Bonjour à Tous

[Pathfinder504]

I am new here as well and this is the first instance I have been able to post/reply....I wanted to reply in the Pathfinder/505 thread to support Mr. dvl story which is completely true regarding Bagby.

Dave Berry
Pathfinder Historian

[kommando.bb]

Welcome to the forum.
Thank you for your support.
If you have other revelations we share.
Cordially.

[Dawson]

I just came across this thread while doing some research on the subject. First I apologize up front for the English. I wish I spoke French, but chose Latin instead.
A little about myself.
Colonel Ralph "Bazz" Bagby was an uncle.

William "Buck" Dawson was my uncle; a lieutenant in the 325th Glider Infantry; an aide to Gen Gavin (who was the commander of the 505th PIR at the time);and a pall bearer at Gen Gavin's funeral at West Point. Sadly, he was the last of the WWII veterans in the family to pass away, but I heard the story from him several times (Col. Bagby was killed in a car crash in the 1950s- enroute to a reunion of his WWI squadron).
The story was well known within the family and was keeping in character of Uncle "Bazz" as he was known. The story did not make it into the official military records as most things like it did not- he was almost court martialed for being AWOL (absent With Out Leave) but instead received a verbal reprimand and a Silver Star.
There is, however, one official record of his jump. He was honored by the 505th PIR by being listed on their roster of veterans. He would tell people it was the highest military honor he ever received. Look under "Bagby".
http://www.usairborne.be/Roster/ROSTER-505PIR.pdf

Some other naretives of the story:

http://www.505rct.org/album2/bales_r.asp

Exerpt from the footnotes of the book "Swords of St. Michael".

http://books.google.com/books?id=T6c3ac ... ay&f=false

[Marc Laurenceau]

Hi Dawson and welcome aboard this forum!

Do not fear to write in English, many members manage to translate into French. We're glad to have you here! We're proud to have colonel Ralph Bazz Bagby's nephew among us.

Tell us about your knowledge!

Regards,

Marc

[duneline]

Welcome aboard!

[Dawson]

Some links about the story.
From the June 9, 1944 edition of the Glasgow Herald:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2 ... 63,2133324

Sgt. Mabel Carney Stover was Col. Bagby's secretary. She gave several accounts of his going AWOL and jumping.

http://articles.philly.com/1994-06-05/n ... r-comrades

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-0 ... easickness

I initially thought Colonel Bagby died in the 50's, but it was in 1961:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=64613794

I mentioned my Uncle Buck and his ties to Gen. Gavin. Here is my uncle's obituary with a picture of him with Gen. Gavin and Marlene Dietrich. I hope I did not give the impression that he participated in the Normandy landings- he was not assigned to the 82nd until Market Garden. He was with the 10th Mountain Division before that and "volunteered" for the 82nd after getting in trouble with his commander in the 10th Mountain.

http://www.82airborne.org/BuckDawson.html

Sorry, I am not aware of any pictures of Colonel Bagby.

[john9]

hello boy,

welcome here.....

A+

[Noam]

Bienvenue !