Jack Robinson SIMMS

Spouse : Francis Geraldine Woods

Parents : Connor F & Minnie Alice Kitts SIMMS

Siblings : Estel F, Clarence F, Bertha & William G

Source : Wolf SilverOak

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of Ruquet 

Then at the CEMTERY TEMPORARY of St Laurent N ° 3582 

Story of Cemetery Temporary  

SHERWOOD BURIAL PARK SALEM,

Salem City, VIRGINIA

Source : Stephanie Ashwell

CPL Jack Robinson Simms was the 8th of 11 children of Conner Foster and Minnie Alice (Kitts) Simms.

The family lived in Fort Chiswell, Virginia, and Jack's father worked in a mine. Conner died at the age of 43 in November 1922 from stomach cancer. His mother, Minnie, had a stroke in March 1929 and died at the age of 44. Jack and his siblings were sent to live with various parents.

Jack lived with Uncle Emory and Aunt Betty Waddle, undoubtedly helping his uncle on the farm. At the age of 20, he had moved to Roanoke, Virginia, and it was there that he met Francis Geraldine Woods. The couple married in Fincastle, Virginia, on January 26, 1937.

They lived at 1404 Renwood Boulevard in Roanoke, Virginia, where Jack worked in a furniture factory and increased his income by joining the National Guard

Stephanie with the portrait of her great uncle

Source : Stephanie Ashwell

CPL Simms was federated with Company D and the rest of the 116th Infantry on February 3, 1941. The unit was sent to Fort Meade, Maryland. The unit would train there and near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the Carolina maneuvers before going to Camp Blanding, Florida, and then England in September 1942.

Training continued in England with much of the effort devoted to the preparation of the planned amphibious landing part of the liberation effort of occupied France. It was in this effort that CPL Simms was killed in action on June 6, 1944 and was repatriated in 1949.

His younger brother, William Grant Simms, was also a member of the 116th D Company in the National Guard from 1939 and when he was federalized on February 3, 1941, but was reassigned and not a member of the unit during his time in combat in Europe. It would end the war as 1LT.

His son Jack Ronald Simms served as a sailor in the U.S. Navy. Maternal grandfather Andrew Jackson Kitts served as a PVT in the 8th F Company of the Virginia Cavalry and in the 45th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War.

Source : BKP

29^th INFANTRY DIVISION - BLUE AND GRAY

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
3 Feb 1941	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  242
	Casualties/Victimes 20 620
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
6 Jun1944 D-Day
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord (Feb 41 - Jan 42) Maj. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow (Feb 42 - Jul 43) Maj. Gen. Charles H. Gerhardt (Jul 43 - inactivation)	Campaigns/Campagnes Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The 29th Infantry Division trained in Scotland and England for the crosschannel invasion, October 1942-June 1944. Teamed with the 1st Division, a regiment of the 29th (116th Infantry) was in the first assault wave to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944. Landing on Omaha Beach on the same day in the face of intense enemy fire, the Division soon secured the bluff tops and occupied Isigny, 9 June. The Division cut across the Elle River and advanced slowly toward St. Lo, fighting bitterly in the Normandy hedge rows. After taking St. Lo, 18 July 1944, the Division joined in the battle for Vire, capturing that strongly held city, 7 August. Turning west, the 29th took part in the assault on Brest, 25 August-18 September 1944. After a short rest, the Division moved to defensive positions along the Teveren-Geilenkirchen line in Germany and maintained those positions through October. (In mid-October the 116th Infantry took part in the fighting at the Aachen Gap.) On 16 November the Division began its drive to the Roer, blasting its way through Siersdorf, Setterich, Durboslar, and Bettendorf, and reaching the Roer by the end of the month. Heavy fighting reduced Julich Sportplatz and the Hasenfeld Gut, 8 December. From 8 December 1944 to 23 February 1945, the Division held defensive positions along the Roer and prepared for the offensive. The attack jumped off across the Roer, 23 February, and carried the Division through Julich, Broich, Immerath, and Titz, to Munchen-Gladbach, 1 March 1945. The Division was out of combat in March. In early April the 116th Infantry helped mop up in the Ruhr area. On 19 April 1945 the Division pushed to the Elbe and held defensive positions until 4 May. Meanwhile, the 175th Infantry cleared the Klotze Forest. After VE-day, the Division was on military government duty in the Bremen enclave.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION La 29th Infantry Division s'entraîna en Ecosse et en Angleterre pour l'invasion crosschannel, d'octobre 1942 à juin 1944. En équipe avec la 1st Division, un régiment du 29th (116th Infantry) se trouvait dans la première vague d'assaut pour frapper les plages de Normandie. Le 6 juin 1944, débarquant à Omaha Beach, le même jour, face à un feu nourri de l'ennemi, la division s'empara bientôt des falaises et occupa Isigny, le 9 juin. La Division traversa la rivière Elle et s'avança lentement vers Saint-Lô, se battant amèrement dans les rangées de haies de Normandie. Après avoir pris St. Lo, le 18 juillet 1944, la division se joignit à la bataille de Vire pour s'emparer de cette ville fortement occupée, le 7 août. Tournant vers l'ouest, le 29 a pris part à l'assaut sur Brest, 25 août-18 septembre 1944. Après un court repos, la division a déménagé à des positions défensives le long de la ligne Teveren-Geilenkirchen en Allemagne et a maintenu ces positions jusqu'en octobre. (À la mi-octobre, le 116e régiment d'infanterie prit part aux combats à Aix-la-Chapelle.) Le 16 novembre, la division commença sa route vers la Roer, traversant Siersdorf, Setterich, Durboslar et Bettendorf, et atteignant la Roer par la fin du mois. Les combats intenses ont réduit Julich Sportplatz et le Hasenfeld Gut, le 8 décembre. Du 8 décembre 1944 au 23 février 1945, la division occupe des positions défensives le long de la Roer et se prépare à l'offensive. L'attaque a sauté à travers le Roer, le 23 février, et a porté la Division par l'intermédiaire de Julich, Broich, Immerath, et Titz, à Munchen-Gladbach, le 1er mars 1945. La Division était hors combat en mars. Au début du mois d'avril, le 116th Infantry a aidé à nettoyer la région de la Ruhr. Le 19 avril 1945, la division pousse vers l'Elbe et occupe des positions défensives jusqu'au 4 mai. Pendant ce temps, le 175th Infantry a dégagé la forêt de Klotze. Après le jour de la victoire, la division était en service militaire dans l'enclave de Brême.

William Grant SIMMS

Calvary Cemetery
Troy, Perry County, INDIANA

Source : Chris and Brenda

Spouse : Frances Antoinette Bacon SIMMS

Parents : Connor F & Minnie Alice Kitts SIMMS

Siblings : Estel F, Clarence F, Bertha & Jack R

National Guard 29^th Infantry Division​  

Pilote dans l'US Air Force

Jack Ronald SIMMS

"Ronnie" 

US Navy

Ronald Kevin SIMMS

US Navy