Photos Photos of the US Army in the ETO

Brilliant images @Skyline Drive , great resource you have there

BravoZulu said:

Brilliant images @Skyline Drive , great resource you have there

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot BravoZulu!

Skyline Drive said:

View attachment 210141

Click to expand...

Lead Italian soldier sporting a WW1 era Italian Adrian Model helmet.

This is a set of private photos taken by a GI.
Sgt. Katz was with the 4th Armored Division, it looks as if he was not serving on the front lines but rather in a rear echelon function at a HQ or logistical unit. Over the years I have acquired thousands of private GI photos. Generally speaking you can fold it down as follows:

- Photos taken in CONUS are abundant, also form GIs who later served as Infantry in the first line.

- There are also quite many pictures the boys took pre D-Day in the UK

- There are very few pictures taken by GIs during the combat actions from D-Day to March 1945. The few pictures you find were taken by second
echelon guys, engineers, artillery, HQ, etc......

- Beginning March 1945 the number of pictures is increasing

- Unfortunately the subject of 90% of the photos is not military related but landmarks and sights, old buildings etc.....the destruction of the German cities is an ever recurring theme e.g.

But back to the 4th AD...

Pictures taken by Sgt Katz during manoeuvres in CONUS and their time in the UK:

At least some of the pictures from the UK were taken in Castle Combe in Wiltshire.

These also looks like they might have been taken in the UK, pre D-Day.

Autumn 1944, sightseeing in Nancy, France.

Winter 1944-1945. Some of the pics have written "Belgium" on the back, some have definitely been taken in the French town of Rodemack, just to the south of Luxembourg. Unfortunately I have not come around to do any research into these pictures.

A picture of Dudelange, located in southern Luxembourg, where Katz' unit was late February 1944.



The last pictures taken by Sgt. Katz are quite interesting, they show the ceremony where, in the little town of Dudelange, George S. patton awarded the Medal of Honour to Captain James H. Fields on February 27th 1945. Unfortunately he couldn't get near enough to take decent pics

James H. Fields was born in Caddo, Texas on June 26, 1920. After having graduated from Mirabeau Lamar High School in Houston, Texas in 1939, James continued his studies at the University of Oklahoma. In February 1942 he was drafted into the US Army to serve as a first lieutenant and platoon commander in Company A of the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division.

On September 27 1944, in Rechicourt, in the Lorraine region of France, Lieutenant Fields proved to be an exceptional leader an soldier! We just let the original citation speak for itself:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, at Rechicourt, France. On 27 September 1944, during a sharp action with the enemy infantry and tank forces, 1st Lt. Fields personally led his platoon in a counterattack on the enemy position. Although his platoon had been seriously depleted, the zeal and fervor of his leadership was such as to inspire his small force to accomplish their mission in the face of overwhelming enemy opposition. Seeing that 1 of the men had been wounded, he left his slit trench and with complete disregard for his personal safety attended the wounded man and administered first aid. While returning to his slit trench he was seriously wounded by a shell burst, the fragments of which cut through his face and head, tearing his teeth, gums, and nasal passage. Although rendered speechless by his wounds, 1st Lt. Fields refused to be evacuated and continued to lead his platoon by the use of hand signals. On 1 occasion, when 2 enemy machineguns had a portion of his unit under deadly crossfire, he left his hole, wounded as he was, ran to a light machinegun, whose crew had been knocked out, picked up the gun, and fired it from his hip with such deadly accuracy that both the enemy gun positions were silenced. His action so impressed his men that they found new courage to take up the fire fight, increasing their firepower, and exposing themselves more than ever to harass the enemy with additional bazooka and machinegun fire. Only when his objective had been taken and the enemy scattered did 1st Lt. Fields consent to be evacuated to the battalion command post. At this point he refused to move further back until he had explained to his battalion commander by drawing on paper the position of his men and the disposition of the enemy forces. The dauntless and gallant heroism displayed by 1st Lt. Fields were largely responsible for the repulse of the enemy forces and contributed in a large measure to the successful capture of his battalion objective during this action. His eagerness and determination to close with the enemy and to destroy him was an inspiration to the entire command, and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces."

On February 27. 1945, General George S. Patton, Commanding General of the III US Army, decorated First Lieutenant James H. Fields with the Congressional Medal of Honor. The award ceremony took place in the small town of Dudelange, in the southern part of Luxembourg, just across the border from France.

We have a few pictures of the ceremony in our archives, unfortunately the photographer, Sgt. Katz didn't have to good a view, but he did his best!

After the awards ceremony Patton insisted that Lt. Fields be sent home, this is what he wrote in his book "War as I knew it":

"On the twenty-second, I decorated a number of nurses with Bronze Stars and also Lieutenant James H. Fields of the Fourth Armored Division with the Medal of Honor. I told Gaffey I did not want Lieutenant Fields sent to the front any more, because it has been my unfortunate observation that whenever a man gets the Medal of Honor of even the Distinguished Service Cross, he usually attempts to outdo himself, in order to produce a virile race, such men should be kept alive.”

The man was quite a character!

Lieutenant Fields passed away on June 17 1970.


A Signal Corps picture of Patton and Captain Fields, a portrait of Captain Fileds and a picture of his grave.

GIs of the 66th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, in-between the villages of Wecker and Biwer.

BravoZulu said:

Brilliant images @Skyline Drive , great resource you have there

Click to expand...

Agreed BZ brilliant photos and info

Some 6th Armored Division pictures.

GIs of the 6th Armored Division in Clervaux, Luxembourg, late January 1945.

6th Armored Division at the Kyll river in Germany, February 1945.

6th Armored Division tank repair yard. Drauffelt railway station, Luxembourg, February 1945.