Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (1919–1944)

Montgomery Cunningham Meigs (/ˈmɛɡz/; August 10, 1919–December 11, 1944) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and commander of a tank battalion during World War II. He is the great-great grandnephew of Montgomery C. Meigs, Quartermaster of the Union Army during the Civil War, and father of retired General Montgomery Meigs, Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe. He was killed in action during the first weeks of battle faced by the 12th Armored Division during the liberation of Alsace in France.

Early life and education
Montgomery Cunningham Meigs ("Monty") was the youngest of three sons of Comdr. John Forsyth Meigs, USN (March 2, 1890 – January 3, 1963) and Elisabeth Hubbard Meigs (1894 - 1991). He was born in Weston, Massachusetts, and due to his father's naval posting, he attended 8 different schools, graduated from the Brent School in Baguio, Philippines, and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating 44th in his class in 1940. During the latter part of his school career he was handicapped by a painful back injury which kept him in a plaster cast for six months and in an iron brace for a year.

Military career
Upon graduation from West Point in 1940, he chose to enter the cavalry and first served in the 8th Cavalry Regiment, at Fort Bliss, Kentucky. In 1941 he was transferred to the 2nd Armored Division and in 1942 to the 7th Armored Division, serving as an MP at Fort Polk, Louisiana. While in these two divisions he was seriously and painfully injured in motorcycle accidents, first with a broken neck vertebra and second with a broken knee.

He recuperated at Walter Reed General Hospital, and met several survivors of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. He was given command of the 23rd Tank Battalion of the 12th Armored Division after his second discharge from the hospital, and went overseas to the European Theater of Operations with the Division in September 1944.



The first mission given to the 23rd Tank Battalion was to support the 17th AIB in attacking the barracks at Binning on 9 December 1944. A platoon of 5 tanks from Co. A led by 1st Lt. Robert Seymour supported the infantry advance, while the rest of the tank battalion fired on the barracks from the flank. Leaving from Rohrbach at 0930, Col. Meigs, with his S-2 Officer Capt. Virgil Thorp in the gunner's seat of the M-4 with a 75mm gun, advanced to a position on a ridge that allowed Meigs to observe and direct the fire. The tanks encountered anti-tank mines, and heavy artillery and mortar attacks from the 11th Panzer Division. "Never once did the colonel close his turret hatch. He would just duck his head when an enemy round would land near the tank and be right up again to observe the action of the enemy and his own forces."

The tanks held their position overnight, while Meigs walked back to Division HQ because the areas was heavily mined. One company commander was killed and another seriously wounded when they drove back to HQ that night. While waiting to speak to Gen. Ennis at Division HQ, Meigs found that his canteen on his pistol belt had been pierced by shrapnel.

Overnight, Meigs issued orders to his company commanders, notifying them that the 23rd TB would be leading a task force attacking the Maginot Line north of Rohrbach. He returned to his tank which led the attack. Moving out from Oberstmuhl on 10 December, the task force hit a mine field and turned south to Sinnesberg. They advanced under heavy fire to the Maginot Line defenses by 1500 hours, but were forced by increased anti-tank fire from concealed positions held by the 11th Panzer Division, and mounting casualties to fall back to a defiladed position overnight. Six tanks were lost in the engagement.

One G.I. (most likely from the 17th Armored Infantry Battalion (AIB), which together with the 23rd Tank Battalion and the 435 Armored Field Artillery, constituted Combat Command Reserve (CCR) ) who was following Col. Meigs' tank, was hit by an enemy artillery barrage. Col. Meigs stopped his tank, dismounted, picked up the soldier and with Capt. Thorp placed him on the deck of his tank. He ordered the tank to move to a position of cover from a large pillbox, where he personally administered first aid and morphine to the wounded soldier. He was evacuated later losing both legs but he lived due to the action of Col. Meigs.

Orders for 11 December 1944 were to proceed through Rohrbach then take the road leading east to Bitche. Meigs, who had not slept in 3 days, was in the lead tank of the first assault wave, advanced 1200 yd onto a ridge which the Germans had "zeroed in" with well-concealed 88mm anti-tank artillery guns. The Germans unleashed "the most intense artillery barrage the 23rd had suffered". Three tanks were disabled and several exposed officers were killed. Due to the loss of the company commanders of Co B and Co C, 2 junior officers were made acting company commanders. One of them, 1st. Lt. John Lee of Company B, would distinguish himself at the end of the war during the Battle for Castle Itter.

Col. Meigs called a halt until the guns could be located and told the tanks to take cover. He ordered his tank driver to move forward until he could just see over the ridge without exposing the entire tank, into a hull defilade position. He observed a flash of light coming from the direction of Bettwiller and called for smoke on the edge of the town. He told the tank driver to back up, but at that moment, an anti-tank projectile went through the open hatch door and struck him, killing him instantly. Capt. William Comfort, an S-3 officer, took temporary command of the battalion, until 13 December when Major William Edwards took control of the battalion. The 17th AIB advanced to the pillboxes of the Maginot Line but was pinned down at the front and left flank. Artillery fire directed by 12th AD liaison planes knocked out the pillboxes that were impeding the 17th advance.

The Division accomplished its objectives by 15 December, capturing Bettviller, Guising, Binning, Hoelling and Rohrbach. The Division casualty report for the period of 7 through 15 December 1944 included 6 officers and 37 enlisted men killed, 16 officers and 141 enlisted men wounded. At least 10 tanks were lost in the first engagement of the war.

Meigs was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for "gallantry and extraordinary service". His citation states that: "Lieutenant Colonel Meigs' actions during the three days' operations under artillery, mortar, and small arms fire set an example for all officers and men of his battalion, inspiring them to continue the attack on the Division objective, which was taken on December 12, 1944. Lieutenant Colonel Meigs' courage and utter disregard for his own life in leading his battalion, exemplifies the finest traditions of the Armed Forces of the United States".

Personal life
Meigs was born to Commander John F. Meigs. U.S.N. (ret.) and Elisabeth Hubbard Meigs in Bedford, Mass. in 1919. He had two older brothers, Captain Charles Hubbard Meigs, U.S.N. (14 September 1915–18 January 2008) and John Forsyth Meigs (4 May 1917–31 October 1938). He attended Brent School at Baguio, Philippines, then attended the U.S. Military Academy at West point, graduating 44th in the Class of 1940.

His nickname, like many of his namesakes was "Mont". He was married to Elizabeth Shoemaker Griggs on 25 May 1943 in Annapolis, Maryland. They had one son, Montgomery Meigs, who was born one month after his death, and went on to attend West Point and eventually become Commanding General of U.S. Army in Europe.

Meigs was a member of a very long and distinguished military family. He is the father of Major Gen. Montgomery Meigs (born 1945), USA, the son of Cdr. John Forsyth Meigs, Jr., USN (John Forsyth Meigs, III), son-in law of Capt. John B. Griggs, USN, brother of Cdr. Charles Hubbard Meigs, USN, great grandnephew of Brevet Major General Montgomery C. Meigs (1816–1892, Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War), nephew of Admiral Montgomery Meigs Taylor, cousin of Brevet Major John Rodgers Meigs, (1842-1864, military engineer, killed in action during Civil War), Brevet Col. Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. (1764 - 1825), and Col. Return Jonathan Meigs (1740 – 1823), Colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Awards and decorations
His awards include the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart.
 * Silver Star ribbon.svg Silver Star
 * Purple Heart ribbon.svg Purple Heart