505th Regimental Combat Team (505rct.org)

ENGLAND

February 14,1944 through June 4,1944

The entire History section is under construction

June 21, 2018.

Units of the 505 Regimental Combat Team arrived in England on February 14th and 15th 1944. They were stationed in several locations throughout the Leicester area. The 505 Parachute Infantry went by train to Quorndon England (Camp Quorn). The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft, Anti-Tank Battalion to the Oadby Racetrack in Leicester, the 307th Airborne Engineers, B company, to the village of Burbage, 12 kilometers southeast of Leicester and the 307th Airborne Medical Company billeted in Braunstone Park, Leicester. Batteries C and D of the 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion traveled about 15 kilometers south of Leicester to a small village called Husbands Bosworth.

It was finally time to begin training the paratroopers for the cross-channel invasion of “Fortress Europe”. General Gavin returned to the regiment as assistant division commander from his temporary assignment to COSSAC on February 6th 1944. General Ridgway gave Jim Gavin the responsibility of planning and training the paratroops for their missions.

Throughout the next few months replacements filled the ranks of the 505th Regimental Combat Team. One of them was my father Pfc.Francis X. Schweikert who left the 541st Parachute Infantry, and boarded the Queen Mary in New York leaving on May 30,1944. He arrived at Camp Quorn and the 505 Parachute Infantry, company G on the 7th of July. A good many of the new replacements went to the 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion. The Battalion needed to bring itself back up to full stregnth after losing A and B batteries to the 504 Parachute Infantry in Italy. Cadre for the newly reconstituted A and B batteries came from C and D batteries. After some intensive training on a gun range near Birmingham, England, the 456th was qualified by division artillery.

On March 22, 1944, Lt. Colonel Batcheller was replaced by the Executive Officer of the 508th Parachute Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel William E. Ekman as commander of the regiment. Major Winton was transferred to the Division Headquarters and command of the 1st Battalion was given to Major Frederick C. Kellam.

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