84th Infantry Division,
334th Regiment, D & H Companies
"The Railsplitters"  Living History Group

Email Interview with MG Bud Bolling

 

Interview conducted via email between Tim Scherrer and MG Bolling in the Fall of 2002. 

 

MG Bolling during WWII was the commander of Company A, 334th Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division.  He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1943.  His father, LTG Alexander Bolling Sr., served as the Commanding General of the 84th during World War II.

 

Initial email:  I contacted MG Bolling through the USMA Association of Graduates and asked him if he would look over our website:

 

His response:

 

Dear Tim:

 

Thanks for sending me the information about the web site you are building.  Though you have a fairly tough job ahead of you, I think that it will be a major contribution.

 

You mentioned that you have only one Railsplitter contact so far. You now have two. After my escape from  the German POW camp near Schweinfurt, I tried to get back to to my old outfit, the 94th Inf. Div., and I even accepted an invitation of the 42nd Inf. Div. to join that outfit (since

I had spent twelve days walking through the area they were scheduled to attack). Both efforts failed, because I had been a prisoner  seven days over the Geneva Convention limits. However, I bummed a ride up to Hanover to let my father know I was still alive, and he disregarded the Geneva ruling that I had to leave the theater of operations. Instead. He gave me a week to gain some of my weight back and then sent me down to take command of "A" Company,

334th. I stayed with Cowhide Red Able through the rest of combat and through occupation, until I was ordered back to West Point to teach German.

 

I think that you may be able to establish contact with some of the people you are looking for by establishing contact with the 84th Infantry Division Railsplitter Association. It's magazine is published quaterly, and it always contains requests for contacts, such as you mentioned to me. The problem is that the WWII vets are now well along in years, so the members of the

association are crossing over the bridge in noticeable numbers. Nevertheless, there are still many Railsplitters who are interested in the perpetuity of the division's story.

 

I shall continue to check in on your web site, and if I have any news or recommendations, I shall send them to you.

 

Good luck.

 

Bud Bolling

Alexander R. Bolling, Jr.

 

Q:  What date did you join the 84th?

 

A: I fought as an infantry platoon leader from July 1944 (when we crossed over Utah Beach until I was wounded and captured by an element of the 11th Panzer Division while with the 94th Inf. Div during the counterattack after the Bulge. We were on the Mosel River, south of Trier. I got away for good (my third try) on 27 March. It took about ten days, at which time I bummed a

ride to Hanover to let my father know I was still alive. He gave me a week to get some of my weight back, then sent me down to A-334. I was with A Company up to the Elbe and through occupation, till I was called back to West Point in November to teach German.

 

Q: Was there any special feeling to being a Railsplitter versus in another unit?  Did the 84th have unique characteristics compared to other units?

 

A: Everyone was extremely proud of being a Railsplitter, perhaps

Because though the battles were sometimes tough, they were always won by us good guys. Also, the division paper and the Stars and Stripes gave the troops publicity. Finally, the services such as mail call and food were handled efficiently, and in combat, it is those little things that make a man love his unit.

 

Q:  In terms of company strength, what was your authorization and about how many were you able to field on a regular basis?  How often did you get replacements?

 

A. I'd have to see a TO&E to give you a correct answer. As I recall, the authorized strength of a rifle platoon was about 40 men, an then there was the weapons platoon plus company headquarters - - or about 170 men (I could be way wrong). We usually operated with platoons of about thirty, and company strength was just over 100. After a tough fire fight, a company could get down to perhaps ninety, but then there was a loss in combat effectiveness. Replacements came in during lulls in the action - - sometimes in twos and threes and other times enough to fill all vacancies.  Remember, Tim, much of the war was characterized by lulls in the action. Battles

Were violent and often short-lived.

 

Q:  Do you have any contacts with any C-334th vets or family members?  I have a gentleman asking me about C Company and trying to find info on his father.

 

A.  The only 84th contacts that I have are with the small group of A Company men who are still alive. My greatest activity these days is with the 82nd Airborne Division, whose troopers I had the honor of commanding in Vietnam in '68 and '69.

 

Q:   What did you wear while serving as a Railsplitter? Was it the green 4 pocket jacket or another type?  Do you remember your boot type?  When and how often did you get clothing resupply?

 

A:  Up on the line, we wore the standard GI pants and shirt, tucked into

Our boots, which had leather flaps at the top that buckled. Some of the men got sweaters and warm underwear from home, but these were worn on the inside of the shirt and trousers. Our jackets were the standard green jackets - - okay for fall and spring, but not nearly enough for the winter. During the winter, we wore all we could find, with everything covered by that OD woolen overcoat. Many men got scarves from home and wore those. The head was covered with the OD knitted cap (with the short visor) that could be worn under the helmet. It had flaps to cover the ears in cold weather. All personnel were required to remain in proper uniform at all times.

 

Q:  Wet weather gear…was it more typical to have the raincoat or the hoodless poncho for the enlisted men?  Did officers typically wear the officer's field coat?

 

A: We officers also had ponchos but seldom wore them. During firefights, we needed freedom of movement, so we usually wore the field jacket - - with stuff from home worn underneath to keep up warm. Our problems were more with snow than rain. I do not recall seeing any junior officers wearing field coats. We wanted to wear the same thing as everyone else. When field grade officers came down to see us, they sometimes wore field coats. However, the field jacket was the norm.

 

Q: This is a point of debate amongst reenactors, but what was the typical undershirt worn?  Some say a white t-shirt, and some say a green tank top.  I lean towards the green tank top...but what do you remember?

 

A: Regarding undershirts, most folks were lucky enough to have been issued the green undershirts. I occasionally saw men who were wearing "long-john" undershirts from home, but these tended to destroy the camouflage, so they had to be covered with other uniform apparel. I really never paid much attention, except to insure that we didn't give ourselves away to the

Germans.

 

Q:  Was there any standardization to the web gear worn in the 334th..beyond their entering of combat in Nov of 1944?  If so, were there any guidelines you can remember for who wore what?  Mainly we are asking about the Infantry Haversack versus the Musette bag and suspenders.  We are thinking the Musette bag and suspenders were used for officers, NCOs and crew served weapons and the haversack was used for everyone else.  The 84th pictures we studied are inconclusive. Also, was the gear the more khaki green color, OD Green or a mix?

 

A: The web gear  was standardized. Officers had the musette bag, and the troops had the field pack. Naturally, as we fought across Europe, some of the men picked up bags and things that would fit in a jeep and could be used by the entire platoon. But standardization was always the same. The color was OD, even the overcoats.

 

Q:  What types of shovels were used?  Was it the earlier T handle or the folding shovel?

 

A. Most of us had the folding shovel, because it could be used as an axe on icy ground. I really never paid any attention to whether or not the shovels were different.

 

 

Q:  What types of radios did you use as a company CO? I assume it is the SCR-300 backpack model for talking to Battalion, and maybe handie talkies for the platoons...if radios were used at all.

 

A. In those "olden" days, communication with higher headquarters was always accomplished either by messenger or telephone. Millions of miles of wire were laid in WWII. The SCR 300 was used from Company down to the platoon leaders, and the smaller sets were used within the platoons. Rarely, the SCR300 was used to and from battalion, but only in fluid, fast-moving situations - - like the rush to the Rhine after Hanover.

 

Q:  On vehicles in the 84th, there was a simplified version of the 84th patch painted on them.  Do you remember or have any idea when they were applied?  I am writing an article on this insignia for the Military Vehicle Preservation Association's magazine, called Army Motors.  I will attach a picture....the insignia is located on the left side of the tailgate of the Dodge.

 

A: I have no idea when the patch was first painted on the vehicles. I do know that the troops painted it all over Europe, and every directional  sign had the patch on it. We even had the usual signs that said "You are entering this town through the courtesy of the 84th Infantry Division".

 

In response to an email Christmas card we sent MG Bolling, a scan of a 1945 postcard, he wrote:

 

Tim and John:

 

Many thanks for sending this to me. My father's very first love was the

84th, though Mom came in as a close second. He didn't live long enough

to see the magic of computers. This Railsplitter Christmas greeting, going all over the world, would have really touched him.

 

Happy holidays.

 

Bud Bolling