RAFINO

RAFINO Report
ISSUE 22 - Summer 1999
- Return to Index

A STORY 
About the Finance Section of the 87th Infantry Division, WWII And The Battle of the Bulge
By Harold Gardner


After the Battle of the Bulge, the 87th Inf. Div. moved across Europe into Germany.  The young men of the 87th turned around the Battle of the Bulge, saving the victory for General Eisenhower.  MG Frank Culin always wanted his Finance Section about one mile to the rear of his HQ.  One Thursday night we had to move.  All at once my two truck loads of Finance men and our jeep became lost. T here were no other friendly troops around us.

We entered Wolfenhausen, Germany.  No 87th Div. troops were in the town.  On Friday we set up our Finance office in a brick house.  Shortly afterward some German civilians arrived complaining about a rape.  COL. Schubert and I searched and found the soldier accused, a Sergeant, coming from a farm house.  He claimed that the girl had welcomed him as long as he had candy, fruit and cigarettes but when he came back again empty handed she hollered rape.  I went to the 1st Lt. asking for his company commander and was told that the captain had been killed in their last battle.  I, then a Captain, told him to move his troops out of town but he refused saying that they needed the rest.  Saturday a detachment of Military Government came to the front of our office with the rape victim who pointed out the accused Sergeant. T he MG took him away. 

Later a soldier came to our office with the rumor that German S.S. were marching into Wolfenhausen.  I ordered two of our Finance soldiers to stay at the office, had SGT Ridgley take half of the men while I, with the rest of the Finance soldiers walked up the road.  After about a mile I saw German soldiers taking down Signal Corps telephone wires.  I made a friendly wave to them, turned around and went back to Wolfenhausen.  They had machine guns -- all we had were carbines!

Sunday I patrolled the town.  People were going to a Catholic church.  I went in and attended Mass, too.  When I returned to the office, I had my sergeant - who spoke better German than I did, round up several German prisoners from their homes. 

Monday morning here came Major General Culin with some forward observers.  He wondered WHAT THE HELL WE WERE DOING IN FRONT OF THE FRONT LINES?!!!  I explained that we had been there for four days eating only "C" and "K" rations.  (I think we were the only front line Finance men in the war.)

Following are just some of "other duties" assigned me by Order of General Culin:

Division PX Officer
Troop Ship Deck Commander
Convoy commander to the Saar Basin
Member of a General Court Martial Board
President, Special Court Martial Board
Awards and Decorations Officer
OCS Board Member
Troop Train Commander (2 Times)

At one time I told General Culin that a Finance Officer cannot command infantry troops.  He came back with, "Do you want to try for a court martial?"  My answer was, "I guess I could command Infantry troops."

On Christmas 1944, I drove our truck with $1 million in it from the Saar region over 300 miles in freezing weather to Reims, France.  I was frozen from the drive.  I dug my own slit trench, and had the office set up.  A "chicken" colonel came by and told us that Ike and his driver were in Reims and didn't want U.S. soldiers in town.  So we moved to Pont Favenger, France and set up our office above the stables in that town.  It was there we paid the 761st Negro Bn. which had not been paid since July of 1944.  A colonel came down from The THIRD U.S. ARMY HQ and offered me a job at THIRD ARMY.  I turned him down telling him I had all the rotation points I needed and would be going home soon.  For all this I received the Bronze Star and a medal from the French government.