 M. H. Mitchell, Inc. 94th Infantry Division collection
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteThe 94th Infantry Division was activated in 1942 during World War II, although it participated in World War I and had soldiers serve during the inter-war period. The Division went overseas to Europe in 1944 and aided in numerous campaigns: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The Division returned to the States in 1946 and was inactivated the same year. While a part of General Patton's Third United States Army, the 94th Infantry Division earned the nickname, "Patton's Golden Nugget". The 94th's main engagement was in spring of 1945, where they were first positioned at the Saar-Moselle Triangle south of Wasserbillig and faced the Siegfried Switch Line. They proceeded to seize Tettingen, Butzdorf, and the Nennig-Berg-Wies area. At Nenning, the Germans supposedly called the Division, "Roosevelt's Butchers." In February, the division seized Campholz Woods and Sinz. On mid-February, the Division breached Siegfried Line Switch Line defenses and cleared the Berg-Munzingen Highway. After taking the area from Orscholz and Saarburg to the Saar and Moselle Rivers in late February, General Patton ordered te Division to cross the Saar. Due to ill preparation, the crossings were failures, and the Division remained where it was. In March 1945, the Division covered a ten miles from Hocker Hill on the Saar through Zerf, and Lampaden to Ollmuth. In mid-March, they managed a crossing and reached the Rhine on 21 March, fighting in the Battle for Ludwigshafen. After three days, Ludwigshafen was taken. In late March, the Division was moved to Krefeld, Germany and intended to contain the western side of the Ruhr Pocket from along the Rhine. In mid-April, the Division was reassigned to military government duties, first in the Krefeld and later in the Düsseldorf areas. After the conflict's conclusion, from June until November, the Division served the military government in Czechoslovakia. Since the end of World War II, the 94th Division Association has kept the spirit of the Division alive in memorials, reunions, newsletters, and other projects. The first official Association reunion was in 1949, and they have continued annually ever since. M.H. Mitchell, Inc. has undertaken the task of collecting the documents, letters, diaries, histories, photographs and all the information available of the members of the 94th Infantry Division. The intent is to provide the largest collection of a WWII division where these materials can be viewed, read, researched and appreciated in perpetuity for those who are dedicated to history which includes the state of Georgia. Scope and ContentThe M.H. Mitchell, Inc 94th Infantry Divisoin Collection consists of original World War II correspondence; 94th Division Association minute books, financial papers, organization records, and member lists; printed materials including reunion prograpms, divisional histories, newsletters, and manuals; scrapbooks; photographs; artifacts including medals, ephemera, flags, and uniforms; and subject files. A large portion is dedicated to the 94th Infantry Commemorative History book and the 94th Infantry Division Association. Much of the collection revolves around veterans' activities. This series contains correspondence reflecting on World War II and the 94th. Folders often include obituaries and memorials about 94th veterans. The vast majority are letters are from the 1980s-1990s to Robert Cassel regarding his upcoming book about the 94th Infantry in World War II. The writings series contain mostly memoirs of 94th Infantry soldiers after their World War II service. There are a few collected anecdotes from Cassel's book and several compliations of veterans' memoirs from their infantry service. There is a large subseries related to the book, "Patton's Ghost Corps" by Nathan Prefer. This includes a sizeable amount of Prefer's original research material. The media series is housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archives. The items include an extensive number of videotapes and DVDs, focusing on reunions, the 94th Division's overseas campaigns, and veterans. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationM.H. Mitchell, Inc. 94th Infantry Division collection, ms3352, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Immediate Source of AcquisitionDonated by David Yoakley Mitchell of M.H. Mitchell, Inc. in several accessions between 2000 and 2021. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this RepositoryRelated audiovisual materials from this collection are housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archive: http://purl.libs.uga.edu/brown/har-ms3352/bmac-coll | ||||||||||||||||||||