Lot 448

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Description:


A historically critical map from the Battle of the Bulge, a field-marked map from Maj. Gen. HAROLD W. BLAKELEY (1893 - 1966), commander of the 4th Infantry Division Artillery at the time of Operation Overlord and the Battle of the Bulge, showing the advance of the division northward from Luxembourg towards the Ardennes, where they would soon encounter the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front. The British War Office map bears the title 'Luxembourg', First Edition, issued 1941, and bears the designation 'Sheet 4' at upper-right. In black indelible pencil, Blakeley or his aide-de-camp has added a dashed line extending northwards from Luxembourg, along with the code inscriptions: 'N-11', 'N-257', and 'N-57'. Folds, light staining, else very good. The 4th Infantry Division assaulted the northern coast of German-held France during the Normandy landings, landing at Utah Beach on D-Day, later clearing the Cotentin peninsula and liberating Paris by the end of August. Shortly thereafter, the division saw heavy fighting in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, and after shifting towards Luxembourg as shown, they would meet the German Army's winter Ardennes Offensive head-on (in the Battle of the Bulge) starting in December 1944. These maps were retained by Blakeley's aide-de-camp, Capt. Roswell F. MacGillivray, the stepfather of our consignor. Adding additional provenance is photocopies of a number of documents related to MacGillivray's service under Maj. Gen. Blakeley, including: a partial list of the general staff of the 4th Infantry Division Artillery, May 15, 1945, listing Blakeley as the division commander with MacGillivray listed beneath as his aide-de-camp; a 1955 personal postwar letter from Blakeley to MacGillivray; a June 24, 1945 travel pass issued to MacGillivray by order of Blakeley; an extracted appendix to an after-action report, Jan. 7, 1945, reporting that Blakeley and MacGillivray, with their command group, entered Paris on Aug. 25, 1944 and were present at the surrender of the German garrison; MacGillivray's post-dated promotion certificate to the rank of captain; and a travel plan, Aug. 23, 1945, indicating that Blakeley and MacGillivray are to travel to a reception in Washington.

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October 28, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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