45Dachau 194545
45th Division News & SS Gate Photo
Dachau SS camp gate

On April 29, 1945, the 3rd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Division were among the first troops to liberate Dachau. During liberation, about 550 of the SS guards were killed. About 30 were killed in combat, about 40 were killed by inmates, and about 440 were executed by some members of I Company until the American officers got things under control.

The 45th Infantry Division is recognized as a liberating unit of Dachau by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U. S. Army Center of Military History.

PFC Felix A. Cizewski was in the 45th Signal Company at that time. While none of the reports of the initial liberation mention the presence of the 45th Signal Company, the signalmen would have been just behind the riflemen and moving forward, arriving shortly after liberation. The first photos were taken by by T/4 Arland B. Musser, 163rd Signal Photographic Company, Seventh Army.

"Immediately after Dachau's liberation, U.S. Army authorities and other Allied representatives began treating the sick prisoners, implementing health and sanitary measures to curb the typhus epidemic, and bringing in tons of food to feed the starving prisoners. The local townspeople were brought in to give the dead prisoners a proper burial." From United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust Encyclopedia's entry The 45th Infantry Division.

Felix would have had the opportunity to visit Dachau. As he was fluent in Polish, he would have been able to converse with inmates.

The 45th Division was stationed on occupation duty in Munich area near Dachau from May until late July, 1945.

After VE Day, May 8, 1945: General Patton became military governor of Bavaria, which included Dachau and the 45th Division, and ordered that no charges be brought against the GIs involved in the execution of guards

Felix never spoke of Dachau before his death in 2004. Dachau meant something to him as he kept a copy of the 45th Division News with the report of the liberation and a photo of the gate to the SS camp.

Dachau related links
 
Cizewski, Lovetere, Musbach, & Robinson
Family History Ibiblio Index

© 2006 Leonard H. Cizewski
Last Modified on April 26, 2007
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