George  KOTUBEY

"Sputz"

Source : RCA (Ellen MArchese)

25 December 1916

St-Clair, Schuylkill county, PENNSYLVANIA

Parents : Dimitri "Metro" & Anna Zelensik KOTUBEY 

Brothers : Charley & Michael

Source : Victor DANIEL

Sector of Avranches

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  St James N°3578

Story of Cemetery Temporary  

Map of St James American Cemetery

It is at 24 years old that George KOTUBEY joins the American army. He is assigned to the military police corps of this one, and at the end of his training he will be integrated into the "MP" section of the 8th Infantry Division at Camp Forrest TENNESSEE.

He participates in the entire division training before his boarding for the European front. The 'Pathfinder' lands in Normandy on July 7 before being quickly engaged in battle. She will subsequently be assigned to the 3rd Army of the famous General PATTON whose goal is to exploit the penetration of Operation Cobra towards Brittany.

The objective of the division is to capture the cities of Saint-James, Rennes, St-Mâlo and finally push to Brest. The prisoners are numerous and after being captured by the front-line units, are handed over to the MP division. The KOTUBEY section is therefore entrusted with this task.

On August 1st, while on guard at the prison camp, a large team of Messerschmitt Bf-109 (about twenty according to one report) broke formation and carried out several strafing passes over the camp.
Trying to maintain calm and shelter the prisoners and staff, he exposes himself to fire from German aircraft and is finally hit by a burst from one of them.

He is immediately administered in a military hospital before succumbing to his wounds on August 6. He will be decorated with the Bronze Star Medal for his courage in the face of danger during the air attack.

George KOTUBEY will finally be buried in the American cemetery of Saint-James.

Source : archives.gov

Source : archives.gov 

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Ancestry

8^th  INFANTRY DIVISION - GOLDEN ARROW  

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
1 Jul 1940	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  266
	Casualties/Victimes 13 986
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
8 Jul 1944 Normandy
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Philip B. Peyton (Jun 40 - Dec 40) Maj. Gen. James P. Marley (Dec 40 - Feb 41) Maj. Gen. William E. Shedd (Feb 41 - Feb 41) Maj. Gen. Henry Terrell, Jr. (Mar 41 - Mar 41) Maj. Gen. James P. Marley (Apr 41 - Jul 42) Maj. Gen. Paul E. Peabody (Aug 42 - Jan 43) Maj. Gen. William C. McMahon (Feb 43 - Jul 44) Maj. Gen. Donald A. Stroh (Jul 44 - Dec 44) Maj. Gen. William G. Weaver (Dec 44 - Feb 45) Maj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore (Feb 45 - Nov 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) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE After 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.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION Après 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.