Frederick Harsh

ASN:36881562

Frederick Stephen Harsh registered for the draft on February 16, 1942. Born July 6, 1920, he was from Adrian Township, Michigan and employed by Magnesium Fabricators located in Linwood, Michigan, at the time of registration.

This twenty-one-year-old was 5-8, 145 pounds with a light complexion, blue eyes, and blonde hair and had no obvious physical characteristics listed that would aid in identification.

PVT Harsh was drafted into military service in April 1942 and received advanced training at the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He shipped out to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in early 1944 as a replacement soldier he joined the 319th Glider Field Artillery, A-Battery of the 82nd Airborne Division.

The 319th was stationed at Papillon Hall, Market Harborough, England, and trained for the upcoming Normandy invasion of France. Papillon Hall itself was a large structure, first built in 1903, that was requisitioned by the US Army during World War II. It was used as a billet for the 319th Glidermen and the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. The building itself was set-out in a butterfly pattern (Papillon means butterfly in French) with four distinct wings.

Company Morning Reports

Company Morning Reports (CMR) were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events for PVT Harsh were reported:

• June 2, 1944, reported from the 18th Replacement Depot APO 872 to the 319th Glider Field Artillery, MOS 531 (Antitank Gun Crewman). Station: Papillon Hall, 4 miles west of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England WF 1406.

• July 25, 1944, from duty to furlough 5 days London, England at 0600. Station: Papillon Hall, 4 miles west of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England WF 1406.

• July 30, 1944, from furlough 5 days in London, England to duty 2300. Station: Papillon Hall, 4 miles west of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England WF 1406.

• March 29, 1945, from duty to transferred to the 325th Glider Infantry APO 469 per par 1 SO 70, HQ 82nd Airborne Division effective 29 Mar ‘45. Station: Camp Suippes, VT6863, Nor D’Guerre, France.

• March 29, 1945, assigned and joined 325th Glider Infantry Anti-tank Company from the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, MOS 610 (Antitank Gun Crewman). Station: Camp Suippes, VT6863, Nor D’Guerre, France.

• June 28, 1945, assigned and joined Company C, 325th Glider Infantry. Station: Epinal, France. MOS 531, ASR score 51.

PVT Harsh served as a gunner crewman in four major campaigns, including Normandy, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. During the Ardennes campaign he fought in the Battle of the Bulge (see below standing center) with fellow A-Battery soldiers, December 27, 1944. He was later transferred to the 325th Glider Infantry in March 1945.

In May 1945 the war was over. The US Army used the Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASR) at the end of the war to determine when soldiers were eligible for discharge.

By August 1945, PVT Harsh with 51 points was now stationed in Berlin, Germany for occupational duty with other 325th soldiers having an ASR score of less than 85. Many soldiers were housed in what had formerly been a Nazi SS barracks.

Upon completion of his occupational duties in Berlin PVT Harsh sailed to the USA in December 1945 and was honorably discharged. He returned to his hometown of Adrian, Michigan.

He worked as a farmer all of his life and a licensed carpenter. In 1947, he married Hildegard Gursch and they enjoyed spending their winters in Florida as well as traveling all over the United States.

PVT Harsh was awarded the European-African-Middle East Theatre Ribbon with 4 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, Presidential Unit Citation Badge with Oak Leaf Cluster, World War II Victory Medal, and the Netherlands Orange Lanyard.

Frederick Stephen Harsh, 80, died June 15, 2001.

God Bless this hero.