26th infantry division in Czechoslovakia, May 1945

I could not see any photographs in your link. However, my grandfather was with the 26th Infantry Division during the time and participated in its these events.

Hi,

Was he in the 104th infantry regiment?

If he was in 104th infantry regiment,  could you please tell me more about his memories from czechoslovakia?

Hello Aloha. Yes my grandfather was in the 26th Infantry Division’s 104th Infantry Regimen, Company I. He didn’t talk about his memories much, but he kept an old wooden shoe with “Czechoslovakia” written on the bottom. He did talk about being part of the occupying forces in Linz and life guarding at a pool there in the summer of 1945, and my mother has a postcard he sent from Linz in October 1945. He also had a Nazi flag he said was taken down off an officer’s barracks (we presume at Gusen concentration camp) with names/home town signatures from 14 others, presuming his platoon, which he said he won by a roll of the dice. My cousin later located one of those platoon mates who had an identical flag with identical signatures, including our grandfather’s. Let me know if you want more information. 

Hello, my grandfather was Bertrand Durand with the 26th Infantry Division, 104th Infantry Regiment, Company I. He was from Somerset, Massachusetts, USA, and assisted in the liberation of Linz and the nearby Gusen concentration camp, then moved across the border into then-Czechoslovakia. When the fighting ended, his unit returned to assist with occupying Linz, where he was a lifeguard at the only public Bad, on Danube River with a perfect view into the Russian-occupied side of Linz to the north. My family has documentation and evidence of his time in Linz, Gusen and Czechoslovakia.I also have the names and hometowns of his platoon members (part of Company I) who served with him during this time, if that would be helpful to you.

Good evening,

Thank you for sharing your grandfather's stories; they are really interesting.

I truly appreciate your assistance in helping me with my research. I've made good progress and have also identified the company that was in Větrná and had a confrontation with the Germans. It was Company A, 1st Battalion, 104th Infantry Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division.

As you mentioned, you have some documentation and evidence of your grandfather's time in Czechoslovakia, and I would be very interested in it. However, my main goal is to research what happened in Větrná, including documentation, photos, etc. I would also appreciate information about different places not far from the location I am researching.

So, if I may ask, could you somehow send me the documentation and evidence about Czechoslovakia, if you don't mind?

It would be really interesting for me, and perhaps it will help me.

Thank you and have a nice day.

My father was in the 26th Infantry Division, but I have not been able to determine which company or regiment.  It has been proposed that he was attached to the HQ.  He fought in the Bulge, Rhineland and Central Europe battles.  He was most definitely in Czechoslovakia at the end of the war and afterward, as his discharge paperwork mentions the cabinet making training he had there.  I can’t see detail in the photos on my phone, so I’ll look at them on my PC and let you know if I recognize anyone.  I know that there are at least two surviving members of the 26th who just attended the D-Day 80th anniversary in Normandy.  If you check out “The Rifle”, “The History Underground”, and “Keeping History Alive” Facebook pages, you should be able to find them.  

Hi, thank you a lot

Nazdar kolego, 
bádáme po stejných stopách. Mám pár útržkovitých informací k Větrné ze strany Němců, potom i zajímavé video s Američany v Nových Hradech.

[Moderator-provided translation from Czech: 

Hi mate, 
we are following the same tracks. I have some sketchy information about Větrná from the Germans, then also an interesting video with the Americans in Nové Hrady.]