589th battery b

[robdon]

My father was leslie newnam 589th battery b , i grew up on war stories from the battle of the bulge. He has been gone for 10 years now but the stories i have never forgotten and have always been interested in WW II history especially the 106th. I continue to pass these stories down so no one will ever forget.

[Carl W.]

Don't hesitate to post more here on the board.
I think we're all interested on hearing more of your father's war story.

Best regards
Carl

[Jim West - Indiana Military Or]

Why don't you write all you can remember and send it in to the web site. Maybe if others read it, they may be able to help fill in some of the gaps. Doesn't have to be in finished form. You can change it whenever you want.

Jim West
www.IndianaMilitary.org

[connie]

Some of your father's history may overlap some of my father's history.

During the initial retreat and chaos on the 17th of December the remnants of the 590th FA BN (Service Battery) joined up with what remained of the 589th -- or at least a portion of it. That link up lasted until January 2nd.

Dad was out on supply runs frequently durinng that period, but I do have locations where he linked back up with the 589th... My history is slim compared to what those who were there know. What I "know" comes from letters home. I am interested in your father's stories, too. Do you know when he reconnected with others in the 589th after the break thru?

[don]

I do not know I can remember him talking about being held up in St.Vith in an abandon house and he was with some guy he said they called Tiny he was from the south. He had also said that some germans walked up with a white flag and surrendered and he had never really understood why because at that point things were not going so well for them.

[connie]

These are powerful memories. I hope you are recording them somewhere for family...

The Service Battery of the 590th and, I am guessing, also whatever part of the 589th they hooked up with, were stuck on the roads leading out of St. Vith (with a lot of others from the ETO) late on the 17th and in the wee morning hours of the 18th before they made their break toward Courtil, according to what I can glean from letters.

Dad mentioned in post VE day retrospectives (censorship dropped) that the 7th Armored was in St Vith on the 17th and that they had hung around that area for 7 days -- 5 more than asked, sustaining heavy casualties. I am guessing that if your dad hung out in a house in St. Vith it was probably after the morning of the 18th that he arrived there. I don't know if there were others in the area or if it was perhaps 7th Armored people that he may have hooked up with for a while.

It would certainly be wonderful if someone from the 589th recognized your dad's name or could tell you who "Tiny" was...

[Joseph C Patzner]

I was in the Service Battery of the 589th at the Battle of he Bulge. I am wondering if anyone knows what happened to the men in the Service Battery and if anyone survived. I was a truck driver and was away from headquarters when the Germans attacked. Let me know if you know anything regarding the men in the Service Battery. I have not been able to find out anything about them. I was captured and was a POW at Bad Orb and later at Zeigenhain.

[e-mail]

[connie]

Dear Mr. Patzner,

I don't know if you have heard from anyone about the men in the 589th Service battery. I have no personal contact with anyone from this group. But, I have been reading thru " The Club of the Golden Lion Passes in Review" (a book out of print but sometimes available on e-bay). In the section on Unit histories, Frances Aspinwall wrote the 589th FA Bn history. On page 86 he states ," At Vielsalm on the 19th" (of December 1944) "the majority of Service battery returned to the division." The account goes on to tell how they had been surrounded and had beaten back the enemy forces that surrounded them. It says they were "able to move all their personnel and equipment out with the exception of a few men." With the road blocked at Schoenberg they took to the woods & were joined by others. Moving at night they were able to pass thru German lines and join the 9th Armored Division, "from which they returned to the division at Vielsalm. They immediately came out to Baraque de Fraiture to rejoin the elements of the battalion located there, and provided it with support that can only be given by determined men who have proved themselves in battle."

I hope this helps. Good luck in connecting with others from 589th Service Battery. Have you tried contacting John Kline to see if he has leads on any of these men?

Connie

[gemcmeg]

don said:

I do not know I can remember him talking about being held up in St.Vith in an abandon house and he was with some guy he said they called Tiny he was from the south. He had also said that some germans walked up with a white flag and surrendered and he had never really understood why because at that point things were not going so well for them.

[gemcmeg]

Well i had posted that i thought my dad might be Tiny from the South/NC! Guess there were at least two. Dad's older bro did call him Tiny, but that nickname wasn't used in the army. Dad says Rebel Boy was written on his truck and that was the only nickname he recalls being associated with him. Again dad was with the 590th sv bat attached to the 423rd and wound up just before capture/surrender with battery C/590th with a lt. sutherland (may be misspelled). on 12/19 the germans did approach dad's group (30-40 men had taken to a hill) with a white flag; as it happened one of dad's group was of german decent/Fitzgerald, and he spoke enough german to convey what was going on, so sounds like our dads were in separate groups. Did your dad drive an ammo truck also? Dad says there were 4 drivers (the last disappeared - i'm still trying to find info about him - a Schuller (again could be misspelled) Each driver was on it's way to a different company at the front. The offer still stands Don if you would like to talk to dad, contact me and i'll get you dad's contact info. Sounds like they had similar jobs while serving.
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