Lieutenant General William Hood Simpson was a distinguished U.S. Army officer who commanded the U.S. Ninth Army in northern Europe, during World War II, among other roles. Shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Ninth Army. ...

William Simpson was born May 18, 1888, at Weatherford, Texas. After graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1909, he was commissioned into the infantry. Before US involvement in World War I, Simpson served in the US and in the Philippines, including the Mexican Punitive Expedition, in 1916. Weatherford is a city located in Parker County, Texas. ... West Point redirects here. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First... The Pancho Villa Expedition was an abortive punitive expedition conducted by the United States against the military forces of Mexican Revolutionary General Pancho Villa in retaliation for Villas invasion of the United States and attack on the village of Columbus, New Mexico. ...

He was promoted to Captain in May 1917 and served with the 33rd Division throughout World War I, receiving temporary promotions to Major and Lieutenant Colonel and becoming divisional Chief-of-Staff. The 33rd Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. World War I Activated: July 1917 (National Guard Division from Illinois). ...

In the inter-war years, 1919 - 1941, Simpson filled staff appointments and attended military schools, both as student and as instructor. In mid-1940, he was appointed to command the 9th Infantry at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Before US entry into World War II, he had commanded divisions and received promotion to temporary Major-General, taking 35th Division from Camp Robinson, Arkansas, to a training site in California. Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. ...

Further promotions followed and in May, 1944, as a Lieutenant General, Simpson took his staff to Britain to organise the US 9th Army. This formation was activated as part of Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group, on September 5th at Brest, France. Brest was liberated on September 20. Shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Ninth Army. ... Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893 – April 8, 1981) was one of the main U.S. Army field commanders in North Africa and Europe during the World War II and a General of the Army of the United States Army. ... The 12th Army Group was the largest and most powerful American formation ever to take to the field. ... Location within France Brest, at the tip of Brittany Brest is a city in the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ...

The 9th Army joined the general advance and, after a month in the Ardennes the 9th was moved further north. In November, 1944 it broke through the Siegfried Line and advanced, in some of heaviest fighting of the war, to the Roer River. At this point the advance stalled, due to the threat posed by dams upstream. The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests and rolling hill country, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes département and the Champagne-Ardenne région). ... Bunker on the Siegfried line The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defenses built by Germany along their border with France in 1916-1917 during World War I. However, in English, Siegfried line more commonly refers to the similar World War II defensive line, built... The Rur (-German, in Dutch and French: Roer, not to be confused with the Ruhr) is a river in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. ...

After the Battle of the Bulge, the 9th Army remained with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group for the final attack into Germany. Combatants United States United Kingdom Germany Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower Gerd von Rundstedt Strength Dec 16 - start of the Battle: about 83,000 men; 242 Sherman tanks, 182 tank destroyers, and 394 pieces of corps and divisional artillery. ... Bernard Law Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (November 17, 1887 - March 24, 1976) was a British military officer during World War II often referred to as Monty. ... (Redirected from 21st Army Group) The British 21st Army Group was an important Allied force in the European Theatre of World War II. Commanded by Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery it initially controlled all ground forces in Operation Overlord. ...

As part of Operation Plunder, the Rhine was crossed on March 24, 1945, north of the Ruhr industrial area and on April 19th the 9th Army made contact with Courtney Hodges' US 1st Army, making complete encirclement of the Ruhr. On 4 April, it had reverted to Bradley's 12th Army Group. During World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel and south of the Lippe Canal by the British Second Army, under Lieutenant-General Miles C Dempsey, and the US Ninth Army, under Lieutenant-General William H Simpson. ... Loreley At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Romansch: Rein, Italian: Reno) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... For the conurbation see Ruhr Area. ... Courtney Hicks Hodges (January 5, 1887 – January 16, 1966) was an American military officer, most prominent for his role in World War II, in which he commanded the U.S. First Army in Northwest Europe. ... Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the U.S. First Army. ... For the conurbation see Ruhr Area. ...

The 9th was the first US army across the Elbe, on April 12. The River Elbe (Czech Labe , Sorbian/Lusatian Łobjo, German Elbe) is one of the major waterways of Central Europe. ...

Simpson returned to the US in June, 1945. He undertook a mission to China in July and subsequently commanded the 2nd Army at Memphis, Tennessee. He retired in November 1946 and, in July 1954 he was promoted to General on the retired list.

General William H Simpson died on August 15, 1980, and is buried alongside his wife in Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, is an American military cemetery established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Robert E. Lees home. ...

External links

• Simpson's biography from the Arlington National Cemetery's website