Lot 1058

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Description:

U.S. ARMY WAR DEPARTMENT BOOKS FROM THE ESTATE OF LT. COL. WILLIAM B. GARA
Lot of two World War II era books published by the War Department and two maps belonging to Lt. Col. William B. Gara, commander of the crucial D-Day 1st Engineer Combat Battalion, among the first to land on Omaha Beach. This lot includes: ‘To Bizerte With The II Corps', published in 1943, with sections such as: ‘The Final Campaign for North Africa', ‘The 1st Division Push to Djebel Sidi Meftah (23-27 April)', ‘The 1st Armored Division South of the Tine (23 April-2 May)', ‘The 9th Division in the Northern Zone', ‘The German Retreat and the Capture of Mateur', ‘Through to Chouigui', ‘North of the Lakes to Bizerte', etc. This is a nicely illustrated book containing twelve foldout maps, sketches and photographs. The second book: ‘St. Lo', published in 1946, is also well illustrated with eight foldout maps, sketches and photographs. Accompanying these books is Gara's battle-carried map, 26 x 16 in., showing St. Lo, France and the surrounding area. This is a partial section of a map once joined with another map, glue remnants on the verso. Accompanied by a postwar print, 22 x 17 in., of a ‘Utah Beach-South (La Madeleine)' 1:10,000 scale map, labeled ‘TOP SECRET – BIGOT'. Four pieces, very good. WILLIAM B. GARA (1917-2001) was an American Army Lieutenant Colonel, commander of the 1st Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. Gara was a genuine war hero by any definition. He led his 700 men from North Africa to Sicily, he landed among the very first soldiers on Omaha Beach, was heavily engaged at the Battle of the Bulge, and fought into Germany until the end of the war. His most valiant service was at Omaha Beach in the initial assault fighting while they cleared obstacles where the 1st Engineers were tasked with landing to allow more landing craft to safely arrive, and continuing to clear barbed wire, mines, anti-tank obstacles and ravines, etc. from the beaches to a point a few miles inland to clear the path for infantry, tanks, and then truck transports. Under intense enemy small arms and anti-tank fire, Gara's engineers, along with elements of the 37th Engineers Battalion, opened the first and most important exit from Omaha Beach, E-1, allowing American GIs to flank the German defenses and begin their drive inland. By war's end, Gara had received two Silver Stars and two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts.

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November 30, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000