Original U.S. WWII Outstanding 63rd “Blood and Fire” Infantry Division Captured German Banner Signed by 158 Soldiers - Several Men of 255th Infantry Regiment - 33 x 58”

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is one of the most outstanding captured German flags/banners we have ever offered. This large roughly 33 x 58” German banner is signed by an astounding 158 soldiers, most of whom are likely part of the 63rd Infantry Division, nicknamed “Blood and Fire”. All signatures are formatted with first initial, last name, and hometown. We were thankfully able to locate a roster of the 255th Infantry Regiment, and were able to find 10+ soldiers on the flag in the roster. From this, we can only assume that the other men are in different regiments of the 63rd ID, but this requires a lot more research. There are 74 signatures on the red field, and 84 within the white circle. The other side of the flag shows a much more faded swas, which is likely why the soldiers decided to sign this side.

The signatures all appear to have been written by the same hand, so there was likely a very long line formed to give the soldier your name and hometown to be added to the flag. This was likely done to keep it looking neat and so that room wouldn’t run out. Interestingly, the very tip of the swas was cut off at its end by the maker. Interestingly, the signer of the flag only abbreviated the city of Buffalo, New York, and no other cities, which may mean that he was from there.

The banner retains four sets of tie-strings at one end, which is where it would have hung from. This would be a phenomenal example for framing, or as the basis for a glass table.

One of the greatest 63rd Infantry Division artifacts we have ever offered, ready for framing and display!

The 63rd Infantry Division ("Blood and Fire") was an infantry division of the Seventh Army of the U.S. Sixth Army Group of the Army of the United States that fought in Europe during World War II.

The 63rd Infantry Division was activated on 15 June 1943, at Camp Blanding, Florida, using a cadre from the 98th Infantry Division. Shortly thereafter, the division moved to Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi to train for action in Europe. On three occasions during the next seventeen months the division turned recruits into combat teams that were sent overseas as replacement troops. The first elements of the division arrived in Europe in December 1944, were assigned to the Seventh Army of the U.S. Sixth Army Group of the United States Army and deployed in support of the Battle of the Bulge; the balance joined them in France in January 1945.

Three regiments of the 63rd Division arrived in Marseille, France, 8 December 1944, trained at Haguenau and, under the designation Task Force Harris, protected the east flank of the Seventh Army along the Rhine River. The task force fought defensively from 22 to 30 December 1944. On 30 December 44, while the 253d Inf Regt was attached to the 44th Inf Division and the 255th Inf Regt was attached to the 100th Inf Division, the 254th Inf Regt was moved to the Colmar area of France where it was attached to the 3d Inf Division which was at the time a part of the First French Army. The infantry regiments remained with their attachments until early February 1945. The rest of the division arrived at Marseille, 14 January 1945, and moved to Willerwald on 2 February, where it was joined by the advance elements on 6 February. On 7 February, the 63rd conducted local raids and patrols, then pushed forward, crossing the Saar River on 17 February, and mopping up the enemy in the Mühlenwald (Mühlen Woods). After bitter fighting at Güdingen early in March, the division smashed at the Siegfried Line on 15th at Saarbrücken, Germany, taking Ormesheim and finally breaching the line at Sankt Ingbert and Hassel on 20 March. Hard fighting still lay ahead, but the Siegfried Line was Germany's last attempt to defend its prewar boundaries along the western front. Before resting on 23 March, the 63d took Spiesen-Elversberg, Neunkirchen and Erbach. On 28 March, the division crossed the Rhine at Worms, moved to Viernheim and occupied Heidelberg on 30 March, establishing its command post there on 1 April. Continuing the advance, the 63rd crossed the Neckar River near Mosbach and the Jagst River on 3 April. The 253rd Infantry Regiment, received the majority of the German resistance during this time at the Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher. Heavy resistance slowed the attack on Bad Wimpfen, Möckmühl, and Adelsheim.

The division switched to the southeast, capturing Lampoldshausen and clearing the Harthäuser Woods on 7 April. A bridgehead was secured over the Kocher River near Weißbach on 8 April, and Schwäbisch Hall fell on 17 April. Advance elements crossed the Rems River and rushed to the Danube. The Danube was crossed on 25 April, and Leipheim fell before the division was withdrawn from the line on 28 April. A final command post was established at Bad Mergentheim on 30 April, 1945, after which the division was assigned security duty from the Rhine to Darmstadt and Würzburg on a line to Stuttgart and Speyer. The 63d began leaving for home on 21 August 1945, and was inactivated on 27 September 1945.

From mid-February 1945 until the end of the war, the 63d Division saw constant combat from Sarreguemines through the Siegfried Line to Worms, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Gunzburg, with elements ending in Landsberg at the end of April 1945, pulled from the line for a much needed rest.

On 15 April 1945, American soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Division perpetrated the Jungholzhausen massacre, when they killed between 13 and 30 Waffen-SS prisoners of war in Braunsbach.