This book tells you the history of the tank battalion. They were all young kids wwii first platoon company c 712th tank. July 3, 1944 712th tank battalion world war ii oral history world. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Fought along side with the 712th tank battalion during the bulge. Jim flowers and the first platoon, company c, 712th tank battalion, on hill 122. Those with a link will take you to a battalionpublished history. A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. Supported by the 359th infantry regiment ir commanded by colonel clarke k. These are the memories of the men who fought in, and supported the tanks of the 712th tank battalion almost 70 years ago, and memories do not unfold in a structured timeline of sequential events. Home world war ii operational documents after action report, 712th tank battalion. The 712th tank battalion in the second world war is his first book for fonthill media. I have read an unbelievable number of wwii books over the last.
Tanks for the memories is the book that turned him into an oral historian. Partridge attacks towards the village of lithaire on july 7 with the support of tanks belonging to the 712th tank destroyer battalion. History of the 11th armored cavalry regiment blackhorse. Tanks for the memories oral history 712th tank battalion world war ii. The book is well written, aaron has a background in writing. The 747th tank battalion was an independent tank battalion that participated in the european theater of operations with the united states army in world war ii. Marine corps aviation colors and markings 1989 to today. The history of the 712th tank battalion book was published in 194546.
An oral history of the 712th tank battalion in world war ii ebook. July 3, 1944 712th tank battalion oral history audiobooks. An oral history of the 712th tank battalion in world war ii kindle edition by elson, aaron. Although it a standalone collection, the tanker tapes is also the first part of the tanker tapes trilogy, a collection of three oral history audiobooks that is available as a set. The story is not complete because he normally recorded information only from veterans of a and c companies. Army training and doctrine command subtopics united states. The 712th tank battalion landed in normandy three weeks after dday and spent eleven months in combat. The 712th tank battalion is the best tank battalion in the u. Ill be speaking at the stockbridge library on saturday, nov. An oral history of the 712th tank battalion in world war ii. History of the 714th tank battalion and stories from my father glen lamb of c company. The 712th tank battalion in the second world war is one of the best unit histories i have read from wwii.
The 745th tank battalion was an independent tank battalion that participated in the european theater of operations eto with the united states army in world war ii. The 712th tank battalion landed in normandy three weeks after. Veritas journal of army special operations history. I still have a copy of the history book from our battalion and the one from the 90th division. At a little after noon on july 3, 1944, the five medium tanks in the first platoon of a company of the 712th tank battalion were heading toward their first combat. Tin can sailors, uss arizona, book names, get free stuff, shopping world, free in. To link to this object, paste this link in email, im or document.
The reason they dont talk is they couldnt get the picture over to somebody that wasnt there. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. At a little after noon on july 3, 1944, the five medium tanks in the first platoon of a company of the 712 th tank battalion were heading toward their first combat assignment, outside the village of pretot. An oral history of the 712th tank battlion focusing on experiences of company a and company c. His was the first tank unit to land in south korea in early july 1950. From normandy through northern france, the battle of the bulge, the siegfried line, central germany and into czechoslovakia, the 712th spent 11 months in combat, most of them with general george pattons third.
See more ideas about oral history, sherman tank and drive a tank. The 712th tank battalion, activated 20 sep 1943, received 5 campaign stars for combat in normandy, northern france, ardennes, rhineland, and central europe. A tank driver, big andy spent 11 months in combat from normandy, through the battle of the bulge, the siegfried line, across germany and into czechoslovakia. The 712th tank battalion in the second world war kindle edition by elson, aaron.
He began to record what members of the battalion told him about the battalion. Aaron elson has written four books of oral history and has a substantial presence on the internet. The 11th tank battalion was created out of the 1st and 2nd squadrons. The best known area for nightlife in dublin, ireland is temple bar, south of the river liffey. The 712th tank battalion in world war ii m4a3 sherman ww2. An oral history of the 712th tank battalion from world war 2 by aaron c. Aaron elson attended a reunion of the 712th tank battalion, with wh. Paperbackverified purchase oral history of the 712th tank battalion in ww2, in the words of the men that fought.
The battalion participated in combat operations throughout northern europe until ve day. The 712th tank battalion in the second world war by aaron elson e. The companys filing status is listed as inactive and its file number is 69536283. Fought along side the 712th tank battalion during le mans falaise gap. They were all young kids is the sequel to tanks for the memories. Discover and share ancestor quotes for scrapbooking.
The 712th was inactivated after the war at camp kilmer, new jersey in october of 1945. Big andy a 712th tank battalion interview by aaron elson. The 712th was one of the independent tank battalions that operated in the eto during wwii, and was cadred from the 10th armored division in mid 1943. Tanks for the memories compiles a number of accounts from various members of the 712th tank battalion.
The 712th tank battalion was an independent tank battalion, not permanently as. The history states that on 20 sept, 1943 the 712th tank battalion was activated. Joseph fetsch in service company of the 712th tank battalion. Eckard of hickory, nc was a member of company a of the 712th tank battalion. Fales and who suffered heavy casualties during his engagement on 5 and 6 july, the 358th ir under the command of colonel richard c. Elson the 712th tank battalion spent 11 months in combat, from normandy to czechoslovakia. Steve krysko was a gunner, and later a tank commander, in the 712th tank battalion.
Home world war ii operational documents after action report, 735th tank battalion, julynov 44, febmar 45. Cpl gruntz of the 712th tank battalion tells the gripping yet emotional account of his fathers firsthand experiences while standing on the sites where he battled, was wounded, saw friends killed in normandy and during the battle of the bulge, and where he earned the bronze star in bloody combat. His work has been used as source material in many books and documentaries. They would rejoin the 11th armored cavalry regiment in october of 1958. This is their story, as told in the words of its veterans.
World war ii oral history, books about world war ii, world. Military magazine silver star citation 60 years later. Formed from 67th infantry medium tanks at fort meade, maryland, on. The 712th tank battalion spent 11 months in combat, from normandy to czechoslovakia. This is the moving story of how a father shares his experiences with his son of the second world war as a gunner in the us 712th tank battalion by retracing the journey of his battle route through europe many years later. This date is in a sense deceptive for although the 712th came into being then it had existed as part of the 10th armd. Reading what equates to an oral history takes some forbearance. A tank driver, big andy spent in 1943 the 11th cavalry was mechanized as part of the fledgling 10th armored division. It was developed as dublins cultural quarter and does retain this spirit as a centre for small arts productions, photographic and artists studios, and in the.
The independent 712th tank battalion was broken out of the 10th and spent most of the war in europe attached to the 90th texasoklahoma division. An oral history of the 712th tank battalion in world war ii kindle edition. Very soon after the redesignation the battalion moved from camp gordon to ft. Aaron elsons father served with the 712th tank battalion in world war 2. Big andy a 712th tank battalion interview and over one million other books are available for amazon kindle. After action report, 735th tank battalion, julynov 44. Army training and doctrine command history 1 title united states. This book tells the true history of the 712th tank battalion. It is not a traditional unit history in that it is not simply a list of engagements fought, enemy killed, and casualties suffered.
A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or. The battalion participated in combat operations throughout northern europe until ve day, primarily attached. One of the events described in detail in the book is the battle for the town of pfaffenheck in between the rhine and moselle rivers in march of 1945. They were all members of the greatest generation, to quote tom brokaw. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading tanks for the memories. The battalion came ashore on omaha beach on june 30, 1944. It is a wonder now what seemed so desirable about such a status but when on 20 sept. The battalion landed at utah beach on 28 june 1944 as part of the 1st army. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the armored fist.
World war ii oral history, books about world war ii, world war ii. His unit began the laborious and deadly work of pushing the germans out of the french hedgerow areas on the 4th of july. From balking horrors to careless delights, from cheerful camaraderie to bitter sadness. The registered agent on file for this company is dale s albee and is located at 403a red blanket rd, prospect, or 975369719. Along the way, its men dug up potatoes with their tanks and roasted them on the exhausts. The fourth tank was commanded by jule braatz, a recently married 26yearold sergeant from wausau, wisconsin. The stories and anecdotes range from descriptions of life in the horse.
Aaron elson attended a reunion of the 712th tank battalion, with which his father served in world war ii, a few years after his fathers death. No exposition from the author, other than to set the scene of the battles described. Somebody that wasnt there, he would think that youre making that story up. This book is essentially the chronologicallygrouped transcripts of the interviews the. I recently read the armored fist a unit history of the us 712th independent tank battalion in wwii. It was one of five tank battalions all independent that landed in normandy on dday 6 june 1944. The book itself is in fair condition, but is complete and has a complete roster listing of every member of the 712th tank battalion along with several photographs taken during the war.
209 1489 547 64 794 604 696 825 1113 38 1544 612 141 511 881 868 545 1474 1382 294 304 421 925 17 695 561 1343 850 1266 860 305 1400 493 1489 1354 1431 557 938 156 469 1179 1208 616 144 763 516 717