CROLLY, ANTHONY P.

Anthony P. Crolly

Anthony P. Crolly was born in New York, New York June 1, 1919 to William and Clara Crolly. His father was from Florida and his mother from Germany. He had three sisters, Rita, Mary and Theresa. In addition to the family, a roomer, Mary Towey, lived with them. The Crollys lived at 367 Oakland Beach Avenue in Rye, New York. Anthony was graduated from the Resurrection school, attended Salesian Institute, New Rochelle and graduated from Assumption Institute, Plattsburg N. Y. He was a member of the Church of Resurrection where for fourteen years he served as an altar boy. Anthony enlisted and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Service Time: At the age of twenty four he enlisted in the U. S. Army on April 24, 1943. He elected to serve in one of the most hazardous branches of the service and was sent to Fort Benning, Ga. , to learn to become a paratrooper. Anthony was a member of the Service Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

The code name Mission Albany was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy during World War II. It was the opening step of Operation Neptune, the assault portion of the Allied invasion of Normandy, Operation Overlord. 6,928 paratroopers made their jumps from 443 C-47 Skytrain troop carrier planes into an intended objective area of roughly 15 square miles (39 km2) located in the southeast corner of the Cotentin Peninsula of France five hours ahead of the D-Day landings.

The landings were badly scattered by bad weather and German ground fire over an area twice as large, with some troops dropped as far as 20 miles (32 km) away. The division took most of its objectives on D-Day, but required four days to consolidate its scattered units and complete its mission of securing the left flank and rear of the U.S. VII Corps, reinforced by 2,300 glider infantry troops who landed by sea.

Anthony was awarded the Presidential Citation for Bravery displayed in the Normandy invasion.

The 101st Airborne Division would go on to participate in Operation Market Garden which began on September 17, 1944. This operation involved a bold and risky maneuver involving the dropping of paratroopers, both British and American, behind enemy lines to capture the bridges leading into Germany. If successful military experts assert that it would have shortened the war in Europe by six months. It was not successful.

After less than three months in England, the 506th was to make its second combat jump this time in Holland. Shortly after 1315 hours on the afternoon of 17 September 1944, the entire regiment landed on one field, and the unit pushed south to Son with little difficulty. The 506th had to capture the bridge over the Wilhelmina canal at Son and move further south to Eindhoven and secure four bridges over the Dommel River. They achieved none of their tasks on the 17th.

They assembled quickly, marched towards Son but were met by a German 88 mm gun in the center of Son which stopped the advance. 1st Battalion tried to bypass the town on the west and flanked the German position, but they were stopped by two 88 mm guns positioned at the canal, inflicting many casualties in the ranks of the paratroops. The paratroopers of the 506th moved up the main road quickly, took out the 88 mm guns and forced their way towards the bridge.

The enemy had halted the troops of the 506th long enough to wire the bridge with explosives and once the first paratroopers neared the bridge, they blew it up sky high. The engineers prepared a small wooden bridge over the canal and two battalions crossed, but it wasnt big enough to get the battalions across quickly. Colonel Robert Sink, commander of the 506th ordered his troops to dig in just south of the canal, they would try to take Eindhoven the next day.

Pfc Anthony P. Crolly was killed in action in Holland, September 17. 1944 during Operation Market Garden.

Full Military Rites

After over four years Anthony's body was returned to his hometown.

A solemn High Mass was held at 10 a. m. Tuesday January 18, 1949 at the Church of the Resurrection. Members of Rye Post 128 American Legion acted as pallbearers and honor guard. A firing squad from Fort Slocum, New Rochelle, fired a salute at the Interment in the family plot in St. Marys cemetery. Surviving were Pfc. Crollys mother Mrs. William C. Crolly and three sisters, Mrs. Francis J. Quirk, Mrs. Amos Chiarappa, Mrs. William Ponter and several nieces and nephews.

The World War II actions of Anthony's regiment's Company E ("Easy Company") were portrayed in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.

Anthony Crolly Paratrooper

Pfc. Anthony Crolly, son of, Mrs. W. C. Crolly, 367 Oakland Beach Avenue, has completed his four weeks of jump training at the Parachute School, Fort Benning, Ga. , and now wears the wings and boats of a
United States Army Volunteer Paratrooper. He has been assigned to the 542nd Parachute Inf. Service Co.
Friday, December 24, 1943


Anthony Crolly, Paratrooper, Killed in Action in France

Pfc. Anthony P. Crolly, a paratrooper, was killed in the Allied attack on Arnheim, Holland, on September 17, 1943, his mother, Mrs. Clara Crolly, 367 Oakland Beach Avenue, learned yesterday through a telegram from the War Department. He had been awarded the Presidential citation for bravery displayed in the French invasion. Twenty four years old, Pfc. Crolly was in the Navy for four years, completing his first hitch before enlisting in the Army two years ago. He elected to serve in one of the most hazardous branches of the service and was sent to Fort Benning, Ga. , to learn to become a paratrooper. Pfc. Crolly was home in November, 1943, when his father, William Clark Crolly, died. He went overseas in December and was in England until the invasion. The last word his family received from him was a V-letter on August 23 when he had completed several missions. He had previously written them about the Presidential citation and stated he was sending it home, but it has not yet arrived. The telegram announcing his death was from the Adjutant General and stated: The Secretary of War has instructed me to express his deep regret that your son, Pfc. A. P. Crolly was killed in action on 17 September in Holland. Letter follows. Pfc. Crolly attended Rye Schools and Mount Assumption Institute, Plattsburg, N. Y. He has a brother in the service, Corp. Colin Keith Crolly, now stationed at Stout Field, Ind. Besides his mother, Pfc. Crolly is also survived by another brother, William Clark Crolly, Jr. , and three sisters, Mrs. Francis Quirk, Mrs. Mary Chiaratta and Mrs. Terry Ponter, all of Rye.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1944



Body of Rye War Casualty Brought Home

 The body of Pfc Anthony P. Crolly who was killed in action in Holland, September 17. 1944. when serving with the 506th parachute infantry of the 101st Airborne Division is being returned to Rye, Monday morning. The body will repose at the William II. Graham Funeral Home. Prior to his army service Crolly served four years in the navy and was honorably discharged after being seriously injured.   Pfc. Crolly trained at Fort Benning, Ga. , and took part in the Invasion of France. His division received a presidential citation. At the time of his death Pfc, Crolly was 24 years old.   Born in New York City, the son of William C. Crolly and Theresa G. Crolly, he was graduated from the Resurrection school, attended Salesian Institute, New Rochelle and graduated from Assumption Institute, Plattsburg N. Y. He was a member of the Church of Resurrection where for fourteen years he served as an alter boy.

Full Military Rites

 A solemn High Mass will be held at 10 a. m. Tuesday at the Church of the Resurrection. Members of Rye Post 128 American Legion will act as pallbearers and honor guard. A firing squad from Fort Slocum, New Rochelle, will fire a salute at the Interment in the family plot in St. Marys cemetery. Surviving are Pfc. Crollys mother Mrs. William C. Crolly and three sisters, Mrs. Francis J. Quirk, Mrs. Amos Chiarappa,  Mrs. William 1. Ponter and several nieces and nephews.
Thursday, January 20, 1949