PFC Wesley Daw was born on Christmas day, December 25, 1913 in Divide, Colorado and enlisted in Pueblo on June 26, 1942 at age 28. His group includes his officially engraved posthumous slot brooch Purple Heart and its presentation case. Also included is his IDPF and a small 80th Division patch that someone has added. The paperwork shows that he died in Lucy, France of gunshot wounds to the neck and chest.
The morning report for HQ Co. 3rd BN is attached showing PFC Daw as KIA September 26, 1944.
On July 15, 1942, the 80th Division was again ordered into active service. Major General Joseph Dorch Patch, the Division Commander, issued General Order No. 1 to reactivate the 80th Division. Initially, soldiers reported to Camp Forrest, Tennessee, named for General Nathan Bedford Forrest, a famous Confederate cavalry commander in the Civil War. The Division later moved for training at Camp Phillips, near Salina, Kansas and in the California-Arizona Desert Training Center (known today as Fort Irwin).
The 80th Division set sail aboard the SS Queen Mary on July 4, 1944, landing a few days later on July 7 at Greenock, Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The arrival of the 80th Division in England brought the European Theater of Operations total of U.S. Divisions to 22: 14 infantry, 6 armored, and 2 airborne. By the end of the campaign, there would be a total of ?? Divisions in Europe.
The Division proceeded south to Northwich, England via trains for additional training. Training included learning how to waterproof equipment for the upcoming channel crossing. The Division crossed the English Channel in LSTs and Liberty Ships landing in Normandy on Utah Beach shortly after noon on August 2, 1944, D-Day + 57 and assembled near St. Jores, France. A few days later on August 8, 1944, the 80th was initiated into battle when it took over the LeMans bridgehead in the XX Corps area.
By the end of the war, May 7, 1945, the 80th Division had seen 277 days of combat. It had captured 212,295 enemy soldiers. The 80th Division returned to the United States in January 1946, after spending time in Europe helping to restore and keep peace after the war. The 80th Division had been one of the stalwarts of Patton's Third Army, but it cost them dearly. During their 277 days of combat, the 80th Infantry Division had 17,087 casualties:
|
Killed in Action |
3,038 |
|
Wounded |
12,484 |
|
Missing |
488 |
|
Captured |
1,077 |
|
Total Casualties |
17,087 |
According to reports, the 80th Division's "bloodiest day" was 8 October 1944, where approximately 115 Men lost their lives. The "bloodiest month" was September, 1944.
SOLD to a collector 04-2021
