517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team - Last Days of WWII

Last Days of WWII

After being relieved by the 508th PIR, the RCT was trucked to the railhead at Aachen, Germany. After a two-day train trip, the RCT arrived at Laon, France, where they settled in for a two-day stay. On 15 February, Colonel Graves was notified by the XVIII Airborne Corps that the RCT was assigned to the newly arrived 13th Airborne Division and was to proceed to Joigny, France, 70 miles (110 km) southeast of Paris.

As the RCT closed in at Joigny on 21 February, the RCT was dissolved. The 460th became part of the 13th Airborne Division Artillery and the 596th Engineers were merged with Company B, 129th Airborne Engineer Battalion.

The 517th PIR was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division, they were to take part in Operation Varsity, the airborne crossing of the Rhine river. However, prior to the operation, the 13th's participation in the attack was called off. The 517th, then attached to the 17th Airborne Division, was slated to take part in Operation Coronet, the airborne invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, which was also called off after V-J Day.