General Notes

[meadows.FTW]



Frank Meadows was born in Mercer County, West Virginia in a little town called Ittman. He left Ittman because his father would not allow him to play football.  He moved to Marlinton, West Virginia and joined the Civilian Conservation Corp which was responsible for building many roads and state parks.  He helped build Watoga State Park in West Virginia.  He graduated from Pocahontas High School.  After serving in the CCC, he enlisted in the Army during World War II. He was sent to the University of Tennessee's Flight Training School, 63rd. CFD, Flight 30 Spd. D.   He was then sent to  Hq. Btry. 8th. Armored Division Artillery.  On his discharge papers is written:   Battles and Campaigns:  the Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe.  Decorations and Citations:  Good Conduct Medal, American Theater Service Ribbon, European, African, Middle Eastern Service Ribbon, WWII Victory Ribbon.  Remarks:  Lapel Button Issued, no days lost under AW 107, ASR Score 81.  At the time of his discharge he was a Corporal.

After the war, Frank came to Baltimore, Maryland to find work and sent for his wife, Lois, where they lived in their first apartment on Washington Blvd. in Baltimore.  Frank worked as an electrician for Joseph A. Seagrams for 14 years until his retirement in 1984.  He was previously employed with Revere Copper and Brass for nearly 30 years.  He was a member of the Masonic Lodge 213 of Glen Burnie, Maryland and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon Forest 126 of Annapolis.  He served as Grand Tall Cedar in 1970.

Frank died of colon cancer in his home on August 9, 1996.

History of the 8th. Armored Division:

The 8th. Armored Division was activated on April 1, 1942, like many Armored Divisions, at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  The primary mission of the 8th. Armored when they were activated was to train the thousands of soldiers entering the fast growing armored forces preparing to head for Europe.  The 8th. Armored also had the honor of being the official guardian for the United States gold reserve.

In early 1943, the Division was relieved of its training mission and ordered to prepare themselves for overseas movement.  The Division entered an intense training cycle that took them from Fort Knox to Camp Campbell and on to numerous other sites for a wide variety of training missions. In March, the Division was moved to North Camp Polk, Louisiana where it took over vehicles and equipment of the departing 7th. Armored Division. While in North Camp Polk, the Division began training for combat service.  By September, 1944 the Division was placed in top priority and ready for deployment and headed for their embarkation points in New York and New Jersey.

The 8th. Armored arrived in the European Theater of Operations in November, 1944 and immediately set about a final training program designed to familiarize the Division with what they could expect to encounter across the channel on the European mainland.  Two months later, the 8th. Armored left England and landed in France in January, 1945 in the vicinity of Pont-a-Mousson to organize a counterattack against an expected enemy strike in the Metz area.

On January 22, after failure of the German attack to materialize, the Division joined the fighting in support of the drive by the 94th. Infantry Division against the Saar-Moselle salient.  Six days later, it was relieved and moved north to the Maastricht, Holland area to prepare for participation in 9th. Army's attack toward the Rhine.

February found the 8th. Armored in support of the 35th. Infantry Division and the 84th. Infantry Division in their drive to the east.  Against stiff resistance, the 8th. Armored captured Tetelrath, Obherkruchten, Rheinberg and Ossenberg.  One month later, on March 26, the 8th. Armored crossed the Rhine River at Wesel.  Taking Dorsten and Marl on March 29, it crossed north of the Lippe Canal on April 1 and raced east to reach Neuhaus on April 3. The Division spearheaded an attack west into the Ruhr pocket that destroyed several German Divisions who had been holding out and preparing a counter-offensive.

The 8th. Armored was then placed in support of the XIX Corps who were pushing towards the Elbe River.  The Division was moved to the east and encountered heavy opposition from the 11th.  Panzer Army near the Harz Mountains.  Assembling in the vicinity of Halberstadt, it attacked south against the German force, taking Blankenburg on the 20th. of April and seizing Ottenstedt on the 21st.  After several days of fierce fighting, the 11th. Panzer could no longer function as an effective fighting unit and the XIX Corps flank was secure.  The 8th. Armored continued to mop up German resistance in and around the Harz Mountains.

Field Marshal von Kesselring's last order to his troops and the capture of his former CP at Blankenburg by elements of CCB of the 8th. Armored Division confirmed the death of Hitler's dreams in the west.

The Nazi field marshal's radioed order to members of the German 11th. Army read:  "The field marshal expresses complete recognition of its brave accomplishments."

Officers of von Kesselring's staff who were captured by CCB intimated that the Nazi leader had fled from Blankenburg for the south, April 10, on one of two special trains carrying members of his personal staff.  The remainder of his command was left behind scattered throughout the Harz Mountains south of Blankenburg and were rounded up by the 8th. Armored Divisions and their units.

After Germany surrendered, the 8th. Armored was ordered into Czechoslovakia to process POWs and displaced persons and guarding vital installations including the Skoda Munitions Works.  The Division closed in the Pilsen area on June 6, 1945.  They also guarded several key installations in Austria.  In September, 1945 the Division returned to France for embarkation for the United States and the Division was deactivated on November 13, 1945.

Casualties:  260 killed, 1,015 wounded, 38 missing.  Battle casualties total: 2,454.  The Division captured 35,494 prisoners of war.

Command Posts:

12/1/1944 Tidworth, Wiltshire, England
1/4/1945 Crossing Channel
1/11/1945 Bacqueville, Manche, France
1/14/1945 Pont-a-Mousson, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
2/3/1945 Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands
2/4/1945 Simpelveld, Limberg, Netherlands
2/21/1945 Echt, Limberg, Netherlands
2/28/1945 Huckelhoven, Rhineland, Germany
3/2/1945 Klinkum, Rhineland, Germany
3/3/1945 Hinsbeck, Rhineland, Germany
3/6/1945 Grefrath, Rhineland, Germany
3/23/1945 Bruckenhausen, Rhineland, Germany
3/26/1945 Friedrichsfeld, Rhineland, Germany
3/27/1945 Kirchellen, Westphalia, Germany
3/20/1945 Zweickel, Westphalia, Germany
4/2/1945 Selm, Westphalia, Germany
4/4/1945 Delbruck, Westphalia, Germany
4/6/1945 Monninghausen, Westphalia, Germany
4/7/1945 Erwitte, Westphalia, Germany
4/8/1945 Soest, Westphalia, Germany
4/10/1945 Werl, Westphalia, Germany
4/14/1945 Wolfenbuttel, Westphalia, Germany
4/20/1945 Halberstadt, Westphalia, Germany
4/23/1945 Osterode, Westphalia, Germany
4/26/1945 Gottingen, Westphalia, Germany