Lester W. BOROWSKI

Map St James American Cemetery

Staff Sergeant Lester W Borowski was the son of William and Wilhelmina “Minnie” Borowski of Chicago, Illinois. His father was an engineer in a metal foundry.

His mother was a coil winder in a telephone factory. Lester was born in Oct 1918. He had one younger brother.

He married Jeanette Zielinski on 8 June 1940.

The 9th Infantry Regiment landed in France on 12 June 1944. Exploiting the St. Lô break-through, the 2nd Division advanced across the Vire to take Tinchebray August 15, 1944.

The Division then moved west to join the battle for Brest, the heavily defended fortress surrendering September 18, 1944 after a 39-day contest. So, Staff Sergeant Borowski was killed in action on 17 September, the day before Brest finally surrendered. Good description of siege for Brest from the Sydney Morning Herald: Sydney Morning Herald, 30 Sep 1944, Sat – MIDDLE AGES SIEGE BEFORE BREST WAS TAKEN – London, Sept. 29 – The siege and capture of Brest, though overshadowed by other events in France, is sure of a place in military history as one of the most interesting operations of the invasion.

It was, in fact, a Middle Ages siege brought up to date, with the attackers finally storming the town with scaling ladders. A “Daily Telegraph” war correspondent who saw the fall of Brest says the operation was primarily a battle for a wall. “Those who have not seen the strength of the 250-years-old city wall can hardly imagine how formidable an obstacle it was.” He says. “Even our big guns could hardly breach it. It was like firing into the face of a cliff.” A series of ridges enclosing Brest on the landward side were all heavily fortified and had been taken over open ground. In addition, the hedgerows grew on earthen banks two to six feet high making every field a redoubt.

“To smash through such defenses called for grit and gallantry.

The battle for Brest was a grim, hard war between tough men, yet because the tide of battle had rolled towards the Rhine, Brest became something of a forgotten war for the outer world. “Its capture settled no major strategic problems. It merely eliminated 40,000 Germans penned inside the ruins.

“But it was a reversion to siege methods of 500 years ago and involved so many novel features that it will be studied for years as one of the finest feats of American arms.”

            2^nd INFANTRY DIVISION

Cette unité de l'armée américaine est la seule division à avoir été formée en France lors de la première guerre mondiale, la 2^nd "Indian head" est mise sur pied en octobre 1917 à Bourmont (Haute-Marne).

Elle participa à cinq grandes offensives, s'illustra particulièrement lors de la bataille du Bois de Belleau et à Saint-Mihiel puis resta engagée jusqu'à l'armistice, et fit partie des forces d'occupation de l'Allemagne jusqu'en juillet 1919.

En 1942, elle stationne à Fort Houston (Texas), rattachée au VIII Corps de la 3rd Army, puis pendant l'hiver est envoyée au Camp McCoy dans le Wisconsin pour s'entrainer. L'été suivant (août à septembre 1943) l'Indian Head participe aux grandes monoeuvres de la 3rd Army, en Louisianne, avant de retourner à Camp McCoy.

En octobre la division embarque pour l'Europe, faisant escale à Belfast,elle rejoint la Grande-Bretagne et pousuit l'entrainement.

Dans le cadre de l'opération Overlord, la 2^nd Inf Div débarque le 7 juin sur la plage d'Omaha et dès le 9 elle prend part à la libération de Trévières.

Poursuivant le combat tout au long de la campagne de Normandie, elle sera notament engagée, début juillet vers Saint-Lô, avec pour objectif Cloville, mais se heurte à deux régiments de parachutistes allemands (5e et 9e Fallschirmajâger Rgt) qui défendent âprement chaque pousse de terrain.

Le 29 juillet l'Indian Head prend part à l'opération Cobra, sous les ordres du Ve Corps progresse en direction de Thorigny-sur-Vire, et réussi à franchir la Vire, après des combats dans le secteur de Tinchebray à la mi-août, elle est désengagée du front pour se reposer.

La division reprend le combat en Bretagne, notament lors du siège de Brest, puis en septembre elle occupe un secteur défensif sur la ligne Sigfried près de Saint-Vith.

Après le franchissement du Rhin, et sa réorganisation elle poursuit sa progression en Allemagne, lorsque survient l'armistice, la 2^nd Division se trouve à Pilzen vers la frontière Tchécoslovaque.

CAMPAGNES Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe	JOURS DE COMBAT: 303
PRIX ET DÉCORATIONS Medals of Honor: 6 Distinguished Service Crosses: 34 Distinguished Service Medals: 1 Silver Stars: 741 Legion of Merits: 25 Soldier Medals: 14 Bronze Stars: 5 530 Air Medals: 89 Distinguished Unit Citations: 16	VICTIMES Total battle casualties: 16 795 Killed in action: 3 031 Wounded in action: 12 785 Missing in action: 193 Prisoner of war: 786
CONFIGURATION DE LA 2nd INFANTRY DIVISION
Division Headquarters Company
9th Infantry Regiment Headquarters Company Service Company  1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion Cannon Company Anti Tank Company Medical Detachment	23rd Infantry Regiment Headquarters Company Service Company  1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion Cannon Company Anti Tank Company Medical Detachment
38th Infantry Regiment Headquarters Company Service Company  1st Battalion 2nd Battalion 3rd Battalion Cannon Company Anti Tank Company Medical Detachment	Division Artillery Headquarters Battery   15th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 37th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 38th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 12nd Field Artillery Battalion (155mm) Medical Detachment
2nd Engineer Battalion 2nd Medical Battalion 2nd Cavalry Recon Troop 2nd Signal Company 702nd OD Light Maintenance Company 2nd Quatermaster Compan Military Police Platoon	741st Tank Battalion 612nd Tank Destroyer Battalion 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion 462nd Anti-Aircraft Battalion