The 101st Airborne Division was originaly known as the 101st Infantry Division, with a history that went back as far as the American Civil War. As an Airborne Division it became active on 16 August 1942, under the command of Major-General William Carey Lee, with Brigadier-General Don F. Pratt as his assistant. For education they went to Toccoa, Georgia. They underwent murdering marches while running uphill the Currahee. The Indian name, ‘Currahee’ stood for 'We Stand Alone' and was adopted as the war cry for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Beside the 506th, there were two other infantry regiments; the 501st and 502nd PIR. Other units connected to the 101st were the 327nd Glider Infantry Regiment, the 81st Airborne Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Tank Battalion and four artilleriebattalions (377th en 463rd Parachute Field Artillery and the 907th an 321st Glider Field Artillery). At Fort Bragg the 101st exercised in parachute jumping with the 82nd Airborne Division. In June 1943 the 101st Airborne Division went to Tennesee. Here they practised in mass jumps and with gliders.

By August 1943 the 101st Airborne Division is considered as a capable fighting machine. The unit leaves for New York and boards for Liverpool. After arrival it goes by train to Newbury, their base and headquarters. They continue their training and prepare themselves for the invasion in Europe.

101st Airborne Division will jump together with the 82nd over the peninsula Cotentin. The objective for the 101st is to protect the flanks of UTAH Beach and prevent that the Germans can bring in reinforcements and destroy artillery that is placed inland. Due trough an illness, which hits General Lee just before the drop into Normandy, General Pratt is appointed as his replacement. He will be flying into Normandy in a WACO called The Fighting Falcon.

Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower visit the men of the 101st Airborne Division on 5 June and points out to the ‘Eaglemen’, that success on D-Day depends on the determination of the airborne troops.

In the evening of the 5th the men board their C-47’s and gliders. When they reach the coast of Normandy a curtain of anti-aircraft fire welcomes them. Many pilots have to unhook their gliders when their C-47 is hit by flak. Gliders and C-47's crash in the English Channel and in the fields of Normandy. But most pilots push through the barrage of fire and look for their dropping zone (DZ) and landing zone (LZ). The formation is broken up due to the fierce flak and pilots try to reach higher altitude and fly faster. The calculated corridor of a few kilometres is widened to 20 kilometres. The paratroopers jump in scattered ‘sticks’ over an immense area.

It is impossible to form a coherent unit after the jump. Everywhere are small groups fighting with surprised Germans, often man to man.

The paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st had some terrifying experiences that night. Many die in their planes because of German flak or while they hang under their parachute or drown in flooded area’s.

General Pratt, who just was given the command over the 101st, got killed when his glider crashes. Near the crashsite is a monument, you may find it at the crossroads of the D 129 (Turqueville) and the D329 (Hiesville) near La Croix Pan. Major-General Maxwell Taylor takes over the command.

General Pratt was not the only officer who lost his life during the 'fly-inn' over the Cotentin. Another officer who perrished with his whole stick of men, and C-47 crew, was Lt. Thomas Meehan III, commander of 506th Easy Company. Meehan had replaced Capt. Sobel just before D-Day to lead Easy Company. But disaster struck, when at 00.15 uur the C-47 #66, of the 439th Troop Carrier Troop, was hit by anti-aircraft shells.

The plane crashed in a field behind the church of Beuzeville-au-Plain. Beside the 17 paratroopers, the four crew members were also killed. Easy Company got a new commander in Lt. Dick Winters (see lower). On June 6, 2000 a monument was revealed near the church of Beuzeville-au-Plain (a few miles east of St. Mère-Eglise), has the shape of the tailplane of a C-47. Behind the bronze plaque is a small urn with some ashes of the crashed C-47.

The last letter from Thomas Meehan to his wife:

Dearest Anne:

In a few hours I’m going to take the best company of men in the world into France. We’ll give the bastards hell. Strangely, I’m not particularly scared. But in my heart is a terrific longing to hold you in my arms.

I love you Sweetheart - forever.

Your Tom

There were two remarkable actions the first days after the landings in Normandy performed by units from the 101st Airborne Division. In the early morning of 6 June, a artillery battery near Ste-Marie-du-Mont, on the estate of Brécourt Manor, is firing at Utah Beach with four 105mm cannons. Easy Company, a unit of 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, gets the assignment to silence this battery.

Eleven men under command of Lieutenant Dick Winters capture in a swift action three cannons and destroy these. The fourth is captured and destroyed by Lt. Peirs and 5 extra men from Dog Company. Fifteen German paratroopers, who were operating the cannons, are killed, numerous wounded and twelve were taken prisoner. Winters unit suffers four men killed and two wounded. The site of the battle can be found at the first lane on the left from the D 14, a mile north of Ste-Marie-du-Mont. See for the complete story ‘Band of Brothers’, by Stephen E. Ambrose, page 78 to 86.

Through Wilco Gaal I received in 2008 a picture if the remnants of the guns that were destroyed by the 506th. The pieces of the cannons are to be found in the courtyard of Brécourt Manor. Doesn't belong they's artefacts in a museum before they are lost?

A similar action was fought at the southwest of Ste-Marie-du-Mont. This action would become known as the elimination of Battery Holdy. In the early hours of June 6, Captain Knut Raudstein en Captain Patch moved out with a section of 1st battalion 506th PIR, heading for Holdy. Around 50 to 60 Germans were here, overseeing their artillery battery.

The para’s split into two groups to surround the german stronghold. The battle was chaotic and the Germans tried to retread from their entrapment. One of the troopers fired a Bazooka, and the rocket flew into an ammunition pile, which exploded with an enormous bang. This was the signal for the last Germans to surrender while a large quantity was lying dead in a ditch.

Another action was the attack and capture of Carentan. The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment fights this attack in close combat. Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Cole leads his men in a frontal attack into Carentan. With fixed bayonet they fight a ferocious battle with the Germans. It is the first bayonet charge of the Second World War for American troops in Europe. It was not the first impressive action for Cole. On 6 June he positions himself with men from 502nd PIR and 3rd Battalion near 'Exit 3' of Utah Beach. During an exchange of fire they kill 75 retreating Germans on the road that is now called ‘Blair Road’.

Lieutenant Winters is with his Easy Company on the frontline as well for the capture of Carentan. Here, Winters gets slightly wounded in the leg. Winters and Cole are both nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honour. But due to the rule that only one man per division can get this distinction, Lt.-Col. Cole is chosen.

Lt-Col Robert Cole was killed on September 18th, 1944 during Operation ‘Market-Garden’. He had not yet received his Medal of Honor by that time. His mother got his medal out the hands of Major-General Jonathan W. Anderson on October 30th, 1944. Lt-Col Cole's grave can be found at Margraten, Holland.

I received a picture from Guus Slenders of the monument that was erected in Best, Holland to honour Lt.Col. Cole.

Another operation may not be forgotten. 575 paratroopers left in the evening of June 5-6, 1944 in fourty five C-47’s from 440th Troop Carrier Groupto Drop Zone ‘D’ near Angoville-au-Plain. Target for these outfit were two bridges at Le Port. They had to secure these bridges, so the Germans could not counter attack across these bridges, and jeopardize Utah Beach. Later these bridges could be used as extra roads towards Omaha Beach. This ordeal deserves a page of its own:

Besides the medals received by para's who did more than their jobs, most units from the 101st Airborne Division received the Presidential Unit Citation
for their effort to capture Carentan.

During a short period of rest, after D-Day, the depleted ranks of the 101st are brought up to strength in England and they commence the training for ‘Operation Market-Garden’. The DZ for the 101st is at Veghel, near Eindhoven. As part of the 1st Airborne Army, they participate in the biggest airborne operation till then. When the last transport planes leave England, the first ‘sticks’ jump over Holland. Other than on June 6th, 1944, D-Day, the pilots keep their planes on course, despite the German flak. The three Parachute Infantry Regiments, 501st, 502nd and 506th must capture the bridges near Eindhoven, Son and St Oedenrode. The 506th is too late to take the bridge at Son, it is blown by the Germans, but they capture the bridge near Eindhoven. The other bridges are captured as well by units of the 101st Airborne Division.

On the third day during the operation, German bombers appear over Einhoven. Their bombs kill at least 200 civilians. Veghel is hit badly by German artillery. The Germans manage to cut off ‘Hells Highway', the present-day N265, a couple of times. But the paratroopers retrieve it every time back from their enemy. It is a long and exhausting battle.

On October 2, 1944, Easy Company of the 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division took up their positions on the so called ‘The Island’, just north of Zetten, global from Heteren to Opheusden. These positions were taken over from the British 43rd Division, which stayed here after the loss of Arnhem-Ooosterbeek. On October 5, the fight for the 'Crossroads' took place. A patrol from Easy Company ran into a German machinegun, which was eliminated that same night by a larger Group under the command of Captain Winters. During another attack on this crossroad in the morning, a great number of casualties was brought to a company of SS, who were hiding behind a dyke,and who were planning an attack on the paratroopers to get them of 'The Island'. Winters, who planned the whole attack against these German opostion, thought that this was his best strategic plan he thought of, something he was proud of.