Units in the Division

[connie]

STRUCTURE OF A WW II INFANTRY DIVISION www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units/divisional%20organization.asp

Unit Histories on Indiana Military site: www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/Publications/CubInReview/04-UnitHistory.htm



For someone just beginning the search, the sea of military numbers can be confusing.
I'll start listing the units in the 106th division here and add more attached and imbedded units as time allows. Those in the know, please feel free to make additions or corrections.

The 106th Infantry division included three infantry regiments, the:
422 Infantry Regiment
423 Infantry Regiment
424 Infantry Regiment

These infantry regiments were supported by the howitzer fire of 4 field artillery battalions:
589 Field Artillery Battalion
590th Field Artillery Battalion
591st Field Artillery Battalion
592nd Field Artillery Battalion

There were medical elements imbedded in each unit, but in addition there was a whole medical battalion that was a part of the division. This was the 331st Medical Battalion

There were also engineers in the division. This was the 81st Engineer Battalion

[Carl W.]

Connie has already listed the main organic fighting units of the division. Other organic (permanent) units were:

106th RECON TROOP
106th DIVISION HQ

106th DIVISION HQ SPECIAL TROOPS:
- 106th SIGNAL COMPANY
- 106th QUARTERMASTER COMPANY
- 806th ORDNANCE COMPANY

106th DIVISION HQ COMPANY:
- 106th MP PLATOON
- 106th DIVISION BAND

[Carl W.]

During the fighting and when the division was in France to be reconstituted, a number of independent units were assigned to the division. These were:

- 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion
- 634th AAA Battalion
- 14th Cavalry Group:
18th Cavalry Squadron
32nd Cavalry Squadron
275th Field Artillery Battalion
- 168th Engineer Battalion
- 596th Engineer Battalion
- 112th Infantry Regiment (28th Division)
- 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
- CCB 9th Armored Division
16th Field Artillery (was attached to the 9th AD)
- Company A of the 661st Tank Destroyer Battalion
- Company A of the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion
- 229th Field Artillery Battalion
- 460th Field Artillery Battalion
- 3rd Infantry Regiment
- 159th Infantry Regiment
- 401st Field Artillery Battalion
- 627th Field Artillery Battalion

That's about all of them ;-)

[roger]

What about all the Provisional OH Guard Battalions, Medical Companies and related units during the Division's assignment processing and caring for German Pows?

[Carl W.]

You are right Roger. The following units were at one point attached to the 106th division during the POW processing operation:

- 6950 Provisional Guard Battalion
Detachment "A", HQ Co, Special Troops (6950 OH Det PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "B", HQ Co, Special Troops (6984 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "C", HQ Co, Special Troops (6985 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "D", HQ Co, Special Troops (6986 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "E", HQ Co, Special Troops (6987 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))

- 6951 Provisional Guard Battalion
Detachment "F", HQ Co, Special Troops (6951 OH Det PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "G", HQ Co, Special Troops (6988 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "H", HQ Co, Special Troops (6989 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "I", HQ Co, Special Troops (6990 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "K", HQ Co, Special Troops (6991 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))

- 6952 Provisional Guard Battalion
Detachment "L", HQ Co, Special Troops (6952 OH Det PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "M", HQ Co, Special Troops (6992 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "N", HQ Co, Special Troops (6993 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "O", HQ Co, Special Troops (6994 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))
Detachment "P", HQ Co, Special Troops (6995 Guard Co PWTE (Prov))

- 9th Field Hospital (minus Detachment "A", 1 Hosp Unit)
Detachment "A" (1 Hospital Unit), 83rd Field Hospital
Detachment "B" (1 Hospital Unit), 61st Field Hospital

- 62nd Field Hospital
Detachment "B" (1 Hospital Unit), 83rd Field Hospital

- 554th Medical Ambulance Company
- 1st Platoon of the 538th Medical Ambulance Company
- 2nd Platoon of the 538th Medical Ambulance Company
- 50th Field Hospital (minus Detachment "C", 1 Hospital Unit)
Detachment "A" (1 Hospital Unit), 61st Field Hospital
Detachment "A" (1 Hospital Unit), 78th Field Hospital
Detachment "B" (1 Hospital Unit), 78th Field Hospital

- 559th Master Ambulance Company
- 428th Medical Battalion
- 558th Master Ambulance Company
- 560th Master Ambulance Company
- 592nd Master Ambulance Company
- Detachment "C", (1 Hospital Unit) 78th Field Hospital
- Detachment "A", "B" & "C", (1 Hospital Unit) 9th Field Hospital
- Detachment "A" & "C" (1 Hospital Unit), 50th Field Hospital
- Detachment "B" (1 Hosp Unit), 12th Field Hospital
- Detachmnet "C" (1 Hosp Unit), 61st Field Hospital
- Detachment "A", "B" & "C" ( 1 Hosp Unit), 62nd Field Hospital
- Headquarters, 78th Field Hospital (minus 2 units)

- 229th MP PW Processing Platoon
- 415th MP Escort Guard Company
- 427th MP Escort Guard Company
- 308th MP Escort Guard Detachment
- 432nd MP Escort Guard Company
- 318th MP Escort Guard Detachment
- 328th MP Escort Guard Detachment
- 341st MP Escort Guard Detachment
- 321st MP Escort Guard Company
- 326th MP Escort Guard Company
- 327th MP Escort Guard Company
- 349th MP Escort Guard Company
- 330th MP Escort Guard Company
- 336th MP Escort Guard Company
- 339th MP Escort Guard Company
- 331st MP Escort Guard Company
- 335th MP Escort Guard Company
- 323rd MP Escort Guard Company
- 325th MP Escort Guard Company
- 311st MP Escort Guard Company
- 324th MP Escort Guard Company
- 346th MP Escort Guard Company
- 347th MP Escort Guard Company
- 348th MP Escort Guard Company
- 351st MP Escort Guard Company
- 142nd MP Escort Guard Detachment
- 301st MP Escort Guard Company
- 305th MP Escort Guard Company
- 302nd MP Escort Guard Company
- 304th MP Escort Guard Company
- 556th MP Escort Guard Company
- 595th MP Escort Guard Company
- 465th MP Escort Guard Company
- 467th MP Escort Guard Company

[bobs1882]

You forgot the 106 Divarty, HQ. Battery. Served as staff to the Artillery General and as liason between us, the Firing Batteries and Corp for fire direction info, etc. The unit was composed of: The Captain and his staff, (2 Lts., a first sargent, a clerk and a driver), the Wire Section who laid tel. wire between us and all the Firing Battalions, the Radio Section (mine) who maintained contact with the Firing Battalions and Corps., the Meteological Section (weather), a Mess Section and the Motor Pool Section. We also were present after the war, in Heilbron, assisting the POW encampments .

[Carl W.]

Bob,

You are right. Thanks for the addition. What section were you in?

[connie]

With Carl's help we came up with quite a compilation of units in or attached to the 106th Infantry Division.

In the "Helpful Links" section you can also find this link to an outside source for comparison:

Here's a military site that outlines much of this basic info:
www.history.army.mil/documents/eto-ob/106ID-ETO.htm

[welkebj]

I posted this earlier today and thought maybe this would be a good place to ask the question.

In Jim West's "German POW" section there is a narrative by Rishel White. He stated that he was in "the Reconnaissance unit of the 106th." The Roster on Jim's site says his unit was "recon." I looked him up in the POW records on the NARA and it states that his unit was "267th" and it was "Reconnaissance Mechanized." This is the first time that I read about the 267th. Does anyone know where the unit was situated on 12/16?

[connie]

Either location works for the question. The answer is another story...

I have limited knowledge of the division but in scanning the above list and link, I didn't find the 267th Mechanized Reconnaissance Unit listed among the units that were part of the 106th Infantry Division or attached to it. I did some googling, as I'm sure you did, and didn't immediately come up with anything helpful.

I'm hoping Carl will check in and add his knowledge...

Connie

[Carl W.]

Rishel White was a corporal in the 106th Reconnaissance Troop, stationed at Grosslangenfeld. There was no 267th Cavalry Recon attached to the 106th.

His POW file

Greetings
carl

[connie]

Thanks, Carl!!

I see the source of the confusion. The record lists the number 267 next to type of service. That must be a code number for the type of service that was mistaken for a unit number...

Connie

[connie]

Attached : 159th Infantry Regiment
A note in Division History/ For the Record/ Campaign Ribbon Question mentions this unit: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=record&thread=727&page=1#2842

The person posting mentioned the pockets of Germans in NW France that did not surrender until May. I believe that these were around areas of German Submarine pens.

In skimming above, I didn't see it, though it may be there.

In a Wikipedia Search for the 159th Infantry Regiment, I found a long history, but the part that applies to the 106th Infantry Division read:
The regiment staged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 27 February 1945 before departing from the New York Port of Embarkation on 7 March 1945. It arrived in France eleven days later and was attached to the 106th Infantry Division. As part of the 106th, it entered Germany on 25 April 1945. On 4 November 1945 it returned to the New York Port of Embarkation and was inactivated at Camp Shanks, New York on that same date.

This unit did come up before. Here's a link to a note under division personnel: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=index&action=display&thread=698

It now also has its own thread under Unit Specific Discussions: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unit&action=display&thread=796

[connie]

Here's a link to the listing of division composition, commanders and ASN found on the Indiana Military Site:
www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/Reports/47-106thAAR-5-1-1945/106thAAR-5-1-1945.htm