Papers (1941-1962) consisting of correspondence, field orders, clippings, maps, photos, and miscellaneous.
Ira Thomas Wyche (1887–1981) was a career U.S. Army officer whose military service spanned both World Wars. Wyche was born October 16, 1887, on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, to Lawrence Olin Wyche, a Methodist pastor, and Lorena Howard Wyche. Following the early deaths of both parents,his mother in 1897 and his father in 1900, Wyche continued his education with the support of his uncle, Franklin Pierce Wyche, attending the Quackenbush School in Laurinburg and Trinity Park School in Durham.
After high school, Wyche received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1911 and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. His early Army career included assignments across the western United States, Alaska, and the Texas Border Patrol, as well as completion of the Mounted Service School in 1916.
During World War I, Wyche served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, commanding artillery units in the St. Die sector and holding temporary promotions to Major and Lieutenant Colonel. Returning stateside, he continued to advance through the Army's professional schools, graduating from the Field Artillery School (1924), Command and General Staff School (1925), and Army War College (1934).
Between the wars, Wyche held various command and training posts, including leadership roles in the 14th and 4th Field Artillery Regiments. Promoted to Brigadier General in 1941, he was soon assigned to organize and command the 79th Infantry Division. Under his leadership, the division landed on Utah Beach in June 1944, fought through Normandy, and advanced across France, Belgium, and into Germany, playing a significant role in the European campaign until V-E Day.
Following Germany's surrender, Wyche briefly commanded VIII Corps and later served as Commanding General of III Corps and the 1st Service Command. In 1947, President Harry Truman appointed him Inspector General of the Army, a post he held until his retirement in 1948.
After retiring from active duty at age sixty-one, Wyche settled with his wife, Mary Louise Dunn Wyche, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He died on July 8, 1981, and is buried alongside his wife at Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery.
The collection is concerned almost entirely with the World War II phase of the General's career. Correspondence, diaries, orders, reports, photographs, maps and overlays, and other records reflect in great detail the operation of the 74th Field Artillery Brigade and then the 79th Infantry Division during the period of Wyche's command. U.S. and Allied combat operations in France and Germany are reflected in depth on a day-by-day basis, particularly from the Normandy Invasion (June, 1944) until V-E Day (May 7, 1945).
It should be remembered that an attempt has been made to maintain the individual files in the original order imposed upon them by General Wyche. As a result, there is an overlapping of correspondence files. The normal chronological arrangement of correspondence has been sacrificed in an effort to preserve the original system. Each correspondence file does contain an index to letters contained therein. See "Arrangement of Papers" section of this Finding Aid.
Two typescript diaries in the collection reflect Wyche's command of the 79th Infantry Division (March, 1944-August, 1945) and the 1st Service Command (June, 1946-January, 1947). These diaries were maintained on a daily basis by an aide who accompanied Wyche at all times. They provide a detailed account of Wyche's activities during the entire period and include highly descriptive information regarding battlefield activities in World War II Europe.
The collection contains personal files and field orders for both the 74th Field Artillery Brigade and the 79th Infantry Division. The field orders for the 79th deal with a variety of subjects, including the processing of P.O.W.'s troop movements, battle strategy,the marking of vehicles, the retention of captured material, and the disposal of land mines. Field orders for attacks undertaken by the 79th are accompanied by G-2 reports and map overlays. The G-2 reports and annexes contain information on current operations, situation estimates and the combat strength of opposing forces.
The history of the 79th Infantry Division is related through a copy of the divisional history, a booklet entitled The Story of the 79th, and in requests for unit citations made by Wyche after the war. In both field orders and in correspondence during the years 1942-1945, the problems of battle fatigue and absence without official leave receive attention.
The collection also contains a history of the VIII Corps and after-action reports for the years 1944 and 1945. Field orders for the VIII Corps for the year 1944 are included and contain intelligence reports, map overlays, terrain studies, and statements of objectives.
Material pertaining to the III Corps in combat during World War II is also present in the collection. Included are battle maps and a map of the III Corps Bavarian occupation zone. Three booklets also related to the III Corps, The Phantom Corps, La Battaile D'Alsace: Novembre-Decembre 1944, and III Corps-Phantom Corps.
Contained in the collection are documents relating to United States Army operation in Tunisia (1943). Material pertaining to future U.S. troop training by General Floyd R. Fredendall (based on his experiences in Tunisia) is included, along with orders dating from April, 1943, to February, 1944, on the subject.
Complete records of the crossing of the Rhine River (Operation Flashpoint, March, 1945) is included. These were subsequently used by the U.S. Army as a model for river-crossing training. Maps and overlays are included along with a unit by unit breakdown of the operation.
Other non-correspondence materials relating to World War II include candid photographs of Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and other general officers; battle maps of the 79th Infantry Division; a booklet entitled Combat Divisions of World War II; a copy of "Army Talks Magazine" (June 5, 1945); a list of alleged Gestapo war crimes in Dortmund; a 79th Infantry Division Cannon Company Manual; status reports concerning the training and fitness of the 79th for the years 1942-1944; and a booklet entitled Dictionary of U.S. Army Terms.
Much of the correspondence for the years 1942-1945 relates to the training, discipline, and promotion of men and officers of his command. Numerous letters pertain to officer promotions, training facilities, armament, field exercises, combat readiness, and means of improving operations. Of interest are letters (April 4-6, 1943), pertaining to property damage inflicted by the 79th during maneuvers in Tennessee. General correspondence from the warfront (1944-1945) is quite limited and is concerned primarily with disciplinary actions, troop movements, congratulatory messages, and routine matters. Of particular interest are translations of several captured German documents (December, 1944) which reflect the morale problems of German soldiers. Of particular interest among correspondence items of the postwar period are letters dealing with occupation conditions. One letter by the deputy commander of the 88th Division (June 19, 1947, from Trieste, Italy) describes relations between the British and American garrisons and troubles with the Yugoslavs. Two letters from Captain James Beaver (August 14, 1946 and June 10, 1947) describe the duties of the constabulary in occupied Germany and its relations with the native police. A letter from an embassy staff member in Praha, Czechoslovakia (July 21, 1946), describes Russo-America relations in that nation.
The subject of racial integration in the U.S. Army and particularly in the 79th Infantry Division is treated in correspondence during August of 1946. In correspondence during 1957 and 1960, Wyche comments on the subject of school desegregation and the constitutionality of the means employed to bring about desegregation. These letters are addressed to President Eisenhower (1957) and to various political candidates (1960).
Other correspondence of note includes letters relating to the Lieutenant General John C. H. Lee affair (1947), while Wyche was Inspector General. Due to newspaper accusations by syndicated columnist Robert C. Ruark, a scandal developed concerning the misuse of Army personnel by General Lee. Wyche flew to Italy to personally investigate the situation. Annexed to the correspondence are pertinent newspaper clippings and copies of Wyche's report on his inspection of Lee's command.
Much of the post-World War II material deals with the topics of World Peace and Universal Military Training. Included are speeches by such high-ranking generals as Jacob L. Devers, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Courtney H. Hodges, and Jonathan Wainwright.
Miscellaneous items of interest include radio speeches by Cedric Foster, a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, and a copy of the Reverend John Tillet Family History, along with other Wyche family material.
Gift of Major General Ira T. Wyche
Processed by R. Kepner, June 1975
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.