|
| |
    
|
Colonel Thomas J.
B. Shanley |
 Grave
marker for Thomas J. B. Shanley [Col., ret.] in Section F, Tier 20,
Grave 45, Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Orange (Orange county), California. |
Tom Shanley began his
military career as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West
Point in 1935 graduating with the class of 1939. He was born in Butte,
Montana, the son of Doctor and Mrs. Thomas J.B. Shanley. His parents later
moved to El Paso, Texas. While at West Point, he joined the boxing team
and was the eastern collegiate lightweight champion in 1938. The following
year he moved up to the welterweight division and added that championship
to his collection. He ended his boxing career with 25 victories in 26
official starts.
Colonel Shanley's first assignment as an officer put him in charge of an
antitank platoon of the 30th Infantry followed by some special instruction
at The Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation, he
qualified as a parachutist in August 1941 and was assigned to the
newly-formed 502nd Parachute Battalion. He was later transferred to the
501st Parachute Battalion and served with that unit in Panama where he was
promoted to Captain. Colonel Shanley's achievements in the 501st prompted
his return back to the states and gained him an excellent reputation as
one of the more promising young parachute officers.
Colonel Shanley was then assigned as Regimental Operations Officer of the
508th Parachute Infantry Regiment being formed at Camp Blanding, Florida
in October 1942. The Regiment consisted of raw recruits from the
recruiting stations throughout the country who had volunteered for
parachute duty with the 508th. He put together a training schedule of
strenuous physical exercise, long hours, and detailed instructions in
military subjects and weapons qualification that even the cadre was
astonished by its thoroughness. But like the new men he was training, the
then Major Shanley soon saw the success of such efforts when the Regiment
gained a superior reputation by qualifying as a unit at the Parachute
School and establishing an enviable record during maneuvers in South
Carolina and Tennessee. By June of 1943 he had been promoted to Lieutenant
Colonel and given command of the 2nd Battalion which he led during
tactical training at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, and maneuvers in South
Carolina and Tennessee, and the parachute drop on D-Day, June 6, 1944, on
Normandy, France. In his book, "Paratrooper," Gerard Devlin writes, "The
only fighting force of any size from the 508th Parachute Infantry that was
able to accomplish part of its Regiment's mission on D- Day was a group
under Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J.B. Shanley (West Point, 1939), the
commander of the 2nd Battalion. Shanley's Battalion mission had been to
seize a bridge over the Douve River at the town of Pont L’Abbe, but after
roaming around following the bad drop, Shanley was only able to assemble
about two companies of Red Devils, most of whom were not members of his
own Battalion. With sunrise due in just a couple of hours, Shanley decided
to march for the bridge with what troops he had assembled. His group was
just a mile short of Pont l'Abbe when it was stopped cold by a German
battalion. Seeing he was outnumbered and outgunned, Shanley recovered his
wounded and withdrew to Hill 30. There, for the next two days, he and his
surrounded troopers beat off several strong German units attempting to
overrun the main paratroop landings. Many historians have credited
Shanley's defiant stand on Hill 30 as being one of the major reasons for
the overall success of the
American airborne effort in Normandy." German troops rushing to repulse
the beach landings of the American forces to the east found their progress
stopped by Shanley's troopers on Hill 30. To reach the beaches, the
Germans knew they had to eliminate the determined troopers on Shanley's
Hill. The Germans made several assaults against Hill 30 but each assault
was driven back. |
| Copyright Irv Shanley,
Unauthorized copying or use in any manner is strictly prohibited –
September 2004 Page 1 of 5 pages Colonel Thomas J.B. Shanley By Irving T.
Shanley |
Top of Page
|
|
