The story
Assigned to the Third Army, the regiments left CP 2 in trucks and on 40 and 8 boxcars for an assembly area near Bensdorf, France, on December 18 and 19. While they were enroute their orders were changed and Task Force Linden was assigned to the Seventh Army and directed to relieve elements of the 36th Infantry Division in the vicinity of Strasbourg.
Two days before Christmas the Rainbow infantrymen arrived in the vicinity of Strasbourg and were billetted in old French forts and in school houses.
Photo 2: 42nd Infantry Division (USA) in Strasbourg on Christmas day.
Photo 1: A steak dinner was served on the train to men of the I32d Signal Company the day before Christmas, the same day the infantry saw action.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.