2nd Armored Division Roosevelt Bridge sign, Germany, 1945

Gift of Robert Jolliff, from the Collections of The National WWII Museum
Description: 

Photograph. American serviceman and a German woman posing with a sign that reads "Roosevelt Bridge dedicated to our late great Commander in-chief 2nd Armored Div."; another serviceman is standing on the steps of the building in the background. Personal caption on front: "The only bridge we failed to finish (Elbe)." Westerhusen, Germany. April 1945

Image Information

Accession Number: 
Date: 
1945-04-
Location: 
Hometown: 
Branch: 
Theater of Service: 
Campaign / Event: 
POW / KIA: 
Collection Level: 
Items from the service of Master Sergeant Dan Jolliff, who was an officer in the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Division in the European Theater of Operations. Daniel Benjamin "Debe" Jolliff was born on 18 August 1919 in Mississippi County, Arkansas, and spent the majority of his early life in Leachville, Arkansas. At the age of 21, Jolliff enlisted in the United States Army and spent part of his military training in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 17th Armored Engineer Battalion landed in North Africa in November 1942, and was stationed in Algeria and Morocco. The unit then participated in Operation Husky and landed in Sicily in July 1943. It was then sent to England to prepare for D-Day. On 9 June 1944, the 17th Battalion landed on Utah Beach and was assigned to breakthrough thick hedgerows using M4 Sherman tanks mounted with bulldozer blades. Once in France, the 17th Battalion built temporary bridges over the Seine River in the Cherbourg peninsula. Bridges were also built in Holland, Belgium, and Germany throughout the war. In late September 1945, Jolliff was sent back to the United States aboard the SS M.I.T. Victory. He then moved to Manila, Arkansas, and opened a restaurant. Jolliff remained in Manila until his death on 23 September 1968. The collection includes newspaper clippings Hilter Youth and Nazi pins, periodicals, newspapers, military correspondence. Unbound scrapbooks, German military photographs, as well as photographs of Jolliff’s time in North Carolina, North Africa, England, France, Belgium, and Germany.
Geography: 
Niedersachsen
Latitude: 
52.667
Longitude: 
9.000
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials: 
Elbe River (Czech Republic and Germany)--Germany
Vehicles, Military--German--Franc
Vehicles, Military--American--North Africa