William Hood Simpson

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Hood Simpson

William Hood Simpson (born May 18, 1888 in Weatherford , Texas , † August 15, 1980 in San Antonio , Texas) was an American general and Commander in Chief of the US 9th Army during the Second World War .

Life

After graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1909, Simpson joined the army as an infantry officer and served in the 6th US Infantry Regiment in the Philippines and in the Mexican Expedition of 1916. After his promotion to captain in May 1917, he served up at the end of the First World War in the 33rd US Infantry Division , where he reached the rank of Brevet - Lieutenant Colonel and the position of Chief of Staff of the division .

In May 1919 he became Chief of Staff of the US 6th Division in Camp Grant, Illinois. After serving two years in the War Department , he attended Infantry School at Fort Benning , Georgia , which he graduated in 1924. He then completed a one-year course at the Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . After commanding a battalion of the 12th Infantry Regiment in Maryland for two years, he attended the United States Army War College in Carlisle , Pennsylvania until 1928 . He then served on the General Staff until 1932 and then taught military science and tactics at Pomona College in California until 1936 , then until 1940 at Army War College. In October 1934 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and in 1938 to colonel .

In 1940 he briefly commanded the 9th US Infantry Regiment in Fort Sam Houston , Texas, and then became Deputy Commander of the 2nd US Infantry Division with the rank of Brevet Brigadier General . From April to October 1941 he commanded Camp Wolters, Texas, and was promoted to temporary major general in September . He then took over in Camp Robinson, Arkansas, command of the 35th US Infantry Division , which he led to exercises in California. From May to July 1942 he commanded the 30th US Infantry Division in Fort Jackson , South Carolina, and then the XII. US corps in the same location. In October 1943 he was promoted to temporary lieutenant general and was given command of the 4th US Army , with which he moved from California to Fort Sam Houston, Texas in January 1944.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower with his generals, William Simpson in the far left of the picture

In May of this year he went to England with his staff to organize the 9th US Army . After its activation as part of General Omar N. Bradley's 12th Army Group in Rennes , France, on September 5, 1944, he fought in the Battle of Brest , which fell on September 20. He was then transferred with his army to the Western Front, which he led in the Ardennes and from November onwards when breaching the Western Wall and in the fighting on the Rur Front . After crossing the Rur in February 1945 and the Rhine in March, his army, together with the 1st US Army, formed the Ruhr basin in which German Army Group B finally surrendered at the end of April. The 9th Army was the first army of the Western Allies to cross the Elbe. Simpson's request to be allowed to advance further on Berlin was rejected by his superiors. After the dissolution of his army in June 1945 and his return to the USA, Simpson served briefly in China and took over the 2nd US Army in Memphis , Tennessee in October . In November 1946 he retired from active service.

In July 1954 he was promoted to general by an act of Congress . He died on August 15, 1980 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife Ruth.

Awards

Selection of decorations, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of Military Awards :

Other awards:

  • Philippine Campaign Medal
  • Mexican Service Medal
  • World War I Victory Medal with two horizontal stripes
  • Army of Occupation of Germany Medal
  • American Defense Service Medal
  • American Campaign Medal
  • Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
  • World War II Victory Medal

Web links

Commons : William Hood Simpson  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Simpson, William Hood
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American general
DATE OF BIRTH May 18, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Weatherford , Texas
DATE OF DEATH August 15, 1980
Place of death San Antonio , Texas