US 630 Tank Destroyer Battalion; European Theater

Hello All,

I, like many others, am in the process of doing some research on my grandfather who served with the 630 Tank Destroyer Battalion. First, I'd like to ask if there is any person on these forums who has any contact with any of the existing members of the 630 Td Bn or any information from those people? I do have contact information for their annual reunion but was curious to see if I could find any people through this forum in the meantime.

Additionally, after looking through my grandfathers discharge papers, immediately following his award for a Bronze Star Medal in the Decorations and Citations area, the following text appears: "GO 107 Hq 34d AD 15 Sep 45". Am I correct in interprecting that this is a reference as to the order for him to receive the award? And would this order explain why it was issued? If so, would the national archives be the place to look for a record for this order?

Sorry for so many questions, but like many I'm having a difficult time deceifering some of the twists and turns. Any and all help is most appreciated and I look forward to learning enough that I may be able to return the favor to others in search for help.

 

Actually, JW, it is quite possible that G.O. 107 has specific information
abou the Bronze Star. i.e., date and location of the action that
merited the award, etc.

If the poster desires a copy of the G.O. and is willing to pay
a researcher to find it, I recommend Tim Frank of MRA, whom
I paid to copy the Whitaker Report:

Dachau massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tim's prices are fair and reasonable:

About Firm


Dave

 

This is totally correct--if you look up GO 107 you will not find anything specific about your grandfathers award. This general order authorizes the Bronze Star and the criteria for which it is issued. To get the specific certificate for the award, and why it was given, you will have to get his records. There are some excellent threads giving information on getting his records in the genealogy section of this forum.

If you need some additional help in this regard, give a yell.

 

This is not correct. I can only conclude that you have never examined a General Orders.


Dave

 

Dave, aah--hope you don't make me eat that crow raw. I located some General Orders for the 70th Infantry Division showing individual servicemen and the award--and some give an explaination why they were awarded. Apparently the Headquarters of each unit issued general orders giving the men of that unit decorations (along with other orders). Looks like several men are included with each GO. The trick to going this route is locating GO 107 for the Division that issued it. If he can get the records it still might be the easiest way to go.
http://www.trailblazersww2.org/generalorders/go_113.pdf

I'm here to help and learn--looks like I got a good serving of learning on that go-around--thanks for the correction. Oh, the Bronze Star is authorized by AR-600-1.

As long as I'm here, why can't I locate the 34d Armored Division? (seems they only went to the 20th in WWII) and why is there a "d" after 34 instead of "th"? Stanton shows the 630th TD Bn, but not the Division it was attached to--was checking in case the division was read incorrectly. My ego is bent, but I'll return

 

Thanks very much for the pointers fella's, this is giving me a lot to work with.

I'm wondering if there wasn't a typo on the 34d Armored Division, there were several typos in his personal information. From what I've been able to gather thus far, the 630 TD Bn was attached to the 28th Infantry at least through the January 1945, through Ardennes. Past that I don't know if they were re-assigned. I'm also not sure what armored division was also attached, but like I said I'm thinking there may have been a typo.

Does anyone recommend any books or other references, ie After Action Reports, to track the progress of the 630 TD Bn.?

 

My intent was not to make you eat crow.

(I have well over 700 General Orders of the 45th Infantry Division.)

I, too, am puzzled by the reference to the 34th; I believe
AD means awarded not Armored Division.

The 630th, we now know, was attached to the 28th ID
and the 97th ID:

28th Infantry Division

97th INFANTRY DIVISION

Perhaps, the 34 is a mistake.


Dave

 

You can order the AARs from the NARA, College Park. Cost is $0.75
per page.


Dave

 

My father, Joseph Florian Kania, was a junior officer in the 630th, wounded twice, also earning the Bronze Star with V. He was a platoon leader in C Company when he won the 2nd PH and BS in Nov 1944. There is a good book on the TDs by Harry Yeide, The Tank Killers, 2004. Its mention of the 630th is limited, but shows it was in support of the 17th Airborne, 13th Armored, and 28th Infantry. I would like to learn more about his service with the 630th and later with the 771st TD, and about both units.

BelarusRich

 

BelarusRich,
Reading the Turner Pub. book on TD's (here's a link: US Army History, Tank Destroyer Forces WWII unfortunately they're sold out) indicates the 630th was decimated in the Ardennes/Bulge fighting. Too easy to overrun the towed guns! Seems I have read something about the 630th personnel being parcelled out to other units following the Bulge but Turner indicates they were credited with the Central Europe (CE) campaign? Maybe you can find a copy of the book elsewhere online. It has lots of good info and is a great place to start researching TD groups.

I just found a letter my Dad sent my Grandmother indicating he was transferred to the 771st (from the 607th) on 7/1/45. He went to the transportation section in Hq. Company. This was new info for me so will have to see what I can dig up on the 771st.

A little bit of searching tells me that my thinking the 630th was dissolved after the Bulge is incorrect. They ended up as part of the occupation forces.

 

Hello BelarusRich, Last night I was going through my grandfather's (step) WWII records. He saved everything, and my grandmother saved over 40 letters detailing Day 1 of the 630th's formation in the States, all their camps and training, all the way through the occupation of Germany. He was in the 630th, Company C, your father was his platoon CO in the ETO during their France campaign. I have two "V-mail" letters from your father, Lt. Kania, to my grandmother answering her urgent pleas for assistance because my Grandfather, Sgt. Edwin Norman Hampton, suddenly stopped writing her in the grind from Sept to December of 1944, and she was very worried.

Your father must have ordered my Grandfather to send her something because a month later a single christmas postcard arrived from Luxembourg in Dec 1944, where they stopped on their way to Germany.

Apparently, in Jan-Feb 1945, your father busted my Grandfather down from Sgt. to buck Private, (or most likely had some role). I'd love to see what my Grandfather did (or more likely refused to do) to deserve that in some sort of NARA record. Also I'd be glad to scan these two letters to you and send them to you, the first one is very polite, then I guess my Grandmother was a PITA, his second reply was a polite "Hey Ma'am I've got a war to win here so knock it off" tone to it. Its very funny to read.

Send me an email at: TKELLY5 <at> hotmail.com and we'll get connected. Maybe we should post the contents to this forum for the general population's amusement.

 

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been back to these forums, I can't tell you how excited I am to have found a couple other families of the 630th TD Bn.

I just came back from a reunion in Tennessee, many great connections were made. I will be creating a website dedicated to the 630th TD Bn. in the near future, I want to involve everyone possible.

It will be a site for the families to keep up with each other, the news and a place for those researching the history of the 630th. I intend on obtaining all documents and reports from NARA and the Eisenhower Museum and making them available to everyone through the site.

Please contact me if you wish to help, submit content or otherwise share information about the 630th TD Bn. my email is brent.k.wilson <AT> gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you all!

 

By the way, in reference to discussion earlier in this post, to my knowledge the 630th TD Bn. was performing duties until July 1945 when most of the men had enough points to return home. Those, like my grandfather, who did not have enough points were assigned to other outfits for additional occupational duties until they had enough points.

 

Two addresses pour 630 Tank Destroyer MR Charles L Moody Jr Hightway 19 Zebulon GA 30295
Mr James H Oxendine 11724 Bain School Road Mint Hill North Carolina28227

 

Just came across a typed platoon diary in my grandfather's things and am looking for more info. My grandfather, Charles Ferris, drove a tank and the diary indicates he was a member of 28th Div, Company A, 630th TD Bn, 2nd platoon. The diary runs from June 3, 1944 through to August 15, 1945. I'd be happy to share with anyone who wants more info. In regards to if they remained in service, it does note that on Mar 7, around the time the 630th crossed the Rhine, they left the 28th Div. and on the 13th became attached to 7th army core artillery. Rejoined 28th Div on April 17 and later was affiliated with the 15th army. Toward the end, they were guarding Russian DP camps.

I've got 2 questions, first being is there anyway to get a hold of a roster, more information, or member connections? I know he was very close to a guy named Dick who was killed.
Secondly, my grandfather was from Brooklyn and enlisted and had at least part of his basic training at Camp Upton, Yaphank, Long Island. Everything I've found about the 28th Infantry, though, shows it to be a Pennsylvania division, with training done at multiple sites, though Camp Upton is never mentioned. I'm trying to figure out how this all comes together.

 

Thanks for straightening me out on that one. I didn't have my copy of Stanton handy to look things up. I was thinking of the 15th Armored Division, not the 16th. Silly me.

 

There is a 630th TD Bn unit page on the tankdestroyer.net website. It contains several downloadable documents (unit reports, operational reports, battalion history, photos of A & B Companies) as well as a photo gallery.