{67 years ago, on Friday the 13th of April, the 743rd Tank Battalion overran the train near Magdeburg, Germany. Shortly thereafter, other attached units of the 30th Infantry Division, notably the 105th Medical Detachment and the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, also arrived at the liberation site and immediately set to work trying to handle this unexpected encounter. What will follow over the course of the next few days is the account of T4 Wilson Rice as he reports on the disposition of the survivors and the soldiers in this combat zone. The days of the week are falling on the dates of the month for this, the 67th anniversary. This account was uncovered and transcribed by Frank Towers, Historian of the 30th Infantry Veterans of World War II and a participant in this incident, as noted many times on this website.} On this day (Sat. 14th) 1st Lt. Towers and others were busy transporting the survivors to the abandoned Luftwaffe base at Hilersleben.
Saturday
14 April 1945
Major Rock received a letter from Major Yontef, who is now with the 195th General Hospital. He stated in his letter that the Americans that have been freed from the Germans, were beginning to come through his unit. Among these men were three aid men that were captured at Mor
Prisoner taken. Photo by tank commander George C Gross, April, 1945.
tain with the 2nd Bn. Aid Station, 120th Inf. Reg’t. They were Harry Donnelly, Dewey Miller, and Joseph Hutten. MajorYontef said that were suffering from malnutrition. Major Knaus, the Regimental Surgeon of the 120th was in the office at the time Major Rock brought in the letter. Major Knaus said that Capt. Nash and Capt. Monahan, the Bn and Ass’t Bn. Surgeons of the 2nd Bn., 120th inf., who were captured with the personnel of the Aid Station at Mortain, were also recaptured.
Around noon today the Jerries shelled us from the other side of the Elbe River. Two of Co. “D” ’s men were hit. One in the knee and the other in the shoulder. A German Colonel was captured yesterday, that pul
led up the artillery of the general headquarters to the Elbe, and I guess that is what was firing on us. Our artillery soon found them and laid the ammunition to them.
Today they brought in a wounded Jerry who was nicked in the arm. One of the recaptured British soldiers looked up and recognized him as being one of the guards on their long march. The Britisher said that he would make the men stand naked in the snow, and that he marched at the rear of the column, and as the men would drop out he would probe and hit them with the butt of his rifle. The German confessed that it was true, but said that he was carrying out orders. The Tommie said that he saw this Jerry kill two American soldiers on the march. He was well enough to be taken to the PW cage, and the Britishers wanted to take him. They were going to let them, but the officers changed the idea and wouldn’t let them do it. They kept him around here, and during the day, they gave him a good working over. “Slim” the negro driver, was in charge. He had him out covering up a latrine with his hands.
Casualties to date:
Division 24,686
Civilian 957
Enemy 2,091
Other Units 3,588
31,322
Teaching History Matters 