He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber". He was reportedly appalled to learn that the Red Army would take Berlin, feeling that the Soviet Union was a threat to the U.S. Army's advance to Pilsen, but was stopped by Eisenhower from reaching Prague, Czechoslovakia, before V-E Day on May 8 and the end of the war in Europe. Developed originally by General Elwood Quesada of IX Tactical Air Command for the First Army in Operation Cobra, the technique of "armored column cover", in which close air support was directed by an air traffic controller in one of the attacking tanks, was used extensively by the Third Army. These thoughts resonated with Secretary of War Dwight Davis, but the limited military budget and prevalence of already-established Infantry and Cavalry branches meant the U.S. would not develop its armored corps much until 1940. "[244] As Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy told Eisenhower: "Lincoln's remark after they got after Grant comes to mind when I think of Patton'I can't spare this man, he fights'. She was born Beatrice Banning Ayer in Haverhill, Massachusetts the daughter of Frederick Ayer an industrialist who owned a woolen mill. From November 8 to December 15, his army advanced no more than 40 miles (64km). [128], When informed of the Biscari massacre of prisoners, which was by troops under his command, Patton wrote in his diary, "I told Bradley that it was probably an exaggeration, but in any case to tell the officer to certify that the dead men were snipers or had attempted to escape or something, as it would make a stink in the press and also would make the civilians mad. "The noise against me is only the means by which the Jews and the Communists are attempting and with good success the further dismemberment of Germany." When their Sicilian owner protested, Patton attacked him with a walking stick and had his troops push the two mule carcasses off the bridge. [224] His attitudes were likely cultivated from his upbringing and family roots in the Confederate South. He claimed that the holes in the paper from his early shots were so large that a later bullet passed through them, but the judges decided that one of his bullets missed the target completely. [169] In late September, a large German Panzer counterattack sent expressly to stop the advance of Patton's Third Army was defeated by the U.S. 4th Armored Division at the Battle of Arracourt. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1984. 319 Birthday: November 11, 1885 ( Scorpio) Born In: San Gabriel, California, United States 64 19 Military Leaders #4 Leaders #11 Quick Facts Nick Name: Old Blood and Guts Also Known As: George Smith Patton Jr. Died At Age: 60 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Beatrice Banning Ayer (m. 1910-1945) father: George S. Patton mother: Ruth Wilson He believed that he might have been a military leader killed in action in Napoleon's army or a Roman legionary in a previous life. [173] With supplies low and priority given to Montgomery until the port of Antwerp could be opened, Patton remained frustrated at the lack of progress of his forces. He died in his sleep of pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure at about 6:00pm on December 21, 1945, at the age of 60. "[112] It was around this time that a reporter, after hearing a speech where Patton said that it took "blood and brains" to win in combat, began calling him "blood and guts". By the end of the battle, the 200,000-man Seventh Army had suffered 7,500 casualties, and killed or captured 113,000 Axis troops and destroyed 3,500 vehicles. [155] So strong was their conviction that this was the main landing area that the German army held its position there even after the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, believing it to be a diversionary force. [9] He was an initiate of the Beta Commission of Kappa Alpha Order. [242] Eisenhower revealed his reasoning in a 1946 review of the book Patton and His Third Army: "George Patton was the most brilliant commander of an Army in the open field that our or any other service produced. Soon thereafter, he had Major General Omar Bradley reassigned to his corps as its deputy commander. [103], Following the German Army's invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939, the U.S. military entered a period of mobilization, and Colonel Patton sought to build up the power of U.S. armored forces. [89], On September 30, 1920, then-Major Patton relinquished command of the 304th Tank Brigade and was reassigned to Fort Myer as commander of 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry. Eisenhower called a meeting of all senior Allied commanders on the Western Front at a headquarters near Verdun on the morning of December 19 to plan strategy and a response to the German assault. [251] Other Allied commanders were more impressed, the Free French in particular. He pushed them hard, and sought to reward them well for their accomplishments. [41] The judges' ruling was upheld. In October Patton briefly retired to California after being burned by an exploding gas lamp. This collection contains some delayed birth records, as well. Beatrice Banning Ayer dating history - Who's Dated Who? Other armored units would then break through enemy lines and exploit any subsequent breach, constantly pressuring withdrawing German forces to prevent them from regrouping and reforming a cohesive defensive line. This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 18:50. When Coningham dispatched three officers to Patton's headquarters to persuade him that the British were providing ample air support, they came under German air attack mid-meeting, and part of the ceiling of Patton's office collapsed around them. Page 109. [106] He repeated the exercise with his entire division of 1,300 vehicles the next month. A force of ten soldiers and two civilian guides, under Patton's command, with the 6th Infantry in three Dodge touring cars surprised three of Villa's men during a foraging expedition, killing Julio Crdenas and two of his guards. Patton left this office in 1931, returned to Massachusetts and attended the Army War College, becoming a "Distinguished Graduate" in June 1932. He served in the position until relieved by General Joseph T. McNarney on November 26th. Registers, records and certificates of county birth and death records acquired from county courthouses. Official date of rank of September 2, 1943. [115][116] Patton commanded the Western Task Force, consisting of 33,000 men in 100 ships, in landings centered on Casablanca, Morocco. [184] To obtain these, Third Army ordnance units passed themselves off as First Army personnel and in one incident they secured thousands of gallons of gasoline from a First Army dump. Third Army logistics were overseen by Colonel Walter J. Muller, Patton's G-4, who emphasized flexibility, improvisation, and adaptation for Third Army supply echelons so forward units could rapidly exploit a breakthrough. [98], Patton was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the regular Army on March 1, 1934, and was transferred to the Hawaiian Division in early 1935 to serve as G-2. [24] Patton believed in reincarnation, stating that he had fought in previous battles and wars before his time, additionally, his ancestry was very important to him, forming a central part of his personal identity. [236] Privately he wrote of black soldiers: Individually they were good soldiers, but I expressed my belief at the time, and have never found the necessity of changing it, that a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor.[237]. Seventh Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily, where he was the first Allied commander to reach Messina. Beatrice Banning (Ayer) Patton (1886 - 1953) - WikiTree 1910 May 26 Patton and Beatrice Banning Ayer were married; they would later have three children. He registered for military service in 1914. For his leadership of the tank brigade and tank school, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the citation for which reads: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Tank Corps) George Smith Patton, Jr. (ASN: 0-2605), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Beatrice Ayer and George Patton met for the first time as children. "[228] During the Battle of the Bulge, he famously remarked that the Allies should "let the sons-of-bitches [Germans] go all the way to Paris, then we'll cut them off and round them up. He commanded the United States Fifteenth Army for slightly more than two months. Patton's chief of staff, Major General Hobart Gay, invited him on a December 9, 1945 pheasant hunting trip near Speyer to lift his spirits. <br><br>I am passionate about working in my community and giving back wherever possible. [176] In all, Patton would reposition six full divisions, U.S. III Corps and U.S. XII Corps, from their positions on the Saar River front along a line stretching from Bastogne to Diekirch and to Echternach, the town in Luxembourg that had been at the southern end of the initial "Bulge" front line on December 16. "[124] By the time his force reached Gabs, the Germans had abandoned it. [134] Ordering both soldiers back to the front lines,[135] Patton railed against cowardice and issued orders to his commanders to discipline any soldier making similar complaints. [52][222] He was usually seen wearing a highly polished helmet, riding pants, and high cavalry boots. Patton then set his sights on Messina. [68] At the conclusion of his tour on December 1, Patton went to Albert, 30 miles (48km) from Cambrai, to be briefed on the results of this attack by the chief of staff of the British Tank Corps, Colonel J. F. C. [193], Between becoming operational in Normandy on August 1, 1944, and the end of hostilities on May 9, 1945, the Third Army was in continuous combat for 281 days. "[228] He also suggested facetiously that his Third Army could "drive the British back into the sea for another Dunkirk. Erwin Rommel credited Patton with executing "the most astonishing achievement in mobile warfare". The Patton and Banning Families, both prominent in the history of Southern California, shared a close relationship; Benjamin Wilson and Phineas Banning (founder of the Port of Los Angeles and of Wilmington, California) were business partners. "[186], The Third Army began crossing the Rhine River after constructing a pontoon bridge on March 22, two weeks after the First Army crossed it at Remagen, and Patton slipped a division across the river that evening. After the war, he was assigned to Camp Meade, Maryland, and reverted to his permanent rank of captain on June 30, 1920, though he was promoted to major again the next day. An attempt by Patton to seize Fort Driant just south of Metz was defeated, but by mid-November Metz had fallen to the Americans. Overview Plans and . She enjoyed the life of privilege & attended prestigious finishing schools. Patton and his wife, Beatrice Banning Ayer, in Old West costumes, for a party, where he displays a pistol in his belt, and in costumes for another party, where they dress as a knight and his lady on horseback. The friendship resulted in marriage in 1910 which lasted over thirty years and produced three children. Patton took command of the 600 troops of the 3rd Cavalry, and on July 28, MacArthur ordered Patton's troops to advance on protesting veterans known as the "Bonus Army" with tear gas and bayonets. "[243] Eisenhower believed that other generals such as Bradley should be given the credit for planning the successful Allied campaigns across Europe in which Patton was merely "a brilliant executor".[243]. [100] Patton was promoted to colonel on July 24, 1938, and given command of the 5th Cavalry at Fort Clark, Texas, for six months, a post he relished, but he was reassigned to Fort Myer again in December as commander of the 3rd Cavalry. Patton, Beatrice Banning Ayer, 1886-1953 Title Close Social Networks and Archival Context SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions. [100] This supposed affair distressed his wife and nearly resulted in their separation. Hi! [249], For the most part, British commanders did not hold Patton in high regard. [25] The first Patton in America was Robert Patton, born in Ayr, Scotland. The U.S. Army had more trucks, more reliable tanks, and better radio communications, all of which contributed to a superior ability to operate at a rapid offensive pace.

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