| William Orlando Darby (8 February 1911 – 30 April 1945) | |
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William Darby |
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| Born | February 8, 1911 Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA |
| Died | April 30, 1945 (aged 34) Torbole, Italy |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | US Army |
| Years of service | 1933-1945 |
| Rank | Brigadier General (Posthumous) |
| Commands held | 6615th Ranger Force |
| Battles/wars | World War II - Operation Torch; - Sicily campaign; - Italian campaign |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross & oak leaf cluster; Silver Star; French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star; Soviet Order of Kutuzov (3rd degree); British Distinguished Service Order |
William Orlando Darby (8 February 1911 – 30 April 1945) was an officer in the United States Army during World War II. Darby led the famous Darby's Rangers which evolved into the US Army Rangers and was also made famous as a major motion picture starring the American actor James Garner in the role of Darby.
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Darby was born at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor of science degree and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery on 13 June 1933.
His first assignment was being an assistant executive and supply officer with the 82nd Field Artillery at Fort Bliss, Texas. In July 1934, he transferred to Cloudcroft, New Mexico where he commanded the 1st Cavalry Division detachment. He received intensive artillery training from September 1937 to June 1938 while attending Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. On 9 September 1940, he was promoted to captain and subsequently served with the 80th Division at Camp Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Benning, Georgia; Camp Beauregard, Louisiana and Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
As the Second World War progressed, Darby saw rapid promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel. He was with the first U.S. troops sent to Northern Ireland at the outbreak of the war, and during his stay there, he became interested in the British Commandos. His interest was such that, when the U.S. Army decided to establish its Ranger units, he was assigned to direct their organization and training. Many of the original Rangers were volunteers from the Red Bull, the 34th Infantry Division.
“Darby's Rangers” trained with their British counterparts in Scotland and in 1943, the 1st Ranger Battalion made its first assault at Arzew. Darby was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for his actions during that operation. The citation stated:
“Lt. Col. Darby struck with his force with complete surprise at dawn in the rear of a strongly fortified enemy position. Always conspicuously at the head of his troops, he personally led assaults against the enemy line in the face of heavy machine gun and artillery fire, establishing the fury of the Ranger attack by his skillful employment of hand grenades in close quarter fighting. On March 22, Lt. Col. Darby directed his battalion in advance on Bon Hamean, capturing prisoners and destroying a battery of self propelled artillery.”
The 1st Ranger Battalion saw further action in the Italian Campaign. Darby received a second award (oak leaf cluster) of the DSC in 1943 for his gallantry in Sicily:
“Lt. Col. Darby, with the use of one 37mm gun, which he personally manned, managed not only to repulse an enemy attack, but succeeded with this weapon in destroying one tank, while two others were accounted for by well directed hand grenade fire.”
Darby was also awarded the Silver Star in 1943 for his actions:
“Without regard for his personal safety, the day previous to a raid, he reconnoitered enemy positions and planned the attack which he led the following morning. The thorough organization and successful attack led by Lt. Col. Darby revealed his initiative, courage, and devotion to duty which is a credit to the Armed Forces of the United States.”
In April 1944, having been promoted to colonel, he returned to Washington, D.C. for duty with the Army Ground Forces and later with the War Department General Staff. In March 1945, he returned to Italy for an observation tour with General of the Army Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.
On 23 April 1945, Brigadier General Robinson E. Duff, assistant division commander of the US 10th Mountain Division, was wounded; Darby took over for Duff. “Task Force Darby” spearheaded the breakout of the 5th Army from the Po River valley bridgehead and reached Torbole at the head of Lake Garda.
On 30 April 1945, while Darby was issuing orders for the attack on Trento to cut off a German retreat, an 88 mm shell burst in the middle of the assembled officers and NCOs, killing Darby and a sergeant and wounding several others. Relying on the inspiration of their late commander, “Task Force Darby” continued on with their mission. Two days later, on 2 May 1945, all German forces in Italy surrendered.
Darby, who was 34 at the time of his death, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general as of the date. He was buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas.
He died on the same day as Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun.
Darby's records, medals, military records, and uniforms are on display at the Old Fort Museum in Fort Smith, and his boyhood home is open for tours. Camp Darby, near Fort Benning, which is home to the second part of the "Benning Phase" of Ranger School, is named after him. In addition, two U.S. Army installations in Europe were named after Darby: W.O. Darby Kaserne, Fürth, Germany (closed in 1995); and the operational Camp Darby, near Livorno, Italy. The town of Cisterna, Italy, dedicated its high school to Darby.
Darby Junior High School was built in 1897. It was then Fort Smith High School. The school was only three months old when on January 11, 1898, a tornado struck Fort Smith and practically destroyed the new building.
The school was rebuilt and in 1910 a second portion was built. This part was completely destroyed by fire on September 2, 1912. By heroic effort the old section was saved. The final section, the auditorium, gymnasium, swimming pool, and classrooms were built in 1918-1919.
Fort Smith High School
In January 1928, the high school moved to North 23 and B street, leaving the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades to make up the junior high.
In 1955 the name of Fort Smith Junior High School was changed to William O. Darby Junior School in honor of General Darby who led troops in Africa and Italy during World War II. Darby was killed in action leading the Fifth Army spearhead in the Po Valley in 1945. In 1958 the name of the school’s athletic teams was changed from Cubs to Rangers after the famous Darby Rangers.
Because of the age and condition of the original building, the school board decided a new building was needed and on September 26, 1967 an increase in millage was voted for the erecting of a new school.
School started in the new building in 1969 and only the section of the building that had been built in 1918-1919 was left. It was later remodeled.
During the fall of 1971, the new gymnasium and a general music building was occupied. Beginning in the 2006 - 2007 school year, Darby opened up a new Science and Media Center. The new building has six science classrooms, a science lab, and a new media center.
In 1958 the motion picture Darby's Rangers,[1] starring James Garner dramatized Darby's military exploits. Wayde Preston also played a character role based on Darby in the 1968 film Anzio.
A book entitled Onward We Charge: The Heroic Story of Darby's Rangers in World War II by H. Paul Jeffers was published in 2007.
An Admiral Benson Class transport ship, the USS Admiral W. S. Sims (AP-127), was renamed USAT General William O. Darby in the 40's.[2]
In addition to the awards conferred upon him by the U.S. Army, he received the following foreign awards: