North African Campaign
Tunesia, December 15, 1942
On the eve of WWII Maurice Rose held the rank of Major. In 1942 he became Chief of Staff 2 Armored Division ‘Hell on Wheels’.
From Dec 15, he and his division took part in the North African Campaign
Read the story: Combat route (1) >
The invasion of Sicily
Sicily, July 10, 1943
From July 10 '43 Maurice Rose participated in the invasion of Sicily with the aim to take the island and thus bring the Mediterranean under Allied control and hopefully to bring the Italian army to its knees. Sicily served as a bridgehead for the invasion of Italy.
Read the story: Combat route (2) >
To Tidworth, England,
November 1943
In November ‘43 the 2 Armored Division was transferred to England to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. On Nov 24. In 1943 Rose was promoted to Commanding Officer of 2nd Armored Division and was promoted from colonel to brigadier general.
Read the story: Resources >
Operation Overlord
Normandy, June 8, 1944
On June 8, 1944 Brigadier General Maurice Rose landed on the beaches of Normandy (D-Day + 2) as commander of 2 Armored Division. The week after that he and his men fought in Operatie Overlord.
Read the story: Combat roue (3) >
3 Armored Division
Augustus 7, 1944
Generals Omar Bradley and Dwight D. Eisenhower personally appointed Maurice Rose as commander of 3 Armored Division and he was promoted to Major General. Operation Cobra was in full swing: the allied armies were beyond Normandy and on their way to Paris.
Read the story: Combat route (3) >
The march to Germany
Sept. 1944 – Jan. 1945
3 Armored Division led the march through northern France to Belgium. On Sept. 2. they crossed the French Belgian border at Mons (Mons). On September 15 via Charleroi, Namur and Verviers and Eupen they were the first Allied division at the German border.
Read the story Combat route (4) >
The taking of Cologne,
Cologne, March 6, 1945
3 Armored Division moved steadily to Cologne that they took on 6 March. There was little resistance from this bombed city of 20,000 inhabitants. On March 25, the division crossed Rhine to lead the attack on the Ruhr area.
Read the story: Combat route (5) >
Maurice Rose was killed
Paderborn, March 30, 1945
On March 30, Maurice Rose was driving a small convoy through enemy territory near Paderborn, when they suddenly came under fire. They were run off the road by a German Tiger II tank. Rose was hit by several bullets and died on the spot.
Read the story: Combat route (6) >
Buried in Margraten
August 25, 1945
the day after his fall Maurice Rose was buried with a military ceremony in Ittenbach. In August 1945 he was transferred to the cemetery in Margraten, where he found his last resting place in Block C, Row 1, Grave 1.
Read the story: Combat route (8) >
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
Memories of
Maurice Rose
General Maurice Rose is commemorated and honored
after his death in many ways. The Army honored him
in 1950 by naming a troopship after him:
the USNS (United States Naval Ship) General MauriceRose.
Veterans of
3rd Armored Division
have over the years remembered
the passing of their former
commander on many occasions.
The US Congress issued a
commemorative 50 cent coin.
Margraten named the local elementary school after Rose:
Roman Catholic Primary School Maurice Rose.
In his hometown of Denver (Colorado) the General
Rose Memorial Hospital (now Rose Medical Center) was
opened. General Dwight D. Eisenhower personally laid the foundation stone. In his hometown Middletown is the
Major-General Maurice Rose United States Armed Forces Reserve Center.
