What is your favorite unit?

[Baggers]

Private Armies in the Western Desert

The Long Range Desert Group and No.1 Demolition Squadron (Popski's Private Army) in particular. Formed by Col. Ralph Bagnold OBE, Maj. W.B. Kennedy Shaw, Lt. Col. Guy Prendergast, Capts. Pat Clayton and Rupert Harding Newman, and later, Major Vladimir Peniakoff ("Popski"), all men who pioneered desert exploration before the war. They put their knowledge to use navigating vast stretches of initially unmapped open desert on patrols that lasted up to a month with minimal provisions, harassing the Germans and Italians from the rear and providing the intellience necessary to enable the British Army to push the Axis back across Egypt and Libya. Men, who with very little to start with, were able to create units that performed tasks far exceeding what GHQ in Cairo had expected of them.

Cheers!

 

[Clyde R.]

The Old Breed

I agree with Baggers that the LRDG and Popski's group and the SAS have always seemed like "romantic" outfits due to their independence and the fact they operated behind enemy lines in the western desert.

Any of the flying units in the ETO are fascinating to me, as well as the B-29 units in the Pacific theater.

I am prejudiced though in favor of the US 1st Marine Division as my "fave" outfit. They had a great war record in WWII and my father served with the division in Vietnam. I also have a good friend who was with 7th Marine regiment, 1st Marine Division at Okinawa in 1945 as a young machine gunner. Anybody interested in the 1st Mar Div in WWII should read Eugene Sledge's excellent account, "With the Old Breed." One of the best infantry memoirs to come out of the war, and that's not just my opinion.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Where did you get the info on zemke transfering because he wanted a P-51 group? I recall in his autobiography that he was sent to the unit to get them in shape since they were new and not doing well. He did not want to leave the 56th. I could be wrong.

Have all of the autobiographies from the 56th aces. Dave Schilling (Zemke's second in command) was originally offered command of the 479 FG. When Schilling learned of this he pitched a fit (typical Schilling) and so Hub said, basically, "You want the 56th, Dave? It's all yours." Surprised the heck out of everyone. (Pretty sure this is from Hub's book.)

 

[Warden]

For me, I like to play my age and at 40+ years old I am too old to be a regular solider so I perform as a Home Guardsman.

(The Home Guard were part time volunteers whose role was to defend their local community during the invasion threat).

Click here to see my Home Guard impression.

The Home Guard fame in the UK comes from the Dad's Army TV series, "They don't like it up 'em"

Warden D

 

[Sierra Charriba]

My favorite unit is, of course, "La Nueve", the "Neuvi?®me Compagnie du R?©giment de Marche du Tchad", belonging to french "2?®me Division Blind?©e". "La Nueve", was composed by spanish republican refugees in french North Africa (because that, it was called in spanish. It was the first allied unit to enter in Paris August 24th 1944. Here, one photo of "La Nueve" resting in the Bois de Boulogne the following days to liberation of Paris

 

[Prairie Shade]

The unit I served in, the 1st Cavalry Division. I am always struck by the sacrifice and lack of recognition for the services of the Army in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. No "Special" units, just dogfaces forced to do their job and return home to their families and make a life.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

For me, I like to play my age and at 40+ years old I am too old to be a regular solider so I perform as a Home Guardsman.

Warden have you seen my Home Guard pictures? I'll post 'em again if you haven't.

 

[boomerchop]

Victory at Sea!

While I admit to a genuine interest in WWII aviation, and am particularly fond of the Lightning and Liberator, there seems to be a lack of Navy postings in this thread. The Hellcat pilots of the Marianas turkey shoot, the Hornet/Enterprise battle group getting the Doolittle Raiders in position for launch, the jeep carriers and tin cans taking on the might of the IJN at Leyte Gulf while the world wondered where Halsey was, but most especially the men of the Silent Service, pick any boat you like, Barb and Tang are two of my favorites. The submariners suffered the highest loss rate of any branch of the services, while sinking more tonnage and bringing the Far-Eastern Co-prosperity Sphere to its knees. Ah-ooga, ah-ooga, dive, dive. Death from below.
While I served on nuclear boats myself, I also served aboard USS Proteus, and USS Orion, two submarine tenders that were commissioned and served during WWII. The Proteus was in Tokyo Bay with a brood of boats the day the surrender was signed. I often considered the past of these two fine ships during long mid-watches. Both are decommissioned now, though when we brought Orion home for the last time in 1993, she was the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy (disregarding USS Constitution of course).

 

[Mojave Jack]

Warden have you seen my Home Guard pictures? I'll post 'em again if you haven't.

I haven't, Tony. Please do repost them.

Boomerchop, one of the reasons there's not a lot of Navy stuff may be the general lack of knowledge about life in the Navy. I would really like to see some living history stuff on a lot of the ships I've visited, like the USS Massachusetts, the USS Alabama, or the many subs parked in cities all over the country. Instead they all seem to depend on those little pre-recorded squawkboxes and still photos. Does anyone know of any ships that have interpretors dressed as period sailors? Other than the Mayflower, or the Brig Beaver (the ship on display at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum in Boston). I'd love to learn more about a historic ship from an intepretor in character as a Bluejacket; in fact, I think it would be quite a kick to do that. Only the Constitution seems concerned with presenting the ship as it was when she was in service, though obviously that is a special case.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Left, my father (born 1906) and my grandfather. (born 1876) On right, my father with his Home Guard unit. He was an aeronautical engineer at Supermarine at the time.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Great pics!

 

[J.B.Saxon]

My favourite unit also is the 91st BG, 324th BS of the 8th AF.

I did some research about them on the web and got intouch with two veterans of the 91st: Mike Banta (35 missions) and Verne Woods. Both e-mailed me some information about the missions and B-17s of the 91st and added some links where their stories can be read.
I would like to share the links with you:

http://www.highironillustrations.com/rogues/mike_banta.html

http://www.merkki.com/woodsverne.htm

enjoy

J.B.

 

[Harp]

Favorite Unit

I would echo Prairie Shade's kudo to the 1st Cavalry Division for its
Pacific theatre service; also the 25th Infantry "Tropic Lightning," but my
favorite unit is my old outfit, the 101st Airborne Division.

 

[Spitfire]

A tough one....

But let me start with 7th hussars in the French Napoleon Army. Commanded by the great General Lasalle.
The 1. and 43. RAF Fighter Squadrons 1939/1940. "Killy" Killmartin!!!
And 4. Fighter Group. USAAF. Gentile. Blakeslee. Red Dog. Kit Hofer...great pilots. And Godfrey. The greatest of them all.

 

[priestyboy]

... there seems to be a lack of Navy postings in this thread. The Hellcat pilots of the Marianas turkey shoot, the Hornet/Enterprise battle group getting the Doolittle Raiders in position for launch, the jeep carriers and tin cans taking on the might of the IJN at Leyte Gulf while the world wondered where Halsey was...

A big ROGER on that one.

How about Torpedo 8 from the Hornet at Midway. What an incredible group of fellows. If one reads, "The Unknown Battle of Midway" by Alvin Kernan they see that John Waldron, much like Mitscher, valued the men serving under his command. These guys wanted to do it right. Fate just had a different idea.

Besides, who could look better than Waldron wearing a tie ornamentation with his knife and .45!?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

My dad was in The Woodchoppers

796th AAA AW BN (SP)
Part of General Patton's 10th Armored "Ghost Division"
The colors were retired at their 55th reunion over the Labor Day weekend.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

My favorite unit (if not Zappa) is Moon Unit.


.

 

[airfrogusmc]

VMF 214

 

[Harp]

Favorite Unit

I'll add my last outfit, the 12th Special Forces; now disbanded to
the realm of History.

 

[Mojave Jack]

I'll add my last outfit, the 12th Special Forces; now disbanded to
the realm of History.

Hey, we used to support you guys! I was with the 107th Combat Weather at Selfridge. I got my 12th Group coin from Sgt Major Smith; he was an Indiana state trooper. The guys from Charlie Company used to love us, because we had a pretty big budget. You can buy a lot of claymores for the cost of maintaining an F-16, so we had small arms ammo, explosives, and gear to spare. You guys would train us, and whatever was left over went into your armory. It was win-win, and we got some great training opportunities. When I designed our unit patch after the 12th was disbanded, I incorporated the 12th Group lightning bolts as a tribute.