General William M Miley
R E L A T E D
B I O S
Gen
Matthew B Ridgway
Lt Gen Lewis H Brereton
Gen
George S Patton
Gen
Dwight D Eisenhower
FM Bernard L Montgomery
17th Airborne WW II Congressional Medal
of Honor Recipients
T/Sgt Clinton M Hedrick
S/Sgt Isadore S Jachman
Pvt George J Peters
Pfc Stuart S Stryker
R E L A T E D
S I T E S
USAAF Airborne Troop Carriers in World War II
Camp Claiborne, Louisiana
ETO Cross Channel Attack (Hyperwar)
articles
R E L A T E D
A R T I C L E S
The Drop Zone: Varsity - 513th PIR e-History
The Drop Zone: Operation Varsity - My Longest Day
The
Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge
|
The 17th Airborne during World War II
Order of Battle
 "Golden Talons"
The division insignia is a golden talon on a circular black background. The black background signifies surprise. The talon signifies the seizing of golden opportunity through surprise. (picture left) The motto of the 17th Airborne Divison is "Thunder From Heaven."
COMMAND AND STAFF
Commanding General
|
25 August 1944 |
Maj. Gen. William M Miley |
Assistant Division Commander
|
25 August 1944 |
Brig. Gen. John L Whitelaw |
Artillery Commander
|
25 August 1944 |
Brig. Gen. Joseph V Phelps |
Chief of Staff
|
25 August 1944 |
Col. Willard K Liebel |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-1
|
25 August 1944 |
Lt. Col. Lewis R Good |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-2
|
25 August 1944 |
Lt. Col. Lyle N McAlister |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-3
|
25 August 1944 |
Lt. Col. Edwin J Messinger |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-4
|
25 August 1944 |
Lt. Col. Charles W. Koester |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-5
|
29 September 1944 |
Lt Col Richard A Norton |
Adjutant General
|
25 August 1944 |
Lt. Col. Gabe W Lewis Jr |
Commanding Officer, 507th Parachute Infantry
|
25 August 1944 |
Col Edson D Raff |
Commanding Officer, 513th Parachute Infantry
|
25 August 1944 |
Col. James W Coutts |
|
9 April 1945 |
Lt Col Ward Ryan |
Commanding Officer, 193rd Glider Infantry
|
25 August 1944 |
Col. Maurice G Stubbs |
Commanding Officer, 194th Glider Infantry
|
25 August 1944 |
Col. James R Pierce |
Statistics
Chronology
|
15 April 1943 |
Activated |
|
25 August 1944 |
Arrived ETO |
|
24 December 1944 |
Arrived Continent (D+ 201) |
|
25 December 1944 |
Entered Combat |
|
45 |
Days in Combat |
Casualties (Tentative)
|
Killed |
564 |
|
Wounded |
1,473 |
|
Missing |
129 |
|
Captured |
not available |
|
Battle Casualties |
2.166 |
|
Non-Battle Casualties |
854 |
|
Total Casualties |
3,020 |
|
Percent of T/O Strength |
23.2 |
Individual Awards
|
Medal of Honor |
4 |
|
Distinguished Service Cross |
4 |
|
Legion of Merit |
8 |
|
Silver Star |
177 |
|
Soldiers Medal |
5 |
|
Bronze Star |
695 |
|
Air Medal |
16 |
|
|
|
|
Prisoners of War Taken |
17,344 |
Campaigns
|
Rhineland |
|
|
Ardennes |
|
|
Central Europe |
|
Attachments
Armored
|
15 Jan 45 - 27 Jan 45 |
761st Tank Bn |
|
31 Jan 45 - 7 Feb 45 |
Co C 15th Tank Bn (6th Armored Div) |
|
27 Mar 45 - 3 Apr 45 |
Brit 6th Guard Arm Brig (Non-Div) |
Field Artillery
|
3 Jan 45 - 5 Jan 45 |
802nd FA Bn (105mm Howitzer) |
Infantry
|
27 Aug 44 - 1 Mar 45 (when became organic part of division) |
507th PIR (Non-Div) |
|
15 Jan 45 - 16 Jan 45 |
345th CT (87th Div) |
Tank Destroyer
|
17 Jan 45 - 27 Jan 45 |
811th TD Bn (SP) |
|
|
|
Detachments
(Attached to) Field Artillery
|
5 Apr 45 - 15 Apr 45 |
681st GFAB (95th Div) |
Infantry
|
3 Jan 45 - 7 Jan 45 |
193rd GIR (101st Abn Div) |
|
14 Jan 45 - 18 Jan 45 |
193rd GIR (101st Abn Div) |
|
31 Mar 45 - 2 Apr 45 |
507th PIR (XIX Corps) |
|
5 Apr 45 - 13 Apr 45 |
194th GIR (95th Div) |
Assignmentand Attachment to Higher Units
DATE |
CORPS |
ARMY |
ATTACHED |
ARMY GROUP |
ATTACHED |
30 Jul 44 |
|
|
ninth |
ETOUSA |
|
12 Aug 44 |
XVIII Abn |
|
(-) |
|
|
25 Dec 44 |
XVIII Abn |
|
|
12th |
|
1 Jan 45 |
VIII |
|
Third |
12th |
|
26 Jan 45 |
III |
|
Third |
12th |
|
6 Feb 45 |
III |
1st Allied Abn |
Third |
(-) |
|
10 Feb 45 |
(-) |
1st Allied Abn |
|
|
|
15 Feb 45 |
XVIII Abn |
1st Allied Abn |
|
|
|
24 Mar 45 |
(-) |
1st Allied Abn |
|
|
12th |
30 Mar 45 |
XVIII Abn |
1st Allied Abn |
Ninth |
|
12th |
31 Mar 45 |
XIII |
1st Allied Abn |
Ninth |
|
12th |
4 Apr 45 |
XIII |
1st Allied Abn |
Ninth |
12th |
(-) |
6 Apr 45 |
XVI |
1st Allied Abn |
Ninth |
12th |
|
7 Apr 45 |
XVI |
Ninth |
(-) |
12th |
|
25 Apr 45 |
(-) |
Ninth |
Fifteenth |
12th |
|
27 Apr 45 |
XXI |
Ninth |
Fifteenth |
12th |
|
Command Posts
DATE |
TOWN |
REGION |
COUNTRY |
30 Aug 44 |
Camp Chiseldon |
Wiltshire |
England |
24 Dec 44 |
Camp Mourmellon |
Marne |
France |
28 Dec 44 |
Charleville |
Ardennes |
France |
3 Jan 45 |
Morhet |
Luxembourg |
Belgium |
15 Jan 45 |
Celli |
Luxembourg |
Belgium |
17 Jan 45 |
Bertogne |
Luxembourg |
Belgium |
19 Jan 45 |
Compegne |
Luxembourg |
Belgium |
22 Jan 45 |
Lavigny |
Luxembourg |
Belgium |
24 Jan 45 |
Steinbach |
Luxembourg |
Belgium |
27 Jan 45 |
Eschweiler |
|
Luxembourg |
29 Jan 45 |
Enscherange |
|
Luxembourg |
11 Feb 45 |
Chalon-sur-Marne |
Marne |
France |
24 Mar 45 |
Wesel (2 km north) |
Rhineland |
Germany |
28 Mar 45 |
Peddenburg |
Rhineland |
Germany |
29 Mar 45 |
Vulffen |
Rhineland |
Germany |
30 Mar 45 |
Haltern |
Rhineland |
Germany |
1 Apr 45 |
Dulmen |
Westphalia |
Germany |
3 Apr 45 |
Appelhulsen |
Westphalia |
Germany |
4 Apr 45 |
Munster |
Westphalia |
Germany |
6 Apr 45 |
Marxloh |
Rhineland |
Germany |
8 Apr 45 |
Bottrop |
Rhineland |
Germany |
10 Apr 45 |
Essen |
Rhineland |
Germany |
21 Apr 45 |
Marxloh |
Rhineland |
Germany |
books
R E L A T E D B O O K S
Annussek, Greg Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini: The Most Infamous Commando Operation of World War II. Sept 1, 2005, Da Capo Press, 353 pp. ISBN: 0306813963
Astor, Gerald
A Blood-Dimmed Tide: The Battle of the Bulge by the Men Who Fought It.
Mass Market Paperback, 1994 ISBN: 0440215749
Breuer, William B Geronimo! American
Paratroopers in WWII. New York: St. Martin Press, 1989 621 p. ISBN: 0-312-03350-8
Breuer, William B Unexplained
Mysteries of World War II. John Wiley & Sons, Sept 1998 256 p. ISBN:0471291072
D'Este, Carlo
Decision in Normandy William S Konnecky Assc(P), 560 p. ISBN: 1568522606
D'Este, Carlo
Patton: A Genius for War 1024 pp ISBN: 0060927623
Devlin, Gerard S
Paratrooper! St Martin's Press, (P) c1976 ISBN: 0312596529
Francois, Dominique 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment: A Forgotten Regiment Heimdal (Aug 2002), 120 p. ISBN: 2840481642
Gabel, Kurt The Making of a Paratrooper: Airborne Training and Combat in World War II Univ Press of Kansas (Jan 1990), 282 p. ISBN: 070060409X
Gavin, James M.
On to Berlin : Battles of an Airborne Commander, 1943-1946 ISBN: 0670525170
Giard, Régis & Frédéric Blais Helmets of the ETO: A Historical & Technical Guide Histoire & Collections (Jan 2008), 216 p. ISBN: 2352500621
Hastings, Max Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy Simon and Shuster(JUV), 396 p.
ISBN: 0671554352
Hicks, Anne The Last Fighting General: The Biography of Robert Tryon Frederick Schiffer Pub Ltd, 320pp, ISBN: 0764324306
Keegan, John The Second World War Penguin
(P), 708 p. ISBN: 014011341X
Keegan, John Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris Penguin USA(P), 365 p.
ISBN: 0140235426
Kershaw, Alex The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of WWII's Most Decorated Platoon
Da Capo Press, 288 pp November 30, 2004 ISBN: 0306813041
Kormann, John G Echoes of a Distant Clarion: Recollections of a Diplomat and Soldier Vellum
(P), 520 p. ISBN: 0979448832
MacDonald, Charles B A Time For
Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge Wm Morrow & Co
(P), 720 p. ISBN: 068151574
O'Donnell, Patrick K. Beyond Valor
Free Press, 2001, 384 p. ISBN: 0684873842
Wilson, Robert L. & Phillip K. A Paratrooper's Panoramic View:
Training with the 464th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion for Operation Varsity. pps, 244, 11/30/2005, Authorhouse ISBN: 1420854291
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