Patton given command of U.S. Third Army

On 26/01/1944, Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr. officially assumed command of the U.S. Third Army in the United Kingdom as Allied forces prepared for the planned invasion of Western Europe. The Third Army headquarters was established in England under Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. At the time, the formation was not yet committed to combat, but it was being organized and trained for exploitation operations once Allied forces secured a foothold on the continent. Patton’s appointment marked his return to a major operational command after leading the U.S. Seventh Army during the Sicily campaign in 1943. In early 1944, he focused on building staff structure, training units, and preparing for rapid maneuver warfare expected after the initial landings in France. The Third Army remained in reserve for the early phase of the invasion, while other formations were designated for the Normandy assault. During this same period, Patton’s presence in England was also used in Allied deception planning that suggested he would lead a separate invasion force aimed at the Pas de Calais. The Third Army remained inactive in combat through the spring of 1944. After the Normandy landings on 06/06/1944 and the breakout from the beachhead in late July, Patton’s Third Army became operational in France on 01/08/1944 and began its rapid advance across western France.