Arthur goes into service
December 1, 1942
After his high school education Arthur Whitbeck enlisted in the army. At Camp Claiborne in Louisiana, he was trained as a tank technician and assigned to B Company, 784th Tank Battalion. Arthur was part of a crew of a Sherman tank.
Read the story: overview >
To the front
Le Havre, dec. 25, 1944
784 Tank Battalion embarked on Oct 30 '44 in America and arrived on Christmas Day in Le Havre (F). The front line lay along the German border and the Batlle of the Bulge (Ardennenoffensive) was in full swing. The battalion immediately moved further. Within one week, on Dec. 31, they had entered Germany at the border at Eschweiler.
Read the whole story: Combat route (1) >
Anxious hours
Sevelen, March 2, 1945
Task Force Byrne went smoothly. That changed on March 2, when Arthur's B Company fought at Sevelen, which was strongly defended by German paratroopers. The Americans were sealed off from reinforcements and supplies ...
Read the whole story: Combat route (3) >
Arthur is killed
Kamperbruch, March 4 1945
On March 4 Arthur and his comrades were ordered to attack Kamperbruch. The commander expected little opposition, but the Germans had set up tank guns. Arthur's tank was directly hit.
Read the whole story: Combat route (4) >
July 1943 (?)
Registration ARC
September 1943
to the UK
July 16, 1944
Landing on Utah Beach
March 15, 1945
Siegfriedlinie
May 1, 1945
Died on pleasure flight
June 19, 1945
Buried in Margraten, Block RR, Row 12 Grave 290
February 18, 1943
Air Evac. Nurse diploma
Jan. 15, 1944
Married
July 26, 1943
Body washed up
March - Augus 1943
Panama
June 1944
To Europa
November 23, 1943
Departure for Europa
January 20, 1944
Arriving in England
June 1944
Landing Omaha Beach
US enters the war
December 11, 1941
Nazi Germany declares war on the US
Turnaround WWII
Februari 2, 1943
Battle of Stalingrad: Red Army defeats Germans
Arthur Whitbeck
The African American Tank technician
| Date of service: | December 1, 1942 |
| Date to Europe: | october 30, 1944 |
| Participation in the War: | December 25, 1944 |
| Army part | 784 Tank Battalion |
| Rank: | Technician Fourth Grade(T/4) |
| Awards: Purple Heart, New York Conspicious Service Cross, European-African-Middle Eastern Theather Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal | |
Arthur Whitbeck received his training as a soldier at
Camp Claiborne. He was assigned to B Company (Baker)
of 784 Tank Battalion, which was commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel George Dalia. The battalion consisted
of approximately 700 men equipped with light M5
Stuart reconnaissance tanks andM4 Shermantanks.
Arthur Whitbeck was part of a Sherman tank crew.
‘Black’:
Tank Battalions
784 Tank Battalion, 761 Tank
Battalion en 758 Tank Battalion
together formed 5 US Tank Group. What was
special special about these battalions was that
they consisted entirely of African American
soldiers. Only the senior officers were white.
The U.S Army was completely segregated
during the Second World War.
Black and white soldiers were not integrated.
Moreover, most African American soldiers
were in units that did not fight because many
white Americans felt that they did not have
the courage and capabilities to be good soldiers.
Thanks to the efforts of
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
and General Lesley McNair, some
"colored" combat units were deployed
during the war.
The Tuskegee Airmen and the
761 Tank Battalion in particular
achieved the necessary recognition.