One thing that always confused me is that there are two railroad stations in Opheusden at the time of the battle. Remember there are dual railroad lines and there was a station for each one. I remember looking at one of the railroad stations and couldn't understand why there was no houses behind the station. It because I was looking at the south station and the village was on the other side of the tracks. So I wondering if Garland was in the fields south of the RR tracks or north of the lines where there were houses. I am going to ask on other forums for some information.
Have no clue. I've only been told that he was somewhere near the "railway station." I know he was in a trench/foxhole. I assumed there was only one railway station! I need to look at the photograph more carefully, and then I'd probably need to go back and review the After Action Report to see if I could find a clue. Thanks for pursuing this.
Thanks for your help on the Trigger Time Forum, Doug. Just saw your post. I've just now completed a letter to Bob Rommel, who was in the LMG Platoon with Garland. Having to do this by snail mail, so am hoping for some sort of reply, but I have no idea what to expect and it may be a while. I asked him, if he could, to share what he could and specifically, if he had any recollection of the issue you've brought up. From what I've been told by others, he might have been very close to Garland that day. Mr. Rommel currently resides in California.
Am going to find some time to review your aerial photograph and also the AAR to see if I can get any hints there.
Judy, I was wondering if Ian Gardner, author of "The Forgotten Battalion" might know the positions of the 506th on October 5, 1944? The probelm was that the battlefield was very fluid with the Screaming Eagles being pushed back by a numerically superior force. If you look at that 1944 aerial photo you can see where the Headquarters of How and George moved from east to west as the Germans launched their counter attacks. He may have a better idea than first hand accounts because he would have all the information and might be able to sort it all out. Just a suggestion. Also about the railroad station. Since there was a dual line, each line had its own waiting or railroad station so they maybe also confusing.
Hi Doug. I have had a couple of email exchanges with Ian Gardner. His response excerpted from our email exchange:
*** " I don't know how Garland died but I know it was during the rear guard action around Opheusden railway station on October 5th...you probably know this but his name is on a memorial erected by the Dutch in 1999 near the spot where one of the 3/506 aid stations used to be . So are you saying they never recovered his body then? I always assumed he was buried in Margraten Military Cemetary. The fighting around the station was very brutal but there was to my knowledge no flooding in that area apart from the odd drainage ditch however there is a canal very close by! " ***
I know that Ian has done extensive interviews with several who were near Garland that day.
I've reviewed the AAR's from the 506th PIR site...you may have copies of these yourself, Doug. The only clues I can find are these:
From October 3, 1944: "...3rd Battalion (less 'I' Company), Batteries 'B' and 'D' 81st AA Battalion attached, defends west from eastern edge of OPHEUSDEN, line extending south from OPHEUSDEN to the railroad.... "
From October 4, 1944: "3rd Battalion reported enemy attempting to cross the river NEDER-RUN at 2105 hour, 3 October 1944. Our artillery prevented this crossing. 3rd Battalion received enemy artillery and motar fire throughout the day...."
From October 5, 1944: "Enemy attacking in 3rd Battalion sector (OPHEUSDEN) AT 0300 hour. At 0600 hour, enemy attacking in strength along 3rd BN entire front. 3rd Battalion reports enemy using civilians as a screen for their advance. .... 3rd Battalion reports they are being hard pressed (at 1000 hour) by approximately a reinforced company in 'I' Company's sector and they are now putting artillery on the enemy. Message rec'd at 1020 hour that the Commanding Officer of the 3rd BN, Major Oliver M. Horton, had been killed in action.
"At 1420 hour 3rd Battalion reports three enemy tanks with supporting Infantry are advancing on their left flank....
[I'm deleting several paragraphs here....]
"At 1900 hour 'I' Company reported they had repelled the attack and had destroyed their position. At this time, the Combat Team Commander ordered the following changes in the dispositions of the Combat Team: 3rd Battalion to move ('G' 'H' and 'HQ' CO) south of the railroad and take up positions on 'I' Company's right flank extending north through the railroad contacting the 1st Battalion. 1st Battalion was given that part of the section extending north from the railroad through the eastern edge of OPHEUSDEN to NEDER-RIJN River. This line ran roughly from south to north-DODEWAARD railroad station near OPHEUSDEN, 200 yards east to west inside OPHEUSDEN, to d**e along NEDER-RIJN River."
That is the last mention of the 3rd Battalion on that day of the report. There is further discussion of the disposition of the entire Combat Team as of 2000 hour, but the HQ Company specifically, is not mentioned. Apparently 'H' and "G' companies of the 3rd were held in reserve. There is mention from the entry of October 6th of the enemy moving in to the railroad station near OPHEUSDEN and by dawn, they were astride the road-railroad intersection. 'G' Company was ordered to attack west along the north side of the railroad and retake the station and intersection. 'H' Company was pinned down to prevent their left flank from being exposed. Both the 1st and 3rd BTN's came under heavy fire of all types, the 3rd BTN holding their ground, but the 1st BTN having to pull back to the eastern edge of OPHEUSDEN.
So it appears his Company may have been just south of the southern most railway station at some point, but then repositioned to just north of the railway station. Ian's comment about Garland's being killed during the "rear guard" action would indicate??
Confusing, and I have had trouble locating both railway stations on your map. What am I missing?
I will drop Ian another note. Maybe there are some specific details about the engagement that day that he can provide that he's not already!
Thanks for the suggestion. Let me know if you can decipher any of the above any more clearly than I! I know that must be the case! And it's difficult when you lift something from context. As I said, you probably have these documents yourself!
Judy, Do you know by any chance about what time Garland was killed? The reason I ask is that might determine his location at the time of his death. I am gonna go back and read George Koskimaki's book "Hell's Highway" and some of Mark Bando's books to see if they reveal more information. The way I understand it is that the 363rd Volksgrenadier Division, augmented with a battalion of tanks and engineers attacked early on the morning of October 5, 1944. The third battalion of the 506th was deployed on a north-south axis from the Neder Rhine (Lower Rhine) to the Waal River. Only about 400 Americans were there at the time. George Company was on the northern sector, then How Company down to the railroad tracks. South of the tracks was Item Company. My Dad was about 1-1/2 to the east, and the Engineers were converted to infantrymen and ordered west-their mission was to determine the extent of the German drive. What the Engineers were doing was a reconnaisse-in-force or basically "counting the guns" of the Enemy, to find out what the Americans were up against. As they approached the bridge leading to Opheusden, First Platoon of Baker Co./326th went north while the 3rd Platoon went south of the tracks. Some time around 8:45 AM my Dad was shot and finally made it to air raid shelter helped by another GI. It was here around 9:00 AM that Wim and Dir van den Bosch brought him into their home. He was there for three hours before the medics, most likely two men from 321st GFAR, brought him to an aid station. After a two days fighting the 506th redeployed about 1 1/2 miles east back behind the 327th GIR.
Don't think I have that website, so if you wouldn't mind posting the URL, I'd appreciate it. I am constantly discovering new places to look. Yes, his picture is posted several places. Wouldn't it be something if he was near where your Dad was when he was hit.
What you said above makes sense. Unfortunately, I have NEVER been given any information about the time of day he was killed. I'm in touch with two of his fellow troopers, who were very near him when he died, but I'm waiting to hear back from them, and I'm not sure about how comfortable either of them is with discussing specifics. I'm sure each of them might have that answer. Hopefully, as I continue to work on developing correspondence channels with them, I'll be able to find out.
Now it appears that the building in the bottom picture is the railroad station and there was a waiting station on each side of the dual railroad tracks. The railroad station is on the south side of the tracks. Now if we knew what side of the tracks Garland was on we could almost figure out where he was by where would you place a machine gun nest? I also found out that another soldier who manned a .50 MG was killed that same day, Pvt. Carl E. Pease, also Headquarters 3rd Battalion/506th. When they pulled back Pease was left behind and his body was also never found.
Thanks for the link, Doug. I had this site bookmarked and have reviewed it many times...knew Garland's picture was there. Guess I just wasn't familiar with the webmaster/owner!
Have looked at the previous picture from your book as well and have already saved it.
I've sent another email to Ian Gardner, asking if he can shed any light on the subject. Hopefully, I will hear back from him!
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