Michael Doherty Normandy BattleField Tours

09/09/2024

Part of the Original Church Bell that was destroyed during the Fighting between the 9th infantry Regiment and the German 3rd Para who occupied the small hamlet of St Germain ‘D’ Elle during the fighting in June 1944.
The Church was completely raised to the Ground while the German troops used the Bell tower as a forward observation point to call in mortar and Artillery fire down on the 9th Infantry Reg who had advanced only a few fields away.
It was from this Bell tower that Sgt John Simonetti of Company G would be shot on 16th June 1944 and mortally wounded by the German Sniper hiding there.
How many other American soldiers would be shot from this position is anyones guess but taking out the Bell tower would have been High priority for the 2nd Division HQ.

Like most Church Bell towers during WW2 they were used as excellent viewing platforms for German spotters and Snipers on advancing troops.Many Churches in France and Europe would be destroyed for this reason.

Only recently being found in the original grounds of the Church that once the Church sat upon the new church of St German D Elle was rebuilt a short distance away.

It’s lucky that the Bell even existed as between 1939 and 1945, the National Socialist German Workers' Party under Adolf Hi**er – the N***s – confiscated over 175,000 bells from towers throughout Europe. That staggering sum is only part of the devastation and horror exacted by the N***s during World War II, but it speaks to the plundering of identity and soul that made the N**i occupation so catastrophic.
Of the 175,000 bells seized, postwar figures estimate that over 150,000 were destroyed. With bombings and air raids levelling additional towers throughout the war, the number of lost bells is even greater.

01/09/2024

T/Sgt Lawrence A Barns Company M ,9th Infantry was Killed in action by German artillery fire on 24th June 1944 after their company was shelled.
Company M defensive position and T/Sgt Barns was probably hit by a random hit.
During this time of the Normandy Campaign the German forces held rear positions and daily hit out at the 2nd Division forward dug in positions….the Fire was random and sporadic.Sometime you could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.He died with one other enlisted man with another Wounded.

His Sacrifice will never be forgotten

01/09/2024

Pvt Simpson C Scott was Killed in Action in Normandy on the 26th July 1944.
Pvt Simpson died on the Launch of Operation Cobra or the Breakout of Normandy.
The German forces were dug into the Woods and hedgerows and awaiting the US forces.Although they received two days of aerial Bombing their men were prepared for the frontal assault from the 2nd Division.
The first few days would be vital to the push for Paris and these crucial moments would push the German forces out of France.
Pvt Scott gave his life in these Brutal days of the Battle and his sacrifice should never be underestimated or forgotten.Since landing on Omaha Beach almost 8 week prior he would have had a miserable time living in Foxholes and never know if he would survive from day to day……mortar and German Artillery fire rained on them daily.
Burried in the Normandy American Cemetery at Plot I Row 15 Grave 39 his sacrifice should and will never he forgotten.
RIP

23/08/2024

We are pleased to announce 2nd Armored in Europe 's next big event!
'Roll Out The Barrels' 🍻
Following in the footsteps of the 2nd Infantry Division in the Czech Republic, get ready to commemorate the last battles of the ETO and the liberation of Pilsen ⛪
From April 25th - May 4th 2025 📆
Sign-up is live ❗
Entry From: https://forms.gle/PFnaR7y58DRueN719 📑🖋

24/06/2024

A wonderful group of Guys who are Passionate about the 2nd IndianHead Division .....2nd to None .

NEWS: Our official video from Omaha Beach will be published today!! 🎬🇺🇸🇨🇿🇫🇷

Today we have a big premiere!! A special commemorative video taken on Omaha Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the 2nd Infantry Division landing in Normandy will be released today at 08:00 p.m. (Central European Summer Time) / 02:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

We hope you enjoy the video and look forward to your comments and reactions. :)

23/06/2024

Paying tribute today for Pfc Russel J Loniello 23rd Inf Rge 2nd Division ,who died this day in Combat 80 years 23rd June 1944 around the Normandy Village of St George D Elle.

Born at Chippewa Falls, Pfc. Loniello moved to Madison with his parents in 1932, attended Central high school, and was employed at the Ray-O-Vac Co. before he was inducted in the army in March, 1942. He is the son of Mrs. Josephine Loniello, Verona.

After doing some research on Pfc Loniello, I’ve found some confusion in his file as it states he was KIA later on in the ETO a short distance to Paris (South west) in October 1944.
I have no idea why this would be added to his History file as I'm certain it was indeed 23rd 1944 that he was Killed in action.Confirming this Pfc Fussel J Loniello is Burried at the Normandy American Cemetery Plot H Row 14 Grave 8 .
Soon I will add the MR that also confirms this.

22/06/2024

Remembering today PFC Eugene R Millar 23rd Infantry Regiment 2nd Division.

PFC Millar was KIA 80 years ago today in the area around St George D Elle a small village close to the deadly Hill 192.
I’m still unsure about the Death of Eugene Miller at this stage but he was seriously wounded with injuries that would later take his young life….he was just 24 years of age.
During this day Co E took a heavy barrage of German 105 (see pic) mortars and it is pretty likely that shrapnel from one of these Mortars took Eugene life.

PVC Eugene Miller is Buried at: Plot G Row 28 Grave 27 Normandy American Cemetery Colleville-sur-Mer, France

His life and sacrifice for our freedom will never be forgotten.

19/06/2024

Remembering 80 years ago today PFC Earl A Terry 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division Co K was killed in Action on June 19th 1944. near the small Village of St Germain D Elle.

His Brother Ralph Terry served in the same unit was killed the following year on February 9, 1945.
Both are buried side by side at the Normandy American Cemetery Plot D Row 3 Grave 6 and 7
His service will never be forgotten.

19/06/2024

Remembering today Pvt. Jose Agapito Martinez - Company I
KIA Nr Montrabot,19th June 1944 80 years ago today
He was just 23 years of age .

Pvt. Jose Agapito Martinez born in 1920 in Park View, Rio Arriba, New Mexico.
His father, Jose Agapito Martinez, was born and raised in Northern New Mexico. His mother, Adelina Marie “Lena” Martinez, was born and raised in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. His father was a blacksmith and a farmer. Jose was the fourth of his parent’s five children. He had three older sisters and a younger sister.

Jose was raised in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. He moved with his family to Colorado when he was about ten years old. He attended school in New Mexico and Colorado and left school in 1936 and worked as a farm laborer. On November 14 1940, Jose enlisted in the Army.

After his basic training in early 1941, Jose was assigned to the 9th Infantry Regiment (IR) in the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In August 1941, the 2nd ID moved to Louisiana to participate in the Louisiana Maneuvers. The Division stayed in Louisiana until September 1942 where it returned to Fort Sam Houston. In November 1942, the Division moved to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin for four months of winter training before returning to Fort Sam Houston in February 1943. On March 29, 1943 Jose married Texas native, Micaela P. Perez, in Bexar County, Texas. In September 1943, the 2nd ID moved to Camp Shanks, New York. On October 8, 1943 the 2nd Division sailed for the European Theater. By that time, Jose’s wife, Micaela, was pregnant with their son, Joe.

The 2nd ID arrived in Northern Ireland on October 17, where they started training for the invasion of occupied Europe. The Division trained in Northern Ireland and Wales until June 1944. On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), the 2nd ID left Cardiff Wales and landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on June 7. The 9th Infantry Regiment added the 15th Field Artillery Battalion and became the 9th Regimental Combat Team (RCT). The 9th RCT relieved units of the 1st Division north of the town of Trevieres on June 8. The following day, the 9th RCT entered their first combat when they attacked Trevieres. On June 10, the 2nd ID captured the town with a complete rout of enemy troops with the city.

By June 12, the 2nd ID had pushed 25 kilometers inland from Omaha beach and encountered increasing enemy artillery fire. By June 15, the units in the 2nd ID had to take positions among the hedgerows and progress had to be made from hedgerow to hedgerow. By June 16, the 9th RCT had fought their way to Montrabot, France. On June 17-18, the 2nd ID consolidated their positions. On June 19, the Division launched an attack that failed to pe*****te the German defense line. It was during this attack that Pvt. Jose A. Martinez was killed by machine gun fire. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his gallantry during this attack.


He was survived by his wife and son. He was also survived by his parents and his four siblings.

Pvt. Jose A. Martinez was laid to rest at the Normandy American Cemetery
Plot G Row 8 Grave 23
Please visit and show your respects for his service

17/06/2024

When you think the people of 🇫🇷 France have forgotten the Brave men of the 2nd Indian head Division and the sacrifice they gave in Normandy1944......well think again.
Yesterday 16th June 2024 I was Invited to the ceremony at the Small village of Saint Germain D Elle by the Mayor Guy Bertholon .
All the residents of the village turned out in rain and sunshine ,not to celebrate but to show their thanks and respect to the American soldiers of the 2nd who fought and died around the Brocage countryside of St Germain D'Elle.

The village was not liberated until later in the month of June 1944 so it wasn't a liberation party but a tribute to show their honor and thanks to the Men of the 9th Infantry Regiment for their service and sacrifice.

On the 16th June 1944 G Company tried to enter and take the Village from the small German garrison that was manning an 88 Artillery Gun set up by the church.The 88 was causing havoc in the 2nd Division Sector and Co G was sent in......What Nobody knew that during the night of the 15th June under the cover of darkness,the German 3rd Para Division (3 Fallschirmjäger -Division )soldiers had been moved into the Village from Brest. (Bretagne)Moving into Normandy during the 10th June 1944 and into the area to stop the America Advance.
St Lo was the key position for both armies and would be attacked and defended at all costs.
St Lo was only a few miles away and would become the hardest fighting for the men of the 9th IR.The 23rd and 38th IR were having their own problems for the attack for St Lo with the German Forces on hill 192.With-out the capture of Hill 192 there would be no Liberation of St Lo.
The 3rd German Para Division was a Crack Airborne division and Considered as some of the Hardest men in the German Army.An American Commander once said ''Those Germans are the best damned soldiers I ever saw. They're smart and they don't know what 'fear' means. They come in and they keep coming until they get their job done or you kill them".
They were well equipped with the Deadly MG42 machine gun.
Company G's advance into the Village was stopped in its tracks with Deadly force, Company G men were fighting for their lives and survival.The Village changed hands several times during the next few days and many times the Company Command post had to pull back to safer parts near Litteau while the men of the 9th fought sometime on each side of the same hedgerow.

Many times during the day I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eyes as Veterans families and young children of the French village gave their tributes and thanks to the 2nd Division liberators.
This day shows the warm love from the hearts of a small village in Normandy how they understand and appreciate the Sacrifice of the men not just of the 2nd Division but the US troops who gave up their lives for this far Country..
Thank you Guy Bertholon and the Wonderful people of
Saint Germain D Elle ❤️🙏
Your all "Second to none "

16/06/2024

Today I was proud to attend the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery with the Mayor and people of the Village from St Germain D Elle to honour the men of the 9th infantry Regiment who were KIA whiles liberating the Normandy Villages around St Germain D Elle 80 year later..
Around this small village of St Germain D Elle the fighting was at it’s feistiest.The German Defenders were recently enforced with members of the deadly 3rd Para Division that had come in from Renne after the D day landings.....The town of St Lo is just a few miles behind and a Key prize to both Armies. German reinforcement where slowly coming in to hold the 2nd Division in their tracks.

One of the men we payed honour to was S Sgt John Simonetti who was honored at the Garden of the Missing.
We were Lucky to have at the ceremony John's Nephew Fred Salerno who had left his business card at the village many years ago while on a visit and looking for information from anyone who could tell the family of the Death of his Uncle John.

Here is his story.

Staff Sgt John Simonetti of the 2nd Infantry Division (Indien Head) 9th Regiment was killed in St Germain d Elle on the 16th June 1944 by a snipers bullet from the old church bell tower.He was Missing in Action until his body was discovered in 2009.He is the last American Soldier to be found missing in Normandy.

Whiles slowly advancing on the small village, SSgt John Simonetti received a Sniper bullet to his Neck.The Sniper was watching over the heavily defended Normandy Village from the church bell tower.There had been a Germany 88 Flak gun stationed there and causing havoc with the US advance so this small place would be defended heavenly by the small German force.
It was Sgt Simonettis’s CoG to push the Germans out and liberate the Village.
After he had been mortally wombed the Village changed hands several times.His men and comrades pulled back out fast as the fighting erupted and his body was lost in the confusion.After the US troops finally captured the village the body of Sgt Somonetti was no longer there to be found and his men assumed he had be removed by US soldiers and taken back to the town of Bayeux.
It turns out that the Germans had removed his body and re-buried it closer in the Village and where it would be discovered many years later.
After the end of the War the remains were never discovered and he was listed as MIA and his name added to the 1557 other Service men who have never been found in Normandy.

The Simonetti family was devastated by this loss of their youngest son - a loss compounded by the fact that his body was not recovered from the battlefield where he died. It was a tragedy that the family lived with for generations, all the time they prayed and hoped that one day, John might be found. His mother took it very hard and took her sorrow to the end of her life never knowing what had happened to her son.She had very bad eyes and each time she saw a Soldier in uniform would send one of the Children over to ask if they knew her Son John and what had happend to him.
In the years that followed his death, the family was in contact with the Army though the and pursued various paths to determine what had happened to their hero on that fateful day with no leads ever coming to fruition.

On the occasion of the Fred Salerno '61 and his wife, traveled to Normandy to honour his uncle's memory. They visited the American Cemetery and viewed the Wall of the Missing where the name of John Simonetti was engraved. Moved by the experience, they then visited the small town of St. Germain d'Elle to trace the path that John had traversed on his final days. The Mayor and people of St. Germain welcomed Fred and his wife with open arms and introduced them to a farmer upon whose farm John's final battle took place. Departing the town, Fred left his business card on the off chance that new information might someday come to light.

In May 2009, while doing some minor excavation work a contractor discovered the skeletal remains of an American soldier, with his dog tags still around his neck, was unearthed in the of the centre of the town of St. Germain d'Elle.

Remembering the business card that had been left by an American tourist 15 years earlier, a town Mayor reached out to a relative in the United States who in turn contacted Fred.
Fred told me that by that time everything on his bussiness card had change....the only thing that was correct was his name.Amazing to think that he was tracked down.
After that moment began the amazing, miraculous and heart warming journey that would forge a friendship between the small French town where he was found and a grateful American family that was finally able to bring John home and lay him to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Over a hundred of SSgt John Simonetti's extended family turned up for the service Fred said.

Since that day many of the Simonetti family have traveled to Normandy France to pay tribute to John and the fallen hero’s of the Normandy Landings and I had the great Honour to be part of spending time with the Simonetti family visiting their cousins memorial and Village he was shot in 1944.

Sgt John Simonetti still remains the last MIA soldier who fell on the Normandy soils to be discovered and buried with Full Military honours.

Still 80 years Later Mayor and Villages of this small town pay tribute to the young men of the 2nd Indian Head Division who gave their lives for the Liberation of the Freedom we all take for granted.
Second to None....

15/06/2024

Remember 80 years ago today Pvt James E Fuller of E Company of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division.He was just 25 years of age.
James was Killed in action on the 15th June 1944 a short distance from the small Village Berigny Normandy.
These were the first few days of fighting that would later become known as 'the battle of the Hedgerows'(Brocage) and were some of the Deadliest in the France ETO's.On these first few nights the German defenders would often send Patrols to sneak into the US lines of defence during the Dark nights making sleep very difficult for the men of the 2nd.

Pvt Fuller was from Fort Leavenworth Kansas and now rests back in his Hometown Cemetery.
If you're in the Area, please pass and show your respect for his service at Section G plot 118.
His sacrifice will never be forgotten.

14/06/2024

Remembering today Pfc Claude E Bailey of E company 9 th infantry Regiment of the 2nd Indianhead Division..
Pfc Bailey was KIA in Normandy 80 years ago today June 13th 1944 with Co E.
Claude is Buried with his Family Cemetery in New Chapel Road (Rt. 606) Rustburg, Virginia 24588 United States
His sacrifice will never be forgotten.....

13/06/2024

On this day 80 years ago Two young men lost their lives fighting against evil and defending the freedom of what we now take for granted.
Pvt Ted Acker was just 22 years of age and his Friend and comrade Pfc Ballard Flanery was just a little older at 25 years of age.Both men had enlisted in the US army in 1942 and were quickly trained up for combat and shipped to the United Kingdom to be part of the ETO with the 9th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Indian Head Division

After disembarking the USAT George W Goethias at 15.30hrs on the 7th June they climbed down to board the LCT Landing craft and made the short trip onto the Beach at St Laurent -Sur -Mer , putting their feet on the French Normandy sand that would later become known as Bloody Omaha beach;.The Golden sands had been so heavily defended the day before by the Germans, the carnage of the 6th June would have been apparent and an idea of what was to come.They Bivouacked for the night receiving regular German sniper fire. The men would have dug their foxholes as deep as possible to avoid sporadic shelling and the crosshairs of the Snipers trying to pick out moving targets.
The next few days they crossed with E Co the Normandy Hedgerow country receiving heavy resistance from German Ambushes dug into the Banks of the Hedgerows and regular Sniper fire.Arriving in the area Herouville on the 10th June Company E would have been relieved to be happy to be with the rest of their Battalion and setting up a command post.At this point the Germans held a defensive line across the Beriginy road near the Village St Germain 'D' elle Enemy patrols came in and out of the 9th Inf Regiments lines regularly.The front lines of Defence had been drawn by the German defenders and would remain so for many more days.
At some point but it's still unclear, both men having had specialised training to use a rocket launcher were transferred to company C who had received orders to advance ahead of the US front lines and attack a German held high ground that had a 360 degree view of the whole area and could cause a significant problem calling German Artillery of the men of the 2nd Division.Company C advanced through German held territory with Ted and Ballard and took the Wooded Knoll that sits on the High Ground (later to become known as 'powderkeg hill) and set up a defensive perimeter around the woods. During the next 3 days Company C and Pvt Acker and Pfc Flanery stood their ground receiving 3 days of a barrage of heavy Mortar and Artillery fire.This Company C outpost was able to have eyes on German activity in the area and forward to their Division Command Post vital info on the German troops and there movement.
In the late afternoon of the 13th June 1944 a well placed German Mortar had a Direct hit on the Foxhole the Ted and Ballard .The impact from the Mortar was so heavy that both men had no chance of survival.The Foxhole they were Killed in was covered over and Coordinates taken by their Commanding officer for a future removal of their bodies......the war moved on

Unfortunately after many visits to the Site by American Grave Registration services and American Grave Registration Command after the War no traces of the men have ever been found.The files will remain open to this day and with DPAA now working with the family we hope to one day repatriate both men back in their homeland they left over 80 years ago.Both Men remain Listed as Missing in Action (MIA) and are on the Tablet of the Missing in Action at the Normandy American Cemetery.

05/06/2024

Great to have you Guys all Back ...2nd To none