Corporal Tank Destroyer

[Big Pete]

Shirt, Cotton, Khaki, Special from a Corporal in a Tank Destroyer unit.

 

 

 

 

The designation "Special" means it has the extra flaps to protect against gas (on cuffs and on the chest) and also two buttons under the collar to button the anti-gas hood on.

 

It was found on an American flea market together with an Ike Jacket (but I was overbid on that one) and unfortunately I have no other info as to who the GI was or what unit he served in.

 

Erwin

[rennog]

Looks great Erwin, I wish I still had my collection from WWII

 

Martin

[Dogdaddy]

Hey Erwin...I got something that would look real good with that great-lookin' TDB uniform! This helmet is from a veteran of the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion.(I was thinking that was your unit but missed by one number :-) will have more info about him later. The picture was taken by a member of his crew. They destroyed 27 kraut armored vehicles and 9 tanks during WWII.

Jim

 

[Dogdaddy]

This is an add-on for my previous post about the tanker helmet . I got the helmet in today's mail, and along with it the photo you see in that last post. With it came a hand written letter that I would like to share with all of you. Some of the writing I can't read, so I'll leave a blank..

 

My first introduction to battle was at a small town in France called_______. It was just a couple of buildings and a mill. I shot at and destroyed a Panzer Mark IV and a staff car. This was on June 11, 1944. We later pushed on to the hedgerow country where we deployed into battle with several MG positions and destroyed them all. Most of our fights was with small elements of the German army, but the big battle that I remember most was with a German Tiger Tank which was hid away behind some trees in a wooded area. We came around a ____curve in the road and it shot once at us ...just missing our left side. We back up past a long building and called in an air strike, but none was available and we were ordered to take out the Tiger, so we came around the back of a building and shot two rounds at it, hitting it once between the gun and body of the tank. The only thing that happened was the turret was stuck in a side 30 degree angle, so in effect he could not rotate his gun. We only understood that when at 800 yards we was trying to maneuver a shot at us by moving his whole vehicle. Our tank was faster, so we closed the range to 400 yards and moved around to the rear of the Tiger and shot directly into the engine area. The tank exploded from which everyone was killed.

We fought in Bastogne with the 101rst Airborne where we destroyed 11 armoured vehicles. Later we pushed on into Germany. In total my crew destroyed 27 armoured vehicles including 9 tanks (1 Tiger), 11 armoured cars, 6 other vehicles of different sizes.

This picture shows me standing on our tank (destroyer)right after it rained. We had just got her re-supplied with tank shells and I was loading them into the main gun area.

 

Mark Daveson* (Name added on May 22, 2010)

705th Tank Destroyer Battalion

Sergeant attached to the 101rst airborne

506 P____n

April 2009

 

I don't know about you, but that letter made me feel like I was right there watching all this as it was happening. What tremendous courage these men displayed in battle.

[Walt's Daughter]

[Jeeper704]

That's a really nice tankers helmet you got there!

And what a story!

 

Yes, those guys really had a lot of courage to go and try to knock out German armor.

The 705th TD Bn proved to be of vital support for the Airborne guys at Bastogne.

As usual, they don't get the credit they deserve ... it mostly goes to the Paratroopers.

 

Thanks for sharing this.

 

Erwin

[Walt's Daughter]

Speaking of that, been corresponding with a new guy and I've introduced him to a few vets from the 87th Inf Div. The 607th was attached to the 87th for a time, and I was delighted to put him in touch with some of the guys.

 

http://www.90thdivisionassoc.org/90thDivis...inframeunit.htm