Item Company 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR). 101st Airborne Division 383. During the Vietnam War, the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles, including the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969. For their efforts during World War II, the 101st Airborne Division was awarded four campaign streamers and two Presidential Unit Citations. The 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment was activated on 1 July 1941, at Fort Benning, Georgia, and joined the 101st Airborne Division in August 1942. From February through August 2000, 3rd Brigade 1/187 deployed to Kosovo for peacekeeping operations as part of Task Force Falcon in support of Operation Joint Guardian. 101st Airborne Division Easy Company 506th T-Shirt . [6]:63 This doctrine is based on belief that initiative, depth, agility, and synchronization successfully complete a mission. [119] In summer 2016, Stars and Stripes reported that about 400 soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Iraq as part of 11 July 2016 announcement by Defense Secretary Ash Carter of the presidential approved deployment of an additional 560 U.S. troops to Iraq to help establish and run a logistics hub at Qayyarah Airfield West, about 40 miles south Mosul, to support Iraqi and coalition troops in the Battle of Mosul. Despite naval gunfire support from the cruiser Quincy, Ballard's battalion was unable to take Saint Cme-du-Mont or join Col. Maj. Gen. [102], After an intense period of combat in rugged Shoh-I-Khot Mountains of eastern Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda with elements of the 10th Mountain Division, the Rakkasans redeployed to Fort Campbell only to find the 101st awaiting another deployment order. We host mandatory events on Sundays, however if you are to participate in said events you must complete a Basic Training & Individual Technical Parachute Training: all of which will update you on the standards and procedures the unit follows. The force was in place to respond to alerts for action anywhere in the world. Gen. Don F. Pratt, his neck broken on impact. 101st . Fighting Gliders of World War II | National Air and Space Museum [46] Investigators concluded that many of the war crimes indeed took place. Second, commanders are urged to utilize the entire depth of the battlefield and strike at rear targets that support frontline enemy troops. It was announced 14 January 2016 that soldiers of the 101st Airborne would be assigned rotations in Iraq, to train members of the Iraqi ground forces in preparation for action against the Islamic State. Experiences of its members during WWII are famous. In all, approximately 4700 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are scheduled to deploy to locations across Europe. Gen. Scott Brower stated that the Rakkasans are trained, well-led, and prepared to accomplish any mission given to them. [18], The pathfinders of the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop before the invasion. Buy It Now. It would inflict over 100 casualties on the Taliban and successfully close down the Taliban supply route. Free shipping. As the regular troops moved in from the coast and strengthened the paratrooper positions, many were relieved and sent to the rear to organize for the next big paratroop operation. Both battalions were part of the 101st in Vietnam but saw their colors inactivated during an Army-wide reflagging of combat battalions in the 1980s. Company commander Captain James F. Adams passed along news of the surrender terms to 2nd Battalion headquarters in . At its height, the camp held more than 3,600 prisoners, but in the days before US troops arrived, the SS had evacuated many of the prisoners on a death march south in the direction of Dachau. Check Out Our Schedule for 2023 [133], In June 2022, Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team rotated in to the U.S. Army V Corps' mission to reinforce NATOs eastern flank and engage in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent in order to reassure allies and deter further Russian aggression during its invasion of Ukraine. Less than half a mile from his objective at les Droueries he was stopped by elements of battalion III/1058 Grenadier-Rgt. He passed away in 2005 and was buried with full . Utah Beach | Facts, Pictures, & Casualties | Britannica Easy Company | World War 2 Facts [25] In order to reach Antwerp before the Allies could regroup and bring their superior air power to bear, German mechanized forces had to seize all the major highways through eastern Belgium. Taylor made destroying the Douve bridges the division's top priority and delegated the task to Col. [28] When General Anthony McAuliffe, now acting commander of the 101st, was told, he commented: "Nuts!" The troop carriers still made an accurate drop, placing 94 of 132 sticks on or close to the drop zone, but part of the DZ was covered by pre-registered German machine gun and mortar fire that inflicted heavy casualties before many troops could get out of their chutes. The 101st Airborne Division is a United States ArmA 3 Milsim unit that focuses on portraying the events of the Second World War through the eyes of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Its drop was one of the worst of the operation, losing all but one howitzer and dropping all but two of 54 loads four to twenty miles (32km) to the north, where most ultimately became casualties. 159th Combat Aviation Brigade deployed as Task Force Thunder for 12 months in early 2009, and again in early 2011.[103]. World War II Unit Histories, Documents Monographs, Books and Reports on CD PDF Remastered and Keyword Searchable. After alert notification, troopers of the "hot" platoon/company, would be airborne, "wheels-up" within 30 minutes as the first responding unit. [124], On 21 September 2016, an article from The Leaf Chronicle reported that Battery C, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Historical Aerial Delivery and Rigger Units - Army Quartermaster This included the liberation of Hit, Fallujah, and Qayyarah. When their ammunition drew low after knocking out several machine gun emplacements, the small force withdrew to the west bank. Card suits (diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs) on each side of the helmet denoted the regiment to which a soldier belonged. The 101st soldiers deploying to Mihail Koglniceanu in June did not represent additional U.S. forces in Europe, but are taking the place of soldiers assigned to 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters and the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division. The area where the operation took place has been dubbed "The Heart of Darkness" by Coalition troops. The event was attended by Maj. Gen. Joseph P. McGee and the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciuc.[135][136]. to have warned their men to avoid the Chicken Men at all costs because they were sure to lose any engagement with them. Senior leadership referred to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team as being exceptional. The 3rd Battalion of the 501st PIR, led by Lt. Col. Julian J. Ewell (3/501), also assigned to jump onto DZ C, was more scattered, but took over the mission of securing the exits. Over the course of nine months, soldiers from the 101st Airborne helped train the Iraqi government's security forces. XXX Corps engineers, supported by German prisoners of war, constructed a class 40 Bailey bridge within 10 hours across the Wilhelmina Canal. General Petraeus led the division into Iraq saying, "Guidons, Guidons. The famous test platoon, the prime ancestor of all American parachute units, provided the nucleus of the 1st Parachute Battalion, which in turn provided part . 101st Airborne Signal Company: 1st Lieutenant William H. Breen, Jr. 3 26th Airborne Medical Company: Major William Barfield. For other uses, see, Insignia of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Postwar training and pentomic reactivation, Lt. Col. William L. Turner, Colorado. 101st Airborne | The United States Army Two other noteworthy actions took place near Sainte Marie-du-Mont by units of the 506th PIR, both of which involved the seizure and destruction of batteries of 105mm guns of the German III Battalion-191st Artillery Regiment. north west 101st airborne living history group We are a group of people dedicated to reprsenting the members of the 101st airborne 506 parachute infantry regiment, easy company and honoring all members of the armed services and civilians who kept the world free during the years 1939 to 1945 4074th Quartermaster Service Company: 101st Airborne Division: 4076th Quartermaster Service Company: 101st Ammunition Trains . 101st Airborne Casualty Figures. 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Infantry, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 501st Infantry, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 502nd Infantry, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 506th Infantry, 2d Battalion, 101st Aviation (Inactive between 16 November 1988 and 16 August 1991), 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation (General Support), 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation (Medium Lift), 9th Battalion, 101st Aviation (Assault - constituted 16 December 1989), 2d Battalion, 320th Field Artillery (18 M102 105mm towed howitzer), 3d Battalion, 320th Field Artillery (18 M102 105mm towed howitzer), 8th Battalion, 101st Aviation (Maintenance), Counteroffensive, Phase II (1st Brigade only), Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at BASTOGNE (Division and 1st Brigade only), Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in FRANCE AND BELGIUM (Division and 1st Brigade only), Signal, Intelligence, and Sustainment Company ("Never Quit"), 40th Public Affairs Detachment ("The Professionals"), Screaming Eagles 101st Airborne Division by Russ & Susan Bryant, 101st Airborne in Vietnam The 'Screaming Eagles' by Michael Sharpe & Simon Dunstan, Screaming Eagles The 101st Airborne Division from D-Day to Desert Storm by Christopher J. Anderson, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 00:00. This meant the large-scale use of Allied airborne forces, including both the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, along with the British 1st Airborne Division. 501st Infantry Regiment (United States) - History - World War II In September 1944, the unit was dropped into the Netherlands, where it captured the city of Eindhoven. Band Of Brothers The HBO TV mini-series is now on DVD and VHS. The 101st Airborne was supported by the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division. They destroyed two bridges along the Carentan highway and a railroad bridge just west of it. On 15 September 2010, the 101st Airborne began a major operation known as Operation Dragon Strike. [21] After a six-hour house-clearing battle with elements of the German 1058th Grenadier Regiment, the group secured the exit shortly before 4th Division troops arrived to link up. Where was the 101st Airborne in ww2? - Sage-Answer As of December 2007, 143 members of the division have died while on service in Iraq. Contact BN Siddall @. In 2019, media reports suggested the Army was working to restore the 101st's aviation capabilities so it can return to lifting an entire brigade in one air assault operation. On 1 August 1945, the 501st PIR was moved to France, while the rest of the division was based around Zell am See and Kaprun in the Austrian Alps. [6]:63, The 101st Airborne had earned a place in the U.S. Army's AirLand Battle doctrine. They need your skill. [7], In the recent conflicts the 101st Airborne has been increasingly involved conducting special operations especially the training and development of other states' military and security forces and counter-terrorism operations. They had been positioned in Jordan providing security for 5th SF Group's exercise prior to 9/11. nop26820 (12,202) 99.5%. The three groups clustered there had tenuous contact with each other but none with the rest of the division. Once replaced by the first operational Stryker Brigade, the 101st was withdrawn in early 2004 for rest and refit. Col. Johnson was killed in action in the Netherlands on 8 October 1944. Utah Beach, the westernmost beach of the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion of World War II. [131], In May 2016, the brigade, deployed to advise and assist, train and equip Iraqi security forces to fight the Islamic State of Iraq. The majority of Taliban forces in Kandahar had withdrawn from the province,[111] and much of their leadership was said to have been fractured. Includes personal copy of "Band of Brothers" signed by some of the members, a copy of "A Paratroopers Memories of World War II" with autograph, signed photographs, and a personal photo book memoir of McNiece's life during enlistment and after. [13], The 101st Division headquarters was organized 2 November 1918 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, having been constituted on 23 July in the National Army. Among the killed were two of the three battalion commanders and the executive officer of the 3/506th. [134], On 30 July 2022, the Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division and 2nd Brigade Combat Team uncased their colors and conducted an air assault demonstration at the 57th Air Base "Mihail Koglniceanu" together with the 9th Mechanized Brigade of the Romanian Armed Forces. Each individual, each officer and each enlisted man, must therefore regard himself as a necessary part of a complex and powerful instrument for the overcoming of the enemies of the nation. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operations to seize terrain.These operations can be conducted by mobile teams covering large distances, fighting behind enemy lines, and working in austere . Kaufering IV was located near the town of Hurlach, which the 12th Armored Division occupied on 27 April, with the 101st arriving the next day. 1st and 2d Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade) oversaw the remote airfield Qayarrah West 30 miles (48km) south of Mosul. WW2 Picture Photo Dick Winters command Easy Company 506t PIR 101st Airborne 3486. [42] The platoon-sized unit, approximately 45 paratroopers, was founded by Colonel David Hackworth in November 1965 to "outguerrilla the guerrillas". Designated Task Force Battle Force and commanded by Lt. Col. Jon S. Lehr, the battalion fought fires throughout the surrounding areas of their Valley Complex near Darby, Montana. [61][62] In 1941 the U.S. Army quickly adopted this concept of offensive operations initially utilizing wooden gliders before the development of helicopters. They taught marksmanship, basic battlefield medical care and ways to detect and disarm improvised explosive devices. Last Surviving Member Of 'Band Of Brothers' Passes Away At 97 In 1971, elements of the division supported Operation Lam Son 719, the South Vietnamese invasion of southern Laos, but only aviation units actually entered Laos. Paratroopers were versatile in World War II, they were deployed to the . [120] 500 soldiers from the division's headquarters, including its commander Major General Gary J. Volesky, and about 1,300 soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team also deployed to Iraq in the Spring. They eventually assembled near Foucarville at the northern edge of the 101st Airborne's objective area. After turning to other pressing issues, his staff reminded him that there should be a reply to the German demand. The commander of the 501st PIR, Col. Howard R. Johnson, collected 150 troops and captured the main objective, la Barquette lock, by 0400. However, the demolition of the division's primary objective, a bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son, delayed the capture of the main road bridge over the Maas until 20 September. U.S. Army Parachute Rifle Company (1941-1948) The following is an overview of every organizational change for the Parachute Rifle Company of the U.S. Army from the formation of the airborne in 1941 to through the end of World War II all the way to 1948. Gen. Frank Helmick, the assistant commander of 101st Airborne, commented that all occupants of the house died during the fierce gun battle before U.S. troops entered.[107]. They left from RAF North Witham, having trained there with the 82nd Airborne Division. | Condition: Very good. WWII to Vietnam Scribble Eye U.S. Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division 101st Airborne Division - Wikipedia Edward Shames, center, hugs Ed McClung, center left, both members of the World War II Army Company E of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne, with veterans Jack Foley, left, Joe Lesniewski . RAW EDGE. Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne The black shield recalls the "Iron Brigade", one of the forerunners of the 101st Division. The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes Mountains region of Belgium. Rae, Robert D. Service Company, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd . 101st Airborne Division - U.S. Army Center of Military History One officer (Harry W. O. Kinnard, then a lieutenant colonel) recommended that McAuliffe's reply should be "tough to beat". The third wave also encountered severe flak, losing six aircraft. Free shipping for many products! The 506th attacked north and recaptured Recogne on 9 January 1945, the Bois des Corbeaux (Corbeaux Wood), to the right of Easy Company, on 10 January, and Foy on 13 January. 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 506th Infantry Regiment - GlobalSecurity.org The unit was made famous by the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, based on the book of the same name by historian Stephen Ambrose. After establishing defensive positions, Col. Johnson went back to the DZ and assembled another 100 men, including Allen's group, to reinforce the bridgehead. Sink, who issued orders for the 1st Battalion 401st Glider Infantry to lead three battalions south the next morning. [6]:85 In February 1991, the 101st once again had its "Rendezvous with Destiny" in Iraq during the combat air assault into enemy territory. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Major Dick Winters of Easy Company 101st Airborne Division WW2 4x6 #1023* #od at the best online prices at eBay! [125], On 17 October 2016, an article from The Leaf Chronicle stated that the 101st Airborne was leading a coalition of 19 nations to support the liberation of Mosul from ISIL. Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953), Learn how and when to remove this template message, German III Battalion-191st Artillery Regiment, 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, List of commanders of 101st Airborne Division, List of formations of the United States Army, United States Army Center of Military History, "The 101st Airborne: The Only Unit in the World That Can Do This", After Almost 5 Years, Army's 101st Airborne Will Return to Full Air Assault Power, "101st Airborne Division conducts brigade air assault", "Army to Deploy 101st Airborne Soldiers to Oversee Iraqi Army Training", "Carter to Army's 101st: You will prepare Iraqis to retake Mosul", "Army to Deploy 101st Airborne Soldiers to Afghanistan", "Five historical things to know about 101st on its anniversary", "Defence News GATES PRAISES 101ST AIRBORNE AS 'TIP OF THE SPEAR', "Reconfigure Army divisions to make military stronger", "Lineage and Honors Information: Divisions", "The US Army Order of Battle from 19191941 p278", "Official Website of Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)", "The Epic of the 101st Airborne: A Pictorial Biography of the United States 101st Airborne Division", "Order of Battle of the US Army - WWII - ETO - 101st Airborne Division", "This is why Screaming Eagles wear cards on their helmets", "101st combat record in Vietnam 'unmatched' | Commentary", "Headquarters MACV Command History 1971 Volume II", All American Legacy Podcast Ep 25 - The French Hat. PO Box 3897. It is, therefore, not too much to say that the future itself, in whose molding we expect to have our share, is in the hands of the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. | Est . President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy traveled to Fort Campbell to comfort grieving family members. The Men And Guns Of D-Day: 101st Airborne Division [3][4][5] Its unique battlefield mobility and high level of training have kept it in the vanguard of U.S. land combat forces in recent conflicts:[6] for example, foreign internal defense and counterterrorism operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan in 20152016,[7][8][9] and in Syria, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in 20182021. Today, the symbols are still used as a call back to the 101st Airborne's glory days in WWII. Easy Company (20 July 1942 in Camp Toccoa, Georgia - 30 November 1945 in France) was in the United States Army's 2nd Battalion (which also included Dog and Fox Company), 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. The "Little Rock Nine" were a group of African-American students who were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in September 1957, as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the historic Brown v. Board of Education case. One, piloted by 1st Lt. Marvin F. Muir of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, caught fire. The plan, as outlined by Field Marshal Montgomery, required the seizure by airborne forces of several bridges on the Highway 69 across the Maas (Meuse River) and two arms of the Rhine (the Waal and the Lower Rhine), as well as several smaller canals and tributaries. All other companies of the battalion would follow within one hour. [31], The division was composed of the following units:[32], During World War II the division and its members were awarded the following awards:[34].