1/52nd Unit History
Ready Rifles
History of the 52nd Infantry Regiment
1917 – 1921: Organization and World War I
The 52nd Infantry Regiment was constituted in the regular Army in May 1917 and activated with personnel from the 11thInfantry Regiment on June 16, 1917, at Chickamauga, Georgia. Following activation, the regiment was assigned to the 11th Infantry Brigade, 6th Infantry Division. The 6th Infantry Division was a square division consisting of the 51st, 52nd, 53rd, and the 54th Infantry Regiments.
The 6th Infantry Division departed for France in July 1918. First assigned to the Vosges Sector, the division saw combat in Meuse-Argonne and in Alsace, France. Following the war, the division had occupation duty near and in Bad Bertrich, Germany. The 6th Division returned to the United States on June 12, 1919, and was transferred to Camp Grant, IL. The 6th Infantry Division was inactivated on September 30, 1921 at Camp Grant and allotted to the Sixth Corps Area in an inactive status.
Campaign credits and decorations include:
Meuse-Argonne
Alsace 1918
1921 – 1941: Interwar Years
The 52nd Infantry Regiment was carried on the 6th Division’s rolls in inactive status from 1921-1927. It was relieved from the 6th Division on August 15, 1927 and assigned to the 9th Division. The 9th Division, Regular Army Inactive Unit, located at the Boston Army Base. The 52nd Infantry Regiment supported reserve units in the First Corps (New York and New Jersey) and Second Corps (New England) areas.
On April 15, 1929, still assigned to the 9th Division, the 52nd Infantry Regiment was reorganized in Illinois as a Regular Army Inactive unit with Regular Army personnel assigned to ROTC Detachments. The 52nd Infantry Regiment, less the 3rd Battalion, was affiliated with the University of Illinois ROTC, the 3rd Battalion, 52nd Infantry Regiment was affiliated with the Northwestern University ROTC at Evanston, IL.
On November 3, 1930, the regiment was administratively attached to the 86th Division (Organized Reserves, in Chicago, Illinois). It was relieved from the 9th Division on October 1, 1933 and reassigned to the 6th Division until October 12, 1939.
From 1939 to 1942 the regiment conducted training at the 202nd Coastal Artillery Armory and the Army and Navy Club in Chicago: as well as semiannual training camps with the 12th Infantry at Fort Sheridan, Il.; summer reserve training at Jefferson Barracks, MO.; and Citizens’ Military Training Camp (CMTC) training at Jefferson Barracks, Fort Sheridan, and Camp Custer, MI.