U.S. ‘Fighting First’ joins British 50th on French coast
SHAEF, England (UP) –
Two famous infantry divisions – America’s Fighting First and Britain’s 50th Division – were revealed today to be fighting together on the Allied beachhead in France.
Comprising men from every state in the Union, the 1st Infantry Division went into its latest action with a one-time private as its commander.
The presence of the two divisions, both veterans of World War I, in the invasion forces was announced last night by Allied headquarters.
Acclaimed as the “epitome of an infantry-artillery team,” the Fighting First has one of the most enviable records of the Army. In World War I, it was the first U.S. Army division to reach France, one of the first to meet the enemy and the first to attack.
In this war, the Fighting First came to England in August 1942, and later joined the invasion off Africa, where it distinguished itself at Gafsa, El Guettar and in the final Tunisian drive around Mateur.
From there, the men of the 1st Division went to Sicily, landing at Gela, where they added to their achievements.
The British 50th Division, known as the “Geordies,” established an exceptional record in the last war and in this conflict joined the 8th Army in Africa when the Germans were thrusting toward Cairo. At Mareth, it was given the job of frontal attack, and although it suffered heavily, the 50th Division’s fighting played a big part in holding Marshal Erwin Rommel’s forces while New Zealanders smashed the right flank, sending the Germans fleeing into North Tunisia.
Bayeux mob beats up, ‘crowns’ a Quisling
Townsfolk go temporarily berserk, shove collaborationist through streets
By Alan Moorhead
Bayeux, France (UP) –
The French of this town have gone temporarily berserk with the joy of freedom after four years of pent-up hatred for the Germans and welcomed the opportunity to punish the collaborationists.
The chief collaborationist of Bayeux, who is also the head of the “Anti-Bolshevist League,” has just been shoved through the main street by a hilarious and demonstrative crowd.
A gray-haired squat figure, blood was running down the side of his head. His shirt was half torn off, his right leg was scratched and a wreath of roses crowned his head in an ironical takeoff of a ceremonial.
His eyes were filled with fright and he stared wildly as he tried to dodge blows aimed at him. A young French guerilla armed with an Allied rifle tried to keep the people back, but they kept surging forward.
A while ago, the crowd grabbed one of the collaborationist policemen and he was being beaten by the screaming townspeople.
Thus France was observing her liberation.
The delight of the people was mingled with a sudden outburst of four years’ pent-up hatred of the Germans and their followers. This was different from Tunisia and Italy. Hatred of the Germans overshadowed all else here.
For the moment, the people were too dazed to celebrate. Their main thought was to grab the enemies who have repressed them since 1940.
A similar dispatch filed by John Hetherington said the townspeople of Bayeux started a roundup of pro-Vichy residents, but that most of them had fled with the German armies.