OT: Need help please

[Chickenboy]

I was hoping that someone could help me with a family mystery of sorts.

My Father in law's uncle was killed in action by enemy mortar fire on March 29, 1945 in Germany. This occured on the outskirts of Aschaffenburg (the suburb of Scheinhein, to be precise), whilest operating with Company I / 157 IR / 45th ID USAA ("Thunderbirds") in the Rhineland campaign.

The only memento of his military service my FIL has is a shoulder patch from the 63rd ID ("Blood and Fire"). The 63rd was also active in Germany about this time, but operating in a geographically distinct region from the 45th at the time of his death.

We can't figure out how or why he would have been associated with the 63rd. Did they 'patch' replacement soldiers coming in through the infamous 'repo-depo'? system in this manner? Anyone know of any shared history between the two IDs? Shared units of some sort? Any other thoughts or hypotheses would be welcome.

[YankeeAirRat]

Try to get a hold of these folks:
http://www.history.army.mil/

And see if they can help you start your research. From there you will probably need to get a hold of NARA: http://www.archives.gov/ to get the records of the command. Another thing to do would be to get a hold of NARA to get your Uncle In Law's service record and see if that would be able to help with your research. Though it was combat, there might have been something in his records to explain why he was transferred over to a seperate unit during the engagement.

[zace]

During my time in the service if someone was in a DET (think detachment) with another unit they would often get one of the patches of that unit to show they cooperated with them. The 63rd and 45th might have been involved in an operation together at one point and he might have done something that the boys at the 63 were thankful for and they gave him one of their patches.

Kinda a show of respect for helping out... (or saving our butts...)

*edit*

in short there may not be an official action between the 2 units.

[Canoerebel]

Chickenboy, have you heard of the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania?  They have tons of stuff and are prompt in answering inquiries.  I've dealt with them with good success in the past.  They might have changed the name fairly recently, but a Google search of that name should still get you to them quickly.  Good luck.
 
P.S.  Army records are maintained at a records facility in St. Louis.  You can obtain a copy by filing a request online.  You will be approved if you're a relative.  I did this about a year ago, but I don't have the icontact information here at home.  I'll try to remember to send you the link when I'm next at my office.  It will include alot of routine information about enlistment, basic training, command assignments, etc.

[CV 2]

The only "shared" history I can find is that both were assigned to XV corps of 7th army for a period of 5 days between 21 Mar and 26 Mar 1945.

45th div was assigned 15 Mar 45 and remained in the corps for the rest of the war.

63rd was assigned to XXI corps of the 7th army from 22 Feb 45 until 21 Mar 45 when it was assigned to XV corps. And then on 26 Mar 45 it returned to XXI corps. The on 1 Apr 45 it was assigned to VI corps of the 7th army, following which on 19 Apr 45 it again returned to XXI corps.

You didnt say if he was in Italy with the unit, so I am going to guess that he was a replacement that joined the 45th - probably in Jan 45. This was right after the Ardennes offensive and many units needed replacements. Numerically (in the ETO) the division numbers go ... 42nd, 44th, 45th, 63rd, 65th, 66th, ... And it could very well be that he was originally earmarked for the 63rd and then changed because the 45th needed more than they thought. Several divisions had attachments to the 45th and the 45th had detachments to other units, but none of these as far as I can determine involved the 45th and 63rd.

Edit: Game note: look at all the PPs Eisenhower wasted shuffling the 63rd from corps to corps [:D]

[khyberbill]

He could have traded patches with a soldier in passing. I have a battered zippo lighter from my Dad that has an insignia of an Army group that he was not part of at all. Dad told me that he won it in a poker game on Attu island.

[Terminus]

63rd Infantry Division didn't operate as a separate entity for a long time after it landed in Europe. Instead, its infantry regiments were rushed forwards as a "task force", attached to a more experienced formation, which may have been the 45th (certainly both served in 7th Army).

This was done with several late-arriving divisions, because whilst they were forming in the US, their rifle units were cannibalized for replacements to the ETO, thus leaving them with cadres of barely-trained draftees when they had to deploy themselves.