Gerard Aloysius RUDDY

 

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NUMBER OF SERVICEO 1298765
AGE30 yo
DATE OF BIRTH27 June 1913 to Scranton Lackawanna County
ETATPENNSYLVANIA
FAMILYParents : Dennis J & Anna V RUDDY
Sisters : Mary & Sarah
Brothers : Thomas & Dennis
RANKCaptain
FONCTIONCommander of the 1st Battalion HeadQuater Company
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT NE
DATE of ENLISTEMENT1933
COMPANYHeadQuarter Company
BATTALION1st Battalion
REGIMENT 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment
DIVISION 82nd Airborne Division
DATE OF DEATHJune 14, 1944, actually June 6, 1944ii
STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATHPicauville
CEMETERY TEMPORARY

 

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of   Blosville

blosville

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

PlotRowGrave
H114

 

CEMETERYNORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
D45
DECORATION

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal 

Combat Infantryman Badge

Badge Paratrooper


Photo FDLM

victory medal

combat infantryman badge

combat infantryman badge

 

us army div 82 508pir 508pir
STORY

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Gerard at the driving school

Gerard with a communications platoon

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Gerard at Camp Mackall

(Third standing from the left)

After finishing his studies, Gerard Ruddy joined the army in 1933.

He is the first Pennsylvania resident to volunteer for paratroopers

He completed his studies to become a non-commissioned officer in 1941.

He will first be at the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.


Then move to the 503rd PIR, he goes up Sergeant rank

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ruddy gerard4   Training at Fort Benning (Georgia)

Then he is transferred to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

He will become Captain of the 1st Battalion HQ Company.

The division was reactivated on March 25, 1942 and became Airborne Division on August 15 following.


Camp Clairborn  She trains first Camp Clairborne in Louisiana under the command of Major General Omar Bradley

Then at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Parachute Training in Fort Bragg NORTH CAROLINA

Transfer to Great Britain in April 1943.


The 82nd Airborne Division will pass

by Casablanca (training),

in Sicily (engagement-fight),

Gela TUNISIA (Rééquipements),

Comiso Licata Castelvetrano Trapani Airport SICILY (engagement-combat).
Salerno Naples Anzio ITALY (engagement-fight)

Belfast (training).


May 26, 1944 The mission of the 82nd is set: Take control of the surroundings of St Sauveur le Vicomte, to prevent the German forces from blocking the units landed at Utah Beach.

The first drops are on June 6th between 1h51 and 2h08.


Camp Clairborn  Losses at 272 men drop.

He participates in Operation Overlord.

Unfortunately, his fate will tragically end on June 6, 1944 after landing near Picauville.

Gerard is killed immediately by touching the Norman ground by machine gun fire, a bullet touching a phosphorus grenade.


Gerard is buried at the scene of his death by Sergeant John BOOTH.

His temporary burial is only discovered on June 14, 1944 which causes this date of death error.

On July 07, 1944 his body is buried in the temporary cemetery of Blosville, in the plot N ranked 14 falls 1

His mother preferred that Gerard's body remain with these men.

The cross has an error dating back to June 14, 1944, based on the recording of the tomb.

AérodromeFolkingham
Unité chargée du transport313th Troop Carrier Group
Zone de largage(Drop Zone)N
Heure de largage02h20
Unité1er bataillon du 508th PIR
LIGHT 1 - Chalk #1C-47 #43-30648 Paratroopers
Capt Gerard A. Ruddy (C.O., Hq 1st)KIA, 6 Jun1944
1/Lt Charles McElligott (Commo, Platoon Ldr)WIA / POW 6 Jun1944
T/5 Andrew H. Hritzko (Commo)KIA, 6 Jun1944
Sgt Joseph F. Gagnon (Commo)POW 6 Jun 1944
Cpl John J. MarshallPOW 6 Jun 1944
Unknown (Medic) 
1/Sgt Earl J. SmithKIA, 6 Jun1944
Pfc Arthur B. Jacoby (Staff Section, S2) 
Pvt Garfield Wilkinson (Commo)WIA 8 Jan 1945
T/5 Robert A. Marchese (Commo)WIA 8 Jun 1944
SSgt Raymond J. Hummel (Staff Section)WIA 17 Sep 1944
Pvt Otis Eugene Hull (Staff Section, S2)WIA / EVA, 3 Jul 1944
Pfc David M. Jones (Staff Section)WIA 3 Jul 1944
Cpl James J. McMahon (Commo)WIA 6 Jun 1944
Pvt Melvin H. Beets (Commo)WIA 5 Oct 1944
Cpl William H. Brown (Commo) 
T/4 Owen B. Hill (Commo, Demo)WIA 13 Jun 1944, WIA 26 Jan 1945

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Photo of the Headquarters Company 1st Battalion

div 82

82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION - ALL AMERICAN

 

Activated/Activé

 Normandy/Normandie

25 Mar 1942  Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  422
   Casualties/Victimes  9 073

Entered Combat/Entré au combat

 
9 Jul 1943 at Sicily  

Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux

Maj. Gen. Omar Bradley (Mar 42 - Jun 42)
Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway (Jun 42 - Aug 44)
Maj. Gen. James M. Gavin (Aug 44 - Mar 48)

Campaigns/Campagnes

Sicily (9 Jul - 17 Aug 43)
Naples-Foggia (9 Sep 43 - 21 Jan 44)
Rome-Arno (22 Jan 44 - 9 Sep 44)

Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44)

Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45)
Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45)
Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)

   

CARTE DE CAMPAGNE DU THÉÂTRE MÉDITERRANÉEN

CAMPAIGN MAP OF THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER

mediterranean theater campaigns

PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP

carte campagne europe

DIVISION CHRONICLE


The 82d Airborne Division landed at Casablanca, 10 May 1943, and trained. Elements first saw combat in Sicily, when the 505th RCT and part of the 504th dropped behind enemy lines, 9-10 July 1943, at Gela. The remainder of the 504th RCT dropped, 11-12 July 1943, also near Gela, after running friendly naval and ground force fire. Scattered elements formed and fought as ground troops. The elements were flown back to Tunisia for reequipment and returned to Sicily to take off for drop landings on the Salerno beachhead. The 504th Parachute Infantry dropped, 13 September 1943, and the 505th the following night; the 325th landed by boat. These elements bolstered Salerno defenses and fought their way into Naples, 1 October 1943. After a period of occupation duty (and combat for some elements in the Volturno Valley and Anzio beachhead), the Division moved to Ireland, November 1943, and later to England, February 1944, for additional training. Moving in by glider and parachute, troops of the 82d dropped behind enemy lines in Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944, before ground troops hit the beaches. Cutting off enemy reinforcements, the Division fought its way from Carentan to St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte, fighting 33 days without relief. Relieved on 8 July, it returned to England for refitting. On 17 September, it was dropped at Nijmegen, 50 miles behind enemy lines, and captured the Nijmegen bridge, 20 September, permitting relief of British paratroops by the British 2d Army. After heavy fighting in Holland, the Division was relieved 11 November and rested in France. It was returned to combat, 18 December 1944, to stem the von Rundstedt offensive, blunting the northern salient of the Bulge. It punched through the Siegfried Line in early February 1945, and crossed the Roer, 17 February. Training with new equipment in March, the Division returned to combat, 4 April, patrolling along the Rhine, securing the Koln area, later moving across the Elbe, 30 April, into the Mecklenburg Plain, where, 2 May 1945, the German 21st Army surrendered.

CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION


La 82ème division aéroportée a atterri à Casablanca le 10 mai 1943 et s'est entraînée. Les éléments ont d'abord été combattus en Sicile, lorsque le 505ème RCT et une partie du 504ème ont été largués derrière les lignes ennemies, du 9 au 10 juillet 1943, à Gela. Le reste de la 504ème RCT est tombé, du 11 au 12 juillet 1943, également près de Gela, après des tirs amicaux contre des forces navales et terrestres. Des éléments épars se sont formés et se sont battus en tant que troupes au sol. Les éléments ont été rapatriés en Tunisie pour le rééquipement et sont retournés en Sicile pour décoller pour atterrir sur la tête de pont de Salerne. Le 504th Infantry Parachute Infantry est tombé le 13 septembre 1943 et le 505ème le lendemain soir; la 325ème atterrit en bateau. Ces éléments ont renforcé les défenses de Salerno et se sont introduits à Naples, le 1er octobre 1943. Après une période d'occupation (et de combat pour certains éléments dans la vallée de Volturno et la tête de pont d'Anzio), la division s'est installée en Irlande en novembre 1943 , Février 1944, pour une formation supplémentaire. Se déplaçant en planeur et en parachute, les troupes du 82d tombèrent derrière les lignes ennemies en Normandie le 6 juin 1944, avant que les troupes terrestres ne frappent les plages. En coupant les renforts ennemis, la Division se fraya un chemin de Carentan à Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, combattant 33 jours sans soulagement. Soulagé le 8 juillet, il est retourné en Angleterre pour y être réaménagé. Le 17 septembre, il a été largué à Nimègue, à 50 milles derrière les lignes ennemies, et a capturé le pont de Nimègue, le 20 septembre, permettant ainsi à la 2 e armée britannique de soulager les parachutistes britanniques. Après de violents combats en Hollande, la division est soulagée le 11 novembre et se repose en France. Il fut remis au combat le 18 décembre 1944 pour endiguer l’offensive de von Rundstedt, assourdissant le saillant septentrional des Ardennes. Il a percuté la ligne Siegfried au début de février 1945 et a traversé la Roer le 17 février. S'entraînant avec de nouveaux équipements en mars, la Division est revenue au combat le 4 avril, patrouillant le long du Rhin, sécurisant la région de Koln, traversant ensuite l'Elbe le 30 avril dans la plaine de Mecklenburg où, le 2 mai 1945 s'est rendu.

 

SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOArmydivs.squarespace.com
 

SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOClive TIRLEMONT - Bruno CADEVILLE - Henri ROGISTER - En.ww2awards.com - Usairborne.be
PROGRAMMERGarrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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