This is the 70th anniversary of my great-grandfather’s service in Europe. Tonice was attached to the 137th Infantry Regiment, which fought in the famed 35th Division, as a combat medic. We don’t know which company, or even which battalion, so this is only a regimental overview with some movements down to the company level.
So, then, for Jan. 03:
The 137th Infantry attacked again, but was unsuccessful in taking the road junction west of Villers-la-Bonne-Eau. Enemy tanks thwarted the maneuvering of the 1st and 2nd Battalions. The 2nd Battalion had Companies E and F attacking west of Villers, and Company G on the defensive in the Surre Woods. Companies B, C, and A, in that order, were on the line below Villers. The 3rd Battalion was guarding the roadblocks on the Regiment’s front.
The 1st Battalion reported that the enemy was infiltrating up the road from Villers toward the road junction, and artillery checked this move. 2nd Battalion patrols reached the junction at noon, but were unable to take it. The 1st Battalion was under tank fire throughout the day, while both the 2nd and 3rd faced heavy artillery. The advance was stopped at 1700, and all units posted security and used patrols to keep contact with the enemy.
The second group of men from the 137th left this day for furloughs to the United States. The quota was one officer and 13 enlisted men from the Regiment.
You may have to scroll a bit to the north and west to bring Belgium into the frame to see today’s pin. Feel free to click around in the other thumbnails to catch up or read ahead.
This information is derived from the unit history, found here and here and from this unit overview. He never talked about the war and his quiet choice means that these markers are rough estimates, meant only to be illustrative. Any errors are mine alone.
