Description:

Newly promoted to Major General and put in charge of the Second Armored Division, which he nicknamed "Hell on Wheels," George S. Patton, Jr., tells his brother-in-law "I am delighted to have the rank as well as the command …"

Typed Letter Signed "G S Patton Jr.," 1 page, 7.25" x 10.25". Headquarters Second Armored Division, Office of the Division Commander, Fort Benning, Georgia. To Charles F. Ayer, Boston. Fine condition.

Begins "Dear Chill." In full, "Thanks very much for your kind note of congratulations. Apparently, our conversation together on the subject had a sub-conscious influence on the powers that be. Anyway I am delighted to have the rank as well as the command. We certainly enjoyed seeing you and Theodora and only regret that you could not have stayed with us longer. With renewed thanks and best love to you both in which Beatrice joins me, I am, as ever, Devotedly yours…"

Charles F. "Chilly" Ayer was Patton's brother-in-law. On April 4, 1941, Brigadier General George S. Patton, Jr., was promoted to Major General in the Army of the United States.

An article in the May 25, 1941, edition of "The New York Times" explains his new command. In part, "For the first time in American history a full-strength 'Panzer' division of American troops, the Second Armored Division, will take the field for full combat manoeuvres on June 16 in the Camp Forrest area in Tennessee … The Second Armored Division, now nicknamed 'Hell on Wheels,' will be at full strength of 11,000 men when the manoeuvres are begun, and the mechanized equipment will include more than 2,000 vehicles, ranging from medium and light weight tanks down to motor cycles … Major General George S. Patton will be in command. The division is now at Fort Benning, Ga." While on these maneuvers, Patton reportedly said the division would be "Hell on Wheels" when it met the enemy. The name stuck and became part of the division patch.

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