Co I / 3rd Bn / 116th IR / 29th Infantry Division

Discussion in 'American' started by patricia s., Mar 28, 2014.

  1. patricia s.

    patricia s. Guest
    Guest

    Hi, everyone! I've been away and haven't had an opportunity to see my uncle. This week is quite busy, as well. Things should slow down for me by next Monday 7-14-14. If I can work it in, I will try to see him before then. Please don't give up on me! I've had several things happen (almost all at the same time), that's required my attention. Thanks for helping me with this! Patricia
     
  2. Pat Curran

    Pat Curran Administrator
    Staff Member

    Oct 20, 2012
    2,547
    11
    Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
    Hi All,

    Back in the 'Emerald Isle' after a great tour in Normandy :D

    Does anyone know the meaning of the word 'Hotel' in the two place names within our current AoI - Hotel Pohier and Hotel Castel. I presume its not the meaning we take it to be today...or is it???

    Thanks,

    Pat
     
  3. ddayHorsa

    ddayHorsa Active Member
    Researcher

    Dec 20, 2013
    220
    0
    For what it's worth, Wikipedia gives the following etymology of the word "hotel":


    [​IMG]

    Charles
     
  4. Pat Curran

    Pat Curran Administrator
    Staff Member

    Oct 20, 2012
    2,547
    11
    Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
    Hi Charles,

    Your link seems to be broken - can you reconnect it please?

    I am looking to see if the name of these two locations give any indication of the size or type of dwelling at the locations. Its strange that the two are in such close proximity if they really are hotels as we understand the term today. I would wonder if they might have been coach stops with overnight accommodation in the old days.

    Regards,

    Pat
     
  5. ddayHorsa

    ddayHorsa Active Member
    Researcher

    Dec 20, 2013
    220
    0
    Very sorry about that, Pat. I'll get it back up tomorrow morning.

    Charles
     
  6. ddayHorsa

    ddayHorsa Active Member
    Researcher

    Dec 20, 2013
    220
    0
    Here is the item that disappeared from my earlier reply:


    [​IMG]
     
  7. patricia s.

    patricia s. Guest
    Guest

    Hi, everyone! I've been away taking care of some things, so this is the first time I've been able to check the site. I've talked with my uncle twice since my last post. I've recorded all conversations with him so I wouldn't miss anything and would be able to compare the information. So far, the information has been the same, except for a few details. He continues to tell me that he would have been able to tell me more if we'd talked about this 10 years ago. The thing is, 10 years ago, he didn't talk about it and everyone knew not to bring up the subject.

    He said he didn't carry extra ammunition for the landing on the beach, as some did. Also, the cliffs weren't as high where he landed, as they were in other places on the beach. He said there was alot of confusion, but he was with others in I Company. He was with a small group of men the majority of the time and recalls being pinned down by machine gun fire. He clarified that when he spent the night in a cemetery, they were near St. Lo. They would go behind enemy lines to patrol areas. I'm not clear about this, but he recalls having to be quiet while walking on broken glass. It was one of these occasions when he and a few others got lost. They spent the night in a cemetery and saw a farmhouse nearby the next morning. One of the men spoke french, but only a little. They went to the farmhouse and a woman gave them directions. She also boiled several dozen eggs and gave them bread and milk. He said it took awhile for her to do it. I asked him if he recalls seeing smoke rise from a chimney around the same time every morning, but he doesn't.

    When he was wounded, he'd been given a message to deliver, but doesn't recallwhat the message was or exactly where he was taking it. No one was with him when his injury occured, but he could see soldiers in the distance. He was near the yard of the farmhouse when he was wounded. He doesn't know how he did it, but he jumped thru the window. He said there were very high ranking officers there. He didn't realize the extent of his injury, until they pointed it out. They warned him about the beams that were falling in the house. They got help for him and he was strapped onto the front of a jeep. He was carried to a field hospital. When they moved him to the beach, the vehicle he was placed in had racks on each side and wounded were slid into them. He recalls stopping to pick up a Lt. that was wounded in the leg. When they got to the beach, a nurse put a needle in his arm and told him he'd be asleep soon. When he woke up the next day, blood had soaked thru and was dripping on the ground. They were going to fly him to England, but there were concerns about the weather. He was sent back by ship and it was a rough ride. He had 3 operations on his leg because it wouldn't heal properly. They had to do skin grafts. He was in the hospital a total of 16 months. Some of the months were spent ii in the U.S. He thinks he was in St. James hospital in England. He eventually arrived at Staten Island and went to Chickashaw, Oklahoma. (Borden General Hospital?) . From there to Camp Blanding, Fla. His discharge date was 1-28-1946.

    My son gave me the location of the 29th Division Headquarters on 6-25-44. I don't know if this could be the location where he was wounded. I'll have to find my notes re: the location. I'll post that shortly.
    [hr]
    I checked my notes and my son said the 29th Division Headquarters was located at Vessie on 6-19-44. On 6-30-44, it moved to Les Mieux. I'm not familiar with these locations. What are the chances he would be going to the Division Headquarters?

    Thanks to everone for your help. I haven't had a chance to read all the posts since I last looked at the site, but I will be catching up.
     
  8. Pat Curran

    Pat Curran Administrator
    Staff Member

    Oct 20, 2012
    2,547
    11
    Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
    Hi Patricia,

    Thanks for the update.

    We are kind of bogged down unless we can clear some of the fog on this story. I doubt if we are looking for a Divisional CP - but I could be wrong ;) Working on other threads at present but I will post a GE map of your new locations in a day or two if someone else hasn't got to it first.

    Do you know if there are other members of I Company still living whom your uncle kept in contact with over the years?

    Regards,

    Pat
     
  9. patricia s.

    patricia s. Guest
    Guest

    Thanks, Pat!

    He kept in touch with one guy, in particular. His last name was Kicklighter. He can't remember his first name right now. I'm hoping he may have some written correspondence from the past.

    When our local historian asked him which beach he landed on, he couldn't remember. I saw him the next day, and he said, "I remember where I landed now. It was Omaha." I called the historian to tell him, but he'd figured it out based on his division/regiment.

    I am hopeful he will recall something each time I see him, but he may never remember the details I need in order to go any further in research. I'm happy I've learned as much as I have and so grateful for the assistance everyone has been able to provide.

    Patricia
     
  10. John Szweda

    John Szweda Administrator
    Staff Member

    Oct 25, 2012
    570
    9
    Male
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hello all,
    I found a very nice site with many 29th Division documents available for download in PDF form.
    Here is one that Patricia might be especially interested in becaue it is an "I" company report for D-Day: http://www.marylandmilitaryhistory.org/files/DDay-116-3Bn-CoI.pdf

    For all the fellow researchers the home page is here: http://www.marylandmilitaryhistory.org/research.php

    John
     

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