193rd Tank Battalion (and how my grandfather got into the war)

With the fall of France to Germany along with the rapid advancement of the German army into Russia in the first 6 months of 1940 US officials felt like we needed to do something seeing the woeful state of the active-duty armed forces at the close of 1939 (only 334,000). Because of these events the US Government activated and reorganized many Guard units for 1 year of training along with the passing the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 to start raising and training an army in case we wound up involved in another war in Europe. It is in the light of these vents that the 193rd Tank Battalion was created.


The 193rd was called to service on October 19th, 1940 and ordered to report to Ft Benning Georgia on Jan 6, 1941 for 1 year of active-duty training and service. They were made up from the former units:

· Company A - The 30th Light Tank Company of Forsyth, GA,
· Company B – The 31st Light Tank Company of Ozark, AL
· Company C – The 36th Light Tank Company of Houston, TX
· Company D – The 45th Light Tank Company of Denver, CO

This is where my grandfather James C Dunn entered the war. He had attended 1 year of College at Auburn University and decided College was not for him (or his grades did anyways). When he came home his father told him if he wasn’t going to college, then join the army. The Ozark guard was signing new members for the above 1 year activation and Jimmy Dunn signed up

The year of 1941 was spent traveling across the US from getting trained and certified in tank repair, tactics and radio repair at Ft Knox, to mock battles in Tennessee, Louisiana, and North & South Carolina as part of Patton’s 2nd Armor Division stationed at Ft Benning. At the close of the “Carolina Manvers” all their equipment was loaded up and arrived back to Ft Benning on Dec 5th. Ozark AL is only some 90 miles from Ft Benning so most of Company B took leave and came home for the weekend with the understanding that they would return first thing Monday morning to unload the train cars. Those orders did not hold thru the weekend. Jimmy told me that he was driving down Eufaula Street in town when the radio broke with the news that Pearl had been attacked and all soldiers were to report to their duty stations immediately, Leave was cancelled. He went home to say goodbye to his parents because he knew once he was back at Ft Benning, he may not be able to set foot in Ozark anytime soon.

The start of the war found the 193rd with their equipment (what they had anyways) fully loaded and ready to go because they had just returned from the Carolina Manvers. I suspect this was somewhat true of all the units that participated in the recent war games in the Carolinas. After spending a week at Ft Benning trying to round up any other equipment they could (according to George J Duckworth interview) they departed Ft Benning on Dec 16th enroute to San Francisco and were loaded on board the USS President Taylor, a repurposed cargo liner used to transport troops and equipment to the Pacific. In the George Duckworth interview below, he recalled that they strapped and manned a couple of tanks to the deck of the ship in an attempt of self-defense since this was a cargo ship with no guns. My Grandfather (Jimmy) remembered seeing crates in the hold addressed to the “Philippines”. This may have been where they were originally headed, however on Jan 7th, 1942, the SS President Taylor arrived in Honolulu and offloaded the 193rd before returning to San Francisco.


That is how the Jimmy Dunn and the members of the 193rd got into the war. Over the next few months the original members were spread throughout several different units ( I don't know them all). In March several, including my grandfather, were moved to the newly formed 763rd Tank Battalion at Schofield Barracks Hawaii. My opinion in this is since the 193rd had spent a year training they moved some the trained recruits around to help with the training of fresh recruits. A year later I have Jimmy in the 767th Tank Battalion and he seems to stay there until July of 1944 when he was sent back stateside.


As stated once in Hawaii these men seem to get split up. In know where a few from Ozark went; 3 get attached to the 25th Tropical Lightning Division and charge up Mt Austen in a light tank near the end of the Guadalcanal campaign. Several get pulled from the pacific and lead tanks and men onto the beaches of Normandy. One dies on Okinawa in one of the last tank battles of the war.

I have a list of the men of Company B, who left for Ft Benning in Jan of 1941. I have been trying to form a list of the other companies as well if anyone has information that they can add to my book here, please do

George J Duckworth interview (I have a 1997 reunion picture with him standing next to my Grandfather) - George J. Duckworth Collection

 

Here is a picture I found going thru family stuff. The guy in the tank is my grandfather, Jimmy Dunn. I know nothing else about the picture, I assume it was taken sometime in 1941, possibly in Ft Benning but I do not know for sure.

 

I’ll try to add any info I find on the 193rd Tank Battalion to this thread

 

Here is what I have found thus far, barring info for 1941. I have alot for Company B as one of the guys(Marvin Lowell "Mufty" Weeks) wrote the local newspaper updating the people at home of what wonderful adventures the Ozark Boys were having, lol. That tapers down after they arrive Dec 7th and he gets pulled somewhere around August (have to look it up) and sent stateside to train a unit for Normandy.

Battle of Makin: Amphibious Assault on the Gilbert Islands

 

My Father is George J. Duckworth you referenced with his 1997 reunion photo. I have also been putting together the movements of the 193rd, 763rd and 767 Tank Battalion during his service 1941-1945. I have around 75 letters he wrote home to his Mother and Family dated July 1941 to his return to Cleveland OH in 1945, I have been transcribing them and hope to be finished this year. most of the envelopes have also been preserved providing Date, APO and Army Rank. Awesome WWII treasures my Grand Mother kept and passed down to my Father. At Ft Benning 1941 he was in Company D, he saved a program that lists all the members of Company D. Enjoyed reading your post my email is oakduck@hotmail.com if you would like to write to compare/share notes. Best Regards Robert Duckworth

 

Hi Robert Duckworth

Just wanted to say welcome! That sounds really amazing.

A note of caution, you may get a lot of spam because of posting your email address to the forum. You might want to have people send you private messages on the forum instead (a feature that becomes available when you have made 5 posts), or post here, instead. (And edit your post to remove your email.)

Kind regards,
Chris

 

Hi Robert, I’m not sure if you have these, but thought I’d post them for you;

After action report 763rd Tank Battalion, 22 Apr 42- 30 June 45
World War II Operational Documents

After action report 767th Tank Battalion, 23 October 44 thru 30 October 44.
https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/3463/rec/2

 

Found a good deal of newspaper articles on him and the 193rd Tank Bn

 

Info from my Post # 7 above (767th Tank Battalion)

 

I found a nominal roll for “C” Company, 767th Tank Battalion on LST 30 dated 11 Sept 1944 and his name is NOT on the list. The CO at that time was a Major, and when he was wounded HE was the CO…..so I’m thinking the CO on this list may have been wounded or transferred and Capt George J Duckworth was given command (I’ll see if I can find further information)

I’ve posted the nominal roll below so you and others can see the list:

 

I found this in the local newspaper a week ago. Just Captain Teddy Deese of the 193rd Company B cruising Hawaii in his little ole Tank, lol

 

Thank You Chris for the info on posting email address on this thread, I took a chance and so far all is good. I continue to seek information on the 193rd, 763rd and 767th TB. Hope to get to five posts before I get any spam.

 

I found this actions report back when my father was still alive back in 2012 and reviewed it with him. He confirmed the report and discussed the details of being shot while out of his tank guiding the other tanks across the stream. He was 93 at the time and had never discussed it with our family before then. Thank you for taking the time to post. Clipped his Purple Heart from his interview found at the following link. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.79658/