551st parachute infantry battalion

551ST PARACHUTE INFANTRY BATTALION
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By Chris Hunter
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551ST PARACHUTE INFANTRY BATTALION
26th November 1942 - 27th January 1945

The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (551st PIB) was, for many years, a little-recognized airborne forces unit of the United States Army, raised during World War II, that fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Originally commissioned to take the French Caribbean island of Martinique, they were shipped instead to Western Europe. With an initial strength of 800 officers and enlisted men, the remaining 250 members of the Battalion were ordered on 7 January 1945 to attack the Belgian village of Rochelinval over open ground and without artillery support. During the successful assault the unit lost more than half its remaining men. The Battalion was inactivated on 27 January 1945 and the remaining 110 survivors were absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. Virtually nothing of the unit's history was known to the American public until the 1990s when renewed interest prompted its veterans to seek recognition for their costly success at Rochelinval. The battalion was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation in 2001 recognizing its accomplishment.

Killed in action : 66
Distinguished Service Cross : 2
Silver Star : 1
Bronze Star : 1
Recent contents

  1. US PARAS Collins, John I.

    SURNAME Collins FORENAME John I. UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company A) RANK Corporal NUMBER 34813183 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Macedonia Cemetery,Holman Crossroads,Coosa County,Alabama ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Talladega County,Alabama born...

  2. US PARAS Clark, John L.

    SURNAMEClark FORENAMEJohn L. UNIT551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company A) RANKPrivate NUMBER DATE OF DEATH1945 AGE GRAVESITE ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONKIA Belgium transferred to 504 PIR no trace in records

  3. US PARAS Chappell, John F., Jr

    SURNAME Chappell FORENAME John F., Jr UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company C) RANK Private First Class NUMBER 14068228 DATE OF DEATH 4th November 1944 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France Plot D Row 10 Grave 15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Durham...

  4. US PARAS Campbell, Buford Ray

    SURNAME Campbell FORENAME Buford Ray UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (HQ) RANK Private NUMBER 18076609 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium Plot H Row 6 Grave 67 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Lea County, New Mexico born...

  5. US PARAS Brown, Willie F.

    SURNAME Brown FORENAME Willie F. UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company B) RANK Private NUMBER DATE OF DEATH 1944-45 AGE GRAVESITE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION KIA Belgium not found in records

  6. US PARAS Brookshire, Andrew Howard

    SURNAME Brookshire FORENAME Andrew Howard UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company C) RANK Private First Class NUMBER 34113704 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 25 GRAVESITE Ebenezer Memorial Cemetery, Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from...

  7. US PARAS Brooks, Jake E.

    SURNAME Brooks FORENAME Jake E. UNIT formerly 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company C) RANK Private NUMBER 20415434 DATE OF DEATH 24th June 1944 AGE GRAVESITE Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, Missouri, USA. Section 84, Site 313-315 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...

  8. US PARAS Booth, Donald

    SURNAME Booth FORENAME Donald UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (HQ) RANK First Lieutenant NUMBER 0-462443 DATE OF DEATH 7th January 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, California, USA. Plot 14B ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Alameda, California born...

  9. US PARAS Black, Sidney Richard, Jr.

    SURNAME Black FORENAME Sidney Richard, Jr. UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company A) RANK Private First Class NUMBER 18116471 DATE OF DEATH 8th June 1946 AGE 25 GRAVESITE High Island Cemetery, High Island, Texas, USA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION born 26.01.1921 Jennings...

  10. US PARAS Billman, Lewis Richard

    SURNAME Billman FORENAME Lewis Richard UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company B) RANK Technician Fifth Class NUMBER 35392487 DATE OF DEATH 21st August 1944 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France Plot D Row 11 Grave 5 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Stark...

  11. US PARAS Bejma, Frank Joseph

    SURNAME Bejma FORENAME Frank Joseph UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (HQ) RANK Private First Class NUMBER 36250841 DATE OF DEATH 8th January 1945 AGE 23 GRAVESITE Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium Plot D Row 12 Grave 43 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Milwaukee County...

  12. US PARAS Beauchaine, Arthur E.,Jr

    SURNAME Beauchaine FORENAME Arthur E.,Jr UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Service Company) RANK Technician Fifth Class NUMBER 11039984 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 24 GRAVESITE Penacook Calvary Cemetery, Penacook, New Hampshire, USA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from...

  13. US PARAS Banks, Wilbur M.

    SURNAME Banks FORENAME Wilbur M. UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company A) RANK Staff Sergeant NUMBER 39836011 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 29 GRAVESITE Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium Plot F Row 9 Grave 46 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Solano, California...

  14. US PARAS Banks, Ray

    SURNAME Banks FORENAME Ray UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company C) RANK Corporal NUMBER 6953527 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 21 GRAVESITE Fort Smith National Cemetery, Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas Section 4 Site 2251 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Braden...

  15. US PARAS Anderson, Robert Egnar

    SURNAME Anderson FORENAME Robert Egnar UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company A) RANK Sergeant NUMBER 39024770 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 33 GRAVESITE Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium Plot F Row 1 Grave 44 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Alameda, California...

  16. US PARAS Anderson, Donald R.

    SURNAME Anderson FORENAME Donald R. UNIT 551 Parachute Infantry Bn (Company A) RANK Private First Class NUMBER 20312575 DATE OF DEATH 3rd January 1945 AGE 22 GRAVESITE Forest Lawn Cemetery, Kane, McKean County, Pennsylvania ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from Elk County...
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