Barton's War

Major General Raymond O. Barton commanded the US 4th Infantry Division from July 1942 until December 1944 in the European Theater of World War II. Suffering from a severe ulcer, he relinquished command, returned to the United States in early 1945, and died in 1963. Stephen A. Bourque first mined Barton's papers for his biography, Tubby: Raymond O. Barton and the US Army, 1889-1963 (UNT Press, 2024). Among these many hundreds of letters and documents was a sixty-six-page typed manuscript of events between March 1944 and April 1945. Compiled by his aides-de-camp and military assistants, the daily entries identify General Barton's activities while training in England and commanding his division during the landing on Utah Beach; during the capture of Cherbourg and the liberation of Paris; and during the bloody fighting along the German border in the Schnee Eifel, the Huertgen Forest, and Luxembourg. This diary, edited by Bourque with commentaries and explanatory footnotes, describes Barton's daily travels and exposes his intensive interaction with superiors, subordinates, and other American leaders. Few World War II division commanders left such a historical record of their command tenure. Augmenting the edited diary are other documents that provide context and explanation, including the 4th Infantry Division's "Narrative History." Written primarily by the 4th Division historian, it has not previously appeared in print. In addition, other documents-such as the 4th Division's daily and monthly after-action reports, unit orders, and unit journals-provide evidence that the commander was engaged in the day's action. In addition, Barton's extensive letters and military documents offer insight into his role as a commander. Where the narrative history lacks sufficient detail, Bourque has added his own comments. Barton's War is an unprecedented window into the daily activities of an American combat division commander, providing historians, military officers, and historic travelers a detailed accounting of this prominent commander.