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General Maurice Rose was born on November 26, 1899 in Middletown, in the state of Connecticut. His parents were of Polish origin. They were in 1883 emigrated to the United States.
Maurice went to East High School in Denver and appeared to have a photographic memory, which he later at a glance overview maps and situations of battles could record. He developed into a leading person in the group of high school.
In 1915, at age 15, when the Mexican bandit raids
on U.S. borders, he tampered with his age, he enlisted in the National
Guard for the expedition of General Pershing into Mexico. In 1916 he
entered the army at the age of 17 he was appointed second lieutenant. In
mid 1918 he was on his way to France with the 89th Infantry Division.
After his promotion to first lieutenant, he fought in the battles of
Argonne and St. Mihiel, where he was severely wounded. At the end of the
war he covered the rank of Captain. In 1942 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and Chief of Staff of the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Benning. This division cross the ocean to take part in the North African campaign of 1943. He received the Silver Star and was promoted to Colonel. Later in 1943, with the 1st Armoured Division under his wing during the Tunisian campaign, he accepted the first surrender to the U.S. of a large Nazi Military Power in the Bizerte naval base. Just before the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 he was promoted to Brigadier General and took his second Silver Star in reception. In November he went to England, to the invasion of France to be trained On 8 June 1944 he landed with his troops in France and he led the 2nd Armored Division through Normandy. On 7 August 1944, he received command over the 3rd Armored Division. His division moved on to the Belgian border, to the city of Mons. On one day the Division captured Mons and they captered 10,000 German soldiers prisoner. In the 10 days that followed the 3rd Armored Division ran through Belgium, toward the German border. In Germany he conquered Rotgen, the first German city to be in the hands of the Allies fell, and then rushed forth into the Siegfried Line. On 18 December the 3rd Armored Division are rushed to the Ardennes, in order to prevent a German breakthrough. Early March 1945 he was in Cologne, the royal city of Germany.
On 25 March 1945 the 3rd Armored Division crossed the Rhine. His division was chosen for the attack on the Ruhr to lead. General Rose urged the industrial heart of Germany within and realized the biggest one-day rise in the history of mobile warfare. On 29 March 1945 he raced over 145 km through enemy territory. One day later, on March 30, 1945, the truly brilliant soldier died the death of a true warrior. His troops found his body at the place where he was during the advance to Paderborn had fallen to the ground.
On April 2, 1945, at Ittenbach, Germany, the ceremony for Major General Maurice Rose, who was killed in action on March 30, 1945, in the advance on Paderborn, Germany. Only 45 years old at the time, had led his 3rd Armored "Spearhead" Division through France and Belgium, and then becoming the first Allied ground force to invade German soil in WWII. Later in 1945, his body was re-interned in Margraten, The Netherlands, as all American servicemen buried in Germany were re-interned outside of Germany
His courage and his abilities as a soldier brought him fame. A Troop-Transport Ship was named after him, the U.S. Congress ordered the minting of a commemorative coin of 50 cents. Denver,CO the city where he had spent his youth led him by a hospital to be named: The Rose Medical Center. Middletown, CT was the Armed Forces Reserve Center named after MG Rose.
Several other photos with the General pictured
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Major-General Maurice Rose
