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Post by fredricksmallwood on Jan 6, 2008 17:58:43 GMT -5
I am Fredrick Smallwood and was in the ASTP at Vanderbilt Unif. One of my roommates was John Maloof (I think from Joplin, MO.) When we were sent to Camp Atterbury to the 106th Div. he was placed in Div. Band and I was put in 1 Bn., H
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Post by fredricksmallwood on Jan 6, 2008 18:08:31 GMT -5
More info. about queery.
I am Fredrick Smallwood and was in the ASTP at Vanderbilt Unif. One of my roommates was John Maloof (I think from Joplin, MO.) When we were sent to Camp Atterbury to the 106th Div. he was placed in Div. Band and I was put in 1 Bn., Hq. Co., 423rd. Reg. I saw him several times while at Atterbury.
Now skip to Feb. 1945. I was one of about 300 who walked through the German lines and was not captured. I was placed in Anti Tank Co. of 424th Reg. We were stationed somewhere in Belgium (possibly Vielsam) at a crossroads with our gun set up. I was seraching a closet in the house and found 2 musical instruments. A saxaphone had Maloor's name and a ser. no. on it. There was also a Cornet with a name and ser. no. but I don't remember who. I turned them in to the Co. Commander of Anti Tank Co., 424th Reg. I don't know what happened to them.
Could anyone tell me anything about where the band was located during the attack on St. Vith in Dec., 1944? I have asked and no one remembers a Maloof in the band. I know I didn't dream up his name. I saw him at Atterbury during the sumemr of 1944. I also saw his name on a Saxaphone case. Does anyone know Maloof and what happened to him.
Fredrick Smallwood
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Post by connie on Apr 11, 2009 11:18:30 GMT -5
I think I remember reading somewhere that the band was stationed in Vielsalm at the time of the break-thru. I'll be on the look-out to see if I run into confirmation of that fact.
Do you have the book with division photos in it? There aren't names under the photos, but there are some photos of the division band...
My parents had fond memories of dancing to this band back at Atterbury. I hope you can find someone who remembers something.
(Please let me know if you'd like this request posted in the Cub. Just click on the icon next to this post and an envelope for writing me a personal message will pop up. I'll collect the posts for the editor and send them as a group.)
Connie
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Post by connie on Oct 30, 2011 14:44:41 GMT -5
The obituary of Elis Leighty, assistant band director give much military detail. Here's a bit of what was said there about the history of the 106th Infantry Division Band: " Following the Remagen bridgehead capture, the allied forces were capturing lots of German troops, and so the 106th was shipped back into Germany to man the prisoner of war camps all up and down the Rhine river valley. The division band had two 15-piece dance bands (one from the former 208th and the other from the former 204th), and so one of those bands was shipped north toward Holland and the other south toward Switzerland to entertain the troops manning PW cages.
After the war in the ETO was finished, the 106th was slated to return to the U.S. to be deactivated. Since they had knocked about the states so long before going overseas, they didn't have enough points to get out of the service, and so the original 208th bunch were transferred to the 35th Infantry Division Band, which was slated to go through the states and on to the Pacific Theater. Before they got out of France, the war with Japan was over, and so when they got back to the states aboard the Queen Mary, most of them had enough points to get discharged."106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=other&action=display&thread=585 |
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