Listed below you can find a list of books written about the 83rd or by members of the 83rd about their time with the division. This is an ongoing effort so the list is never complete! Much of this bibliography is courtesy of Dave Curry, our former Association Historian. Many of these books are
out of print or otherwise difficult to locate. We realize that this bibiliography may not be complete – please nominate any publications we may have omitted and they will be added to this bibliography.
Unit Histories
“The Thunderbolt Across Europe. A History of the 83rd Infantry Division 1942-1945” This is the official history of the 83rd Division, edited and published by the 83rd Division I & E Section, with narrative written by Sgt. Ernie Hayhow. Includes campaign maps and some photos. F. Bruckmarm K. G., Munich, Germany.
“329 Buckshot Infantry Regiment” is the official history of the 329th Infantry Regiment. Includes text and photos, 186 pages. Edited by Daniel P. O’Connor. Published in Germany, 1945.
“Story of the 330th infantry Across Europe” Published by Information Education and Public Relations Office of 330th Infantry, this is a brief history of the regiment in the European Theater. Includes some photos. 30 pages.
“We Saw It Through: History of the Three Thirty First Combat Team Today, Tomorrow, Forever” by Jack M. Straus, is the official history of the 331st Infantry Regiment. The 240 page book includes numerous photographs. Printed by F. Bruckmann K. G., Munich, Germany.
“Combat History of 908th Field Artillery Battalion” This 39 page pamphlet is a brief history the 908th FA from Atterbury to the Elbe. Includes photos, combat losses, list of locations from August 1942 through August 1945.
“Rounds Complete Mission Accomplished” by Sgt. George R. Hall is the history of the 324th Field Artillery Battalion. Includes list of MA. 24 pages.
“The Thunderbolt Division” is a 28-page booklet with an abbreviated history of the 83rd Division. Includes numerous cartoons by N. S. Firfires.
“Map, The Thunderbolt Across Europe” This 34 X 28 in. map shows the entire European area covered by the 83rd. Reverse side includes a brief history of the division, with drawings and illustrations by N. S. Firfires.
“83rd Infantry Division History 1917-1962” This paperback book, published in Camp AP Hill, Virginia details the history of the 83rd Division from its initial formation in 1917.
“Thunderbolt: Reflections on the 83rd ARCOM” Published by the 367th and 368th Public Affairs Detachments, 83rd US ARCOM, details the history of the 83rd and its successor the 83rd ARCOM.
“83rd Infantry Division” is a more recent history that includes some material from The Thunderbolt Across Europe.” Also includes a large section of veterans stories, biographies, and photographs. Copyright 1999, Turner Publishing Company, PO Box 3101, Paducah, KY 42002-3101.
Books
“Lee Miller’s War” Photographer Lee Miller spent a lot of time with the 83rd Division. Contains expanded coverage of St. Maio and has a big section on Luxembourg. Little, Brown and Company, 1992.
“The Rag Tag Circus From Omaha Beach To the Elbe” by Edwin B. “Buckshot” Crabill. Crabill was the commander of the 329th IR. His book is an outspoken account of 329th and the 83rd. Vantage Press, 1969.
“Remembrances” by Robert Parsons. The wartime memoirs of Sergeant Robert Parsons, F Company, 331st Infantry Regiment, from Normandy to the end of the war. Privately published. No longer available.
“I Saw It Through” by John A. Aller, started off in the 83rd Division as a rifleman in F Company, 331st Infantry. He then became a mortarman with H Company. Privately published.
“Country Boy Gone Soldering” by George Waple, 1Sgt, 331st HQ. Mr. Waple, now deceased, spent 24 years in the Army and had an interesting career that few soldiers experienced. Call George at 732-542-8322, or contact Fair Haven Books at 1-888-795-4274.
“Rag Tag Circus” by Louis Sandini. Sandini was a Sergeant in Battery B, 322nd Field Artillery. This book covers his experiences from Camp Atterbury to the end of the war. Privately published. No longer available.
“Six Days in July 1944” by Captain J. Phillip London, is the story of 2nd Lieutenant Gordon Leigh Phillips who served in Company A, 330th Infantry Regiment. Phillips was killed in action on July 9, 1944 in the battle of the hedgerows in Normandy. Gateway Press Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1995
“Breakout and Pursuit” by Martin Blumenson is one of the volumes in the official U. S. Army history of World War II (“Green Books”). This is the definitive history of the Normandy Campaign after D-Day, covering the time period of 1 July to 11 September 1944. Lots of information about the 83rd Division.
“The Duel for France, 1944” by Martin Blumenson. A slightly condensed version of “Breakout and Pursuit,” it includes significant coverage of the 83rd Division in Normandy and Brittany. DiCapo Press.
“Entering Germany 1944-1949” represents the best photographs of Tony Vaccaro, an 83rd Division veteran. Most of the photos were taken after the liberation of Germany. Published by Taschen.
“Shavetail” is subtitled ‘The odyessy of an, Infantry Lieutenant in World War 11.” Written by William L. Devitt, a platoon leader in E Company / 330th Infantry Regiment. North Star Press of St. Cloud.
“Shots of War” by Tony Vaccaro, was published primarly as a catalog of the exhibition Shots of War 1944-1945, which was held at the Musee d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg on the dates of December 20,2002 through February 28, 2003. The volume, 160 pages, contains many of Tony’s best known photos.
“Never a Shot in Anger” by Col. Barney Oldfield. Chapter Nine of the book is ‘The Nervy Exploit of Sam Magill,” the complete story of how Magill and his I&R platoon in the 329th lR managed to capture 20,000 German soldiers without firing a shot. Duell, Sloan & Pearce Inc., 1956.
“World War II Experiences of Harry C. Gravelyn” is the personal memoir of the commanding officer of D Company / 331st Infantry. Over 240 pages in length, it is a thorough and detailed history of Captain Gravelyn’s experiences. Currently available in the Kindle edition on Amazon.
“Hut Two, The Life and times of a World War II Veteran” by Warren “Rags” Rangnow. This autobiography tells the story of Rangnow’s 39 months with the 83rd. There is also a companion video tape with scenes from Camp Atterbury and the ETO.
“Memories of Heaven, Memories of Hell” by George J. Trebonyak. The book is an account of Trebonyak’s experience of the war. He served with F Company, 329th Infantry Regiment from Camp Atterbury until Discharged on October 26, 1945. Published Privately.
“Chronicle of a WWII Army Bugler” by Harold G. Simss who was the bugler of Company E, 330th Infantry Regiment. His book is well documented with his personal photos, giving a good point of view of the life of the soldiers during their time with the 83rd Infantry Division. Published privately.
Related books by our European members
“De La Neige et du Sang” by Eddy Monfort. In this book, Eddy retraces the counter-attack led by the 83rd Infantry Division and 3rd Armored Division from January 3 to 22, 1945. These are two units among many that took part in this great battle in the forests and campaigns of the Ardennes and in particular the fighting carried out across the sector east of the Manhay-Houffalize road. Almost 80 witnesses, civilians and soldiers tell us about their memories and more than 250 photos, most of which are unpublished, and numerous maps enrich the writings of this collection. This book, currently available only in French, is available privately.
“Sainteny: de l’ombre à la lumière” by Jean-Paul Pitou. This book of over 600 pages takes you through fifty years of the history of this town locaed 10km from Carentan, through its occupation and liberation during World War 2 and beyond.
Related books by our members
“World War II: The Letters That Brought Him Home: Fighting with the 83rd Infantry Division” by Michael S Caprio. The author’s father, Michael Caprio, served in the 322nd Field Artillery Battalion, 83rd Infantry. The book contains 42 letters home with updates of the Division’s involvement in the division’s campaigns. Available on Amazon The author is generously donating royalties to the 83rd Infantry Division Association.
“A Faithful Soldier Writes Home” by Elizabeth Plume Fuss The author shares waretime letters written by her father, a Chaplain’s Assistant, assigned to the 83rd as well as letters from his brother, who was killed when his B-24 Liberator was downed over Belgium the night before the D-Day invasion. Her father’s letters tell a love story and chronicle the day-to-day life of a WWII soldier who was faithful to his country, his faith and his beloved wife. Available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.
“An 83rd Division Medic – Angel of the Minefield: Tales of a Father Brought to Life By His Daughter” by Laurie McDonald Maley. Travel back in time with the author’s father, Bronze star recipient Cpl. Ambrose “Hank” McDonald, a WWll medic with the 83rd Infantry Division. Dramatized in the form of poems from stories handed down by the corporal, daughter Laurie has lovingly brought these tales to the printed page. Available in
paperback on Amazon.
“Soldiers’ Stories: A Collection of WWII Memoirs” by Myra Miller PhD , Lynette Miller Ballard, et al. Winner of the 2017 Ella Dickey Literacy Award for historical preservation through literature, this compilation of 140+ stories is laced with illustrations and photos and includes the personal wartime accounts of several who served with the 83rd. Available in hardcover and paperpback on Amazon.
“A Reluctant Hero’s Footsteps” by BG (retired) John R. Scales. After discovering his father’s After Action Reports online an idea was born. The author used these documents to reconstruct his father’s path in Europe, taking his three children on a trip to retrace these footsteps. This book is about their travels and documents the life of a man and his family, the history of a unit, and how, through research and luck, John was able to piece together the story. In an appendix, John Scales give you a guide as to how you can do this for your veterans as well. John’s father, Thomas Scales, was a 1st Lt with the 329th Regiment. Available on Amazon.
“My Father’s War: An Oral History of the Experiences of Lawrence Lee Chittenden During World War II” by Beth Chittenden. The book contains the complete oral history that Beth conducted with her father, who was a platoon leader in I Company of the 330th Infantry Regiment in Normandy and Brittany, and later was the regimental liaison officer (assistant S-3) for the 330th. The book is loaded with photos, maps, drawings, letters,
and other documentation, many in full color. Excerpts from other 83rd histories are included to provide the time reference for the oral history. Silk Purse Press, 2006.
“Amazing Spirit – A Tribute to Dad” by Marilyn Em. Born into a rich mix of European and Native American heritage, the author shares what her modest and loving father taught her about making the most of life’s lessons/opportunities. Kenneth Moore had been a medic with the 331st Infantry Regiment. By sharing a smidge of his role in his birth family, the CCCs during the Depression, as well as WWII and beyond, Lee Em sends his descendants, especially his daughter into unforgettable adventures only a will and spirit like his and his in-laws could bring to pass.
“Sharpe’s Battalion in WW II” by Dr. Charlotte Sharpe Daly is a doctoral dissertion of the WW 2 experience of her father, Granville Sharpe the CO of G Company, 329th and later CO of the 2nd Battalion, 329th. The 360-page dissertation is posted on line at www.83rdinfdivdocs.org.