Item Description
Original Items: Only One Grouping Available. This is a massive grouping all belonging to Lineman/Switchboard Operator PFC William Edward Smith, who served with the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment under command of the 17th Airborne Division and Veteran of the Battle of the Bulge. While being a Lineman isn’t exactly a job for glory, they were amongst some of the most crucial elements of the war. He worked as member of a team in laying, maintaining, and taking up the wire or cable of a telephone or telegraph communication systems, which is extremely important in warfare.
These teams ran wire along the ground by guiding it from a wire reel of a wire truck or by a portable wire wheel. Fastened wire to poles, stakes, or trees, and carried it across roads or other obstructions by burying it in a shallow ditch or suspending it from trees, telephone poles, or lance poles. Located and determined the cause of line trouble such as opens, shorts, and grounds by testing wire at intervals. Made appropriate repairs, such as splicing breaks and cutting out defective wire and splicing. They may have operated a portable field telephone switchboard which his records indicated he did. May establish telegraph circuits by superimposing them on existing telephone circuits, using repeater coils. May drive telephone repair truck. This job was completed in all types of weather, during times of active combat operations, basically any situation imaginable and without concern of his own welfare.
We have not been able to locate much information on Smith or when he served with the 82nd Airborne Division, making this a wonderful research opportunity. What we do know is that he enlisted on December 13, 1944 out of Baltimore, Maryland and served until January 17, 1946. He served in the Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.
The items in this grouping consist of a lot of documents, mainly original and copies of his enlistment/discharge papers. Other non uniform related items include personal correspondence, religious material, programs from military functions and many wartime photographs and postcards, most of which contain writing on the backs.
The uniform items include the following:
- 2 Ike Jackets: The ike jackets are in wonderful condition and for the most part match appearances with minor differences with insignia. They both have the 82nd ABD and 17th ABD shoulder sleeve insignias, Distinctive Unit Insignia (only on one jacket), Glider Badge on Blue/Silver Trim oval, Dutch Orange lanyard, Fourragere, PFC chevrons and 3 overseas stripes. One is a size 34R while the other is a 36R. Both are in wonderful condition and shows no signs of any major wear or damage.
- Wool Overcoat: The overcoat does not appear to have been worn much and does have a PFC chevron as well as an 82nd ABD shoulder sleeve insignia.
- 2 Wool Service Shirts: Both are in fantastic condition and show signs of wear but no extensive damage. Only one of the shirts has an 82nd ABD shoulder sleeve insignia.
- Overseas Cap: Another wonderful item with signs of little wear and has the proper glider troops patched insignia sewn on.
- 2 Pairs of Jump Boots: The boots are surprisingly in remarkable, almost serviceable condition though we do not recommend wearing them, we sell history and not costumes! The boots both appear to be a size 10 and are made by US Royal and Goodyear.
Other uniform items and gear include an overseas bag, scarf, multiple ties and a general purpose web pouch.
This is an incredible grouping, perfect for the airborne collector of WWII! Comes more than ready for further research and display.
The 17th Airborne Division: was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, and was commanded by Major General William M. Miley.
It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1943 but was not immediately sent to a combat theater, remaining in the United States to complete its training. During this training process, the division took part in several training exercises, including the Knollwood Maneuver, in which it played a vital part in ensuring that the airborne division remained as a military formation in the U.S. Army. As such it did not take part in the first two large-scale airborne operations conducted by the Allies, Operation Husky and Operation Neptune, only transferring to Britain after the end of Operation Overlord.
When the division arrived in Britain, it came under the command of XVIII Airborne Corps, part of the First Allied Airborne Army, but was not chosen to participate in Operation Market Garden, the airborne landings in the Netherlands, as Allied planners believed it had arrived too late and could not be "trained up" in time for the operation. However, after the end of Operation Market Garden the division was shipped to France and then Belgium to fight in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. The 17th gained its first Medal of Honor during its time fighting in the Ardennes, and was then withdrawn to Luxembourg to prepare for an assault over the River Rhine. In March 1945, the division participated in its first, and only, airborne operation, dropping alongside the British 6th Airborne Division as a part of Operation Varsity, where it gained three more Medals of Honor. The division then advanced through Northern Germany until the end of World War II, when it briefly undertook occupation duties in Germany before shipping back to the United States. There, it was officially inactivated in September 1945.
On 16 December 1944 the Wehrmacht launched an offensive in the Ardennes region of Belgium, breaking through Allied lines and rapidly advancing towards Antwerp. On the afternoon of 17 December, General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, decided to commit his theater reserve to the Ardennes in an attempt to halt the German advance; this consisted of the 17th, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions under the control of XVIII Airborne Corps. The three divisions were to be attached to Courtney Hodges's U.S. First Army and were ordered to concentrate around the town of St Vith. However, while the other two airborne divisions were able to immediately make their way to the Ardennes as they were already stationed in France, bad weather prevented the 17th from flying in from where the division was stationed in Britain for several days. On 23 December the weather cleared and the division was finally flown to France by emergency night flights. It moved to an assembly area near Rheims. On Christmas Day, the division was attached to George Patton's U.S. Third Army and ordered to assume a thirty-mile long defensive position that ran along the Meuse River near Charleville.
By 1 January 1945 the threat to Charleville had eased sufficiently for the division to be transferred to another area of the Ardennes, being transported to an area south-west of Bastogne near the village of Morhet on 3 January; there it relieved the 11th Armored Division which had occupied the village prior to its arrival. On 4 January the division entered combat for the first time when it was ordered alongside the 87th Infantry Division to seize a number of key towns to the west of Bastogne, in order to prevent German forces from encircling the town a second time; it had been relieved by the Third Army on 26 December. With the 87th Infantry Division on its left flank, the division advanced towards German positions with the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment and 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment forming the division's assault element; the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment and the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment moved behind these two regiments to deal with expected German armored counter-attacks against them. During its initial advance the division engaged German forces, including infantry and armor, in an attempt to secure a narrow, high-rimmed road to the north-west of Bastogne; during a battle that lasted three days the division suffered nearly 1,000 casualties attempting to hold what the division's official historian labeled 'Dead Man's Ridge'. It was during the opening stages of this battle that the division earned its first Medal of Honor. Staff Sergeant Isadore S. Jachman of the 513th Parachute Infantry engaged and destroyed two German tanks with a bazooka that formed part of an armored column attacking American positions, forcing the column to retreat but simultaneously being killed by machine gun fire. Between 19 and 26 January, the division broke through German lines and captured several towns before linking up with elements of the British 51st Infantry Division. After it had captured the town of Espeler on 26 January the entire division was withdrawn from the front and transported by truck to Luxembourg, effectively ending its participation in the Ardennes campaign.
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