▁the ▁First ▁Army ▁Carolina ▁M ane u vers . ▁The ▁ 1 st ▁AD ▁returned ▁to ▁Fort ▁Kno x ▁on ▁ 7 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁but ▁started ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁deployment ▁over se as ▁instead ▁of ▁returning ▁to ▁g arrison . ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁months ▁later , ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁division ▁was ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁Fort ▁D ix , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁st aging ▁area ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Major ▁General ▁Or lando ▁Ward . ▁Ward ▁rel ieved ▁Mag r uder ▁of ▁his ▁position . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁open ▁surprise ▁to ▁the ▁town spe ople ▁of ▁Washington ▁Court ▁House , ▁Ohio , ▁who ▁had ▁waited ▁four ▁days ▁for ▁the ▁division ▁to ▁arrive . ▁▁ ▁The ▁division ▁land ed ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁in ▁May . ▁Training ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁months ▁was ▁even ▁more ▁rig id ▁and ▁exact ing ▁than ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁men ▁were ▁ment ally ▁and ▁phys ically ▁at ▁their ▁best . ▁The ▁general ▁feeling ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁imp atience . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁training ▁period , ▁Com bat ▁Command ▁" B ", ▁with ▁about ▁one - half ▁of ▁the ▁division ' s ▁troops , ▁was ▁alert ed ▁to ▁leave ▁Ireland ▁and ▁prepare ▁for ▁an ▁over se as ▁trip ▁where ▁"... ▁[ they ] ' ll ▁get ▁off ▁fighting ." ▁ ▁Alert ed ▁for ▁the ▁invasion ▁were ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Battalion ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Regiment , ▁the