Niland, Preston T.

Niland, Preston T, born 1915, in Tonawanda, on of the four American brothers from Tonawanda, New York, who served in the military during World War II. They were sons of Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Niland. Two survived the war but, for a time, only one, Frederick “Fritz” Niland, was believed to have survived. After the reported deaths of his three brothers, Fritz was sent back to the United States to complete his service, and only later learned that his brother Edward, missing and presumed dead, was captive in a Japanese POW camp in Burma.

Member of  the 22^nd Infantry Regiment , 4^th Infantry Division, nickname “Iron Horse” and motto “Deeds, Not Words” under the command of Major General Raymond Oscar Barton

  . The casualties of the 4th Division during the European campaign: Total battle casualties: 22,660, killed in action: 4,097, wounded in action: 17,371, missing in action: 461, prisoner of war: 731, days of combat: 299. 

 Preston was killed in action on June 7, 1944, age 29, in Normandy, near Utah Beach at the Crisbecq Battery. 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 “Fritz” 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 Japanese POW camp in Burma. Steven Spielberg’s film Saving Private Ryan is loosely based on the brothers’ story. Sergeant Frederick “Fritz” Niland born 1920, Company H, 501^st Parachute Infantry Regiment , 101^st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles”  . Fritz was close friends with Warren Muck

      and Donald Malarkey, from Company E, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment , 101^st  Airborne Division (“Easy Company”) under command of General Maxwell Taylor, who were both featured prominently in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Frederick “Fritz” Niland  fought with the 501^st  through the first few days of the Normandy campaign. Several days following D-Day, Fritz had gone to the 82^nd Airborne Division, “All Americans”  to see his brother, Bob. Casualties of the 82^nd Airborne Division during the European campaign, 1.619 killed in action, 6.560 wounded in action and 332 died of wounds. Once he arrived at division, he was informed that Bob had been killed on D-Day . With the help of Father Sampson 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 Father Francis Leon Sampson “Flying Padre”

    Ike Eitreim  .

Death and burial ground of Niland, Preston T.

More luck had the family of the Finnish immigrants Mathilda and Jacob Thompson. Raising 14 children on a farm in Carlton County USA, and nine of their 11 sons served during World War II. All survived and this photo was taken in Moose Lake in the spring of 1946, after all the Thompson brothers returned save home, a miracle ?

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