hello guys,
im very proud to show you the diary of my great uncle, a french business man who lived in providence R.I before getting involved in WWII....he saw some major actions and Officers...i let you read to discover. This research took my cousins and I around 5 years...my motivations was to get infos behind his french/US helmet marks and all these discussions with him before he died.
By 1942, Charles De Gaulle had established French representation in London and in Washington D.C. where there was also representation in the form of the French Embassy and “la Mission Militaire Française” which was tied to London.
Joseph Dognin volunteered for the duration of the war at the “Mission Militaire Française” on Dec. 20th, 1942. He had left behind his wife Anne-Marie and 6 children in Providence, RI. He was
formally accepted on March 3rd, 1943 into “1’ Arm des transmissions”..Communications or Signal Corps.
Effective April 1st , 1943, his rank was “Aspirant”. He was confirmed and sworn in to his unit by Division General Bethouard on April 17th , 1943. On April 25th , he was detached to Fort Benning, Georgia - US Army Infantry School for basic training. His training was completed on June 12 th , 1943 [Duration 49 days]. From there, he was assigned to North African Operations.
August 14th , he embarked on board a ship in New York. The ship’s name is not known.
September 1st , he disembarked in Oran, Algeria. [~19 days at sea]
Immediately sent to Algiers: attached for 2 months to the French Liaison mission in Algiers. While in Algiers, he is attached to the London offices as “Administrative Liaison” – 2nd Class” effective October 2nd, 1943.
Effective November 11th, 1943, he is promoted to “Sous-Lieutenant T.T.”
November 28th , 1943, S/Lieutenant Dognin embarks in Algiers aboard the SS Monarch of Bermuda.
December 24 th, 1943, he disembarks at Liverpool, England [~26-days at sea]. He volunteers for liaison courses in London with further studies in Dorking School on February 1st, 1944 – Completes with the title of Instructor.
Jo Dognin receives permanent promotion to S/Lieutenant
This is continued by further training at ”Civilian Defense Staff College” of Cobhan 13 on March 25th.
This phase of training finishes on July 19th, 1944 before joining forces at Omaha Beach.
(notes written from my great uncle in 1985)
The correct date for arrival at Omaha Beach was July 26th (D-Day+50).
He immediately joined Bradley’s HQ in Isigny that day. Based on Dognin’s tequest, he is attached to Tactical Liaison Mission for the US 12th Army Group –
reporting to “Colonel Chef” of the Military Tactical Liaison Mission [French Commandant le Bel] on July 26th. This group works as liaison to Brig. Gen. Edwin L. Sibert whose boss is Gen. Omar N. Bradley – head of US XIIth Army
Group.
Information once he is in France is extremely sparse.....according to Bradley’s book (he gave him as a gift after the war)
(JD = Jo Dognin)
p. 382: J.D. was gathering intelligence on German movements/progress relative to the Argentan-Falaise trap.
p. 382: In contact with French Gen. Leclerc [2nd French Armored Div.] on aug. 22nd
; with Gen Patton 4th Infantry Div. moving in from Melun behind Leclerc.
p. 383: J.D. is one of two emissaries sent to Paris to meet with Michel Porteau, head of Regional Resistance in Rambouillet.
P. 388-389 – Note: The term “FFI” is used.
p. 390: Read J.D.’s underlines.
p. 391: With Swedish Consul Raoul Nordling’s movements, thru G-2 to Patton HQ near Chartres, to Bradley in Laval where JD was interpreter there. (p. 392).
p. 392: “incident Gerow” with JD as interpreter- communications with Gen. Leclerc
G-2 role in crossing the Rhine and in Germany noting that Dognin accomplished many liaison missions including Munchen, Maestricht, Munchen-Gladbach, Münster, Hanover, and Braunschwig. Jo Dognin indicates in his copy of Gen. Bradley’s “A Soldier’s Story” that Braunschwig was the “last stop for J.D.”
(p. 538). Note that the commanding general of the Ninth US Army, Gen. Simpson, was also in Braunschwig ... according to Bradley himself [see Ite
m No. 4 in Index – p. 554] who had just called Gen. Simpson at 6:30 PM (...
Simpson occupied the commandant’s quarters of a Luftwaffe headquarters at Brunswick) to leave a message from Ike. The message was: “... the Germans have surrendered” ... it takes effect at midnight, May 8th.” The war in Europe had ended.
we know that Jo Dognin remains in Germany on occupation status from May 9th
through may 31st, 1945. By the end of the war, Jo Dognin is assigned
to the Military Mission for German Affaires in Paris on May 31st , 1945. It is unclear what that implies. Jo Dognin is now in Paris. Where? What is
he doing? For how long? Many questions, few answers !
im very proud to show you the diary of my great uncle, a french business man who lived in providence R.I before getting involved in WWII....he saw some major actions and Officers...i let you read to discover. This research took my cousins and I around 5 years...my motivations was to get infos behind his french/US helmet marks and all these discussions with him before he died.
By 1942, Charles De Gaulle had established French representation in London and in Washington D.C. where there was also representation in the form of the French Embassy and “la Mission Militaire Française” which was tied to London.
Joseph Dognin volunteered for the duration of the war at the “Mission Militaire Française” on Dec. 20th, 1942. He had left behind his wife Anne-Marie and 6 children in Providence, RI. He was
formally accepted on March 3rd, 1943 into “1’ Arm des transmissions”..Communications or Signal Corps.
Effective April 1st , 1943, his rank was “Aspirant”. He was confirmed and sworn in to his unit by Division General Bethouard on April 17th , 1943. On April 25th , he was detached to Fort Benning, Georgia - US Army Infantry School for basic training. His training was completed on June 12 th , 1943 [Duration 49 days]. From there, he was assigned to North African Operations.
August 14th , he embarked on board a ship in New York. The ship’s name is not known.
September 1st , he disembarked in Oran, Algeria. [~19 days at sea]
Immediately sent to Algiers: attached for 2 months to the French Liaison mission in Algiers. While in Algiers, he is attached to the London offices as “Administrative Liaison” – 2nd Class” effective October 2nd, 1943.
Effective November 11th, 1943, he is promoted to “Sous-Lieutenant T.T.”
November 28th , 1943, S/Lieutenant Dognin embarks in Algiers aboard the SS Monarch of Bermuda.
December 24 th, 1943, he disembarks at Liverpool, England [~26-days at sea]. He volunteers for liaison courses in London with further studies in Dorking School on February 1st, 1944 – Completes with the title of Instructor.
Jo Dognin receives permanent promotion to S/Lieutenant
This is continued by further training at ”Civilian Defense Staff College” of Cobhan 13 on March 25th.
This phase of training finishes on July 19th, 1944 before joining forces at Omaha Beach.
(notes written from my great uncle in 1985)
The correct date for arrival at Omaha Beach was July 26th (D-Day+50).
He immediately joined Bradley’s HQ in Isigny that day. Based on Dognin’s tequest, he is attached to Tactical Liaison Mission for the US 12th Army Group –
reporting to “Colonel Chef” of the Military Tactical Liaison Mission [French Commandant le Bel] on July 26th. This group works as liaison to Brig. Gen. Edwin L. Sibert whose boss is Gen. Omar N. Bradley – head of US XIIth Army
Group.
Information once he is in France is extremely sparse.....according to Bradley’s book (he gave him as a gift after the war)
(JD = Jo Dognin)
p. 382: J.D. was gathering intelligence on German movements/progress relative to the Argentan-Falaise trap.
p. 382: In contact with French Gen. Leclerc [2nd French Armored Div.] on aug. 22nd
; with Gen Patton 4th Infantry Div. moving in from Melun behind Leclerc.
p. 383: J.D. is one of two emissaries sent to Paris to meet with Michel Porteau, head of Regional Resistance in Rambouillet.
P. 388-389 – Note: The term “FFI” is used.
p. 390: Read J.D.’s underlines.
p. 391: With Swedish Consul Raoul Nordling’s movements, thru G-2 to Patton HQ near Chartres, to Bradley in Laval where JD was interpreter there. (p. 392).
p. 392: “incident Gerow” with JD as interpreter- communications with Gen. Leclerc
G-2 role in crossing the Rhine and in Germany noting that Dognin accomplished many liaison missions including Munchen, Maestricht, Munchen-Gladbach, Münster, Hanover, and Braunschwig. Jo Dognin indicates in his copy of Gen. Bradley’s “A Soldier’s Story” that Braunschwig was the “last stop for J.D.”
(p. 538). Note that the commanding general of the Ninth US Army, Gen. Simpson, was also in Braunschwig ... according to Bradley himself [see Ite
m No. 4 in Index – p. 554] who had just called Gen. Simpson at 6:30 PM (...
Simpson occupied the commandant’s quarters of a Luftwaffe headquarters at Brunswick) to leave a message from Ike. The message was: “... the Germans have surrendered” ... it takes effect at midnight, May 8th.” The war in Europe had ended.
we know that Jo Dognin remains in Germany on occupation status from May 9th
through may 31st, 1945. By the end of the war, Jo Dognin is assigned
to the Military Mission for German Affaires in Paris on May 31st , 1945. It is unclear what that implies. Jo Dognin is now in Paris. Where? What is
he doing? For how long? Many questions, few answers !
Sometimes, someone will post an average, no decaled M42 helmet and it will generate pages and pages of responses. And then someone posts a rare grouping like this one and nobody says anything. Crazy. Thank you for sharing HM, I say again, it is a very special grouping. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us. And thank you to Andy for noticing this thread and bringing it to my attention!
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