Lt. Gus Mose Blass II (0551550)

Gus Blass II left us some of the most detailed memories of service in the squadron and you can watch a detailed interview he gave here. Viewing all 52 minutes is strongly recommended. But nothing beats his memoir 'SERVING IN THE ARMORED CAVALRY IN EUROPE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: 1944-1945' because you can dwell in your own time on the experiences he describes.

It's an honour to make such a fascinating personal memoir of life in the squadron available to everyone.

Connie Blass, daughter of 2nd Lt Gus Mose Blass II (0551550), has given permission to offer the book her father wrote 54 years after his experiences in Reconnaissance Troop A as a free download.

You can find it here.

2nd Lt Gus Blass is listed in the 24th Cav Recon After Action reports as a replacement officer on January 31 1945, but he arrived with the squadron a few weeks before. In interviews and his book, Gus describes  combat in the Battle of the Bulge, which began on December 16 and ended on January 25. Aged 19, he was the youngest platoon leader in the 4th Cavalry Group.

European readers should note that Gus gives temperatures in Farenheit. When he reports conditions never going above 10 degrees, during the Bulge offensive, this means maximum temperatures of minus 12 celsius. Feet would sweat in fur-lined boots, then freeze when a trooper was immobile, leading to trench foot which often resulted in lost toes or worse.

Gus's account brings to life some of the most famous moments in the history books of WW2. His platoon were among the first men across the Rhine via the Ludendorff Bridge, at Remagen - which had been unexpectedly captured by the 7th Armored Division when the German plan to blow it up failed.

He and his men also rounded up German civilians to deal with mountains of corpses from the labour camp at Nordhausen.

He also describes being among the furthest advanced forces in the east of Germany to whom Germans aimed to surrender, rather than fall into Russian hands.

Gus also helped to recover the bodies of 84 surrendering Americans murdered by the SS in the infamous Malmedy massacre of December 17 1944.

To read the memoir of Gus Mose Blass II is as close as we get to witnessing some of the most dramatic and enduring stories of WW2.

He identifies himself toward the end of the memoir as part of 'Troop D', rather than Troop A of the 24th Cav Recon, reflecting the reorganisation of the squadron into a constabulary.