William P. Yarborough - World War II

World War II

In July 1942, Major Yarborough was selected by General Mark Clark to be his Airborne Advisor and in that capacity accompanied General Clark to England. As a working member of the London Planning Group, he developed the initial concept and plan for the airborne phase of the North African Invasion. When the Paratroop Task Force departed Land's End, England on November 7, 1942, Yarborough as executive officer accompanied it on its flight over Spain toward its target objectives in Algeria. This was the longest operational flight ever made by parachute troops. In the course of the ensuing action the airplane in which he was flying was shot down by Vichy French fighter aircraft over the Sebkra d’Oran. He participated in combat operations to capture Tafaroui Airdrome in Algeria. A week later, Yarborough parachuted into Youks les Bains Airfield near Tebessa, Algeria (near the Tunisian border) and fighting as part of a combined French and U.S. Paratroop Task Force in Tunisia until January 1943, when he returned to the United States.

In March 1943, Yarborough returned to North Africa as Commander of the 2d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, and led his unit through the Sicilian Invasion. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in May. Following a disastrous battle at Tumminello Pass, Yarborough was relieved of his command by Major General Matthew Ridgway. General Clark then had him assigned to his staff. During Operation Avalanche Yarborough served as the airborne officer of G-3, Fifth Army and organized the night drop zone to receive the latest elements of the 82d, which had flown from Sicily to relieve the beleaguered beachhead.

Just prior to the fall of Naples, Yarborough was given command of the 509th Parachute Battalion. His unit, as part of Darby's Ranger Force, made the initial landings at Anzio-Nettuno and held a key position on the beachhead for two months. Later under his command the 509th and two attached parachute battalions spearheaded the landings in southern France, landing on a mountaintop near Le Muy before dawn. Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo along the Côte d'Azur fell to the parachutists who then turned northward into the Maritime Alps to protect the right flank of the U.S. Seventh Army as it moved north.

Yarborough returned briefly to the United States to attend the 21st course of the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He returned to Europe in January 1945 as commander of the 473rd Infantry Regimental Combat Team, which fought its way up the Ligurian Coast to Genoa and the French border as World War II came to an end. It was during this campaign that he was awarded the Silver Star.