IOWAN HAS 300 COMBAT HOURS
Kensett Yank Serves Under Clark in Italy
Kensett - Pvt. Charles E. Colby, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Colby of Kensett, who has been fighting with the 5th army (infantry) in Italy, now has more than 300 days of combat against the Gothic line. He is a truck driver.
Pvt. Colby's regiment is the 168th, part of the famous Rainbow division of World War I. It is a unit of Gen. Mark Clark's Red Bull division.
In the 2 1/2 years the 168th regiment has been overseas it has fought through 88 days of combat in the Tunisian campaign and has been on the line in Italy almost constantly since landing at Paestum Sept. 21, 1943, only 12 days after continental Europe was invaded for the first time.
A count was taken early last month which showed men of the 168th had received 8 distinguished service crosses, 147 silver stars, 109 bronze stars and 4 soldiers' medals and had, in the Italian campaign alone, received 3,024 Purple Heart awards and clusters. The 168th landed at Algiers on African D day. Its 2nd battalion led the attack up the slope of Hill 609 and is officially credited with its capture.
Its first great battle of the present campaign began Oct. 13, 1943, when its men crossed the Volturno and took Caiazzo and 2 other towns. Ironically, the 168th suffered exactly 168 casualties in the 2nd crossing of the Volturno. They lost 400 men and inflicted 1,200 enemy casualties in wrestling Mount Pantana, before Cassino, from the enemy in a 7 day battle. The regiment debarked on the beachhead around Anzio on March 19, 1944.
Source: Mason City Globe-Gazette, Saturday, October 21, 1944, pg. 6
Charles Raymond Colby was born Aug. 27, 1915 to Ralph E. and Christine J. Thomson Colby. He died Apr. 13, 1999.
Source: ancestry.com
