Upon returning to Nottingham, half of the 508th
PIR men went on furlough, later the other half went. Hq1 men scattered
throughout the United Kingdom, some men went to Ireland to visit friends, and
some men went to Scotland, and others braved buzz bombs to visit London.
On June 6, 1944, the 508th
PIR had parachuted 2055 officers and men into Normandy – 1161 had become casualties.
Obviously, reconstituting the 508th PIR was the first priority.
In the next weeks, more than 1000 replacements were processed into the regiment.
Memorial services were conducted for the men who died
in Normandy. The regiment formed on the parade ground, and a member of
the band sang “My Buddy." Each battalion commander read the names of their lost
soldiers - as each man’s company guidon was lowered to the horizontal in salute.
Col. Lindquist, the regimental commander, reminded everyone
that the "508th PIR heroes were left in Normandy." Moreover,
he told the troops that the regiment would be ready for another combat jump
within weeks.
In August, the 82nd Airborne Division with
the 508th PIR attached held a review for General Eisenhower.
He commended the division on its performance in Normandy, and predicted that
the division would participate in bigger airborne operations in the near future.
Eisenhower also announced that Major General Ridgeway
would command the XVIII Airborne Corps, and Brigadier General James Gavin would
assume command of the 82nd Airborne Division.
A few days later, the 508th PIR moved to a
marshaling airfield. Parachutes were issued, equipment bundles were loaded
into pararacks, and the troops were briefed. Everyone hit the sack early
for some sleep before a dawn takeoff. However,
