Hellcat News (Garnet Valley, Pa.), Vol. 66, No. 11, Ed. 1, July 2013 Page: 4 of 32
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Page 4
HELLCAT NEWS
July 2013
moving, or maybe you are just digging a bigger hole.
An email from Mary Anne Delker [C], who is helping out
another battalion as a good Hellcat should, but we still claim
her, stated she was untouched by the tornado that struck St.
Charles, MO. St. Charles is just west of the Missouri River
and St. Louis. She also said she was sort of between two of the
evil things, but that a friend sustained major damage. Mary
Anne, in case you have forgotten, is the daughter of the late
Sam Tessler. We certainly hope that her mother Sylvia can be
with us sometime during the reunion.
Because you have been waiting patiently for the next
installment of the history lesson from the papers of one Wes
Ferguson [C], here it comes. Incidentally, he did show up at
our door this past week for a friendly visit. Probably wanted
to show off his new car that was made necessary because of
a slight mishap. Well, not too slight because he totaled his
“old friend.” During one of our bad snow days in May (there
ain’t really such a thing as a bad snow day) another driver
came into Wes’ lane and he had to do something so he took
the median and clobbered all those posts and cables. He was
not hurt but the car had a lot of “owies.” Where is this train of
thought going? Oh yes, a history lesson. From the Bridgehead
News comes the following.
September 15,1944, two years from the activation date, the
division, which began at Camp Campbell, KY, was staging
at Camp Shanks, NY, for the overseas movement. Following
maneuvers, the 12th underwent streamlining. Regiments were
replaced by battalions to provide for smaller, faster task forces.
The division moved to Camp Barkeley, under command of
Maj. Gen. Carlos Brewer.
At Barkeley, the division lost one of its components, the
44th Tank Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Tom Ross. It
was sent to the Pacific theater on a special mission and later
distinguished itself by being the first to enter Manila. Col.
Ross was killed in action. Replacing the 44th was the 714
Tank Battalion, separated when the division was reorganized.
On September 20, 1944, the 12th sailed out of New York,
under a new commander, Maj. Gen. Roderick R. Allen of
FLAGS FRAMING SUPER HELLCATS: John Priestley■ George
Hawkins, Hal Kirchner, George Webb, and George Hatt.
Photo from Ed Roberts [B/17]
NOT JUST A FLAG. Captain Ebbage [B/17] proudly showing
our colors. Photo from Ed Roberts [B/17]
Palestine, Texas.
Landing at Liverpool, October 2, the 12th proceeded to
Tidworth Barracks in southeastern England, later crossing the
English Channel on November 9.
The Division landed at Le Havre and assembled near
Auffay, France. There it was assigned to the Ninth Army
forming in the north, but subsequent orders made the division
part of the Seventh Army.
The afternoon of December 5, No. 2 gun section of Battery
A, 493rd AFA fired the first shot of the division against the
enemy, near Weisslingen. At the time they were supporting
the 44th Inf. Div. The division moved into the line Dec. 7, and
launched its initial attack the following day.
These first few days of combat are not easy to forget. In the
cold penetrating winter weather, it seemed trench foot was a
greater menace than the enemy’s fire.
December was a month spent learning the first lessons
of combat, which Hellcats learned well in the slow, inching
warfare of the time. The division breached the Maginot line
defenses, and took every objective assigned to it that month.
The first German town captured by the division was
Utweiler, taken by the 56th AIB and troop C of the 92nd
Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, under Col. Charles V.
Bromley’s Combat Command B.
Next month we shall continue with this story of stories.
You may remember that several months ago you were asked
if anyone had a 12th wrist watch, one of those sold years ago.
Louis B. Hunter [A] thought it would be neat to have one and
should anyone not want theirs or if someone had more than
one, he would be pleased to have it. Well, true to the Hellcat
spirit, Ed Jarosz [D/92] came forth with one and now Louis
goes to bed happy. Ed, you are the recipient of an HHO from
this column and Mr. Hunter.
In the May issue of the HCN the president’s column had a
piece about a coming reunion, in December in Washington,
of men who were part of the liberation of the Colmar Pocket.
Louis Hunter wants to attend but for some reason his discharge
doesn’t show he was a part of the 12th, which he most certainly
was. He was in the anti-tank group of A Company. Seems he
has to have proof of his “pedigree.” He has been directed to
the staff at the museum for help and maybe someone who
goes on the records tour at the reunion can find something
for him. Louis said he was on a ship bound for home after the
war, convinced he would go right on through to the Pacific
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Twelfth Armored Division Association (U.S.). Hellcat News (Garnet Valley, Pa.), Vol. 66, No. 11, Ed. 1, July 2013, newspaper, July 2013; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth597654/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.