Bastogne
Photos - WWII
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327K-1942 Camp Claiborne
This picture was donated by: Tommy Solomon the grandson of SGT Thomas Aloysius John
“When looking at the picture you will see a white blotch on the far right of banner. Drop your eyes between the heads of the two men standing on the back row. Now graze the right ear (his right ear) of the guy in the next row below. Keep dropping, standing proud and determined as man can be third row down, appears to be a man that could make your day very long if he was pissed off back in that day.”
“THE 101ST HAS NO HISTORY BUT IT HAS A RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY”
Major General William C. Lee
August 15, 1942
…. From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered — We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
Shakespeare
327th INFANTRY – Photos – World War II – Normandie
327 GIR in Normandie
327th INFANTRY – Photos – World War II – Holland
327 GIR in Holland
Subject: RE: 327 GIR on 1944 june 6
Attachments: casque 101 . 327GIR.jpg; casque 101.327GIR . L 409.jpg; L 409.JPG
Very interesting that the helmet is in such good condition after all this time. It is even more remarkable that you have both the helmet and the liner.
Since the handwritten L409 is in the liner’s band one possibility comes to mind.
On D-Day there was not enough lift planes and gliders to insert the 327th by air. For the landing the 327th GIR was attached to the 4th Infantry Division and rode in landing craft to the beach. Old news footage shows landing craft filled with men whose helmet bore the ♣ Is it possible that the soldier was assigned to Landing Craft L 409? Perhaps each person was instructed to write their craft number in their helmet so loading and debarkation would be carried out in the best possible speed. If this is a fact the account most likely has been lost to history.
Thank you for including the pictures and the link to your web site. Most of all I want to thank you for preserving the history of this event.
From: Marcouf44 []
Subject: RE: 327 GIR on 1944 june 6
I Leave in Normandie and I have a german command post on my land. I had rebuilt the command post 4 years ago and open a little museum inside in memory of the 4th Division and Preston Niland (KIA on june 7 at Crisbecq).
Sometimes certain inhabitants of the region come to see us to sell us war objects. There is still a lot of choe in Normandy including this helmet which was sold to us last year. The hull badge had been repainted in green (to avoid the German snipers?).
You would be surprised to see everything that we still find. At the end of 2019, a friend of mine had 2 glider wheels while chatting with a farmer with whom he was having an aperitif, near Sainte Mère Eglise !
Sorry for my bad english….
You can see my Museum site on : www.marcouf44.com (we have a page in english (when we tap it at the top of the home page)
