Thomas Wallace KELLY Jr

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  Ste Mère Eglise #2 N°3586

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

Three servicemen of HQ Company were killed together by enemy bombing near Pont Hebert.
Captain Thomas W. KELLY jr,
S/Sgt Roy BASHAM
Pvt Eldon W AKINS

Captain Kelly was a Missouri Student.

He was born in Sikeston, MO in 1921. Both of this parents died; he was then raised by Olivia Osburn, a foster parent, of Commerce, MO.

After having graduated from Commerce, MO Grade Schoo, Benton, MO High School and Rolla, MO School of Mines (later known as University of Missouri--Rolla) with a degree in Engineering, where earned a scholaship to University of Arizona, Kelly accepted employment as an Engineer with the St. Jospeh Lead Company.

Shortly following, there was the suprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, causing the United States to Join World War II.

Kelly entered the U.S. Army and received orders to Europe.

Prior to Kelly's death, his uncle, Judge Earl Peters of Scott County, bequeathed Kelly $10,000 in government bonds, and in Kelly's last will and testament Kelly requested that the interest from the bonds be given as a scholarship each year to a graduate of his Alma Mater Benton High Schoo for a student planning to attend the Missouri School of Mines.

Benton High School closed at the end of the 1956-57 school year. Between 1954-57 Kelly High School was built to consolidte area schools during a Missouri reorganization directive.

The new school was named Thomas W. Kelly High School to honor Captain Kelly.

Kelly High School

2^nd ARMORED DIVISION - HELL ON WHEELS

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
15 Jul 1940	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  443
	Casualties/Victimes  20 659
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
8 Nov 1942
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Charles L. Scott (Jul 40 - Jan 41) Maj. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. (Jan 41 - Feb 42) Maj. Gen. Willis D. Crittenberger (Feb 42 - Jul 42) Maj. Gen. Ernest N. Harmon (Jul 42 - Apr 43) Maj. Gen. Hugh J. Gaffey (May 43 - Apr 44) Maj. Gen. Edward H. Brooks (Apr 44 - Sep 44) Maj. Gen. Ernest N. Harmon (Sep 44 - Jan 45) Maj. Gen. Isaac D. White (Jan 45 - Aug 45)	Campaigns/Campagnes Algeria-French Morocco (8 Nov 42 - 11 Nov 42) Sicily (9 Jul - 17 Aug 43) 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)
CARTES DE CAMPAGNE DE LA 2e DIVISION BLINDÉE - CAMPAIGN MAPS OF THE 2nd ARMORED DIVISION
These vintage maps chart the journey of the 2nd Armored Division throughout Europe during World War II. The top map covers the years 1942 to 1944. The bottom map includes 1945. Ces cartes d'époque illustrent le parcours de la 2e division blindée à travers l'Europe pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. La carte du haut couvre les années 1942 à 1944. La carte du bas comprend 1945.
DIVISION CHRONICLE Elements of the Division first saw action in North Africa, landing at Casablanca, 8 November 1942, and later taking part in the fighting at Beja, Tunisia, but the Division as a whole did not enter combat until the invasion of Sicily, when it made an assault landing at Gela, 10 July 1943. The Division saw action at Butera, Campobello,-and Palermo. After the Sicilian campaign, the Division trained in England for the cross-Channel invasion, landed in Normandy D plus 3, 9 June 1944, and went into action in the vicinity of Carentan; ; the Division raced across France in July and August, drove through Belgium and attacked across the Albert Canal 13 September 1944, crossing the German border at Schimmert, 18 September to take up defensive positions near Geilenkirchen. On 3 October, the Division launched an attack on the Siegfried Line from Marienberg, broke through, crossed the Wurm River and seized Puffendorf 16 November and Barmen 28 November. The Division was holding positions on the Roer when it was ordered to help contain the German Ardennes offensive. The Division fought in eastern Belgium, blunting the German Fifth Panzer Army's penetration of American lines. The Division helped reduce the Bulge in January, fighting in the Ardennes forest in deep snow, and cleared the area from Houffalize to the Ourthe River of the enemy. After a rest in February, the Division drove on across the Rhine 27 March, and was the first American Division to reach the Elbe at Schonebeck on 11 April. It was halted on the Elbe, 20 April, on orders. In July the Division entered Berlin-the first American unit to enter the German capital city.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION Des éléments de la division ont d'abord été déployés en Afrique du Nord, atterrissant à Casablanca le 8 novembre 1942, puis ont pris part aux combats à Beja, en Tunisie, mais la division dans son ensemble n'a pas envahi la Sicile. un assaut atterrissant à Gela, le 10 juillet 1943. La division a été attaquée à Butera, Campobello et Palerme. Après la campagne sicilienne, la division s’est entraînée en Angleterre pour l’invasion transmanche, a atterri en Normandie D plus 3, le 9 juin 1944, et s’est engagée dans les environs de Carentan; ; La Division a traversé la France en juillet et août, a traversé la Belgique le 13 septembre 1944 et a franchi la frontière allemande à Schimmert le 18 septembre pour traverser le canal Albert afin de prendre des positions défensives près de Geilenkirchen. Le 3 octobre, la division a lancé une attaque sur la ligne Siegfried au départ de Marienberg, a franchi la rivière Wurm et a saisi Puffendorf le 16 novembre et Barmen le 28 novembre. La division tenait des positions sur le Roer quand il a été ordonné d'aider à contenir l'offensive des Ardennes allemandes. La division a combattu dans l'est de la Belgique, brisant la pénétration des lignes américaines par la cinquième armée panzer allemande. La division a aidé à réduire les Ardennes en janvier, se battant dans la forêt des Ardennes dans la neige profonde, et a dégagé la zone de Houffalize à la rivière Ourthe de l'ennemi. Après un repos en février, la division a traversé le Rhin le 27 mars et a été la première division américaine à atteindre l’Elbe à Schonebeck le 11 avril. Il a été arrêté sur l'Elbe, le 20 avril, sur ordre. En juillet, la division est entrée dans Berlin, la première unité américaine à entrer dans la capitale allemande.