2 Mar 42 |
503rd Parachute Infantry regiment formed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
503rd Parachute Battalion redesignated as 1st Btn.
504th Parachute Battalion redesignated as 2nd Btn.
101
Officers,
4 Warrant
Officers,
1205 Enlisted |
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Lt. Colonel William M. Miley assumed command. |
19 Mar 42 |
Regiment moved to Fort Bragg, N. C. |
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30 May 42 |
2nd Battalion under Major Edison P. Raff moved to New York Port of
Embarkation for transfer to England. |
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8 Jun 42 |
Regiment received 3rd Battalion with redesignation of1st. Battalion
of the 502nd Parachute Infantry under Major John J. Tolsen
III. |
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Lt. Colonel Robert F. Sink assumed command ex. Lt. Col. Miley |
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29 Jun 42 |
Lt. Colonel Kenneth H.Kinsler
assumed command ex.
Lt. Colonel Sink. |
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9-16 Oct 42 |
503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, less Second battalion which had
gone to England, moved from Fort Bragg to San Francisco Port of
Embarkation. �A� Company of the 504th Parachute Infantry (82nd
Airborne Division) attached Regiment on the night of departure and
loaded on train with the 503rd but retained its original
designation. |
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20 Oct 42 |
Units sailed from San Francisco on MS Poleau Laut. Ship proceeded to
Panama Canal Zone, where the 501st Parachute Battalion, less �C�
Company boarded. |
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2 Dec 42 |
Units debarked at Cairns, Australia and went into camp near
Gordonvale, Australia. |
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Regiment Officially reorganized to include HQ, HQ Co., 1st Battalion
and 3rd Battalion as it had left Ft. Bragg. �A� Co. 504th
redesignated as �D� Co and 501st Prcht Bn was redesignated as �E�
and �F� Cos of the 503rd Prcht Infantry Regiment. |
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7 Aug 43 |
Unit began move to Fort Moresby, New Guinea. |
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22 Aug 43 |
Final units arrived Port Moresby. |
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5 Sep 43 |
Unit jumped in Markham Valley at Nadzab. |
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20 Sep 43 |
Unit returned to camp at Port Moresby. |
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22 Oct 43 |
Lt. Colonel George M. Jones assumed command vice Colonel
Kinsler,
deceased. |
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2 Nov-25 Dec 43 |
Preparing
for Cape Glouster operation |
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8 Jan 44 |
Regiment
alerted
for
move
to
new
station. |
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25 Jan 44 |
Regiment
left
Port Moresby. |
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17 Feb 44. |
Last elements of regiment
arrive
Brisbane and went into camp at Camp Cable. |
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29 Mar 44 |
462nd Parachute Field
Artillery
Battalion attached. |
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5 Apr 44 |
Regimental Combat Team embarked for Oro Bay, N.G. |
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6 Apr 44 |
U.S. Army Transport "SEA CAT"
departed Brisbane 0815 |
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14 Apr 44 |
Unit arrived Oro Bay, New Guinea 0730. Distance travelled 2000 miles.
Debarked by DUKW'S and proceeded to new camp at Sudest Bay. |
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19 Apr 44 |
Lt. Michael Brady accidentally shot
in
stomach. |
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30 Apr 44 |
Strength 188
Officers,
2400 EM's. |
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15 May 44 |
Strength 174
Officers,
2294 EM's. A number of
Officers
and Enlisted Men
had
been rotated to U.S. |
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26 May 44 |
Moved to new camp adjacent
to Air
Strip. |
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28 May 44 |
Alerted for a Combat Mission. |
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Leave Dobodura for Cyclops
Drome, Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea. |
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30 May 44 |
Temporary camp established
in
Eberle Plantation in
Hollandia Drome
area. Nearby were: Sentani Lake, Tami River and the Sangke River. |
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Moved to Hollekang Camp Area near
entrance to
Humbolt Bay. |
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3 July 44 |
First
Battalion
jumped on Noemfoor. Code name "TABLE
TENNIS". |
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4 July 44 |
Third
Battalion jumped on Noemfoor. |
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Second Battalion flown to Biak. |
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9 July 44 |
Second Battalion moved to
Noemfoor by barge,
landing at Namber Air
Strip.
Japanese troops
later
learned to consist of 1200 troops under Colonel Shimizu. |
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23 July 44 |
D and E Companies operating North from Insi encountered main body of
enemy. |
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23 Aug 44 |
Regiment moved
into camp
site
near Kamiri Air
Strip. |
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3 Jul-31 Aug 44 |
Enemy Casualties: 1087 KIA |
Prisoners:
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2
Officers |
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80 Enlisted |
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312 Formosans |
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9 Javanese Liberated |
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503rd Casualties: |
Officers |
Enlisted |
Killed |
3 |
34 |
Wounded |
11 |
61 |
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13 Sep 44
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Company C 161 Airborne Engineers joined Regiment with 8 Officers and
109 Enlisted Men. |
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20 Oct 44 |
US troops land on Leyte. |
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7 Nov 44
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Ships arrived for move to Leyte. Ships were the Knox (APA 46), the
Custer (APA 40) and the Comet (APA 166). Troops were loaded aboard
to have a period of rest and good food. |
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14 Nov 44 |
Sailed from Noemfoor
for
Leyte. |
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18 Nov 44
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Combat Team debarked at Leyte, taking up positions 1
1/2 miles North of Tarragona, Leyte.
Boat
trip
amounted to 1150 miles. |
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12 Dec 44
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Task force embarked at Leyte with destination Mindoro. |
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15 Dec 44 |
Amphibious landing at San
Jose, Mindoro 0730. |
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16 Feb 45
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Corregidor
Operation.
0600
First
Plane Load Entrucked.
0700
First
Plane Load
Enplaned.
0730
First
Plane Load Took Off.
Plans called for 2
lifts
of 51 C-47s each.
First
Plane Loads Jumped on Rock |
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8 Mar 45 |
Combat Team returned to Camp on
Mindoro. |
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6 Apr 45 |
Unit leaves Mindoro for
Iloilo, Panay. |
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7 Apr 45 |
Unit Arrives
Green
Beach
Bacolod, Negros Occidental and goes into combat. |
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1 Jun 45 |
Lt. Abbott to SSO. |
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14 Aug |
Gradual
winding
down of fighting from June 45 to 14
Aug 45. |
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15 Aug 45 |
Surrender by Japanese Government. Following this the
503rd
took the
surrender of the Japanese troops on Negros in several
places
around the island. An estimated 5900 prisoners were taken including
General Kono and Colonel
Watanabe COS. An
additional 600 expected to surrender. |
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5 Nov 45 |
The 503rd
comes to
an
end--casuals take
over. |
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The War Department estimates that the
503rd
killed over 10,000
Japanese
during
its
combat actions. |