It wasnt all work as they had opportunities to play ball and see shows by Bob Hope and company. I have been back to Sherborne on four occasions. Celebrating our WWII Vets-Stanely Stopa & the 296th Combat Engineer We. November 9, 1944: Bn. QUETTEHOU, FRANCE.16 It was the highest bridge constructed by the first army Engineer Combat Battalion in the E.T.O. August 27, 1944: Bn. The kamikaze had destroyed the starboard gun mounts and there were many dead and wounded. April 11, 1945: The Battalion moved from WISSEN to MORSBACH, GERMANY. At 1130 hours the Commanding officer of Co "B" with two Platoons of Co "A" and one Platoon of light tanks made an attack to contact the surrounded platoon. 1 talking about this. That is a very good idea to write your memiors, and I do want to read them and will be in line myself, behind Marion of course. Francis R. Fulton, Capt. The Deep River boys were Ernie Calamari, George Ressler, Bill Ackerman, Waldon Hartson, Charlie Euston, George Watrous, Harvey Brooks, Doug Carlson, Ray Swain, and Victor Carlson. Please see my link on where to go for help. 38. Co "B" constructed reinforced Heavy Ponton Bridge 465 ft. in length across the SEINE RIVER at MELUN in 9 hours and 30 minutes. September 17, 1944: One Platoon of Co "C" demolishing pillboxes in the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, one platoon of Co "C" maintaining ford in MONSCHU. 5. April 13, 1945: The Battalion moved to DERSCHLAG, GERMANY. What a great way to start my Sunday; hearing from someone who was there in the flesh. 79. Division heading for COUPTRAIN and PRE-EN-PAUL. 108. 88. This bridge remained in use until 1955. In October 1943, the battalion left Boston for England and spent months in England training. Part 2 of 3. In the North Atlantic in January, they said that we would have lasted only about five minutes in that cold water. The 294th landed in Normandy on D+ (June 7, 1944). He was also there to substitute for any crew member who was not able to fly. 29. It was completed on V.E. Thomas W. Silva, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey and 42 men from H&S Co. and Co. "C". All traffic was moving North to Battice. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenants from the 1943 class of West Point. #1 of Companies A, B & C arrive at bivouac area in vicinity of St MARIE-DU-MONT. A brisk fire fight ensued until daylight. October 2, 1944: At 0800 hours 40 rounds of artillery fell on and around Post #4; shortly thereafter an estimated company of enemy Infantry attacked the position, surrounding it and cutting off communications. November 16, 1944: The 4th Inf. in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.). 102. September 22, 1944: Co "C" started constructing a Class #40 Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge in VICHT. 43. However, when we sailed out of Antwerp,Belgium in January, 1946, our troubles were far from over. 50. Click below to see how you can help us expand our mission. January 23, 1945: Co "C" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. It was completed on V.E. September 9, 1944: Bn. A wartime journey to Berlin : the 296th Engineer Combat Battalion (1943 relieved Company "A" as of 1800 hours. Division begining [sic] at 1500 hours. When he did get home he started a family and worked as a top rate hairdresser in New York. 103. http://208.56.11.96/Invision/index.php?showtopic=23. Part 1 of 2. 68. This often includes map coordinates which can be translated using Google Earth to pinpoint the G.P.S. As a young airman I hitchiked many times over that road to see my wife in the 1950s. I was finally told that they could nothing for me and that I would have to get hearing aids in the U.S. when I returned. moved to the vicinity of LUMINGNY. 112. Co "A" occupied road blocks #4 & #5; Co "B" occupied road blocks #1, #2, #3; Co "C" occupied position #11. Alongside those are the plaques with the names of the Sherborne men who were killed in World War II. Get up!" Division. Division for the drive to close the famous "FALAISE GAP". March 6, 1945: The Co "C" C.P. Neither of these show up on his DD-214. continues to support the 9th Inf. POULAY, FRANCE.2 44th Engineer Combat Battalion | American Battle Monuments Commission The ship cracked across the deck and partly down the hull. However, I strongly suggest that you contact the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they have a file on his unit. The Battalion was the first American Unit to arrive in Berlin on July 3, 1945. The 237th Engineer Combat Battalion served with distinction under 1st Army during WWII. Their mission was accomplished. Companies A and C were ordered into the town of Arsdorf where the battalion was engaged in fierce combat for two days. The windows blew out the way he told me. Captured several prisoners. P.S. The remainder of the night was utilized for digging in which was a difficult operation in the frozen ground. Bn. September 7, 1944: Co "C" Completed the timber trestle bridge at MARIEMBOURG. USAREUR Units - 237th Engr Bn - USArmyGermany.com moved to RAEREN. 132. 1 talking about this. I am now in my 83rd year and I hope that I do not run out of time before I finish what I am now working on. I am an amateur artist and I just had a one-man show with 40 paintings. An SOS went out and two Coast Guard cutters came out from Argentia, Newfoundland. In all the 296th Engineers took part in five campaigns, Normandy, Northern Europe, Central Europe, and Ardennes. 95. 98. Can't wait to hear more about your time spent in training and your work with the engineers. as of 0800 hours. Co "A" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. attached to 3rd Armored Division in preparation for St LO breakthrough. Section, and two squads of Co "C" resulting in their passing a point where they should have turned - at this point Co "A" took the lead and Co "C" joined the rear of the Bn. In many (most) cases, names have been. Access WWII personnel records showing your veterans enlistment, draft, honorable discharge, serial numbers, promotions, military training, ranks, military duties and enlistment photographs. moved from ANDENNE, BELGIUM to RAEREN, GERMANY. An Engineer Combat Battalion (ECB) was a designation for a battalion -strength combat engineer unit in the U.S. Army, most prevalent during World War II. This tradgedy took place in the grounds that housed the 228th American Hospital in Sherborne, Dorset, UK. Bn. At 2330 hours the Battalion bivouac area was bombed by several bombers using anti-personnel bombs. 115. June 25, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in vicinity of VALOGNES. Witness to War is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the oral histories of combat veterans through digital video interviews. March 28, 1945: The Battalion moved to ALTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY with the mission of cleaning rubble from the streets to permit two way traffic, and to remove a railroad through town and construct a roadway for wheeled traffic on the railroad embankment. 27. September 28, 1944: The Bn. At the new bivouac area orders were waiting for the Bn. October 21, 1944: Co "B" was relieved from the roadblocks by 294th Engr. Battalion moved to new bivouac in vicinity of CARENTAN. BOIS DE LUMIGNY, FRANCE4 The History of The 298th Engineer Combat Battalion in Europe The timber trestle bridge at ROTT was closed to traffic. 30. This was a Pile Bent Bridge with 3-story trestle bents on the piles, 55 feet high. City|Area. You may want to try and contact this gentleman. The 249th Engineer Battalion (United States) is a versatile power generation battalion assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that provides commercial-level power to military units and federal relief organizations during full-spectrum operations. November 28, 1944: Co "A" started construction of a Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge in VICHT. The Bn. Shipped out to England to prepare for the Normandy invasion, the eighteen year old got "scared as Hell" when he was briefed on the German defenses. It took us 21 days from Antwerp to New York. 23. Date 1944-09-29. Rommel's big push had begun. October 23, 1944: Co "A" relieved from attachment to 297 Engr. They are a component of the United States Army Corps of Engineers . He heard some firing from another gun and turned around just in time to see a horrifying sight. Our expertise enables us to reconstruct the service history of your individual WWII veteran and to give you a glimpse of the experiences that he or she had during the war-even if their military service records were lost in the fire. By October, all of 296th was in Belgium. 249th Engineer Battalion (United States) - Wikipedia July 21, 1944: Bn. Bill Adair may have been the luckiest man in the Bataan Death march. 257th Engineering Combat Battalion | WWII Forums Have you already requested personnel records from the archives? He was grateful when someone gave him some morphine to ease the pain from multiple shrapnel wounds. Infantry Regiment 28th Quartermaster Battalion 28th Troop Carrier Squadron 290th Infantry Regiment 291st Infantry Regiment 294th Engineer Combat Battalion 29th Bomb Group 29th Field Artillery Battalion 29th Infantry Division 29th . Loss of equipment was heavy; however, casualties were light. December 26 - 27, 1944: A large amount of artillery and mortar fire constituted the enemys [sic] activity during this period. September 18, 1944: The Battalion moved to a new bivouac at ROTGEN, GERMANY. 25. This list identifies Army units that were awarded assault landing credit for the Normandy invasion, 6 and 7 June 1944. Contact was lost with this platoon at 0850 hours. Considerable confusion resulted. The Digby family were living in the relatively new castle at the time. The daily location of the WWII veterans unit and any movements they made. Gp. After basic training he was attached to the Navy to learn to operate Higgins boats and participated in maneuvers at Guantanamo Bay. [8] By 5 September 2005, the 17th Street Canal breach was closed. In May 1945, when the war ended in Europe, the battalion was moved to Plattling, Germany where they built a camp for displaced refugees. Bn. They paid mightily for that shot. 249th Engineer Battalion Soldiers and IMA Provide Emergency Backup Power to Hawaii Wastewater Treatment Plant, by Sergeant First Class Christopher P. Woolley and Major Paul B. Olsen, P.E., 249th Engineers Respond to California Wildfires, by SSG Scott Yeager, "249th Engineer Battalion lineage and honors information as of 1 March 2004", Official U.S. Army Prime Power School website, Description of the Coat of Arms and Distinctive Unit Insignia, Bridge to the Past: 249th Engineer Battalion from Combat to Prime Power by COL John K. Addison, Retired, Prime-Power Considerations for Engineer Planners, by Captain Geoff Van Epps, Reflections on Building Great Engineers, COL Paul B. Olsen, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=249th_Engineer_Battalion_(United_States)&oldid=1091887312, Engineer battalions of the United States Army, Military units and formations established in 1943, Military units and formations in Virginia, Articles with dead external links from June 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Heavy Maintenance Section Fort Belvoir, Virginia, D Company (USAR) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers support to presidentially declared disasters, Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion, Redesignated 23 March 1948 as the 442d Engineer Construction Battalion and allotted to the Organized, Activated 8 April 1948 with headquarters at, (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve), Redesignated 25 June 1952 as the 249th Engineer Construction Battalion, Redesignated 9 December 1954 as the 249th Engineer Battalion; concurrently withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted to the, Activated 16 November 1994 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Two engines were out, a third smoking, and they were were losing airspeed and altitude, but they were flying level and pointed home. 14. On this day, two German E-boats came out of the fog and fired their torpedoes and escaped back to France. Explore military combat reports and casualty records tounderstand the battlefield experiences and sacrifices of your WWII veteran and their military unit. The battalion served at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, England, France, Belgium, and Germany Contains the following type (s) of material: memoir, unit histories Available on site only 72. March 15, 1945: Reconnaissance was made in the afternoon of sites on the RHEIN RIVER in the vicinity of REMAGEN for launching Naval Landing Craft; sites were picked. Destroyers came alongside and were able to rescue all the men on board. As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unit records. Bn. On 24 December 1944, Brigadier General Harlan Harkness, the assistant division commander, ordered the battalion to advance and secure the towns of Arsdorf and Bigonville to the north of the 26th Infantry Division, near the area of operations of the 4th Armored Division, in order to relieve the occupied towns so the division could advance and attack the enemy line. Bob Darino | 294th Engineer Combat Battalion, VII Corps, 1st Army - Army Sorry, the video player failed to load. Bn. WW2 Army Unit Records Research | WW2 Research At a R.J. approximately 2 miles East of MILLEY, the head of the column was ambushed by enemy infantry and tanks. moved to the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, relieved the 294th Engr. 85. November 29th: Our National Day of Giving. 129. August 16, 1944: Bn. March 10, 1945: Co "C" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. It receives no town or state funding. Active: August 1941 - May 1943 July 1943 - April 1945: Country Nazi Germany Branch: Army XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS from April 3, 1945 to April 17, 1945, PLACE.NUMBER OF P.W's moved to new location and relieved 297th Engr. Forums World War II WWII ENGINEERS . Holtum. Then, we went to Tennessee maneuvers for a couple of months. In March of 1943, a group of 13 Deep River Boys left together and formed a Combat Engineers Unit which kept them together throughout the war. After this bridge site was secure, the 249th was detached from the 1137th Engineer Group and was given the mission to secure and maintain the bridges on the Rhine River. Witness to War: Preserving The Oral Histories of Combat Veterans August 4, 1944: Bn. When he heard the sound of Canadian tanks, he knew that liberation was finally at hand. Well I for one will be one of the first in line to read and buy your memoirs. The 296th Engineer Combat Battalion was attached to 1101st and 1120th Engineer Combat Group, the 3rd Army, 1st Army, V Corps, and VII Corps during World War II. From then on it was the road to Berlin. N/AA pilotEnlisted air crewEnlisted ground crew. Ed Harrell describes in detail the sinking of the USS Indianapolis from Japanese torpedoes, which left nearly 900 Sailors and Marines in shark-infested Pacific waters. November 24, 1944: Co "C" constructed a Class #40 Bailey Bridge over the timber trestle bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. Co "B" operated LCVP ferry service, Co "C" operated Heavy Ponton Rafts. November 8 is Election Day and the Trustees of the Deep River Historical Society hope you all go out and VOTE. moved to 3rd Armd. 33. HURTGEN FOREST, GERMANY99 returned to Battalion. March 16, 1945: Co "C" moved to OBERWINTER at 1700 hours and started construction of Heavy Ponton Rafts. Division launched an attack through our positions in the direction of HURTGEN and GEY; Co "B" made a limited attack in front of Post #2 & #3 for the purpose of deceiving the enemy. 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION Right away, as the oldest one in the large group, she became the leader on the journey. 31. In the interim my dear, I would be happy to provide you with your own page, as I have done for so many of my other vet friends on the main site. 127. moved to vicinity of GAVRAY, and reverted to control of the 1120th Engr. Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at KLUPPLEBURG, GERMANY. 17 DEC 1943. In October 1943, the battalion left Boston for England and spent months in England training. ANTHEE, BELGIUM.11 - Co. "C" was relieved on road blocks by a Company from 294th Engr. Co "B" converted a Bailey Bridge in GIESSEN from a Class #40 to a Class #70 on May 5, 1945. It was the day of activation of the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion. His very first mission turned out to be a memorable one. Bn. Status coordinate No status yet. Wes Ruth was eating breakfast when he saw the planes coming in. February 5, 1945: The Battalion moved from BELGIUM to STOLEBERG, GERMANY. 234 Engineer Combat Battalion (USA) - Back to Normandy The Battalion was assigned to the FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY and attached to the U.S. VII ARMY CORPS. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material I am writing my memoirs and I already have over 200 pages. And even better that you got the chance to visit with Jean Treasure. November 25, 1944: Co "B" was attached to 294th Engr. April 6, 1945: Co "B" constructed Steel Treadway Bridge at DREISEL, GERMANY across the SIEG RIVER. (C) Group. The first operation for the 4th Division was the landing on Roi-Namur. bivouac was shelled by enemy artillery for 30 minutes at 1900 hours; one shell exploding 11000 pounds of TNT in the center of the bivouac area. Are you stuffed from all that turkey and fixings? The North portion of the position was reached but the foxholes were found empty. The winter of 1943 was brutal. He was just a hundred miles inland a few days after D-Day and the Germans caught him almost immediately. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion | American Battle Monuments Commission 294th Engineer Combat Battalion Home 294th Engineer Combat Battalion Legacy ID 21545 Legacy Alias /db-abmc-burial-unit/294th-engineer-combat-battalion Legacy Source db_abmc_burial_unit Leroy C. Webster Read more John T. Murphy Read more Stanley G. Suda Read more Karl Schecter September 21, 1944: Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge in VICHT. Frank Capuozzi was a rifleman who rode in a jeep ahead of the guns as they pushed across France. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-1985 (Record Group 407) that may include records of the 111th Engineer Combat Battalion, 36th Infantry Division during WWII. Bill Garrison was standing in a chow line when a man up the line suddenly dropped, shot dead by a sniper. The Assault Force - The Normandy Invasion | U.S. Army Center of was set up in the village of ANTHEE. 128. Now you have information on the tragic accident from someone who was there. placed in direct support of the 9th Inf. His job in the 1st Armored Division was to be out in front with his eyes open, and he was doing just that when a huge amount of enemy was spotted. July 18, 1944: Bn. 113. June 21, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in the vicinity of MONTEBURG. Joseph Waz enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1942 at the age of 29. 53. October 31, to November 7, 1944: Bn. Next, they removed minefields, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. December 17, 1943 was the big day. Then fate intervened in the form of an ambulance without a driver. A typo is noted by the use of [sic] other errors are probably my own. September 5, 1944: Co "C" started construction of Class 40 Timber Trestle Bridge under Bailey Bridge at MARIEMBOURG. In 1994, the battalion was reactivated and designated as the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), stationed at Fort Belvoir, VA. September 13, 1944: Bn. 20. Forward Observer Rufus Dalton went into the demolished city looking for a rifle company he was instructed to find. June 10, 1944: The Battalion Executive Officer and U.P. RootsWeb is funded and supported by January 9, 1945: Co "A" completed the continuous Bailey Bridge in DURBEY. Joe Izzillo- 4907 Europa Drive, Naples FL 34105- (239) 262-2778. July 5, 1944: Co. "B" repaired damaged bridge at BAUPTE under artillery fire. (C) Bn. 82. January 31, to February 4, 1945: Rest, recreation, and some training constituted the activities of the Battalion for this period. Over several days from June to early July 1944, the unit went by parts from England to Vierville, France. I dabble a bit in the creative stuff myself. Seeking records of 111th Engineers Combat Batta | History Hub Let me repeat how exciting it is to hear from someone who was part of the 294th. 284th Combat Engineers The other patients and I raced outside and we saw the carnage. September 16, 1944: Co "C" was served doughnuts and coffee by VII Corps Red Cross girls - believed to be the first Red Cross girls to serve troops on GERMAN soil in World War II. Part 1 of 2. . England was taking in thousands of Jewish children and she got her papers in order and left. 130. Our mission was to provide close Engineer support to 78th Infantry Div. 12. . That was only one hazard at the air fields in China; the others being Japanese air raids and infiltrators. January 22, 1945: Co "C" (with the 4th Cav.) On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. The main thrust of the effort was to use assault boats to get troops from 5th Infantry Division across and later to construct a more stable pontoon bridge. 114. From there we were sent for desert training in Camp Pilot Knob in the Mojave Desert, near Yuma Arizona, which was started by Gen. Patton, as a training ground for the war in Africa. July 22, 1944: Bn. - Present Carthage Armory Carthage, Missouri, United States The battalion was used in an effort to block the German advance by deploying landmines, obstacles and establishing roadblocks. 35. The main body departed Fort Gordon, GA, on 27 September 1965 by troop train bound for . September 8, 1944: Co "A" dismantled the Inf. 62. . October 6, 1944: 47th Enfantry [sic] Regt. March 14, 1945: The Battalion moved to DUISDORF, in the vicinity of BAD GODESBERG, GERMANY in preparation for the crossing of the RHEIN RIVER. The battalion was organized and under the command of only three captains. What do they do at Parris Island? In Germany, Carroll's unit liberated a forced labor camp, and he remembered that the prisoners were horribly emaciated. The 294th Combat Engineers were training at the same time at Camp Gordon. 80. On March 20, 1944, I was lying in bed when there was a huge explosion and I was blown off my bed. Chow detail going to Post #1 was ambushed by a 6 man patrol; the enemy patrol withdrew after a short fire fight. 59. Group. 7. The 294th built the second bridge across the Rhine River, and Carroll recalled that as the American army moved into Germany, all the cities they came across were piles of rubble. Research A World War II Veteran (WWII WW2) - Golden Arrow Research The battalion was organized and under the command of only three captains. 90. August 26, 1944: Co "A" constructed reinforced Infantry Support Bridge 504 ft. in length across the SEINE RIVER at MELUN in 5 hours. ", Robert G. Sherrard Jr. collection 1930-1931, 1943-1957, 1967, circa 1986- 2003, Leonard R. Boyd collection, 1916-1946 (bulk 1918-1929), 1262nd Engineer Combat Battalion collection, 1944-1946, undated, World War, 1939-1945 -- Engineering and construction, World War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons, American, World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories, Robinson, Edward G.,. His unit joined the forces ordered into the Battle of the Bulge, where he had to get some help when he was frozen in a foxhole. I know Colin will be tickled pink to read this.