Niland Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Niland brothers were four American
brothers from Tonawanda, New York, serving in the military during World War II
. Of the four, two survived the war, but for a time it was believed that only one, Frederick Niland, had survived. Frederick was sent back to the United States to complete his service and only later learned that his brother Edward, missing and presumed dead, was actually captive in a Japan
ese POW camp
in Burma. Steven Spielberg's
film Saving Private Ryan
is loosely based on the brothers' story.
Fritz fought with the 501st through the first few days of the Normandy campaign. Several days following D-Day, Fritz had gone to the 82nd Airborne Division to see his brother, Bob. Once he arrived at division, he was informed that Bob had been killed on D-Day.
Fritz was shipped back to England, and, finally, to the U.S. where he served as an MP
in New York until the completion of the war. Fritz was awarded a Bronze Star for his service.. This story is evidenced in Stephen Ambrose's book, Band of Brothers, as well as from biographical data on Sampson.
Fritz died in 1983 in San Francisco at the age of 63.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
brothers from Tonawanda, New York, serving in the military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Of the four, two survived the war, but for a time it was believed that only one, Frederick Niland, had survived. Frederick was sent back to the United States to complete his service and only later learned that his brother Edward, missing and presumed dead, was actually captive in a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese POW camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
in Burma. Steven Spielberg's
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
film Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
is loosely based on the brothers' story.
The brothers
- Sergeant Frederick "Fritz" Niland (1920–1983), Company H, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment501st Parachute Infantry RegimentThe 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment is the first Airborne unit in the United States Military. It has been assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team , 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, and is located in Fort Richardson, Alaska, to serve as a strategic front to the Department of Defense's Pacific...
, 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
. Fritz was close friends with Warren MuckWarren Muck-External links:**...
and Donald MalarkeyDonald MalarkeyTechnical Sergeant Donald G. Malarkey is a former non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II...
, from Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment506th Parachute Infantry RegimentThe 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ....
, 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
("Easy CompanyE Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
"), who were both featured prominently in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
Fritz fought with the 501st through the first few days of the Normandy campaign. Several days following D-Day, Fritz had gone to the 82nd Airborne Division to see his brother, Bob. Once he arrived at division, he was informed that Bob had been killed on D-Day.
Fritz was shipped back to England, and, finally, to the U.S. where he served as an MP
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
in New York until the completion of the war. Fritz was awarded a Bronze Star for his service.. This story is evidenced in Stephen Ambrose's book, Band of Brothers, as well as from biographical data on Sampson.
Fritz died in 1983 in San Francisco at the age of 63.
- Technical Sergeant Robert Niland (1919–June 6, 1944), Company D, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment505th Parachute Infantry RegimentThe 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment is one of four infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army.Activated in 1942, the regiment participated in the campaigns of Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Holland and the Battle of the Bulge during World War II...
, 82nd Airborne Division. Killed in actionKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
on June 6, 1944 in Normandy. He volunteered to stay behind with 2 other men and hold off a German advance while his company retreated from Neuville-au-PlainNeuville-au-PlainNeuville-au-Plain is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Manche department...
. He was killed while manning his machine gun; the other two men survived.
- Second Lieutenant Preston Niland (1915–June 7, 1944), 22nd Infantry RegimentU.S. 22d Infantry RegimentThe 22nd Infantry Regiment is a parent regiment of the United States Army. Currently the 1st and 2nd Battalions are activated. The 3rd and 4th Battalions have been deactivated.-Regiment:...
, 4th Infantry DivisionU.S. 4th Infantry DivisionThe 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army....
. He was killed in action on June 7, 1944 in Normandy, near Utah BeachUtah BeachUtah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
.
- Technical Sergeant Edward Niland (1912–1984), U.S. Army Air Forces. Imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp, captured on May 16, 1944; liberated on May 4, 1945. Edward had parachuted from his B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
and wandered the jungles of Burma before being captured. Edward lived in Tonawanda until his death in 1984 at the age of 72.
See also
- Bixby letter
- Borgstrom brothersBorgstrom brothersThe Borgstrom brothers were four siblings killed over a six month period during World War II. They were the sons of Alben and Gunda Borgstrom of Thatcher, Utah. The brothers were:...
- Sullivan brothersSullivan brothersThe Sullivan brothers were five siblings who were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau , the vessel on which they all served, on November 13, 1942, in World War II....
- Sole Survivor PolicySole Survivor PolicyThe Sole Survivor Policy or DoD Directive 1315.15 "Special Separation Policies for Survivorship" describes a set of regulations in the U.S. military that are designed to protect members of a family from the draft or from combat duty if they have already lost family members in military...
- Saving Private RyanSaving Private RyanSaving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....