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American infantryman of the 89th Division cross the Rhine River in assault boats near St.

The 89th Infantry Division during World War II

In 1985, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the US Army Center of Military History began a program to honor US Army divisions that took part in the Allied liberation of Nazi camps. The US Army Center of Military History defines a liberating division as one whose official records show its presence at a camp within 48 hours of the first soldier’s arrival. The 89th Infantry Division is among the 36 US divisions that have been recognized to date.

Key Facts

  • 1

    US, British, Soviet, and Canadian troops encountered concentration camps and other sites of Nazi crimes as they advanced across Europe in 1944 and 1945.

  • 2

    The Allied soldiers liberated sick and starving camp prisoners from Nazi tyranny. They also provided them with food, clothing, and medical aid.

  • 3

    The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the US Army Center of Military History have recognized 36 US divisions for their role in the liberation of Nazi camps.

89th Infantry Division Campaigns during World War II

Formed in 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I, the 89th Infantry Division participated in several major military battles. In World War II, the "Rolling W" division landed in France in January 1945 and quickly advanced to the German front. In March 1945, it joined the Third Army's assault on the Rhineland, crossing the Sauer, Moselle, and Rhine rivers that same month. On April 8, the 89th captured the town of Eisenach and subsequently advanced farther into Thuringia and into neighboring Saxony, where it took the city of Zwickau on April 18, 1945.

American infantryman of the 89th Division cross the Rhine River in assault boats near St.
Crossing the Rhine

Infantryman of the US 89th Division cross the Rhine River in assault boats near St. Goar, Germany. March 26, 1945. US Army Signal Corps photograph taken by A. Graham.

  • National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD

The 89th Infantry Division and the Liberation of Ohrdruf  

On April 4, 1945, the 89th overran Ohrdruf, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Ohrdruf was the first Nazi concentration camp liberated by US troops in Germany. A week later, on April 12, Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley visited Ohrdruf to see, firsthand, evidence of Nazi atrocities against concentration camp prisoners.

Liberation of Ohrdruf

General Dwight D. Eisenhower and other American officers inspect conditions in the Ohrdruf concentration camp shortly after the liberation of the camp. As American forces had approached, SS camp guards shot the remaining prisoners before abandoning the camp. Confirmation of such atrocities prompted the US military to require Nazis and local German civilians to view the camps.

  • National Archives - Film

Recognition as a Liberating Division

The 89th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988.

89th Infantry Division Battle Casualty Figures

Hundreds of thousands of US servicemen and women died or were wounded in the fight against Nazi tyranny.

The total number of battle casualties for the 89th Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operations during World War II was 1,029. In this case, “battle casualties” includes all personnel who were unable to fight in battle because they were wounded, missing, captured, or killed.

Among the battle casualties suffered by the 89th Infantry Division, there were 325 deaths.

89th Infantry Division Nickname and Insignia

The 89th Infantry Division's nickname, the "Rolling W," is based on the division's insignia or patch. Created during World War I, this round patch shows a black letter "M" inside a black wheel. The background color of the insignia is green. When the patch is turned, the letter "M" becomes the letter "W." Together, the letters "MW" signify the Midwest origin of the troops who formed the 89th during World War I. The division was also known as the "Middle West" division, a variation on its origin.

Insignia of the 89th Infantry Division. The 89th Infantry Division's nickname, the "Rolling W," is based on the division's insignia.
Insignia of the 89th Infantry Division

Insignia of the 89th Infantry Division. The 89th Infantry Division's nickname, the "Rolling W," is based on the division's insignia. Created during World War I, this insignia utilized a letter "M" inside a wheel. When the wheel turns, the "M" becomes a "W." The letters "MW" signify the mid-west origin of the troops who formed the 89th during World War I. The division was also known as the "Middle West" division, another variation on its origin.

  • US Holocaust Memorial Museum - Collections

Footnotes

  1. 1.

    In the aftermath of World War II, the US Department of the Army compiled casualty figures for US Army personnel. The US government published these figures in 1953. The report listed casualty numbers for the US Army for the period from December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor) through December 31, 1946, when US President Harry S. Truman officially declared the end of war hostilities. Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths: Final Report, 7 December 1941-31 December 1946, Prepared by the Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, Under the Direction of the Program Review and Analysis, Division of the Comptroller of the Army, O.C.S., (Washington: Department of the Army, 1953), p. 3-4, 84-89. 

Last Edited: May 7, 2025
Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

Critical Thinking Questions

  • What challenges did Allied forces face when they encountered the camps and sites of other atrocities?

  • What challenges faced survivors of the Holocaust upon liberation?

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