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<em>Bill Darby</em>, posthumously appointed a Brigadier General, was killed in Europe while serving as Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division in Italy. While enroute on a global tour with General H. H. Arnold, Darby sought a chance again to lead troops in combat and look a command which was offered him when the Assistant Commander of the 10th Mountain was wounded. Shortly thereafter Bill was killed in the battle to clear the Germans from Italy two days before VE-Day. As one of the most seasoned and best loved combat commanders, Bill died as he had lived, “in action up front”. General Lucian K. Truscott, Commanding General of the Fifth Army, wrote of his spearheading subordinate: “Never in this war have I known a more gallant, heroic officer”.</p>
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Darby had become, early in World War II, one of our Army’s greatest legendary heroes by activating, training, and then leading his American Rangers through four landings in the Mediterranean War—in North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio—besides campaigning in the mountains of Tunisia and Italy. Though he had won ten decorations and wore the Purple Heart with two clusters. Bill Darby remained to the end a modest individual whose enthusiasm communicated itself to his Rangers as well as to Generals like Bradley, Patton, Truscott, Mark Clark, and Terry Allen. Enlisted men and generate alike applauded Darby’s leadership, his insight into men’s hearts, his desire to have his men trained to the highest pitch. He lived his teaching that no officer would ever ask a soldier to do in combat what he himself was not willing to do.</p>
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The rise of Bill Darby from a field artillery battery commander to assistant division commander was phenomenal. One of the early arrivals on European soil, he organized the first Ranger Battalion in northern Ireland. Moving to Scotland he trained them in the British Commando tradition in amphibious landings and in infighting. His exploits in Scotland, and later in the Mediterranean, soon made him a legendary hero to the British Commandos as well as to the Americans.</p>
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Darby’s unit made its first landing at Arzew in the North African operation, clamping the eastern pincers on Oran in a well-executed and economical landing which vindicated his belief in stringent training and strong, personal leadership.</p>
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Later, Darby led small but highly successful raids into the mountains of Tunisia to gather prisoners and get information. One of the forays, forty miles within the enemy lines, would have elicited admiration from Major Robert Rogers from whom the modern Hangers derived their name. Other actions of Darby’s in Tunisia included the daring night march to capture the gap below Gafsa, a tale recounted by Lt. Colonel Ralph Ingersoll under the title of “<em>The Battle Is The Pay-off</em>”. (In this story Darby is the hero, “Chittenden”.)</p>
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In July 1943 in the Sicilian invasion Darby led his Rangers, now expanded to three battalions, into Gela and Agrigento. Later he participated in the long march to Messina, forsaking his role as an amphibious expert to lead his men over the hog back mountains as right flank protection for the forces moving eastward along the northern shore of Sicily.</p>
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In the landing at Salerno, Bill Darby was at his greatest, for there as the commander of a combined force composed of his Rangers, American airborne troops and a British Armored Brigade, he protected the left flank of the Fifth Army forces in the mountains of the Sorrento Peninsula for twenty-one instead of the two days planned. Later he knew the bitterness of winter fighting in the Italian mountains and the stark tragedy of Anzio. After a storybook amphibious landing under fire at the front door of the Anzio Casino, he infiltrated his Rangers seven miles into the enemy lines to Cisterna. There they met tragedy far greater than that of the Alamo for their comparatively meager force without heavy weapons was trapped by a German paratrooper division supported by tanks. The true glory of the American soldier in this war has never been equaled by the gallantry and courage shown at Cisterna. Only a few of the men got out. Bill Darby among them. Subsequently, he commanded the 179th Regimental Combat Team of the 45th Division for several months before being ordered back to the U.S.</p>
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In the summer of 1944, BIU was returned to the U.S. and assigned to the Operations Division, War Department General Staff. There, Bill Darby evinced completely the characteristics of a true soldier and gentleman and proved himself equally capable and indispensable as a staff officer as he had been as a combat leader.</p>
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In the Spring of 1945 he embarked on the global tour which terminated in his assignment as Assistant Division Commander of the 10th Mountain Division and his untimely death in action.</p>
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Prior to the war Bill Darby’s commissioned service followed a normal pattern for all field artillery officers—Ft. Bliss, Ft. Sill, Ft. Riley (drill, polo, horse shows, parties and life), until the preparations for war commenced. Then Bill started to the fore and his leadership drew him the more exciting assignments to the First Division Task Force destined for, but never committed, in amphibious landings in the Atlantic; and to maneuvers in Louisiana, where his leadership was noted by higher commanders and resulted in Bill’s first overseas assignment as aide to the V Corps Commander which led to his assignment with the Rangers.</p>
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As a Cadet, Bill Darby was tops—loved and respected by all with whom he came in contact. Although neither a goat nor an engineer, he had that fine balance of mental ability, leadership, and personality needed to attain highest success in his chosen profession. While Bill loved a bull session on a red comforter, he was also active—soccer team, hop manager (beloved by the femmes). 100th night shows, choir, glee club, etc. He was a company commander and a top leader during his first class year.</p>
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Graduates of the United States Military Academy, and of the Class of 1933, in particular, may be justly proud of this great soldier. Had he lived through the war, he would still be justly famous, and there is no celling to the heights that he might have attained. In death, he remains an inspiration to higher achievement for those more fortunate of us who live—for the spirit and the tradition of Bill Darby will never die or even dim; they will be enchanced through the years to come. To have known and been a friend and comrade of Bill Darby was one of the greatest privileges of life.</p>
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