On August 26 and 27 1943 the 3d Armored Division left Indiantown Gap and were on their way to Camp Kilmer New Jersey and the overseas port of embarkation at New York.
The 3d Armored Division remained at Camp Kilmer for 8 days and during this time them were given 12 hour passes for a last night with fun in New York.
Then early on September 4th 1943, early in the morning the men moved out of Camp Kilmer and boarded trains to New York harbor.
On the pier a few hours later the long lines of soldiers waited patiently.
Each man carried his equipment and with a chalked number on his helmet he was waiting that they called his name so he could enter the ship.
There were 3 ships in total for the 3d Armored Division, the John Errickson, the Capetown Castle and the Shawnee.
By September 5th the division was on high seas and the men were standing in silence at the railing of the ship and watched the Statue of Liberty until she was a shadow, until she was a dream in the shadow.
For many of these men it would be the last time that they would see any symbol of America and some of them will never come home again.
On September 14th they saw for the first time land again and for the John Errickson and Capetown Castle was this Liverpool and for the Shawnee was this Bristol.
The men were loaded into trams and were transported to the following locations:
Division Headquarters: Bruton in Sommerset
Combat Command B:
33rd Armored Regiment
391st Armored Field Artillery Battalion
67th Armored Field Artillery Battalion all at : Warminster
36th Armored Infantry Regiment: Sutton Veny
83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion: Longbridge Deverill
Combat Command A:
45th Armored Medical Battalion
Trains Headquarters all at: Stockton House near Codford
32nd Armored Regiment: Codford
Maintenance and Supply Battalion: Codford St. Mary
23rd Armored Engineer Battalion: Fonthill Bishop
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion: Mere
All-in Wiltshire
Division Rear: Wincanton
54th Armored Field Artillery Battalion: Frome
143rd Armored Signal Company: Cucklington
All in Somerset
Here you see a map with the most of the places as mentioned above:
In another chapter I will tell you about their time in England.
© 3d Armored Division Memorial Group (3ADMG)
Map created with Google Maps