George S. Patton, Jr

Patton, George Smith, Jr., 1885–1945, American general, born on 11 November 1885 in San Gabriel, California. He briefly attended the Virginia Military Institute before joining the Class of 1909 at West Point. Upon graduating from the U.S. Military Academy he was commissioned in the cavalry the served in World War I and was wounded while commanding a tank brigade in Europe.

In World War II he commanded (1942–43) a corps in North Africa and the 7th Army in Sicily. Despite a brilliant record, a  Patton was relieved from his command and his  promotion to the permanent rank of major general delayed until Aug., 1944 because he slapped a soldier suffering from battle fatigue.  Early in 1944 he was given command of the 3d Army, which spearheaded the spectacular sweep of U.S. forces from Normandy through Brittany and N France. He relieved Bastogne in December 1944, crossed the Rhine on March 22, 1945 and raced across Southern Germany into Czechoslovakia. As Military Governor of Bavaria, Patton was criticized for leniency to Nazis. He was removed as governor in October, 1945 and given the command of the U.S. 15th Army. Patton died after an automobile accident in Germany.

George Patton on April 5, 1945 writes his friend Brig-General Beverly F. Browne an exceptional battlefield enclosing an unsigned  copy of his General Orders Number 70 (Click Here to View) to the "Officers and Men of the Third Army and To Our Comrades Of the XIX Tactical Air Command".  He notes to Gen. Browne that he has taken 43,000 more German Prisoners since March 22nd and notes " we are for the first time in the history of the 3rd Army 'Re-grouping,' which is a word I despise, but it is sometimes necessary."

Most importantly, in this letter Patton remarks:  "I wish that the papers would admit that the Germans in front of the 3rd Army fight.  Apparently all the bigger and better Germans fight everyone else except me.  Actually, the reason we have less trouble is that we go faster." 

Today all WWII historians agree that many of Hitler's finest was thrown against Patton and the reason why he was so successful in this 1945 Campaign is that he indeed moved faster then other Allied Generals.

Gen. Browne, under Patton signature writes "Typical of George always had a  grudge until things were decided upon then he was loyal to the core ... ".

These three exceptional war dated George Patton correspondence items have been deacidified and encapsulated in archival Mylar by the Folger-Shakespear Library in Washington DC.  They all come with our company's certificate of authentication.