[86] While on duty in Washington, D.C., in 1919, Patton met Dwight D. Eisenhower,[87] who would play an enormous role in Patton's future career. "[123], Patton's training was effective, and on March 17, the U.S. 1st Infantry Division took Gafsa, winning the Battle of El Guettar, and pushing a German and Italian armored force back twice. [164], In its advance from Avranches to Argentan, the Third Army traversed 60 miles (97km) in just two weeks. [53][54] Patton modeled much of his leadership style after Pershing, who favored strong, decisive actions and commanding from the front. [79] Patton commanded the battle from a shell hole for another hour before being evacuated. [73] Personally overseeing the logistics of the tanks in their first combat use by U.S. forces, and reconnoitering the target area for their first attack himself, Patton ordered that no U.S. tank be surrendered. The schooner's name comes from Patton saying he would sail it "when and if" he returned from war. He died on March 14, 1918, in Thomasville, Georgia, and is interred at Lowell Cemetery. She had blue eyes, blonde hair, and a little dimple in her chin just like her mother. "[178] Patton then clarified that he had already worked up an operational order for a counterattack by three full divisions on December 21, then only 48 hours away. After briefly considering this, Bradley vetoed it, since he was less concerned about killing large numbers of Germans than he was in arranging for the relief of Bastogne before it was overrun. His grandmother Beatrice Banning Ayer and Patton were married in 1910. He took big risks and won big successes. During the September Louisiana Maneuvers, his division was part of the losing Red Army in Phase I, but in Phase II was assigned to the Blue Army. [180] Within a few days, more than 133,000 Third Army vehicles were rerouted into an offensive that covered an average distance of over 11 miles (18km) per vehicle, followed by support echelons carrying 62,000 tonnes (61,000 long tons; 68,000 short tons) of supplies.[181]. Official date of rank of September 2, 1943. His philosophy of leading from the front, and his ability to inspire troops with attention-getting, vulgarity-laden speeches, such as his famous address to the Third Army, was received favorably by his troops, but much less so by a sharply divided Allied high command. Light aircraft such as the Piper L-4 Cub served as artillery spotters and provided airborne reconnaissance. He was awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal for this action. Patton cultivated a flashy, distinctive image in the belief that this would inspire his troops. Fearing U.S. troops would be sidelined, he convinced British commanders to allow them to continue fighting through to the end of the Tunisia Campaign before leaving on this new assignment. It represents one of two burial sites where the ashes of Beatrice (Ayer) Patton were interred. [187] Patton later boasted he had urinated into the river as he crossed. [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. Rows 57 are foreign medals and noted where required. 1910 May 26 Patton and Beatrice Banning Ayer were married; they would later have three children. Beatrice, the daughter of Frederick Ayer of Boston, who was owner of the American Woolen Company, could have done much better than George Patton, a shavetail career soldier just two years out of West Point. In December 1940, he staged a high-profile mass exercise in which 1,000 tanks and vehicles were driven from Columbus, Georgia, to Panama City, Florida, and back. [239], In addition to all that, the one man Patton spent the most time with during World War II was his aide and personal valet, Sergeant Major William George Meeks, an African-American career soldier, and personal confidant and friend of General Patton. [17] Patton's wife Beatrice died on September 30, 1953, from a ruptured aneurysm[18] after falling while riding her horse in a hunt with her brother and others at the Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. [72], In August 1918, he was placed in charge of the U.S. 1st Provisional Tank Brigade (redesignated the 304th Tank Brigade on November 6, 1918). He was the first Army officer to be designated "Master of the Sword",[43][44] a title denoting the school's top instructor in swordsmanship. [13], Patton graduated number 46 out of 103 cadets at West Point on June 11, 1909,[14] and received a commission as a second lieutenant in the Cavalry branch of the United States Army. At the banquet, President de Gaulle gave a speech placing Patton's achievements alongside those of Napoleon. His sending the doomed Task Force Baum to liberate his son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John K. Waters, from a prisoner-of-war camp further damaged his standing with his superiors. [248] President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared to greatly esteem Patton and his abilities, stating "he is our greatest fighting general, and sheer joy". Those who believed that Displaced Persons were human beings were wrong, Patton said: "this applies particularly to the Jews who are lower than animals." 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. She was only so in appearance, though, because the worldly sixteen-year-old was mature beyond her years and exuded an air of confidence which dwarfed her unsophisticated seventeen-year-old escort. She loved Lieutenant Patton, and he loved her. An attempt by Patton to seize Fort Driant just south of Metz was defeated, but by mid-November Metz had fallen to the Americans. [86], In July 1921 Patton became a member of the American Legion Tank Corps Post No. Historian Carlo D'Este later wrote that the Lorraine campaign was one of Patton's least successful, faulting him for not deploying his divisions more aggressively and decisively. [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. [190] On April 14, 1945, Patton was promoted to general, a promotion long advocated by Stimson in recognition of Patton's battle accomplishments during 1944. [153] Adolf Hitler reportedly called him "that crazy cowboy general". [160] The Third Army typically employed forward scout units to determine enemy strength and positions. [224] His attitudes were likely cultivated from his upbringing and family roots in the Confederate South. 1911 March 19 Patton's first child, Beatrice Ayer, was born. [24] He was also descended from England's King Edward I through Edward's son Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent. [172] The German commander of Metz, General Hermann Balck, also noted that a more direct attack would have resulted in a more decisive Allied victory in the city. In spite of their love for each other, there were many explosive episodes during the Pattons' 30 years together. [106], The historian Alan Axelrod wrote that "for Patton, leadership was never simply about making plans and giving orders, it was about transforming oneself into a symbol". United States. Patton developed phlebitis from the injury, which nearly killed him. [153] Because of this, Patton was made a prominent figure in the deception scheme Operation Fortitude during the first half of 1944. Beatrice Banning Ayer (1886-1953), who married future World War II general George S. Patton. He would not work so I hit him over the head with a shovel". Nonetheless, he was known to be admired widely by the men under his charge. There, he met Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, who was so impressed with him that Marshall considered Patton a prime candidate for promotion to general. [175], At the time, Patton's Third Army was engaged in heavy fighting near Saarbrcken. They had been slaughtered" Patton is reported to have said: "Try the bastards. General Henri Giraud was incredulous when he heard of Patton's dismissal by Eisenhower in late 1945, and invited him to Paris to be decorated by French President, Charles de Gaulle, at a state banquet. Find Beatrice Patton stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. "Patton" and "George Patton" redirect here. Following General Dwight Eisenhower's return to the United States to become the Chief of Staff of the US Army, Patton was appointed interim commander of US Army Europe on November 11th, 1945. She was a fine writer complyling three books. On August 3, 1943, Patton slapped and verbally abused Private Charles H. Kuhl at an evacuation hospital in Nicosia after he had been found to suffer from "battle fatigue". [100] This supposed affair distressed his wife and nearly resulted in their separation. Edit your search or learn more Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents Pictures Although the 35th Division (of which Patton's tank troop was a component) eventually captured Varennes, it did so with heavy losses. He was originally intended to return to the 15th Cavalry,[47] which was bound for the Philippines. American recruits and draftees being issued uniforms in World War 2. During the OctoberNovember Carolina Maneuvers, Patton's division captured Hugh Drum, commander of the opposing army. [88], Patton was made G-3 of the Hawaiian Division for several months, before being transferred in May 1927 to the Office of the Chief of Cavalry in Washington, D.C., where he began to develop the concepts of mechanized warfare. His firearm discharged accidentally one night in a saloon, so he swapped it for an ivory-handled Colt Single Action Army revolver, a weapon that would later become an icon of Patton's image. I'll pack them myself!" He had attended the games at his own expense and afterward, with permission from the War Department, he stayed in Europe to attend special fencing classes offered by the French Army School at Saumur, France. Moments later the 1938 Cadillac limousine they were riding in collided with an American army truck at low speed. George S. Patton and Beatrice Banning Ayer were married for 35 years before George S. Patton died aged 60. "[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'. [42] Bringing these lessons back to Fort Myer, Patton redesigned saber combat doctrine for the U.S. cavalry, favoring thrusting attacks over the standard slashing maneuver and designing a new sword for such attacks. 1913-1915 Instructor in weapons, United States Cavalry School, Fort Riley, Kans. Select from premium Beatrice Patton of the highest quality. [256] Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, chief of staff of the German Army, stated that Patton "was the American Guderian. At age 24, Patton married Beatrice Banning Ayer, the daughter of Boston industrialist Frederick Ayer, on May 26, 1910, in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. [129] A third landing was completed on August 16, and by 22:00 that day Messina fell to his forces. Severely injured in an auto accident, he died in Germany twelve days later, on December 21, 1945. I don't care what color you are, so long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sonsabitches! [70] In the post, Patton trained tank crews to operate in support of infantry, and promoted its acceptance among reluctant infantry officers. His great-grandmother came from an aristocratic Welsh family, descended from many Welsh lords of Glamorgan,[6] which had an extensive military background. Patton's ability to disengage six divisions from front line combat during the middle of winter, then wheel north to relieve Bastogne was one of his most remarkable achievements during the war. [179] Desiring good weather for his advance, which would permit close ground support by U.S. Army Air Forces tactical aircraft, Patton ordered the Third Army chaplain, Colonel James Hugh O'Neill, to compose a suitable prayer. [226] The most famous of his speeches were a series he delivered to the Third Army prior to Operation Overlord. 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. Alameda County. She was bilingual in French and translated many French army manuals into english. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1984. [166], Patton's offensive came to a halt on August 31, 1944, as the Third Army ran out of fuel near the Moselle River, just outside Metz. Fresno County. [224] Historian Hugh Cole notes that Patton was the first to integrate black and white soldiers into the same rifle companies. [66] While in a hospital for jaundice, Patton met Colonel Fox Conner, who encouraged him to work with tanks instead of infantry. In that time, it crossed 24 major rivers and captured 81,500 square miles (211,000km2) of territory, including more than 12,000 cities and towns. [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. She married Major General James Willoughby Totten on 6 July 1940, in Hamilton, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. He ordered more landings on August 10 by the 3rd Infantry Division, which took heavy casualties but pushed the German forces back, and hastened the advance on Messina. of 1. [254] Many German field commanders were generous in their praise of Patton's leadership following the war,[c] and many of its highest commanders also held his abilities in high regard. The jeep because we have so many God-awful drivers. [163] Its attached close air support group was XIX Tactical Air Command, commanded by Brigadier General Otto P. Weyland. "[133], Two high-profile incidents of Patton striking subordinates during the Sicily campaign attracted national controversy following the end of the campaign. [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. About American Military Serviceperson George S. Patton was born General George Smith Patton III on 11th November, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, United States and passed away on 21st Dec 1945 Heidelberg, Germany aged 60. [183], Once again, Patton found other commands given priority on gasoline and supplies. He was also frequently in disagreement with Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. though often then conceding, to their relief, in line with Bradley's view.[132]. Don't let them down and, damn you, don't let me down! Several actors have portrayed Patton on screen, the most famous being George C. Scott in the 1970 film Patton, for which he won (and refused) the Academy Award for Best Actor. [11] He excelled at military drills, though his academic performance remained average. The next day news accounts misquoted Patton by leaving off the Russians. Following the 1912 Olympics, Patton traveled to Saumur, France, where he learned fencing techniques from Adjutant Charles Clry, a French "master of arms" and instructor of fencing at the cavalry school there. He pushed them hard, and sought to reward them well for their accomplishments. [196] His final media blowup occurred in September 1945, when goaded by reporters about denazification, he said "[d]enazification would be like removing all the Republicans and all the Democrats who were in office, who had held office or were quasi-Democrats or Republicans and that would take some time." He also applied to several universities with military corps of cadet programs, and was accepted to Princeton College, but eventually decided on Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which his father and grandfather had attended. [165] Equally important to the advance of Third Army columns in northern France was the rapid advance of the supply echelons. Grant us fair weather for Battle. [249], For the most part, British commanders did not hold Patton in high regard. Beatrice Banning Ayer Birth Sep 1885 - Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Death 30 Sep 1953 - Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States Mother Ellen Barrows Banning Father Frederick Fanning Ayer (Ayers/ Eyre) Quick access Family tree 2160 New search Beatrice Banning Ayer family tree Family tree Explore more family trees Parents [113] Soldiers under his command were known at times to have quipped, "our blood, his guts". Later he rallied a force of disorganized infantry and led it forward, behind the tanks, under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire until he was wounded. There is another woman's presence: The ashes of the general's widow, Beatrice Ayer Patton were strewn over his grave by their children several years after her death. Patton made a final stop in Washington, D.C. before returning to Europe in July to serve in the occupation forces. [170], The halt of the Third Army during the month of September was enough to allow the Germans to strengthen the fortress of Metz. He married Joanne Stanley Holbrook on 14 June 1952, in Washington, District of Columbia . After a brief Episcopal service, she was cremated. During this time he developed a belief that tanks should be used not as infantry support, but rather as an independent fighting force. year of my Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of New Brunswick. "[206] Patton also stirred a hostile antisemitism into his often-fractious relationship with newspaper reporters. At the United States' entry into World War II, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division. I Corps in the MeuseArgonne offensive on September 26. 1910 Married Beatrice Banning Ayer 1912 Member, American team, XII Olympiad, Stockholm, Sweden, finishing fifth in modern pentathlon 1912-1913 Attended French cavalry school, Saumur, France 1913 Graduated, United States Cavalry School, Fort Riley, Kans. Overview Plans and . [a] He was tutored from home until the age of eleven, when he was enrolled in Stephen Cutter Clark's[4] Classical School for Boys, a private school in Pasadena, for six years. 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. [156], Sailing to Normandy throughout July, Patton's Third Army formed on the extreme right (west) of the Allied land forces,[156][b] and became operational at noon on August 1, 1944, under Bradley's Twelfth United States Army Group. [120], On March 6, 1943, following the defeat of the U.S. II Corps by the German Afrika Korps, commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, at the Battle of Kasserine Pass, Patton replaced Major General Lloyd Fredendall as Commanding General of the II Corps and was promoted to lieutenant general. [24] Family belief held the Pattons were descended from sixteen barons who had signed Magna Carta. Name Components. [64] After the United States entered World War I, in April 1917, and Pershing was named commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front, Patton requested to join his staff. His division executed a 400-mile (640km) end run around the Red Army and "captured" Shreveport, Louisiana. Main contact line for Central Star: (559) 549-6697. [254], Referring to the escape of the Afrika Korps after the Battle of El Alamein, Fritz Bayerlein opined that "I do not think that General Patton would let us get away so easily. [45] Arriving in September 1913, he taught fencing to other cavalry officers, many of whom were senior to him in rank. [54][62] Shortly after, he was promoted to first lieutenant while a part of the 10th Cavalry on May 23, 1916. Each column was protected by a standing patrol of three to four P-47 and P-51 fighter-bombers as a combat air patrol (CAP). Official date of rank of September 1, 1943. There was some controversy concerning his performance in the pistol shooting competition, in which he used a .38 caliber U.S. Army-issue pistol while most of the other competitors chose .22 caliber firearms. Shortly after Beatrice Patton buried her husband, Gen. George S. Patton Jr., on Christmas Eve 1945, she summoned a woman named Jean Gordon to her hotel room in Boston. Subscribe to receive Missing Persons Bulletins in your e-mail inbox. One of them occurred in 1912 after George had placed fifth in the Military Pentathlon in the Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. ", Once when a gasoline lantern had exploded in his face and he was badly burned, he wrote to her on October 7, 1916, "I love you with all my heart and would have hated worst to have been blinded because I could not have seen you.". 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 Patton then drove to Hatch Memorial Shell and spoke to some 20,000, including a crowd of 400 wounded Third Army veterans. [108], General Patton led the division during the Tennessee Maneuvers in June 1941, and was lauded for his leadership, executing 48 hours' worth of planned objectives in only nine. Despite the victory, the Third Army stayed in place as a result of Eisenhower's order. [5] Patton was described as an intelligent boy and was widely read in classical military history, particularly the exploits of Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, and Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as those of family friend John Singleton Mosby, who frequently stopped by the Patton family home when George was a child. Sponsors The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Institute of Museum and Library Services National Endowment for the Humanities When Beatrice Banning Ayer was born on 12 January 1886, in Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, her father, Frederick F Ayer, was 63 and her mother, Ellen Barrows Banning, was 32. Her wish to be buried with her husband was well known to her children. [177] When Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take him to disengage six divisions of his Third Army and commence a counterattack north to relieve the U.S. 101st Airborne Division which had been trapped at Bastogne, Patton replied, "As soon as you're through with me. In the meantime, on April 5, he removed Major General Orlando Ward, commanding the 1st Armored Division, after its lackluster performance at Maknassy against numerically inferior German forces. [99] Depressed at the lack of prospects for new conflict, Patton took to drinking heavily and allegedly began a brief affair with his 21-year-old niece by marriage, Jean Gordon. He fought in World War I as part of the new United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces: he commanded the U.S. tank school in France, then led tanks into combat and was wounded near the end of the war. Banning, CA 92220 Phone: (951) 588-2553. Immediate Family Jean Gordon partner Beatrice Banning Ayer wife Beatrice "Bee" Patton daughter Ruth Ellen "Nell" Patton daughter Maj. Gen. George Smith Patton, IV son George Smith Patton, II father Ruth Patton mother Anne Wilson Patton sister Private stepchild About Gen. George S. Patton Biography The nickname would follow him for the rest of his life. Anyhow, they are dead, so nothing can be done about it. [50][51] During his time in the town, Patton took to wearing his M1911 Colt .45 in his belt rather than a holster. Seventh Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily, where he was the first Allied commander to reach Messina. [88] Loathing duty as a peacetime staff officer, he spent much time writing technical papers and giving speeches on his combat experiences at the General Staff College. Patton, who had been told he had no chance to ever again ride a horse or resume normal life, at one point commented, "This is a hell of a way to die." By his energy and sound judgment, Colonel Patton rendered very valuable services in his organization and direction of the Tank Center at the Army schools at Langres, France. She was the wife of Brig. The incident almost forced Patton out of active service, but a six-month administrative assignment in the Academic Department at the Cavalry School at Fort Riley helped him to recover. [90] Maj. Patton led the rescue effort after a January 1922 blizzard destroyed the Knickerbocker Theatre in D.C.[91][92] From 1922 to mid-1923 he attended the Field Officer's Course at the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, then he attended the Command and General Staff College from mid-1923 to mid-1924,[88] graduating 25th out of 248. When Alexander sent a transmission on July 19 limiting Patton's attack on Messina, his chief of staff, Brigadier General Hobart R. Gay, claimed the message was "lost in transmission" until Messina had fallen. Patton wore the ring, and it's visible in numerous photos during his life and the war years. He also stated that performance was more important than race or religious affiliation: I don't give a damn who the man is. [148] Eisenhower felt the invasion of Europe was too important to risk any uncertainty, and that the slapping incidents had been an example of Patton's inability to exercise discipline and self-control. Guessing the intent of the Allied command meeting, Patton ordered his staff to make three separate operational contingency orders to disengage elements of the Third Army from its present position and begin offensive operations toward several objectives in the area of the bulge occupied by German forces. [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. [26] His paternal grandfather was George Smith Patton, who commanded the 22nd Virginia Infantry under Jubal Early in the Civil War and was killed in the Third Battle of Winchester, while his great-uncle Waller T. Patton was killed in Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. Third Army was ordered toward Bavaria and Czechoslovakia, anticipating a last stand by Nazi German forces there. Historical Society Dedicated to the Life, Career, and Achievements of General George S. Patton, Jr. George S. Patton Papers: Diaries, 19101945, Newspaper clippings about George S. Patton, Five Famous Locals Who Were Veterans: Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. (18851945) at Pasadena now.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_S._Patton&oldid=1152693032, Honorary Companions of the Order of the Bath, Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Modern pentathletes at the 1912 Summer Olympics, Olympic modern pentathletes of the United States, Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium), Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France), Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army), Recipients of the Order of the White Lion, United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni, United States Army generals of World War II, United States Army personnel of World War I, United States Army Cavalry Branch personnel, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.

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