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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.

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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

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

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Maurice Rose

The Major General

Name: Maurice Rose
Born: November 26, 1899
Deceased: March 30, 1945, 45 years
Rank & Military component: Major General
3rd Armored Division
Cemetary: Block C, Row 1, Grave 1

Maurice Rose was born in 1899. At an
early age he joined the army.
In subsequent years, he climbed steadily up professionally and
specialized in motorized warfare. During World War II
he initially commanded 2th Armored Division,
and later - now General - 3rd Armored Division.


On March 30, 1945 he was in the front
line in Paderborn, Germany. When his jeep
came under fire. He was shot by a German soldier under circumstances which to
this day are not entirely clear. Major General Maurice Rose
fought in Tunisia, Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany.
He was 45 years old.

3rd Armored Division

‘SPEARHEAD’

The 3rd Armored
Division
was a
a mechanized and heavily
armed division of the US Army.
During Operation Cobra earned 3rd Armored Division the
nickname Spearhead, because they always went ahead in
the battle. Tanks were the
main weapon.

From August 7, 1945 until
his death on March 30,
1945 Maurice Rose was
commander of the
division.