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Lt. Col. Ira G. Wagner, Jr. was announced as Division Surgeon in 7AD GO #42 (17 Aug 1942). He was apparently replaced by Lt. Col. Hugh B. Disharoon, whose death was announced in 7AD GO #31 (22 Aug 1943). So Col. Wagner apparently did not sail to Europe with 7AD.

Mike Sessions of Essex, England found the bag for sale in 2011 in a military antique shop in Battlesbridge, England and has no other information about where the bag was originally found.

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On 3 and 4 October Task Force Wemple of 7th Armored Division's Combat Command A attacked south along Langstraat against German defenses based at the Castle named the Hattert, just west of the villages of Groeningen and Vierlingsbeek to the east of Overloon, which was the Division's main objective. On 3 October 1944, Company B of 17th Tank Battalion lost tanks, and these parts were found at the location where those tanks were lost. Specifically, the location where they were found was where Task Force Wemple lost its first tank when a B/17 tank hit a mine.

See the web page on Task Force Wemple's attack for a map and related documents and the names of the men killed in the attack. TF Wemple consisted of 17th Tank Bn (-C, D); C/38th Armd Inf Bn; 1 plat/A/82nd Engr Bn.

Tonnie Ebben of Groeningen near Overloon, Netherlands, found the parts in 2021 at about 51 35'54.3"N 5 58'47.0"E. He shared the photographs and location with Niek Hendrix of Ospel. Tonnie told Niek that the Germans had two 88 mm guns at the Castle Hattert and not just one.

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Pvt. Theodore W. Erdman of Sheboygan, Wisconsin was killed 29 October 1944 in the vicinity of Liesel, Netherlands, during the German counter-attack through Meijel that began 27 October 1944.

Niek Hendrix discovered that a collector had Erdman's helmet and was able to purchase it from him in October 2010. Unfortunately, there is no information about where the helmet was originally found.

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Capt. Dudley J. Britton was the company commander of Company "B" of 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion when B/23 from September 1943 until 1 September 1944, when he was sent sick to an evacuation hospital. On 16 November 1944, at Ekkelrode, Netherlands, he returned from the 8th Convalescent Hospital to duty and to command of B/23.

On 15 August 1944, B/23 was given a mission of circling around Chartres, France from the southwest and then attacking north into the city from the south. However, their maps were not adequate, and when they reached the point where they were supposed to turn left (north), they turned right and drove many miles to the south until they were ambushed at the town of Marboué with heavy casualties and loss of vehicles.

In August 2009, area WWII historian Jean-Pierre Noeljean sent the above photograph. The bag had been found -- in excellent condition -- in an old house at Marboué.

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On September 10, 1944, Rocco Di Leo was captured in the bridgehead across the Moselle River from Dornot, France. It had been found by September 2006, but it is not yet known exactly when nor precisely where his helmet was found.

Click here to see a PDF file with multiple photos of the helmet and liner.

Area of 23 AIB camp

Coat location 50.805962,5.776114

9-23 November 1944 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion were at Eckelrade, Netherlands, and "an intensive training schedule was carried out from 10 Nov 44 to 22 Nov 44. Infantry-tank cooperation was stressed, and all line companies participated in field problems with elements of the 31st Tank Battalion. During this period, special training was begun in the attack of a fortified line, and elementary armored infantry tactics were reviewed in order to orient and re-train replacements unacquainted with such work." (23 AIB After Action Report)

In April 2013, Dutch student Bjorn Meeuwsen of Eckelrade found the above items. One of the raincoats had the laundry marking "K-5979" which corresponds to Pfc Maynard M. Katzman (39 125 979) of B/23. The raincoats are very fragile, and Bjorn's uncle has made a frame to display them.

In addition, Bjorn found - in the same area and thus probably a member of 23 AIB -- the mess kit below, with the fork with the laundry mark I-3398. Thus far, the identity of I-3398 has not been established.

In August 2013, Bjorn found the name plate from a silver bracelet, engraved with "Anthony D'Orlando" and "42061178". I cannot find a record of Anthony D'Orlando in my incomplete files of 7AD men, but he is listed in the National Archives Enlistment Database as being from New York City but born 1907 in Massachusetts, with his civilian profession being a jeweler, watchmaker, goldsmith or silversmith, so that the silver bracelet may have been of his own making. I am keeping all these items together since they were all found in the same place.

All elements of 23 AIB were quartered in Ecklerade from 9 to 23 November 1944, in reserve. So even though I only know the unit of one of the three, I am keeping all these items together since they were all found in the same place and may all from 23 AIB men.

Bracelet found 2016 in Netherlands -- Knife found 31 Jul 2019 in Germany, apparently at about 51 40'05.8"N 6 12'23.0"E

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Johnny Pistella, Billy Castle, Anthony Mbozy and Harold Funkhouser were killed 29 3 October 1944. B/23 veteran Eugene Jones wrote about it in his memoir "Buzzings of Company B" (pp 33-34), where the actual place "Liesel" is given as the non-exsitent place "Laal":

I do not yet know who found the two items in 2016 and 2019 nor precisely where each was found. There is a Facebook Pfc Johnny Memorial Page that has some more information. The latitude and longitude above (for the knife location) is roughly the location shown on a map in an e-mail message sent to me by John Pistella's great nephew Jason Wallace. The 7th Armored Division never was at that location -- which is . So it is a puzzle as to how his knife came to rest and rust there -- about 65-70 km (40-44 miles) from where he was killed.

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Click here for PDF of 11 images of helmet and liner.

Joseph J. Butler was killed in action 3 October 1944, during the attack from St. Anthonis to Overloon, Netherlands, by Company "C" of 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion. In 2014, Jeremy Severn purchased Joseph Butler's helmet (which included the liner) from a collector in the Netherlands. He then sold it to a collector named Bubba Havens. In June 2020, the helmet was sold on eBay to Haydn Curtis, grandson of Sgt Robert M. Curtis of B/23 AIB.

Clearly, it appears that a bullet to the left front of his head penetrated Joseph Butler's helmet and liner and was probably the cause of his death. Records thus far obtained do not contain information about how he was killed nor the precise location.

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On 15 September 1944, at Vittonville, France, three men of Company "C" of 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion went Missing in Action, though that was not officially recognized until 18 September. One of those men was Pfc. Kyle Galyean. C/23 had experienced heavy artillery the entire day, with some small arms opposition. C/23 had a mission to cross the Moselle River that day and move on. There is no record of who recovered his remains, but he was apparently not recovered until 22 or 23 September - a week after he had been killed. He was buried at the temporary US Military Cemetery at Andilly, France. His sister Blanche Jennings was his next of kin, and she decided that his final resting place should be in France. Thus in July 1947, he was exhumed and reburied in the permanent Lorraine US Military Cemetery at St. Avold, France.

In October 2008, area WWII historian Jean Laurent found a US soldier's helmet near Vittonville and contacted 7th Armored Division Association Historian & Web Master Wesley Johnston, sending the above two photographs. The key to identifying the helmet is on the strap at the back of the helmet, where G-4483 can still be seen faintly. Soldiers would identify their belongings by using the first letter of their last name and the last four digits of their Army Serial Number. Kyle Galyean's serial number was 34 254 483. So Wesley Johnston's search of his files for the G-4483 combination very quickly revealed that it was Kyle Galyean's helmet. Once Jean Laurent learned that Kyle Galyean was buried at St. Avold, he adopted his grave to become the caretaker to honor the memory and sacrifice of Kyle Galyean.

Clearly the hole in the back of the helmet is ominous. The exact cause of Kyle Galyean's death was never determined. However, the condition of his remains was recorded when he was exhumed for transfer to his final burial. And they bear testimony to a sudden violent death: "Crushed skull. All major bones fractured and/or missing, except left humerus, right radius and left radius, left ulna and right ulna, and left clavicle."

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The bag was found by a citizen of Château-Gontier (20 miles south of Laval, France) who found the bag shortly after the August 7, 1944 libertaion of Château-Gontier by the 5th Infantry Division. 7th Armored Division did not come ashore in France until August 10-11. The Division passed rapidly through Laval on August 13, enroute to Evron and Ste. Suzanne, northeast of Laval. There is no record of any element of 7th Armored Division being south of Laval at all and definitely not by 20 miles. So it is almost certainly the case that the bag was not lost at Château-Gontier but more likely at Laval. It could, of course, have been brought from Laval to Château-Gontier after it was found, then discarded, and then found again. We will probably never know.

A French citizen now has the bag, and asked Alexis Boban to find out about it. So we can thank Alexis Boban for the photographs and the information that he has provided about the bag.

Luther Wilmer survived the war but was lucky to do so. Within a month and a half after going through Laval, he had survived not just one but two tragic actions that took the lives of his buddies.

On September 1, 1944 -- just 19 days after passing through Laval, just before they reached Verdun, France, an 88mm German shell hit the trees, causing a tree burst, while the men were dismounted from their half-track. They were chased back to the half-track by German machine gun fire. Luther Wilmer, the half-track driver, drove the half-track 40 mph (very fast for a half-track), and another German tree burst hit in front of them. Then just as they reached the spot where it had hit, another tree burst hit the same location. Pfc. George McClure and Pvt. Joseph Pozolante were killed, and Platoon Leader, Lt. Sweeney who was in the machine gun turret atop the half-track, was wounded. Leroy Selhorst, who told the story of this action in 2006, was also wounded.

On September 30, 1944 Luther Wilmer survived the second action. C/23 woke up at Deurne, Netherlands. During the morning, they moved about 15 miles to St. Anthonis. In the afternoon, they were part of the 7th Armored Division attack southward toward Overloon into completely unfamiliar terrain, defended by a well-entrenched enemy who had had the luxury of several days to build their position. Squad Leader S/Sgt. Raymond Hill did not survive the day, and Pvt. Ludwig and Pvt. Johnson were wounded.

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Max E. Birnell is believed to have been in 31st Tank Battalion, although no other information has been found for him yet.

Bertrand Elias of Belgium found the dogtags on a farm near St. Vith, Belgium in 2011.

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S/Sgt. Fred Giacco was in Headquarters Company from training in the states to the end of combat. The bag was found in an attic in Diringhauseen in the community of Grummersbach in 2019 by Jens Fischer who sent the photos and is returning to Fred Giacco's family. Diringhausen is in the area surrounded on three sides by the route of 7AD in encircling and reducing the Ruhr Pocket. But they were never at Diringhausen. So someone must have found the bag and jacket somethere and brought them home and put them in the attic and forgot about them.

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The jacket was found in the same attic by Jens. But the laundry mark is T-9795 while Fred Giacco's would have been G-2800, so that this jacket belonged to another soldier. There are at least 28 soldiers who had this laundry mark, although four enlisted too late to be a candidate.

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Benjamin Borkowski was in either 2nd or 3rd Platoon, Company C, 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion. He was killed 19 Sep 1944, during a day of multiple attacks to attempt to seize the town of Sillegny, France. The engineers were fighting as infantry, tasked with taking the machine gun nests at the main road junction.

Florien Ostrowski obtained Benjamin Borkowski's dogtag from a collector in France in 2016. The dogtag was found at Andilly, France, which was the location of the temporary U. S. Military Cemetery in which Benjamin Borkowski was first interred. (Thanks to Jean-Marc Tabard for sending the photo and information.)

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In January 1945, the first squad of the Anti-tank Platoon of Company B, 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, quartered in the home of the Schreiber family in Lambermont, Belgium. Walter Johnston, Sam Shortt and Jim Bateman each signed the same dollar bill, which they gave to 7-year-old Roger Schreiber. In 1998, Walter Johnston's son Wesley visited in Lambermont, and Roger Schreiber presented him with the dollar.

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In 2001, Belgian local historian Pierre Godeau found the dogtag near Rodt, Belgium.

On 4 November 2010, Robbie Kerver found the bracelet of S/Sgt. Louis M. Slanina at Overloon, Netherlands. He tried to locate him, but he had died in 2009. But Robbie was able to find Louis Slanina's daughter to let her know about the bracelet.

For a week in January 1945, 7th Armored Division troops were quartered in Belgian citizens' homes in the vicinity of Verviers, Belgium. One of those homes was that of Thierry Picquot's father, Emile Picquot, on Rue des Wallons in Verviers, where members of 33rd Armored Engineer Battalion (possibly Company A) were quartered. Howard Powell gave his cap to the family as a souvenir, although Powell's A/48 quartered 1.5 miles west of Spa at Marteau.

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The Picquot family also received a number of books and an officer's shirt with an engineer collar pin, but at this time I do not know who this officer was. So even though these are 33 AEB items, I am including them here until we know who the officer was. The elements of 33 AEB quartered in diverse places near Verviers, but the only one close to Verviers was Company C, which quartered at Ensival, about 2 miles from Rue des Wallons. There is a photo of an Engineer officer, taken at a neighbor's house at 41 Rue des Wallons. It was probably this officer who gave the items to the Picquot family. The young man in the photo is Emile Picquot, age 17, who was a member of the Belgian Resistance since August 1943.

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Captain Philip D. SUNSERI was the dental officer of the 203rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. 203 AAA men fought against German Kampfgruppe Peiper at Stavelot on 18 Dec 1944. Capt. Sunseri was wounded there that day, for which he was awared a Purple Heart. In 1987, Bernard Maquet of Wanne, Belgium, found the box of Capt. Sunseri in the house of a family home at 24 route de Malmedy, on the eastern outskirts of Stavelot.

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Pvt. Joe L. Manning was killed 8 Sep 1944 at Pierrevillers, France. 7th Armored Division did not reach Manhay, Belgium, until late December 1944. So, it is an unsolved puzzle how his duffle bag made its way to the vicinity of Malempré more than 3 months after he was killed and how it came to be lost there.

Local historian Jérôme Flohimont found the bag about 2016 in the attic of an elderly man in Malempré and sent this and other photos - see the PDF of all the photos. Even though, Joe L. Manning is buried at the Epinal U. S. Military Cemetery in eastern France (a long way from Malempré, Belgium), Jérôme visits the grave every year to honor the man whose duffle bag he found.

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Jean-Marc Tabard, president of the organization Sillegny and the Lucky Seventh found the dogtag by a bunker in the woods just east of Marieulles, France in November 2011. The approximate coordinates are not yet established, but it was in the vicinity of 48 59'58.76"N, 6 7'3.11"E (click on the link and then scroll the map so that you can see the green arrow at the next road north of the red A). Thus far, the unit of R. M. Beach has not yet been established, but it was probably 7th Armored Division, and the dogtag was probably lost in mid-September 1944.

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Sjoerd Stemkens of Meijel found the dog tag near a small box of morphine syringes. So Henry Crampton may have been a medic, but so far a search of the records of 77th Armored Medical Battalion and the medical detachments of 48th Armored Infantry Battalion and 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron have not included him. Thanks to Niek Hendrix of Ospel, Netherlands, for sending the photo and information; he is trying to learn the precise location where the dog tag was found.

The National Archives enlistment database shows that Henry B. Crompton, residing in Essex County, New Jersey, entered service 13 Aug 1943 with service number 42009414. He was single with no dependents and had 2 years of high school. His civilian occupation had been in a cluster of occupations labeled by the Army as "Semiskilled machine shop and related occupations, n.e.c."

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This partially burned 1941 U. S. Army Song Book was found in the area of St. Vith in May 1985. The owner is not known, so that it may or may not have been owned by a 7AD man. Obtained May 2011 by Niek Hendrix of Ospel, Netherlands

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Someone used a metal detector at the former site of the temporary U. S. military cemetery at St. Avold, France (not to be confused with the current permanent cemetery) and found 18 X-tags. These were all put up for sale on the Internet, which is why two of the tags that had already been sold are marked with a red X. Marcel van Aalzum purchased the tab for X-332. The X-tags were used by Graves Registration recovery teams when they found remains in the field that could not be identified. Each temporary cemetery had its own series of numbers. The most likely explanation for all of these tags having been discarded is that once the remains were received at the cemetery, the Graves Registration personnel there were able to make a fairly prompt identification of the remains, so that the tags were no longer needed. While we may eventually know who these were identified to be, the identities are not known to the 7th Armored Division Association Historian at this time.