The 101st Infantry Battalion (Separate) was an independent battalion on the US Army designed to be formed of Austrian-Americans and Austrian Nationals resident in the United States.p.156 Brook-Shepherd, Gordon Uncrowned Emperor: The Life and Times of Otto von Habsburg Continuum International Publishing Group, 30/12/2003
History In 1942 the United States created several separate infantry battalions composed of Americans of ethnic descent or citizens of certain nations who were not yet American citizens. Amongst them were the 99th Infantry Battalion of Norwegian-Americans, the 100th Infantry Battalion of Japanese-Americans, and the 122nd Infantry Battalion of Greek-Americans.p.14 Stanton, Shelby L. Order of Battle, U.S. Army, World War II Presidio, 1984 A Polish unit was also proposed but never created.
Zita of Bourbon-Parma, the wife of the last Emperor of Austria supposedly lobbied the American government for such a unit following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's officially declared restoration of an independent Austria to be an American war aim. Three of her sons Carl, Rudolf and Felix von Habsburg served in the unit that served at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Werner von Trapp also served in the Battalion.Camp Atterbury - Camp Crier 14 May 1943
The battalion was disbanded on 16 June 1943.
Notes
External links IndianaMilitary.org's webpage on the Austrian Battalion, made by James D. West.