MARCHE 17Th AIRBORNE

Admin Messages : 10749 Date d'inscription : 25/01/2012

remimartin a écrit:: A la demande de Little Greg de la 101st Belgian Friendly, diffusion everywhere !!

Le 16 décembre 1944, les troupes allemandes lancent leur offensive dans les Ardennes. Le 4 janvier 1945, la 17th Airborne Division attaque
vers Flamièrge au départ de Monti et d’Houmont. La crête près de Flamièrge sera surnommée « Dead Man’s Ridge » (la Crête de l’Homme
mort) par les hommes de la division. La 17th Airborne libèrera définitivement de l’occupant nazi de nombreux villages des entités de Sainte-Ode
et de Bertogne. La division perdra plus de 3.000 hommes. Cette année, nous marcherons sur les pas du 194th Glider Infantry Regiment entre
Houmont et Flamièrge.
On the 16th of December 1944 German troops launched their Ardennes offensive. On the 4th of January 1945, the 17th Airborne Division
launched the first attack towards Flamièrge from Monti and Houmont. The ridge near Flamièrge was later re-named “Dead Man’s Ridge” by the
men of the Division. The 17th Airborne freed many hamlets within the Sainte-Ode and Bertogne area from Nazi occupation. The Division lost
more than 3000 men. This year, we will walk on the footsteps of the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment between Houmont and Flamièrge.
Le dimanche 20 mars 2011, l’A.S.B.L. ‘101st Airborne Division Belgian Friendly’, avec le soutien des Administrations communales et
d’associations de Bertogne et de Sainte-Ode, organise une marche en hommage aux hommes de la 17th Airborne Division. Départ de Flamièrge.
09h30 : cérémonie au monument de la 17th Airborne Division, 09h45 : départ de la marche. Nous vous proposons deux itinéraires : 6
km et 16 km. L’arrêt de midi se fait à Houmont ou à Flamièrge (suivant l’itinéraire choisi) et le retour de la marche à Flamièrge.
On the Sunday 20th of March 2011, the non profit association “101st Airborne Division Belgian Friendly”, with the support of the Bertogne
and Sainte-Ode local Councils and some associations, will organize a walk to honor the men of the 17th Airborne Division. Start from Flamièrge.
0930: ceremony at the monument of the 17th Airborne Division, 0945: start of the walk. We are proposing you two itineraries: 6 km and 16 km.
The lunch stop will be at Houmont or Flamièrge (depending of your itinerary) and the arrival at Flamièrge.
Comme les années précédentes, les bénéfices serviront intégralement à financer
le retour d’un Vétéran de la 17th Airborne Division.
Like the previous years, the profits will be used in their entirety to finance
a trip back to Belgium of a Veteran of the 17th Airborne Division.
L’inscription à la marche est de 5 euros par personne et donne droit à une boisson, un diplôme souvenir, le support logistique et l’assurance.
L’inscription est gratuite pour les enfants de moins de 12 ans, mais ne donne pas droit à une boisson. Il est demandé aux participants de
s’inscrire à l’avance et d’effectuer un virement sur le compte de l’organisation au plus tard le 4 mars 2011.
The cost for registration of the walk is 5 Euros per person and includes one drink, a souvenir certificate, logistic support and insurance. Registration
is free for children under 12 years of age but does not allow them drinks. It is requested that all participants register and pay before the
4th of March 2011 on the organization account.
Compte - Account number « 101st Airborne Belgian »
Nr: 732-0005542-64 - IBAN: BE29 7320 0055 4264 - BIC: CREGBEBB.
Banque CBC, Rue Saint Sang 70, 5060 Auvelais, Belgique - Belgium
Communication: Marche 17AB + noms/names participants.
Si vous êtes un groupe important, mettez le nom du responsable du groupe et envoyez-nous une liste de toutes les personnes de votre
groupe. Attention, si vous vous inscrivez le jour même, nous ne pourrons pas vous garantir la remise du diplôme souvenir. Dès votre arrivée à
Flamièrge, présentez-vous au bureau d’accueil pour recevoir vos documents d’inscription et votre souvenir et ce à partir de 08h00.
If you are a large group, kindly put the name of the group leader and send us a list of all the participants in your group. Be aware that if you
attend the walk, and you pay on the spot, you will possibly not receive the certificate of participation. As soon as you arrive in Flamièrge you
should go to the registration office to receive your documents and the souvenir, this from 08 AM.
Informations : http://17thairbornewalk.blogspot.com – Contact : 17thairbornewalk@gmail.com
Laurent Olivier +32.479.96.19.34 – Gregory De Cock +32.477.72.28.52
La marche est ouverte à tous, que ce soit en civil, en uniforme pour les militaires d’active ou en tenue alliée de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
pour les reconstitueurs. Toute vente est interdite pendant l’événement à l’exception des personnes ou organismes autorisés par l’organisation.
Chaque participant se doit de respecter l’environnement et la propriété privée. Il est interdit de jeter tout détritus sur la voie publique et dans la
nature. Seuls les participants inscrits seront couverts par une assurance organisation. Le port de tout uniforme et de tout emblème des forces
de l’Axe est formellement interdit durant la manifestation.
The walk is open to everyone, either in civilian clothes or in World War Two uniform of the allied forces for the re-enactors. All military personnel
wishing to wear their current uniform are more than welcome. All sales are totally forbidden during the event with the exception of those with
prior permission from the organizers. All participants must respect the environment and private property. It is forbidden to throw garbage/litter on
the roads and in the nature. Only registered participants will be covered by the insurance policy. All uniforms and emblems of the axes forces
are strictly forbidden during the event.
Bien qu’il y ait un point d’arrêt le midi où des boissons et des snacks seront disponibles, n’oubliez pas de prendre
votre repas.
There will be a lunch break, however lunch is not provided and you should bring a packed lunch. Drinks and snacks will
be available.
Il est demandé aux reconstitueurs de respecter les règles suivantes : Cette marche étant un hommage aux hommes de la 17th Airborne Division,
le port de l’uniforme de cette division pendant la bataille des Ardennes (tenue M43), ainsi que l’insigne de la 17th Airborne, est demandé.
Les armes neutralisées conformément à la loi belge sont autorisées. Les tirs à blanc et pétards ou autres explosifs ne sont pas autorisés. De
même, les armes blanches devront rester dans leur fourreau.
It is required that all re-enactors respect the following rules: This walk is to honor the men of the 17th Airborne Division, so it is requested
that you wear the uniform of that division during the battle of the Bulge (M43 uniform) along with the 17th Airborne patch. All weapons must be
neutralized in regards with the Belgian law. Blank firing and firecrackers or any explosive are strictly forbidden. All knives or blades should remain
in their scabbards.

Admin Messages : 10749 Date d'inscription : 25/01/2012

thunder from heaven a écrit:: At 8:15 a.m. on January 4, 1945, in the middle of a snow storm, the 17th Airborne and other units began the Allied counter-offensive in the southern part of the Bulge. The 17th Airborne was a green unit and this would be their first day of combat. The battle would be fought along a ridge line that followed the Bastogne-Marche Highway, an area about 10 miles west of the town of Bastogne. Digging in along the ridge and using armor to counter-attack, the Germans repelled several of the 17th's attacks. Over the course of the next nine days, the Division's casualties were catastrophic and several battalions were nearly annihilated. The fortified ridge would latter be dubbed "Dead Man's Ridge" since so many men lost their lives trying to take it.

Some things stick in the mind, embedded so that they never go away. The night before my company was committed I was sleeping in a hole in a patch of woods with about seven or eight guys from C Company, my company being HQ1, a heavy weapons company. My very best friend, Richard Reed, a red headed, good-natured Irishman from St. Louis was huddled up next to me and all of us were trying to keep warm out of the deep snow outside our foxhole. Lucky me, I was sleeping on the end and had nobody to huddle up close to on one side. Sometime during the early morning, C Company moved up on line and left me sleeping by myself, not waking me at all. It was dark as pitch, except for the moonlight on the snow, outside the woods, when I woke up. I raised up to see out of the hole and couldn't see a single thing moving nor did I hear any noise whatsoever. I crawled out of the hole, in near panic, scared as hell !! I thought for sure I had been left there. As I crawled around through the snow, I fell into another hole, felt a warm body and just crawled under the blankets and went back to sleep. To this day, I don't have any idea who
was in that other hole.

Just before daylight, my company moved up into position and I was sent out as forward observer with the Platoon Leader and Platoon Sergeant. Naturally, I carried the radio. Our artillery began laying down fire and it seemed they would never stop. When they did stop, the Germans opened up with their 88s about time the rifle companies jumped off. Our mortars were laying down
smoke but we couldn't really see where we were hitting. A Company, which took off over our observation post, was cut up pretty bad. During all the 88 fire, our CO got hit and our platoon leader was called to the rear to take over the company CP, leaving the Sgt. and myself alone. A Company reached their objective but asked for permission to withdraw. I had to relay messages
through my radio to Battalion and Battalion ordered them to hold until further notice. After what seemed like an eternity, A Company was finally given permission to withdraw to the IP. I think all the other companies were allowed to withdraw at the same time.

Our mortars laid down smoke for A Company to withdraw and after they had cleared our observation post, we withdrew. The Sgt. and myself went to the Battalion CP. A few minutes after getting to the Battalion CP, our company commander came in asking for help for some guys back down the road. Three guys were laying in the road, all wounded from 88 fire, and one of them had an arm hanging on by just a thin piece of skin. We got them out on stretchers as fast as we could. It was the most ghastly sight I had ever experienced in my young life. I never knew the names of the guys on the road.

My best friend was killed that morning and I never felt the same since. I saw a lot of dead bodies after that but nothing ever affected me like that first day. Richard's wife had a baby while we were aboard ship going to England. His wife sent him pictures and he was one more proud father but he never got to see his son. I know this happened many times over during the War but I only had one best friend. I had every intention of going to see his wife and son after the war, but I could never think of what I would say, so I never did go.

I know this isn't much but it is the thing that sticks in my mind and will until the day I die.

Huey C.McLain
Hq1, 193d/194th Glider Infantry Regiments
17th Airborne Division

Admin Messages : 10749 Date d'inscription : 25/01/2012

thunder from heaven a écrit:: Voici une rare photo couleur d'un vétéran. Il s'agit de ce qui reste du 193rd GIR rattaché à la 17th après la bataille des Ardennes. Nombreux KIA, MIA ou WIA font que par la suite le régiment sera "dissout" et refondu dans le 194th GIR pour Varsity:

Le groupe est réunis après la bataille des Ardennes, pour un service religieux en l'honneur des hommes du régiment tombés au combat.

Admin Messages : 10749 Date d'inscription : 25/01/2012

thunder from heaven a écrit:: Comme on peut le voir sur la photo il y avait de la m42 visiblement renforcée et non renforcée. mais on le voit bien sur les photos suivantes du HQ5 du 194th GIR (photos prise certainement avril-mai 45), celles ci sont très fades et bien usées. Probablement de la récupération lorsque le régiment était en Angleterre (ils étaient stationnés un moment sur Ramsburry.
Cela laisse donc pas mal de choix quant à la tenue à porter pour la marche et de bien belles photos à faire !

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» Marche de la 17th AB 2010
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» 17th Airborne Division - Dead Man’s Ridge Walk