Pvt. George Washington Cline Jr.

33658543

L Company, 331st Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division

April 4, 1921 - December 17, 1944

Pvt. George Washington Cline Jr.

33658543

L Company, 331st Infantry Regiment
331st Infantry Regiment
83rd Infantry Division

Biography

George Cline was born on April 4, 1921 to George Cline and Pearlie Gross. He was the third out of seven children with one brother, Efford, passing away when he was only one year old. On January 13, 1940 he married Ethel Davis with whom he had one daughter, Wanda, born in 1941. His wife Ethel would never remarry after the war and passed on April 11, 1976. Their daughter Wanda passed in 2016 leaving behind several children and grandchildren. George Cline worked in a lumber mill prior to his service.

On 26 October 1943, at age 23, George Cline was drafted and enlisted into the service (ASN: 33658543) in Roanoke, Virginia. He was not part of the original 83rd Infantry Division but was assigned as a replacement after the battle in France. On 12 October 1944 he arrived with L Company, 331st Infantry Regiment in a group of 10 replacements. At this time his unit was stationed in Luxembourg.

Military Service

Not much is known about Pvt. Cline's service but because he is listed as a member of L Company, 331st Infantry Regiment it is possible to reconstruct his journey through Europe. The group of reinforcements which included George Cline arrived right the day after 3rd battalion returned from a training period on the Maginot Line, engaging in exercises to attack fortified positions. Company L was billeted in the city of Luxembourg and would spend the remainder of October engaging in further small unit action training and regaining strength. This situation lasted until November 9 when the regiment was moved to an assembly area on the France-Luxembourg border. They remained there for a few days in preparation to relieve elements of the 329th and 330th regiments along the Moselle River.

The move to the Moselle River was made on 14 November 1944 and 3rd battalion occupied the left flank of the Division in and around Grevenmacher. The 331st took over the duties of the other regiments of patrolling along and across the Moselle River while reserve units continued their training. Many of the days consisted of patrols from both sides engaging each other or harassing artillery fire being shot across the Moselle River. On 22 November the 3rd batttalion moved to regiment reserve. This situation lasted until 3 December 1944 when the 22nd Infantry Regiment (4th Division) arrived to relieve the 331st which was now set to move to the Hurtgen Forest.

Death

On December 5, 1944 the 22nd Infantry Regiment (4th Division), who had arrived the day before, started relieving the units of the 331st along the Moselle River. This move was completed without issue of enemy activity. The next day, December 6, the entire 331st Regiment left in the morning for the Hurtgen Forest sector arriving in the vicinity of Gressenich at about 1900. The 331st Infantry Regiment would be in the middle of the 83rd sector with the 329th on its left and the 330th on the right. On December 7 the regiment moved towards Gey and started taking over positions previously held by the 12th Infantry Regiment (4th Division). This move was completed by 1600.

The first few days the 3rd battalion was held in reserve while the other battalions attacked the town of Gey. The battle for Gey was costly for the 331st Regiment and after a few days of fighting, on 12 December, 3rd battalion moved into town relieving elements of 2nd battalion. They spend the next day fighting against stiff resistance in the North part of town. After capturing the town of Gey, L Company moved on to occupy Kufferath on the high ground overlooking the Rur River in preparation for the attack on Lendersdorf. The attack on this town kicked off at O700 on 17 December 1944 with K and L companies supported by tanks. Two tanks were knocked out by anti tank fire from across the river and the GIs continued to meet stiff resistance throughout the day. The after action report states that the town was secured by 1730 with the loss of one KIA and 27 wounded. However three men of L Company died that day, including George Cline, and at least one soldier with K Company.

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