Mass Militaria & Antiques

S1/c Thomas Frederick Wiggin Jr.

US Navy – 6th Naval Beach Battalion – 6th Platoon – Company “B”

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    Thomas Frederick Wiggin Jr. was born to Thomas F. Wiggin and Marion Hill Wiggin on September 3rd, 1925 in Milton, Massachusetts and would grow up their attending Milton Public schools.

    Training and Enlistment
    Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Boston, Massachusetts on August 25th, 1943. He underwent rigorous training as part of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion, preparing for amphibious operations and support duties. Training included small boat operations, establishing shore-to-ship communications, marking landing sectors, assisting in the removal of underwater obstructions, emergency boat repairs, and helping evacuate casualties under combat conditions. He was assigned to Company B, 6th Platoon of the 6th NBB, a unit known for its meticulous preparation and discipline in the lead-up to D-Day.

    D-Day
    Attached to the 5th ESB in support of the 1st Infantry Division, Thomas and his platoon landed on Omaha Beach at approximately 07:30, roughly an hour after the first assault. Serving as a Seaman 2nd Class, Thomas faced the full chaos of the landing. The 6th NBB was responsible for multiple critical tasks: providing battlefield medicine, establishing communications between shore and ship, marking safe channels through obstacles, repairing landing craft under fire, directing the landings, and evacuating casualties from the eastern sectors of Omaha Beach, code-named Easy Red, Fox Green, and Fox Red.

    The scene was harrowing. Men struggled through intense enemy fire, debris, and carnage along the shoreline. Bodies littered the beach, and smoke, gunfire, and explosions created a disorienting, deadly environment. Despite the chaos, Thomas and his fellow sailors performed their duties with precision under extreme pressure. During the landing, 4 officers and 55 enlisted men were wounded, and 4 officers and 18 enlisted men were killed, illustrating the staggering cost of the mission. In 2003, President George Bush recognized the heroism of the 6th NBB, noting that the unit faced extraordinary hazards yet “stood tall in spite of tremendous odds,” paying the ultimate price to defend freedom.

    Post D-Day Service
    After the Normandy landings, Thomas continued serving with the 6th NBB, supporting the movement of troops, equipment, and supplies from the beaches to inland positions. He helped coordinate beach operations and ensured the smooth transfer of men and materials to support the advancing Allied forces.

    Returning to the United States at the New York Receiving Station on July 31st, 1944, Thomas was transferred to California, where he spent the remainder of the war stateside at the Amphibious Training Base, Oceanside, California, training and preparing naval personnel for amphibious missions. His unit’s valor during D-Day was eventually recognized with the Presidential Unit Citation.

    Post-War Life
    After his discharge, Thomas returned home and, in 1946, married Barbara L. Wiggin in Quincy, Massachusetts. One year before his death on August 8th, 2001, he witnessed the long-overdue awarding of the Presidential Unit Citation to the 6th Naval Beach Battalion for their heroic actions on D-Day.