Loyd C. BOYD

Source : 

4^th Infantry Division

"Ivy Division"

Source : Frogman

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  -- N°--

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of St James American Cemetery

The 4^th Infantry division was created during WWI.

It will be reactivated on June 1, 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia under the orders of Major General Walter E. Prosser and leave to Louisiana then Florida for amphibious training.

On January 18, 1944 it embarks from New York harbor towards Great Britain with a view to the landing in Normandy.

The Ivy Division comes ahore at 0640hrs on June 6, 1944 Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt leading the way with his 18 000 men.

The 4^th Infantry Division will land in three successive waves on Utah Beach.

The 12^th Infantry Regiment will be part of the third wave landing at midday on Utah Beach.

Its D-Day's mission was to make contact with the 82^nd Airborne Division in Sainte Mère Eglise.

In the evening of June 6, the 12^th Infantry Regiment enters Turqueville.

They make contact with the 82^nd Airborne Division in Ste Mère Eglise on June 7.

On June 9, the 12^th IR moves to Montebourg, but the next day face a counter-attack and withdraw East of St Floxel.

Until June 15, the division fights against elements from the 709 and 243 Infanterie Divisionen on the way to Montebourg.

On June 18, the division participates in the offensive on Cherbourg with the whole VII Corps

They will go all the way through Montebourg, Ruffosse, le Theil, Digosville, Tourlaville, Cherbourg.

Until June 30, the division liberated the Cherbourg area taking more than 900 prisoners but losing more than 5 452 men, killed, wounded or missing.

From July 6 to July 7, offensive towards Périers. The 8^th and 12^th Infantry Regiment will support the 83^rd Infantry Division which came to relieve them but will suffer heavy losses (600 men on July 7).

On July 25, the division participates in Operation Cobra, it is between the 9^th Infantry Division and the 30^th Infantry Division, a frontline is established north-east to La Chapelle Enjuger.

On July 26, this city is liberated.

Loyd Boyd was killed in action during the advance towards Villedieu-les-Poêles on July 30.

4^th INFANTRY DIVISION - IVY

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
1 Jun 1940	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  299
	Casualties/Victimes 22 660
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
6 Jun 44 D-Day
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Walter E. Prosser (Jun 40 - Oct 40) Maj. Gen. Lloyd R. Fredendall (Oct 40 - Jul 41) Maj. Gen. Oscar W. Griswold (Aug 41 - Sep 41) Maj. Gen. Harold R. Bull (Oct 41 - Nov 41) Maj. Gen. Terry de la Mesa Allen (Dec 41 - Dec 41) Maj. Gen. Fred C. Wallace (Jan 42 - Jun 42) Maj. Gen. Raymond 0. Barton (Jul 42 - Dec 44) Maj. Gen. Harold W. Blakeley (Dec 44 - Oct 45)	Campaigns/Campagnes Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division was one of the first Allied units to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944. Relieving the isolated 82nd Airborne Division at Ste. Mere Eglise, the 4th cleared the Cotentin peninsula and took part in the capture of Cherbourg, 25 June. After taking part in the fighting near Periers, 6-12 July,, the Division broke through the left flank of the German Seventh Army, helped stem the German drive toward Avranches, and by the end of August had moved to Paris, assisting the French in the liberation of their capital. The 4th then moved into Belgium through Houffalize to attack the Siegfried Line at Schnee Eifel, 14 September, and made several penetrations. Slow progress into Germany continued in October, and by 6 November the Division reached the Hurtgen Forest, where a severe engagement took place until early December. It then shifted to Luxembourg, only to meet the German winter offensive head-on, 16 December 1944. Although its lines were dented, it managed to hold the Germans at Dickweiler and Osweiler, and, counterattacking in January across the Sauer, overran German positions in Fouhren and Vianden. Halted at the Prum in February by heavy enemy resistance, the Division finally crossed 28 February near Olzheim, and raced on across the Kyll, 7 March. After a short rest, the 4th moved across the Rhine 29 March at Worms, attacked and secured Wurzburg and by 3 April had established a bridgehead across the Main at Ochsenfurt. Speeding southeast across Bavaria, the Division had reached Miesbach on the Isar, 2 May 1945, when it was relieved and placed on occupation duty.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION Le 8e régiment d'infanterie de la 4e division fut l'une des premières unités alliées à débarquer sur les plages de Normandie le 6 juin 1944, jour du débarquement. Soulager la 82nd Airborne Division isolée de Ste. Mère Eglise, le 4e défricha la presqu'île du Cotentin et participa à la prise de Cherbourg le 25 juin. Après avoir pris part aux combats près de Periers, du 6 au 12 juillet, la Division a franchi le flanc gauche de la Septième armée allemande, aidé à endiguer la route allemande vers Avranches et, à la fin du mois d'août, s'est installée à Paris, aidant les Français. dans la libération de leur capitale. Le 4e s'est ensuite déplacé en Belgique par Houffalize pour attaquer la ligne Siegfried à Schnee Eifel, le 14 septembre, et a fait plusieurs pénétrations. Les progrès lents en Allemagne se sont poursuivis en octobre et, le 6 novembre, la division a atteint la forêt de Hurtgen, où un engagement sévère a eu lieu jusqu'au début du mois de décembre. Il s'est ensuite déplacé vers le Luxembourg, seulement pour affronter l'offensive allemande d'hiver, le 16 décembre 1944. Bien que ses lignes aient été bosselées, il a réussi à tenir les Allemands à Dickweiler et Osweiler et, contre-attaquant en janvier à travers la Sauer à Fouhren et Vianden. Arrêtée au Prum en février par une forte résistance ennemie, la Division a finalement franchi le 28 février près d'Olzheim et a couru à travers le Kyll, le 7 mars. Après un court repos, le 4 mars traversa le Rhin à Worms, attaqua et sécurisa Wurzburg le 29 mars et, le 3 avril, il établit une tête de pont sur le Main à Ochsenfurt. Accélérant le sud-est à travers la Bavière, la division avait atteint Miesbach sur l'Isar, le 2 mai 1945, quand elle fut relevée et placée en devoir d'occupation.