439th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Semimobile)

     The following is a PDF reproduction of the unit history published by the 439th AAA AW Bn.  The organization arrived in North Africa during May 1943 and moved through Algeria and Tunisia.  While in Italy with Fifth Army, the battalion was temporarily converted to a provisional infantry unit under Task Force 45 in July 1944.  The battalion was assigned an infantry mission along the Arno River around the city of Pisa.  Reverting back to the antiaircraft role, the 439th AAA was assigned to Seventh Army for Operation Dragoon and moved with General Patch's organization through Southern France and into Germany.

     This unit history has been provided by TSgt Jimmy W. Butts, USAF (retired), in memory of his father, T/5 Charlie Wade Butts of Goodlett, Texas. The elder Mr. Butts served with Battery D, 439th AAA before being transferred to Charlie Battery of the 894th AAA.

     Note: The photographs used as background to the text on many pages of this history are Signal Corps photos and do not necessarily represent the 439th AAA Bn.  Many of these same photos are included in this website's research files and have been attributed by the Signal Corps to other AAA units.