Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. The 401st Infantry Regiment was constituted on March 12th, 1918 but never called to active service. On June 24th, 1921 the regiment was assigned to the 101st Infantry Division as organized reserves. Since the 101st Infantry Division was already an established division on paper and had a basic structure, it was chosen to become the second Airborne Division. Consequently, the 401st was de-activated as a Infantry regiment on August 15th, 1942 and reconstituted on August 16th, 1942 as an Airborne Infantry Regiment at Camp Claiborne, LA. It consisted of two battalions that would land in gliders or by transport aircraft into a landing zone secured by paratroop forces.

This is a tremendously scarce framed panoramic yardlong photograph of Company B of the 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, Captain M.M. Hamblin Commanding. The photo depicts the entire company, with one man to the left holding the company guidon. The back of the frame has an inscription reading:

MARSHALL E. GRIFFITH
CO “B” 401 GLIDER INF.
101ST AIRBORNE DIV.
FORT BRAGG N.C.

This is a fantastic image, ready for further research and display.

The 401st would train at posts in the southern and southeastern United States including Ft. Bragg, SC. until July 1943 when they would be shipped to the embarkation area in New York. On September 4th, under the command of Lt Colonel Ray C Allen, the 401st deployed to England aboard the British ship (HMS Strathnaver) landing at Liverpool, England. From Liverpool the 401st began to move into the war area. Riding on a blacked-out train in the middle of the night the glidermen could, for the first time, hear bombs exploding in the distance. Their destination, reached about dawn, was Reading, a town in southern England, in Berk­shire, only thirty-five miles from London, Here the 401st went into camp. Their new base was Brock Barracks, the home of the Royal Berkshire Regiment.

In England the training continued with exercises BEAVER, TIGER, and EAGLE in preparation for the invasion of Europe. In exercise Tiger, the glidermen had a chance to train for their function in this new capacity. In March 1944, the 401st was separated. The 1st Battalion would stay with the 101st Airborne Division (AB) but would be sent to the 327th GIR as the 3rd battalion. The 2nd Battalion would go to the 82nd Airborne Division 325th GIR as the 3rd battalion. While the 1st Battalion of the 401st would frequently serve with the 327th, its assignment for Normandy was to be part of Division reserve. It would come in by sea with the 4th Infantry Division.

For the D-Day invasion, Operation Neptune, on June 6th 1944, the 1-401st arrived on UTAH Beach with the 4th Infantry Division in the UNCLE RED sector. It was to link up with the paratroopers that landed earlier that morning. On June 7th the 401st fought several engagements in an effort to join Colonel Bob Sink's 506'rs march on St. Come-Du-Mont. It was during this time the unit suffered its first casualties. Among the casualties was Captain McDonald's Company XO, Lieutenant Joe O'Brien, whose gre­nade apparently detonated. Just before midnight the battalion at last contacted Colonel Sink's 506"rs near Angoville-au-Plain. While in the as­sembly area the Protestant Chaplain, Captain John R. Steel, had commented to Colonel ­Allen, "It's just like maneuvers except that we have been issued live ammunition." During the night, Captain Steel was mistaken for a German infiltrator and was shot and killed by a member of the unit.