RAD Flag XX Westfalen-Sud

[mmaas]

My father's company (US 95th Infantry, 378th Regiment) took a RAD flag from a burning wooden building between Ost-Tuennen and Rhynern in the seizure of Hamm. It is embroidered with the name Walter von Plettenberg (who apparently was with the XX Westfalen-Sud). I would like to know more about who he was and what they did in that area. My father's men gave him the flag out of respect for his leadership. [ATTACH=CONFIG]450303[/ATTACH]

[tarvin890]

holy crap! i want it, even the honor tassle would be nice to own!

[tarvin890]

On 15 July 1942, the division was ordered into active military service and reorganized at Camp Swift, Texas.[4] The 189th and 190th Infantry Brigades were disbanded as part of an army-wide elimination of infantry brigades. Instead, the division was based around three infantry regiments, the 377th Infantry Regiment, the 378th Infantry Regiment, and the 379th Infantry Regiment.[7] Also assigned to the division were the 358th, 359th, 360th, and 920th Field Artillery Battalions, the 95th Signal Company, the 795th Ordnance Company, the 95th Quartermaster Company, the 95th Reconnaissance Troop, the 320th Engineer Battalion, the 320th Medical Battalion, and the 95th Counter-Intelligence Detachment.[7] Major General Harry L. Twaddle took command of the division, a command he held for its entire duration in World War II,[8] making him one of only eleven generals to do so.[9] The division also received a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia this year.[10] Over the next two years, the division trained extensively in locations throughout the United States.[6]

[edit]Europe


Men of the 378th Infantry, 95th Division enter Metz (1944).
The 95th Infantry Division was assigned to XIII Corps of the Ninth United States Army, Twelfth United States Army Group.[11] The division sailed for Europe on 10 August 1944.[12] The 95th Infantry Division arrived in England on 17 August. After receiving additional training, it moved to France one month later on 15 September. During this time it was reassigned to III Corps.[11] The division bivouacked near Norroy-le-Sec, from 1 to 14 October.[12] It was then assigned to XX Corps of the Third United States Army.[11] The division was sent into combat on 19 October in the Moselle bridgehead sector east of Moselle and South of Metz and patrolled the Seille near Cheminot, capturing the forts surrounding Metz and repulsing enemy attempts to cross the river.[12] It was during the defense of this town from repeated German attacks that the division received its nickname, "The Iron Men of Metz."[1] On 1 November, elements went over to the offensive, reducing an enemy pocket east of Maizières-lès-Metz. On the 8 November, these units crossed the Moselle River and advanced to Bertrange. Against heavy resistance, the 95th captured the forts surrounding Metz and captured the city by 22 November.[12]

The division pushed toward the Saar on 25 November and entered Germany on the 28th. The 95th seized a Saar River bridge on 3 December and engaged in bitter house-to-house fighting for Saarlautern.[12] Suburbs of the city fell and, although the enemy resisted fiercely, the Saar bridgehead was firmly established by 19 December. While some units went to an assembly area, others held the area against strong German attacks.[12] On 2 February 1945, the Division began moving to the Maastricht area in the Netherlands, and by 14 February, elements were in the line near Meerselo in relief of British units.[12] During this time the division returned to the Ninth Army under XIX Corps, though it would see temporary assignments to several other Corps through the spring.[11]

On 23 February, the division was relieved, and the 95th assembled near Jülich, Germany, on 1 March. It forced the enemy into a pocket near the Hitler Bridge at Uerdingen and cleared the pocket on 5 March, while elements advanced to the Rhine.[12] From 12 March, the 95th established defenses in the vicinity of Neuss. Assembling east of the Rhine at Beckum on 3 April, it launched an attack across the Lippe River the next day and captured Hamm and Kamen on the 6th.[12] After clearing the enemy pocket between the Ruhr and the Mohne Rivers, the Division took Dortmund on 13 April and maintained positions on the north bank of the Ruhr.[12] It held this position until the end of the war.

your family had a great role in the war, nice item to have!

[tarvin890]

Wolter (or Walter) von Plettenberg (c. 1450 – February 28, 1535) was the Master (Landmeister) of the Livonian Order from 1494 to 1535 and one of the greatest leaders of the Teutonic knights. He was an important early Baltic German.

[tarvin890]

the flag is named for important german in german history....others will correct if i am wrong.

[Salzburg]

That's a fantastic banner and one of the first things that I would rescue from a burning building! Thanks for showing and thanks to tarvin890 for the background info.

Regards

Martin

[mmaas]

My father (West Point Class of 1942) had a miraculous memory and was contacted by authors including Stephen Ambrose and Lewis Sorley (who was his student at West Point). Fortunately he wrote his memories of WWII down for his family. The Iron Men of Metz have not had as much written about them, but their contributions to the war effort were very important. In addition to the flag we have a luger, a walther, and two ceremonial SS daggers, but the flag has the greatest significance and is in pretty good condition. It's dirty and some of the fringe has fallen off, probably because it used to hang in our basement! I'm not sure how to properly care for it, but I'm looking into that.

[mmaas]

Yes, but the Walter von Plettenberg on the flag was the commander at the time. It's not "named" for the early von Plettenberg. The von Plettenberg family has many royal/aristocratic connections, including Countess Elisabeth von Plettenberg who was the wife of Nazi Abwehr agent (who defected), Dr. Erich Vermehren. I'm wondering if my Walter von Plettenberg was royally connected since he was not with a combat unit. At one point, Hitler commanded that all princes and some other assorted royalty be restricted to non-combat positions because several were killed as Luftwaffe pilots.

[tarvin890]

I am looking into any commanders in WW2 named that name and none come up...only one by that name is Georg Graf von Plettenberg who served in the wehrmacht...Georg Graf von Plettenberg[a] (11 July 1918 – 29 July 1980) was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberst in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Georg Graf von Plettenberg was captured in May 1945 by Allied troops and was held until 1946. He joined the Bundeswehr in 1956 and retired in 1974

[Wagriff]

A Superb Banner and almost certainly unique! Can you post any photos of the other items-like the 2 ceremonial daggers? (Good close-ups, please!)