Frank Nusz FITCH Jr

 

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NUMBER OF SERVICEO-303241
AGE31 yo
DATE OF BIRTH15 October 1911 Cedar Rapids, Linn County, IOWA
ETATCALIFORNIA
FAMILY

Parents : Frank Nusz & Sarah Adelle Gates FITCH

Siblings : Gladys Estelle & Faun Adelle

RANKCaptain
FONCTIONInfantryMan
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT NE
DATE of ENLISTEMENT 
COMPANYCompany
REGIMENT 18th Infantry Regiment
DIVISION 1st Infantry Division
DATE OF DEATH6 June 1944

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Source : Frogman

STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATHOmaha Beach
CEMETERY TEMPORARY

 

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  -- N°--

blosville

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

PlotRowGrave
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CEMETERYNORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
J1323
DECORATION

Silver Star

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal 

Combat Infantryman Badge

 

bsm

Photo FDLM

victory medal

combat infantryman badge

 

us army div 1  18ri
STORY
 

Capt. Frank N. Fitch, Jr. poses for a photo with his father. ii

Source : Abmc.nomadmobileguides.com

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1929 Washington High School Cedar Rapids, Iowa yearbook.

Source : Mike ford

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Source : Michael B. Safranek

Capt. Frank Nusz Fitch Jr. was born on October 15, 1911 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

He attended Coe College and upon graduation moved to Anaheim, Calif. to work as the manager of a local service station and be closer to his family in Los Angeles, Calif.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Fitch entered active service and underwent advanced officer’s training at Fort Benning, Ga.In 1942, he was sent to Tunisia as executive officer of  “L” Company, 3rd Battalion, 18th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

When the commanding officer was killed in action during the Tunisia campaign, Fitch took over command. 

As commander, he led his company during the invasion of Sicily and the entire campaign towards Messina. After the liberation of Sicily, Fitch was sent to England to train and prepare for D-Day.

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On June 6, 1944, Fitch’s company was assigned to Easy Red landing zone on Omaha Beach.

As they made their way to the beachhead, two mines detonated, destroying their landing craft.

Luckily, Fitch and his company were only 100 yards from shore and were able to swim to the beach.

Although exhausted, Fitch and his company found no rest on Omaha Beach.

The Germans had the Americans pinned down with heavy artillery and machine guns. Fitch attempted to lead his men off the beach through an alternative path.

Many of the other officers had the same idea and the paths that had been cleared of mines were clogged with soldiers. Fitch’s men were suffering severe casualties on the beach and needed to move. 

div 1

1st INFANTRY DIVISION - THE RED ONE

 

Activated/Activé

 Normandy/Normandie

17 Jun 1917  Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  443
   Casualties/Victimes 20 659

Entered Combat/Entré au combat

 
8 Nov 1942 North Africa  

Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux

Maj. Gen. Donald Cubbison (Feb 41 - Aug 42)
Maj. Gen. Terry de la Mesa Allen (Aug 42 - Jul 43)
Maj. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (Jul 43 - Dec 44)
Maj. Gen. Clift Andrus (Dec 44 - Aug 46)

Campaigns/Campagnes

Algeria-French Morocco (8 Nov 42 - 11 Nov 42)
Tunisia (17 Nov 42 - 13 May 43)
Sicily (9 Jul - 17 Aug 43)
Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44)
Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44)
Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45)
Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45)
Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)

   

PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE de MEDITERANNEE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP

carte campagne med

PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP

carte campagne europe

DIVISION CHRONICLE

The 1st Infantry Division saw its first combat in World War II in North Africa, landing at Oran and taking part in the initial fighting, 8-10 November 1942. Elements then took part in seesaw combat at Maktar, Medjez el Bab, Kasserine Pass, Gafsa, El Guettar, Beja, and Mateur, 21 January-9 May 1943, helping secure Tunisia. The First was the first ashore in the invasion of Sicily, 10 July 1943 ; it fought a series of short, fierce battles on the island's tortuous terrain. When that campaign was over, the Division returned to England to prepare for the Normandy invasion. The First Division assaulted Omaha Beach on D-day, 6 June 1944, some units suffering 30 percent casualties in the first hour, and secured Formigny and Caumont in the beachhead. The Division followed up the St. Lo break-through with an attack on Marigny, 27 July 1944, and then drove across France in a continuous offensive, reaching the German border at Aachen in September. The Division laid siege to Aachen, taking the city after a direct assault, 21 October 1944. The First then attacked east of Aachen through Hurtgen Forest, driving to the Roer, and moved to a rest area 7 December for its first real rest in 6 months' combat, when the von Rundstedt offensive suddenly broke loose, 16 December. The Division raced to the Ardennes, and fighting continuously from 17 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, helped blunt and turn back the German offensive. Thereupon, the Division attacked and again breached the Siegfried Line, fought across the Roer, 23 February 1945, and drove on to the Rhine, crossing at the Remagen bridgehead, 15-16 March 1945. The Division broke out of the bridgehead, took part in the encirclement of the Ruhr Pocket, captured Paderborn, pushed through the Harz Mountains, and was in Czechoslovakia, at Kinsperk, Sangerberg, and Mnichov, when the war in Europe ended.

CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION

La 1ère Division d'infanterie vit son premier combat en Afrique du Nord lors de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, débarquant à Oran et prenant part aux combats initiaux, du 8 au 10 novembre 1942. Les éléments participèrent ensuite aux combats en balançant à Maktar, Medjez el Bab, Col de Kasserine, Gafsa, El Guettar, Beja et Mateur, du 21 janvier au 9 mai 1943, contribuant à la sécurisation de la Tunisie. Le premier a été le premier à terre dans l'invasion de la Sicile, le 10 juillet 1943; il a combattu une série de batailles courtes et féroces sur le terrain tortueux de l'île. Quand cette campagne fut terminée, la Division revint en Angleterre pour se préparer à l'invasion de la Normandie. La première division a attaqué Omaha Beach le jour J, le 6 juin 1944, certaines unités subissant 30% de pertes au cours de la première heure et sécurisant Formigny et Caumont dans la tête de pont. La Division a suivi la percée de Saint-Lô avec une attaque sur Marigny, le 27 juillet 1944, puis a traversé la France dans une offensive continue, atteignant la frontière allemande à Aix-la-Chapelle en septembre. La Division a assiégé Aix-la-Chapelle après un assaut direct, le 21 octobre 1944. Le Premier a ensuite attaqué à l'est d'Aix-la-Chapelle par Hurtgen Forest, jusqu'à la Roer, et s'est installé dans une aire de repos le 7 décembre pour son premier repos. combat de mois, quand l'offensive de von Rundstedt se déchaîna subitement, le 16 décembre. La division a couru vers les Ardennes, et combat continuellement du 17 décembre 1944 au 28 janvier 1945, a aidé à émousser et à retourner l'offensive allemande. La Division attaqua de nouveau la ligne Siegfried, traversa la Roer, le 23 février 1945, et se dirigea vers le Rhin, traversant la tête de pont de Remagen, du 15 au 16 mars 1945. La division sortit de la tête de pont. dans l'encerclement de la poche de la Ruhr, capturé Paderborn, poussé à travers les montagnes du Harz, et était en Tchécoslovaquie, à Kinsperk, Sangerberg et Mnichov, lorsque la guerre en Europe a pris fin.
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOArmydivs.squarespace.com

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