Douglas Arthur Melcolm Jr
Sergeant US Army
861st Field Artillery Battalion - Battery A (105mm Howitzer)

Arthur enlisted in the US Army on Dec 30, 1942 and was stationed at Camp Blanding, Florida. He will be assigned to the 861st FA Battery A. It would be during Arthur’s training period that the 63rd Infantry Division would be activated on June 15, 1943. In mid August, the soldiers were transferred to Camp Van Dorn, a US military camp located in Centreville, Mississippi. It would be Arthur’s home for the next year and a half. There, they furthered their training and prepared for deployment to Europe in one of 2 waves. Three regiments of the 63rd arrived in Marseille, France on December 8, 1944 and the remaining divisions arriving January 14, 1945 where by February 6 they would join the advanced elements.

The 63rd moved into Sarreguemines, France on February 16. The 861st was assigned to the 253rd IR in preparations for an attack just across the border. An hour before daybreak, the 253rd crossed the Sarre River on a floating foot bridge, onto German soil where they defeated the enemy in Muhlen Woods. Late February the 861st moved from Sarreguemines to Auersmacher, Gernany where they felt the sting of German artillery, as some of them were shelled for the first time.

After a tough 2 day fight at Gudingen early in March, the 861st was moved 13km to Ensheim to prepare for the final assault on the Siegfried Line. On March 18 and 19, they pummeled targets along the Line with over 16,000 rounds. The 253rd, 254th and the 255th bombards the Line late into the night. On March 20, they finally breached the Siegfried Line at St. Ingbert and Hassel. Before resting on the 23d, the 63rd took Spiesen, Neunkirchen and Erbach. The 861st then moves east over 100km and on March 28, crosses the Rhine River at Worms and rejoins the 63rd that crossed the river to the south at Neuschloss at 1500 hours.

The 861st made their way south 24km to Handschuhsheim, north of Heidelberg which would fall on March 30. Continuing south 150km, Arthur and the 861st move into Herbolzheim where they came under rocket and mortar fire along with strafing from jets. Continuing the advance, the 63d crossed the Neckar River near Mosbach and the Jagst River. Heavy resistance slowed the attack on Adelsheim, Mockmuhl, and Bad Wimpfen. The Division switched to the southeast, capturing Lampoldshausen and clearing the Hardthauser Woods on April 7. The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher lasted 7 days.

On April 16, Arthur was in Obersöllbach 23km north of Schwabisch Hall which fell on April 17. From Schwabisch Hall, the 861st makes its way south 120km and crosses the Danube River into Gunzburg. Advance elements of the 63rd Infantry crossed the Rems River and rushed to the Danube which was crossed on April 25. Leipheim, 6km west of Gunzburg, fell before the Division was withdrawn from the line on April 28. Germany would officially surrender 9 days later on May 7, 1945.

The 63rd Infantry Divisons were reassigned to various divisions including security duty from the Rhine to Darmstadt and Wursburg on a line to Stuttgart and Speyer. The 63d began leaving for home on August 21. The 63rd Infantry was inactivated on the 29th of September 1945. Arthur served proudly for 2 years and 9 months.

Douglas A Melcolm Jr