My father (long deceased) served in 5h Army artillery during WW II, I have NO records, papers etc. Can help me figure actual brigade/regiment based on little discussed over the years. Below what I know;
spent time in North Africa, served on 155 long Tom as he called it - Tunisia - of little he talked mentioned Kasserine pass more than once, went on to Italy, I think Sicilian invasion, made mentioned of Naples, Sarlerno. Another thing mentioned seeing Mussolini after executed.
The Long Tom saw combat for the first time in North African Campaign in 1943. It was an 155mm artillery gun(not to be confused with the 155mm howitzer) of model designation M1 or M2.
40 battalions of 155mm Long Toms served in the ETO.
The Fifth United States Army was activated on 5 January 1943 at Oujda, French Morocco and made responsible for the defence of Algeria and Morocco. It was later given Corps units and given the American part of the invasion of mainland Italy.
While he may have been in the 5th Army, it consisted of units grouped into Corps. I can find no artillery attached directly to the 5th Army (other than as part of battlegroups) so he might have been in one of the Corps. It is very likely his battalion was in an artillery group rather than a division.
When you say you have no papers, do you mean his records were destroyed in the archive fire or that you just do not have his papers but have not tried to locate any files?
I was born in MALTA . During WW2 I was 11 years old. We the Maltese people thank you and all your buddies for the sacrifices you made . I know what you guys went through. When I came to the USA ( 1952 ). I felt that I owe this country a hell of a lot. In 1953 I joined the USAF, after finishing tech school at Sheppard AFB, working on B-25s and B-26s, I requested to go to Korea. The asigning sgt.( sob) gave me orders to go to Harlingen AFB, TX. After being asigned to many different base, in 1963 I got orders to go to Vietnam. Flying on C-123s. I returned to SEA in 1966, this time I went to Thailand on O1Fs. So I can speak first hand what you guys went through in WW2. What I want to say. I am very disgusted about the judical system here in the US. We got a Maltese spy during the war and 2 days later he was HUNG. We have all these arabs trying to destroy our country and killing our troops and are treated better than most of our own. Its not fare. Do away with civil justice and try them by a military tribunal. If found guilty HANG them high or else if innocent send them to their own countries and let their own people hang them. No more spending Billions, give that money to our unemployed citizens. They sure can use it.
