Private Robert Jones' Water Bottle

Article adapted from Armymag.it
[https://www.armymag.it/2020/05/13/borraccia-battaglia-gotica-altuzzo-spadi-ponzalla-robert-jones/]

Memory resurfaces from an object

The private Jones' water bottle had been 'forgotten' in an old farmhouse in the Apennines. Fragments of history continue to emerge from the Giogo Pass. Thanks to the volunteers of the Gotica Toscana association for the researc, who have been putting the mosaic tiles in their place for years. So this story can be told. All the artefacts found in the war zones are carefully studied; the objects and their stories are told in the MUGOT – GOTHIC LINE MUSEUM, set up and leads in Ponzalla by the association. In this area, one of the greenest segments of Tuscany, the Valley of Mugello, 75 years ago there were battle and horrors of war spent for the conquest of the Gothic Line, on where Allies were opposed to the Nazi-fascist troops.

Not much has changed compared to 80 years ago in these mountains a stone's throw from Florence. The farmhouses occupied by the Germans and Americans during the war remained inhabited for a few years; immediately after the war many of the farmers in the area went to the city chasing the economic boom. Those homes remained there, empty, or occupied only on weekends. Evidence of the war can still be found in these farmhouses.

«In these houses – Filippo Spadi, General Secretary of Gotica Toscana, collector and WW enthusiast tells us – there was a lot of military material left from the armies in battle. Immediately after the war there was a great fear of finding bombs or other armaments such as hand grenades, mines and ammunition; but the farmers kept and reused objects belonging to the soldiers, which became 'civilian' and of daily use: wooden crates, tin boxes, bottles, bayonets, helmets". Even in the woods it wasn't difficult to find other abandoned materials; what was not recycled or sold to those who recovered the metals remained in the farmhouses. Like the water bottle cup that is the protagonist of our story.

Robert Jones and his story

«Not far from the Giogo Pass – Filippo Spadi continues – where the battle of Monte Altuzzo took place, there is the hamlet of Rifredo. In this village, after the fighting the American soldiers made a brief stop. The story begins a few years ago, when a friend of mine bought a farmhouse right in Rifredo. In this house, time stopped in the 1950s. When my friend entered the house, the stable and the cellars he found many wooden and cardboard crates containing American rations. He called me to retrieve this material; but inside there were many other objects of military origin that he had not seen, in particular the cup accompanying the water bottle that is the protagonist of our story".

On the aluminum cup there were engravings: the letters REJ along with letters and numbers: CO. K 338, i.e. Company K of the 338th Infantry Regiment, part of the 85th Division, i.e. the Custer Division. The soldiers who had fought on Mounte Altuzzo. Among the writings also Buffalo, an American city in the state of New York.

«Not being able to identify the soldier just from those graffiti – added Spadi – we turned to Justin Dombrowski, the historian of the 85th division and nephew of a veteran. After examining the archives, he discovered that REJ were the initials of Robert E. Jones, ASN 42025170.

Dombrowski's further studies at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs revealed that Robert Edward Jones enlisted on October 8, 1943 in Buffalo and survived the war: his discharge was on December 31, 1945. Subsequent documents revealed that Robert Edward Jones married Rachael J. McAllister in Wellsville, New York, on April 6, 1947. He died on October 7, 1977, in Buffalo, New York, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Wellsville."

Subsequent research was done by a local newspaper in the United States, the Wellsville Daily Reporter. Thanks to the historical collection of the newspaper, in the city library, journalists found Jones' obituary from 1977. From it they gathered information about his family which revealed the names of his parents, Thurber Signey Jones and Alta M. Spencer, and the names of his children.

A 43-year-old information that made it possible to trace a daughter: Deborah Button. The woman said she didn't remember much about her father's military service, but said that after the war he worked as a truck driver in Wellsville, mostly delivering furniture.

In the military records of the 338th Infantry Regiment it is documented that after the Battle of Monte Altuzzo Private Robert Edward Jones was promoted to the rank of Private First Class and received the Good Conduct Medal and a Bronze Star.

Jones' water bottle at the Gothic Museum of Ponzalla

The mug with the photo of Robert Edward Jones will be exhibited at the Ponzalla museum, the set will be set up with a photo of the soldier provided by the daughter, who said she was proud that a piece of her father's life is exhibited in a museum.

The 85^th “Custer” Division

The training

The 85^th th Infantry Division US Army, , named after one of the American myths, General Custer, was formed for the first time in 1917, and took part in the First World War. On May 15, 1942, five months after the US entered the war, the 85^th returned to active duty, and began training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, under the command of Major General Wade H. Haislip. In April 1943, the division participated in large-scale military training in the Louisiana Maneuvers near Leesville. In August, the division was transferred to Camp Coxcomb, California, for desert warfare training. Final trials were at Fort Dix, New Jersey, with a view to moving to Europe. 85^th left the United States on December 24, 1943, and arrived in Casablanca, Morocco, on January 2, 1944.

In Italy

The first regiment to have its baptism of fire in Italy was the 339th RCT assigned to the 88th Infantry Division, deployed on the Minturno-Castelforte front, north of Naples, on 28 March. The 85^th Division, under 2nd Corps of the United States Fifth Army, led by General Mark W. Clark, was engaged in action as a unit on 10 April 1944, north of the Garigliano River, opposite the Gustav Line, and held defensive positions for one month. On May 11th he launched his attack, taking Solacciano, Castellonorato and Formia. Fall of Itri, the 85^th continued to patrol and intercept Germans on the Gaeta peninsula. Terracina was taken and the road to the beach of Anzio was opened. Custer's men subsequently entered Rome on 5 June 1944 and advanced to Viterbo before being relieved on 10 June.

After spending time in the rear and replenishing the ranks, “Custer” held the defense of the line on the Arno River from 15 to 26 August.

On the Giogo Pass and in the Apennines

Subsequently they launched the attack on the mountain defenses of the Gothic Line, breaking through right after the battle of Monte Altuzzo and the taking of the fortifications on the Giogo. After breaking through the line on 13 September, the soldiers entered Firenzuola on the 21st. The 85th advanced slowly through mud and rain against strong resistance, taking La Martina and conquering the Idice river valley road on 2 October and reaching Mount Mezzano the 24th with a view of the Po Valley. From 27 October to 22 November 1944, defense areas were held near Pizzano. On the 23rd, the division was relieved again for reconstitution.

At the end of March, the Custer, now under the command of Major General Willis D. Crittenberger's IV Corps, was moved back to Tuscany, this time to push through Lucca and Pistoia into the Po Valley to finally stop enemy activity. The Panaro river was crossed on 23 April and the Po the following day. The division rounded up fleeing Germans until their mass surrender on May 2, 1945, in the Belluno-Agordo area.

The end of World War II in Europe came six days later.

Medal of Honour: gli eroi dell’85^th in Italia

Ci sia consentita qui una digressione importante, salvo riprendere altrove e ampliare il ricordo di questi soldati dell 85^th Divisione di Fanteria. Quattro di loro si sono guadagnati la Medal of Honor durante la Campagna di guerra in Italia; due di loro per il valore dimostrato nelle battaglie del Giogo e in Appennino:

• Staff Sergeant George D. Keathley (338^th Infantry Regiment)
• First Lieutenant Orville E. Bloch (338^th Infantry Regiment)
• Sergeant Chritos H. Karaberis (337^th Infantry Regiment)
• First Lieutenant Robert T. Waugh (339^th Infantry Regiment)