The advance party had been at its busiest in drawing the Division’s vehicles from various pools. The 378th Infantry, minus the 1st and 3rd Battalions, Division Headquarters and Headquarters Special Troops, 320th Medical Battalion, 95th Quartermaster Company and 95th Signal Company were quartered in Winchester. The 377th Infantry, 379th Infantry, Division Artillery, 795th Ordnance Company and 95th Reconnaissance Troop were located at Barton Stacey Camp, about twelve miles northwest of Winchester. The balance of the 378th Infantry was scattered in quaintly named localities east and northeast of Winchester. Armsworth House Camp, Brighton Wood Camp, Bishop’s Sutton Camp, New Alresford, Tichborne Park and Cheriton. The 320th Engineer Battalion was located at Northwood Park, about three miles northwest of Winchester. Under the Ninth U.S. Army, which was soon to be operating in Brittany, the Division staged its final preparation for commitment on the Continent.
By September 1, the Division had received certain attachments, most of which joined G-2 Section for the purpose of expanding the Division’s intelligence facilities. These specialist included a Photo Interpretation team, a Military Intelligence team, two Interrogation-of-Prisoners-of-War teams and an Order of Battle team. Also added to Division Headquarters were a G-5 Section (Civil Affairs) and an Air Support Party, which was attached to the G-3 Section.
The last leg of the Division’s trek to the ground-operational sectors of the European Theater was begun September 8. From that date through September 11 troops trucked to Southampton’s great channel port twelve miles south of Winchester, or to Weymouth, about forty miles southwest of Southampton. As a criterion of the task ahead, they carried live ammunition. Units moved in the general order of Combat Teams Seven, Eight and Nine, special troops being intermingled. All artillery units, the 795th Ordnance Company and the 95th Reconnaissance Troop embarked from Weymouth, the remainder leaving from Southampton. First indication of Southampton’s importance as a bombing target were the silvery barrage balloons swinging high on cables around the harbor. Signs of the blitz were still here, though sufficient time had elapsed to allow nearly fully repair of the dock area.
The Division, with all its vehicles, boarded Liberty ships, LST’s and converted British commercial vessels. Passage across the English channel was delayed two and three days for most units as, following embarkation, it was necessary to lay both in and outside the harbor pending availability of debarkation facilities at the landing point. Southampton ships anchored in the Solent, off the inner shore of the Isle of Wright just outside Southampton’s bay. While portable radios carried the news that the Ninth Army was then in field in France, troops steadily dieted on C-Rations and waited for their "show to get on the road". By September 14, however, the last of the boats had gotten underway-in convoy, the Division’s first travel in a train of ships. Late that afternoon the tail ends of the convoy arrived off the Normandy coast, sailed past Cherbourg and anchored with the predecessors near Omaha Beach to await debarkation the next morning.
September 15,1944, training over, home far behind, the Division moved to France and bivouacked from 1 to 14 October near Norriey-Le-Sec preparing to enter the combat line.