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Arthur W. BLEWITT
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| NUMBER OF SERVICE | 35071430 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| AGE | 30 yo | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| DATE OF BIRTH | 9 January 1914 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ETAT | OHIO | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| FAMILY |
Married: Eileen E. BLEWITT | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| RANK | Private | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| FONCTION | Infantry Man | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | Skilled furnacemen, smelters, and pourers |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 8 March 1944 Fort Thomas Newport KENTUCKY | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| COMPANY | Company C | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| REGIMENT | 28th Infantry Regiment | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIVISION | 8th Infantry Division | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| DATE OF DEATH | 18 September 1944 |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| STATUS | KIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| PLACE OF DEATH | Presqu'île de Crozon | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| CEMETERY | BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| GRAVE |
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| DECORATION |
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| STORY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Arthur was born on January 9, 1914 in Virginia. A Protestant, he came from a farming family of nine children. After four years of high school, he chose to work as a qualified heating engineer before marrying Eileen E. BLEWITT, with whom he would have four daughters. On March 8, 1944, Arthur enlisted at Fort Thomas, Newport. After a training period at Camp Wolters, Texas, from March 13 to July 13, and at Fort Meade from July 27 to August 3, he joined the On September 18, 1944, the day of the capture of Camaret and Kerbonn’s battery in Finistère, Arthur W. BLEWITT would give his life for the freedom of France, leaving behind him his wife and his four orphaned daughters...
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Activated/Activé |
Normandy/Normandie |
| 1 Jul 1940 | Days of Combat/Jour de Combat 266 |
| Casualties/Victimes 13 986 | |
Entered Combat/Entré au combat |
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| 8 Jul 1944 Normandy | |
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Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Philip B. Peyton (Jun 40 - Dec 40) |
Campaigns/CampagnesNormandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) |
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP |
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DIVISION CHRONICLEAfter training in Ireland the 8th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, 4 July 1944, and entered combat on the 7th. Fighting through the hedgerows, it crossed the Ay River, 26 July, pushed through Rennes, 8 August, and attacked Brest in September. The Crozon Peninsula was cleared, 19 September, and the Division drove across France to Luxembourg, moved to the Hurtgen Forest, 20 November, cleared Hurtgen on the 28th and Brandenburg, 3 December, and pushed on to the Roer. That river was crossed on 23 February 1945, Duren taken on the 25th and the Erft Canal crossed on the 28th. The 8th reached the Rhine near Rodenkirchen, 7 March, and maintained positions along the river near Koln. On 6 April the Division attacked northwest to aid in the destruction of enemy forces in the Ruhr Pocket, and by the 17th had completed its mission. After security duty, the Division, under operational control of the British Second Army, drove across the Elbe, 1 May, and penetrated to Schwerin when the war in Europe ended.
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CHRONIQUE DE DIVISIONAprès s'être entraîné en Irlande, la 8th Infantry Division débarque à Utah Beach, en Normandie, le 4 juillet 1944, et entre en combat le 7. Traversant les haies, il franchit la rivière Ay, le 26 juillet, traverse Rennes le 8 août et attaque Brest en septembre. La péninsule de Crozon a été défrichée le 19 septembre et la Division a traversé la France jusqu'au Luxembourg, s'est installée dans la forêt de Hurtgen le 20 novembre, a défriché Hurtgen le 28 et Brandebourg le 3 décembre et s'est dirigée vers la Roer. Cette rivière fut franchie le 23 février 1945, Duren fut prise le 25 et le canal Erft traversa le 28. Le 8 a atteint le Rhin près de Rodenkirchen, le 7 mars, et a maintenu des positions le long de la rivière près de Cologne. Le 6 avril, la division attaqua le nord-ouest pour aider à la destruction des forces ennemies dans la poche de la Ruhr. Le 17, elle avait achevé sa mission. Après la sécurité, la Division, sous le contrôle opérationnel de la deuxième armée britannique, traversa l'Elbe le 1er mai et pénétra à Schwerin à la fin de la guerre en Europe. |
| SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Armydivs.squarespace.com |
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 Arthur & Eileen E. | |
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Maxime parrain de la tombe d'Arthur Blewitt | |
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Les meilleurs amis d'une des filles d'Arthur, venus exprès des États-Unis pour rencontrer Maxime. Un dépôt de gerbe avait été organisé par le superintendant du cimetière pour l'occasion |
Les 4 filles d'Arthur Blewitt | |
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| SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Maxime RIVIERE - Clive TIRLEMONT - Findagrave.com - Aad.archives.gov - American WW2 Memorial Brest |
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| PROGRAMMER | Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |