28 Jan 2024 Garand Picture of the Day - Darby's Rangers - 1958

[Mark in Rochester]

[browningautorifle]

I remember when that was almost a new movie... "Look at that RANGER patch!"

[Mark in Rochester]

On April 30, 1945, while Darby was issuing orders for the attack on Trento to cut off a German retreat, an artillery shell burst in the middle of the assembled officers and NCOs, killing Darby and a regimental Sergeant Major, John "Tim" Evans, and wounding several others."Task Force Darby" continued with their mission. Two days later, on May 2, 1945, all German forces in Italy surrendered.

Darby, aged 34 at the time of his death, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general on May 15, 1945. He was buried in Cisterna, Italy. He was reinterred at Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas on March 11, 1949.

Every year in Italy on April 30, there is the Col. Darby 40 Mile March from Peschiera del Garda to the Darby monument in Torbole sul Garda

[Ovidio]

And a very big base close to Pisa is named after him. Camp Darby.

[CINDERS]

To go through so much to be taken right at the end..........

Bit like a doco we were watching the other day on plagues through the ages, men survived 4 years of conflict 1914 - 1918 through hell & back just to be taken out by the flu epidemic of 1919 - 1920 all about timing.