SENIOR OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS WITHIN SIXTH ARMORED DIVISION

-- as compiled by Col. James S. Moncrief, Ret.

Webmaster Notes

Jim Moncrief is the senior surviving officer of the Sixth Armored Division, and his position as division G-1 meant that he was in contact with most officers and was involved in all major organizational decisions made in the division. Jim has graciously taken the time to fill out the chart below to the best of his memory. If he isn't sure about a particular slot at a particular time, that position is left blank.

Since some of this information has been compiled from memory rather than from historical record, it is possible that one or two names, ranks, or positions may be in error, but the listing is as accurate as circumstances permit.

Activation of Division -- February, 1942:

Upon activation, in addition to the supporting troops, the Table of Organization for the division included two tank regiments and one infantry regiment, and three artillery battalions. The division was activated minus the artillery, which was formed in the summer of 1942 with the assignment of three active battalions: the 212th, a National Guard unit from Massachusetts, and two battalions (which later became the 128th and the 231st) from the 128th F. A. Regiment (Harry Truman's "outfit" during WW I a Guard unit from Missouri.

Commanding General: Brig. Gen. William H. H. Morris, Jr.
Chief of Staff Col. C. C. (Red) Allen
General Staff:

G-1: Lt. Col. Wade Gatchell
G-2: Lt Col. Renn Lawrence
G-3: Lt Col. George W Read, Jr.
G-4: Lt Col. Basil Thayer

Special Staff:

Signal Officer: Major William J. Given
Engineer 0fficer: Lt. Col. Wm. Potter
Adjutant General: Lt Col. Stone
Division Surgeon: Lt. Col. Roosevelt Cafarelli
Finance Officer: Lt Col. Joseph Weichman
Quartermaster: Lt. Col. Walter Boyle
Chemical Officer:
Judge Advocate General: Lt Col. James Ellis
Division Chaplain: Lt Col. Kilburne
Inspector General:
Headquarters Commandant:
Provost Marshal:
Special Service Officer:


Commander, Combat Command B: Brig Gen. Carlos Brewer
Commander, Combat Command A: Brig. Gen. John Devine

C. O. 50th Armored Infantry Regiment: Col James Taylor
C. O. 68th Tank Regiment:  
C. O. 69th Tank Regiment:  Col. Schwinn
C. O. 86th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion: Lt. Col. James Quill
C. O. 25th Armored Engineer Battalion: Lt. Col. William Potter
C. O. Maintenance Battalion: Lt. Col. Baker
C. O. 76th Armored Medical Battalion: Lt. Col. Roosevelt Cafarelli
C. O. Quartermaster Battalion: Lt. Col. Walter Boyle

Summer, 1943

Because of the rapid growth of the Armored Forces, many of the original officers of the Sixth were transferred to the newly formed divisions. This turnover of officers within the division continued until its move to overseas theater of operations. By late summer of 1943 when the division was located at Camp Cooke California, the following changes had occurred within the senior command and staff positions of the division:

General Staff:

Chief of Staff: Col. Basil Thayer
G-l: Lt Col. James S. Moncrief, Jr.
G-2: Lt. Col. Michael Galvin
G-3: Lt Col. Alexander Surles, Jr
G-4: Lt Col. J. Caleb Boggs


Special Staff:

Adjutant General: Lt Col. James Garfield
Division Engineer: Lt. Col. Donald Williams
Quartermaster: Maj. Hamilton
Division Chaplain: Maj. Homer Milford
Provost Marshal: Capt. (later Maj.) Silas Langlois
Inspector General: Lt. Col. Robert F. Bates
Chemical Officer: Maj. Elwood Wagner
Special Services Officer: Maj. Harold Shuman
Headquarters Commandant: Maj. Claud H. Long


Commander Combat Command B: Brig. Gen. James Taylor
Commander Combat Command A: Brig. Gen. John Devine

C. O. Division Artillery: Lt. Col. William Jesse
C. O. 128th Field Artillery Battalion: Lt. Col. Thomas Bruce
C. O. 212th Field Artillery Battalion, Lt. Col. Philip Pope
C. O. 231st Field Artillery Battalion, Lt. Col. Robert S. Perkins
C. O. 50th Armored Infantry Regiment: Col. Harry Hanson
C. O. 69th Tank Regiment: Col James C. Fry
C. O. 68th Tank Regiment: Col. George W. Read, Jr.
C. O. Trains Command: Col. Wade Gatchell
C. O. 25th Armored Engineer Battalion: Lt. Col. Donald Williams
C. O. 76th Armored Medical Battalion, Lt. Col. James Branch

Fall, 1943

In September of 1943, Gen. Morris was reassigned to command the newly activated II Armored. Corps. Gen Morris took with him Col. Thayer and Lt Col Surles of the General Staff Brig. Gen. Robert W. Grow, who had been a Combat Commander in the 10th Armored Division, was named Commanding General of the Sixth Armored Division. Gen Grow soon named Lt Col. Glen C. McBride, who had been a Tank Battalion Commander in the 10th Armored, as his Chief of Staff.

In order to gain more flexibility the utilization of an armored division, the War Department ordered a major change in its Table of Organization. Eliminating the regimental structure, this reorganization specified that the fighting units of an armored division be three tank battalions, three infantry battalions and three artillery battalions with the necessary support troops. In October of 1943, this reorganization was accomplished.

Staff Assignments, entry into combat: Summer, 1944

Following the assumption of Command by Gen. Grow and the division's reorganization, the assignment of senior commanders and officers within the Division at the time of its entry into combat was as follows:

Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Robert W. Grow

Aides to C. G.: 1st Lieuts. Cyrus R. Shockey and Ben Schleider

General Staff (all are Reserve Officers):

Chief of Staff: Col. Glen C. McBride
G-l: Lt Col. James S. Moncrief, Jr.
G-2: Major Ernest W. Mitchell, Jr.
G-3: Lt. Col. Michael Galvin
G-4: Lt. Col. J. Caleb Boggs


Special Staff:

Signal Officer: Lt. Col. William J. Given
Division Engineer: Lt Col. Donald Williams
Adjutant General: Lt Col. George W. Moore
Div. Surgeon: Lt Col. James W. Branch
Finance Officer: Lt Col. Joseph Weichman
Quartermaster: Major Robert Mills
Chemical Officer: Maj. Ellwood Wagner
Judge Advocate General: Lt. Col. James W. Ellis
Division Chaplain: Maj. Homer Milford
Inspector General: Lt. Col. Robert F. Bates
Headquarters Commandant: Maj. Claude Long
Provost Marshal: Maj. Silas Langlois
Special Service Officer: Major Harold Shuman
Liaison Officer: Maj. John J. Flynt and Capt Thomas P. Crawford.

The assignments above, with few exceptions, remained intact throughout the war. The known exceptions: Major Harrigan Wortsmith replaced Maj. Long; Major Fred Field and later Maj. Eugene ("Whiz") White replaced Maj. Langlois.

Unit Commanders, Fall 1943 through VE Day

The turnover rate among the unit commanders was very high. In each case below, the first entry will indicate the individual who was the commander in late 1943, and in most cases, upon the division's entry into combat in July 1944. Succeeding names listed will be those individuals who, in chronological order, commanded that unit for more than a week.

Combat Command A: Brig. Gen. James Taylor, Col. Harry Hanson, Col.
John L. Hines, Jr., Col. Albert E. Harris

Combat Command B: Col. (later - Brig. Gen.) George W. Read, Jr., Col.
Harry Hanson, Col. Embry Lagrew, Col. Glen C. McBride.

Reserve Command.: Col. Harry Hanson, Col. Albert E. Harris, Lt Col.
Embry Lagrew, and Lt. Col. Ralph McKee

Division Artillery: Lt Col. William Jesse, Col. Lowell M. Riley


128th Field Artillery Bn: Lt. Col Thomas R Bruce, Jr.

212th F. A. Bn: Lt. Col. Phillip H. Pope

231st. F. A. Bn: Lt. Col. Robert S. Perkins, Maj. Ben Goodin, Lt
Col. Thomas M. Crawford


9th Armored Infantry Battalion: Lt Col. Thomas E. Godfrey, Maj. Milton
Stablein, Lt Col Frank Britton, Maj. Gilman P. Morse

44th Armored Infantry Bn: Lt Col. Lewis McCorison, Lt Col. Charles E.
Brown

50th Armd. Inf. Bn: Lt Col. Arnold Wall, Maj. Paul C. Root, Jr., Lt Col.
Albert N. ("Terp") Ward

15th Tank Battalion: Lt. Col. Embry Lagrew, Lt. Col. William Sussman

68th Tank Battalion: Lt Col. Harold C. ("Heck") Davall

69th Tank Battalion: Lt. Col. Bedford H. Forest, Major (later Lt Col.)
Chester E. Kennedy

25th Armored Engineer Bn: Lt Col. Donald 6. Williams

86th Cavalry Reconnaissance Bn: Lt Col. Albert Harris, Lt. Col. Harry
Brindle

Division Trains: Lt Col. (Later Col.) Elmer H. Droste

76th Armored Medical Bn: Lt. Col. James W. Branch, Maj. Leonard
Rothman

128th Ordnance Battalion: Lt. Col. Raymond Greaves, Jr. Maj.
Chester Stiteler

Div. Headquarters Company: Capt Harrigan W. Wortsmith, Capt Anthony
A. Imbriano

146th Signal Company: Capt Tyler Dixon, Capt. Prank Thomas, Capt.
Thomas Fisher

Headquarters Company Combat Command A: Capt Leroy Manuel

Headquarters Company Combat Command B: Capt Jerry Rose, Lt T.
Stivason, Capt. Kenneth Deichler

Hq. Btry. Division Artillery: Capt. John Quaday, Capt Eugene Wolf

Hq. Co. Div. Trains: Capt. Jack Marsden, Lt. Theodore Schaaf

Civil Affairs detachment and Permanently Attached units

Prior to entering combat a Civil Affairs detachment of three officers, headed by Maj. Royce S. ("Judge") Weisenberger was assigned to the Division. Likewise several "special purpose" units were permanently attached to the division:

777th Anti Aircraft Bn: Lt Col. Joseph H. Twyman, Jr.

603rd Tank Destroyer Bn: Lt Col. John G. Minniece, Jr., Lt Col. Clarence
D. McCurry

642nd Quartermaster Truck Company: Capt. Joseph P. Lanfear

3803rd Quartermaster Truck Company: Capt Billy Y. Yeatts

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Last updated:
December 2, 1998 -- Created page.