I am writing my memoirs and I already have over 200 pages. 36. September 18, 1944: The Battalion moved to a new bivouac at ROTGEN, GERMANY. Personnel losses were as follows: Capt. Division. During the action at Post #3, the enemy infiltered [sic] around Post #4 in strength of approximately two squads. Official 249th Engineer Battalion website, Civil engineering and infrastructure repair in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, United States Army Center of Military History, "249th Engineer Battalion Responds to Terrorist Attacks", Prime Power Lights Up Anaconda by Sgt. We are always glad to assist! In October 1943, the battalion left Boston for England and spent months in England training. moved to a new bivouac in BELLEAU WOODS in the vicinity of CHATEAU-THIERRY. Are you stuffed from all that turkey and fixings? moved to the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, relieved the 294th Engr. I can tell you a lot about the 294th Combat Engineers and the incident which took place on March 20, 1944. Kamikazes had broken through the air cover and were headed for the convoy. The remainder of the night was utilized for digging in which was a difficult operation in the frozen ground. While there, there was a German air raid and two planes were shot down. Then, we went to Tennessee maneuvers for a couple of months. 12. Duties in France included repairing roads, removing mines, disposing of a bomb, and removing, repairing, and constructing bridges. August 12, 1944: Co "A" replaced flooring on Bailey Bridge at St. BEAUDELLA. 7 to 8, 2020, as. In February 1955, it was activated and assigned to USAREUR and an Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy). Hits - 2,910. Sewell, Sgt. The timber trestle bridge at ROTT was closed to traffic. Hide map. Later that year on 18 December 1944, the Black Lions were ordered to move from the Saar River, where the unit was building a bridge, to the Ardennes, commonly called the Battle of the Bulge. October 20, 1944: Co "A" was attached to 297th Engr. It was the day that was going to affect the lives of approximately one thousand men. Army Superior Unit Award for 2005 (Hurricanes Katrina, This page was last edited on 7 June 2022, at 00:05. Unfortunately, because of my profound deafness, I am not permitted to fly. It includes all units except for platoons and detachments that were a part of larger organizations and is based on the following War Department and Department of the Army General Orders: WD GO 70, 1945; WD GO 75, 1945; WD GO 116, 1946; DA GO 23, 1947; DA GO 72, 1948; DA GO 6, 1950; DA GO 37, 1950; DA GO 32, 1953; and DA GO 28 1956. returned to Battalion. location of the Company HQ on a map. Co "B" operated LCVP ferry service, Co "C" operated Heavy Ponton Rafts. TOTAL 266. Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. Near the end of the war, the food supply in Holland had been disrupted and there was widespread hunger. to continue movement to the vicinity of MAYENNE. Immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, elements of the 249th were deployed to New York City and were instrumental in restoring power to Wall Street enabling the financial district to resume operations within a week of the attack. 100. I get so tired of hearing some complain day in and day out about how it's too hot or too cold, or how they had to drive 15 miles to pick up a wife's prescription, or You get the drift. They learned how to dismantle and remove land mines, repair and build bridges and construct camps for their comrades in other units. 102. moved to RAEREN. The Bn. December 2, 1944: The Battalion moved from FRIESENRATH, GERMANY to VICHT, GERMANY. After an accident resulting in a raft being sunk, the Battalion moved downriver to Mainz. Division; a heavy snow was falling at the time of the relief; the Battalion moved back to PONTHOZ, BELGIUM. moved to vicinity of VILLEDIEU-LES-POLES. One of the pilots was brought into our hospital and had his legs amputated. You may want to try and contact this gentleman. Please consider making a donation to DRHS. Thomas W. Silva, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey and 42 men from H&S Co. and Co. "C". The exact battles your WWII veteran took part in. Co "B" 294th Engr. Harry Kone says each generation should do the best that they can. We slowly made out way West with the two Cutters alongside and landed in Argentia in Newfoundland. QUETTEHOU, FRANCE.16 of a sector of the front line in the Hurtgen Forest. In Germany, Carroll's unit liberated a forced labor camp, and he remembered that the prisoners were horribly emaciated. During my visit to Sherborne for research purposes I met Mrs Jean Treasure who was employed as a typist in the hospital HQ as a young girl. Many of them do not realize how lucky they are to have what they have and that INCLUDES full use of all five of their senses. January 5, 1945: Co "A" started construction of a continuous Bailey Bridge across the L'OURTHE RIVER in DURBEY, BELGIUM. 110. It was an eerie setting with the city in flames all around him. Many times there is a daily record of events which shows daily combat details within the company, troop or battery to which the individual WWII veteran was assigned. Our military records specialists are on site at archival research facilities nationwide and can access a wide variety of WWII military service records of your veteran. October 18, 1944: At 0900 hours an enemy force approached Post #5 - the enemy withdrew after exchanging a few shots. have been maintained. 115. When I entered the Army in March 1943, I was assigned to the 293rd Combat Engineers and we trained in Camp Gordon, Georgia. Then, began the grim task of collecting the personal belongings of the dead and preparing them for burial at sea. Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags, with approximately 125 sandbags breaking the surface of the water. 70. 1965-1971 Synopsis of the 299th in Vietnam. It was disgusting down below in the Queen Mary so Newton Riess went up on deck to escape the smell. (C) Bn. It was horrendous. 75. Corporate Information | Privacy | Terms and Conditions | CCPA Notice at Collection, Activation of the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion March 18, 1943 and Reorganization November 3, 1944, After/After Action Reports 26 July - 1 Dec 1944, Journal of 1128th Engr Gp Sep 44 thru Aug 45, Excerpts from the U.S. Army in World War II Series, More Excerpts from the U.S. Army in World War II Series, The documents below were kindly shared by Marc Shafer (whose father was a 298th member). I fell in love with an English lass, Noreen, in Leicester. August 15, 1944: Bn. Vaughan and the destroyer O'Brien suffered a second kamikaze attack which killed all three of his hometown pals who served with him on board. 84. Bill Nolan from Portland knew his way around and brought Stan to his brother. Available for both RF and RM licensing. In late 1954, the Black Lion Battalion was withdrawn from the Reserves and assigned to the Regular Army. 130. In December, 1943, I was transferred to the 294th Combat Engineers,assigned to Company "B", and we were on our way East by train to Camp Myles Standish in Taunton MA. 48. Witness to War is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the oral histories of combat veterans through digital video interviews. 39. B-24 flight engineer Bill Toombs was over Germany when bad went to worse. Moving through France, Bob Darino recalls how the grateful civilians came out with toasts of strong apple brandy. Neither of these show up on his DD-214. December 30, 1944: The Battalion was relieved of the defensive position at 1800 hours by a re-enforced Co. of Infantry of the 75th Inf. Bn. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. At 2300 hours U.P. She dissipated his fortune and after he died, she was sued by his children. 1 talking about this. November 8, 1944: The Bn. In the North Atlantic in January, they said that we would have lasted only about five minutes in that cold water. All the villages there had been evacuated and were ultimately destroyed by gunfire. Battalion noun Any large body of troops. HERBORN, GERMANY2 Co "C" swept the road from ROTGEN to ROTT for mines. September 26, 1944: Co "A" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge in VICHT. 30. December 16, 1944: The Ardenne breakthrough begins; there was much aerial activity in vicinity of STOLBURG and DUREN. Find out whether your WWII veteran was awarded valor medals for gallantry in action or for wounds received in the line of duty. They had a little too much fun and ran into some MP's who had a grudge against their unit. Heavy rains and the overflowing ROTGEN DAM caused failure of timber trestle bridges at ROTT, MULARTSHUTTE, and VICHT. Group. September 5, 1944: Co "C" started construction of Class 40 Timber Trestle Bridge under Bailey Bridge at MARIEMBOURG. November 10, 1944: The Battalion was relieved of attachment to the 3rd Armored Division and attached to the 4th Infantry Division. Thank you very much for your service to our country and sharing your experiences with us. One of the daughters, Pamela Digby later married Randolph Churchill, Winston's son. Two Germans were captured at Post #3; one man was killed by small arms fire on Post #5 at 1700 hours. 90. Bn. Co "B" sent a five (5) man patrol to investigate enemy positions during the afternoon. September 22, 1944: Co "C" started constructing a Class #40 Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge in VICHT. What are we going to do? They lost all of their equipment. The Bn. Contact was lost with this platoon at 0850 hours. As he drove frantically to his hangar on Ford Island, he saw the USS Arizona hit. I am now a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol of the United States Air Force Auxiliary. 3. Then it was dispatched to France for a time. Bn. I am an amateur artist and I just had a one-man show with 40 paintings. I have been wearing hearing aids since 1946 and I am now profoundly deaf. 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. What a great way to start my Sunday; hearing from someone who was there in the flesh. . moved at 1630 hours and reached the destination at 2030 hours. 125. Their job was to prepare housing for the advancing units. Bill Elias' WWII Story: 258th Engineer Combat Battalion. Bn. Then he got acquainted with giant mosquitoes. went in direct support of the 5th Armd. 66. A minefield was laid and wire obstacles were erected. I'm sure he would be glad to share his experiences with you. June 10, 1944: The Battalion Executive Officer and U.P. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Bn. This tradgedy took place in the grounds that housed the 228th American Hospital in Sherborne, Dorset, UK. February 24, 1945: Co "C" attached to 4th Cav. Let me repeat how exciting it is to hear from someone who was part of the 294th. It was many years after the war that a local reporter, using the Freedom of Information Act, wrote the true story. The 296th received campaign credit for Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Normandy, Northern France, and the Rhineland, Contains the following type(s) of material: unit histories, photographs, Wartime journey to Berlin : the 296th Engineer Combat Battalion, The ArchiveGrid website uses HTTP Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1963 as Company B, 1st Battalion, 145th Infantry; Consolidated 15 February 1968 with Company D, 112th Engineer Battalion (organized and Federally recognized 13 February 1955 in Elyria); consolidated unit designated as Company D, 112th Engineer Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 37th Infantry Division 23. After the emergency was over, plans called for the canal to be drained and the wall repaired. Bill Garrison was standing in a chow line when a man up the line suddenly dropped, shot dead by a sniper. The story was put out that two German saboteurs had set off an explosion. moved to BRISCOL, BELGIUM where the vehicles were parked. 65. DERSCHLAG, GERMANY.10 The Battalion C.P. December 26 - 27, 1944: A large amount of artillery and mortar fire constituted the enemys [sic] activity during this period. I've heard the story of the training accident many times. In October through November 1944, the soldiers were specially trained on using the Bailey bridge in Trier, France. July 15, 1944: Co "C" began construction of Bailey Bridge at BIEHOU at 2000 hours; work was discontinued at 2330 hours due to artillery fire. moved to the vicinity of PHILIPVILLE - an Advance C.P. Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. City|Area. 98. Our unique research process is essential to understanding the experiences of individual military veterans of WWII-since the vast majority of WWII Army/Air Corps personnel records were lost in the 1973 National Archives fire. All Rights Reserved. The Bn. And even better that you got the chance to visit with Jean Treasure. Co "C" (-) 1 Platoon relieved from attachment to 297th Engr. He was grateful when someone gave him some morphine to ease the pain from multiple shrapnel wounds. 26. 3RD ARMORED DIVISION The main difference lies in the divisional structure. 15. From 1955 until 1960, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Construction) was stationed at Kleber Kaserne, ((Kaiserslautern, Germany)). (C) Bn. In all the 296th Engineers took part in five campaigns, Normandy, Northern Europe, Central Europe, and Ardennes. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/contact_us.htm. 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION July 2, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in vicinity of Ste MERE-EGLISE. Co "C" started construction of a Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. Bn. 67. April 7, 1945: Co "C" constructed a C1 #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at HANHOFF, GERMANY. 104. Right away, as the oldest one in the large group, she became the leader on the journey. 97. in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.). 3:33 | At the end of the war, combat engineer Bob Darino went from sampling delicious cherry pies in German farm country to experiencing the horrifying spectacle of concentration camps. As a young airman I hitchiked many times over that road to see my wife in the 1950s. When he heard the sound of Canadian tanks, he knew that liberation was finally at hand. Our mission was to provide close Engineer support to 78th Infantry Div. 96. October 21, 1944: Co "B" was relieved from the roadblocks by 294th Engr. the goal was to be home by Christmas! Considerable confusion resulted. 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. July 22, 1944: Bn. 34. He was just a hundred miles inland a few days after D-Day and the Germans caught him almost immediately. Gp. 103. 93. That took place in Devon when the soldiers and sailors were practicing landings in an area which had been picked because the topography was similar to Normandy. The 296th built a 180-foot bridge across the Ilm River. He heard some firing from another gun and turned around just in time to see a horrifying sight. VII CORPS from February 1, 1944 to April 2, 1945. Date 1944-09-29. His name is on the link above. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion - 1944. Later, they were divorced and she had a series of lovers and, at one time, became America's ambassador to France. April 14, 1945: Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at WIPPERFURTH, GERMANY. 38. It wasnt all work as they had opportunities to play ball and see shows by Bob Hope and company. 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 From then on it was the road to Berlin. 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 October 31, to November 7, 1944: Bn. Division. The 249th Engineer Combat Battalion was constituted on 5 May 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas. on April 28, 2010. Google Map of Major Ops of the 298th The Bridge site was heavy mined; T/5 George Oatinbaker was killed by a mine which exploded when his bulldozer passed over it. 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. Advertisement. Reconnaissance was made of the MEUSE RIVER in the vicinity of DINANT and HASTIERE in preparation for the crossing of the 9th Inf. It was an emotional moment. The Battalion was assigned to the FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY and attached to the U.S. VII ARMY CORPS. N/AA pilotEnlisted air crewEnlisted ground crew. 78. June 12, 1944: Our first mission on the continent - Lt Lawson with a D7 bulldozer assisted the 1110th Engr. Thats where Stan picked up a large German Flag. Two fold-out maps from the unit history are stored separately in an oversize box. 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. July 28, 1944: Bn. Often the military records will show the duties a WWII veteran held during the war. Learn more. 72. Division heading for COUPTRAIN and PRE-EN-PAUL. September 30, 1944: At 0745 hours an enemy patrol approached Post #3; between then and 1030 hours a brisk fire fight occurred in and around Post #3. April 13, 1945: The Battalion moved to DERSCHLAG, GERMANY. 68. August 28, 1944: Bn. October 6, 1944: 47th Enfantry [sic] Regt. It was later learned that the town had never been secured by the 4th Armored Division. 28. Formatting (inconsistent in original) such as capitalization, underlining, punctuation, use of quotes, etc. Without enough points to go home in the first wave of returnees, Frank Capuozzi became an acting mess sergeant and took over a kitchen. I dabble a bit in the creative stuff myself. She was also present on that fateful day. All Rights Reserved. ArmyAir Force/A.A.F.Marine CorpsNavyCoast GuardMerchant Marine, If Army Air Forces was your veteran #1 of Companies A, B & C arrive at bivouac area in vicinity of St MARIE-DU-MONT. At first, there was jubilation, but that turned to fear as he hid in his basement for a week while the battle raged for Arnhem. 135. 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. As they approached the beach, the ship hit two mines and sank. Robert James was propped up against a bulkhead, going in and out of consciousness. January 3, 1945: Co "C" attached to the 4th Cav. She worked as a secretary at the 228th while I was there. 44. 52. Must have brought back some intriguing memories going back to the Isles. He relates what he found out while hiding beneath Japanese planes. (Error Code: 100013) 3:33 | At the end of the war, combat engineer Bob Darino went from sampling delicious cherry pies in German farm country to experiencing the horrifying spectacle of concentration camps. Bn. For Air Corps flight crews we can determine the exact flights that your individual Air Corps veteran took part in. Holtum. as of 1300 hours. Now that's what I call getting the REAL SCOOP! March 14, 1945: The Battalion moved to DUISDORF, in the vicinity of BAD GODESBERG, GERMANY in preparation for the crossing of the RHEIN RIVER. March 16, 1945: Co "C" moved to OBERWINTER at 1700 hours and started construction of Heavy Ponton Rafts. January 23, 1945: Co "C" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. Group. This bridge remained in use until 1955. CARANTILLY, FRANCE.24 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION At the new bivouac area orders were waiting for the Bn. 82. The photographs, taken from January-December 1944, cover training, road and bridge work, the Marigny Drive, soldier life, and Germans, The 296th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated by the U.S. Army on 3 March 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. 123. The history, titled History 296 Engr. This was not surprising since we were constantly working with explosives. was attached to the 3rd Armored Division and was given the mission of organizing, occupying, and defending at all cost a road block on the high ground just west of GRAND MENIL, BELGIUM. Welcome sir. The waterproofing worked great and Bob Darino powered his jeep through the surf and up the hill at Normandy. 118. moved to vicinity of GAVRAY, and reverted to control of the 1120th Engr. The battalion was used in an effort to block the German advance by deploying landmines, obstacles and establishing roadblocks. Francis R. Fulton, Capt. You are a great artist. 134. moved to the vicinity of DIZY-LE-GROS North of REIMS. Our World War II veterans are dying at the rate of 1500 a day! 122. 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. This includes when and where the WWII veteran was promoted in rank. If so, when? Then the battalion was stationed at Gerszewski Barracks, Knielingen, Karlsruhe, Germany, under the command of the 18th Engineer Brigade, where it provided construction support to USAREUR elements stationed in Germany for the Cold War. moved to the vicinity of St GERMAIN-LAXIS. XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS from April 3, 1945 to April 17, 1945, PLACE.NUMBER OF P.W's placed in direct support of the 9th Inf. February 13, 1945: Co "B" constructed a C1. moved to CHATEAU MODAVE then on to CHATEAU ENGLE BERMONT. August 31, 1944: Bn. August 16, 1944: Bn. 139. Temperatures were minus 20 degrees. On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. Redesignated on 9 November 1954 as the 237th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Army), the Battalion was allotted Sewer & water board, electric utility and the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) were completing pump house inspection. Then time ran out for the B-17 and Don Scott had to slip down the hatch into the slipstream. Three men from Co "A" were injured on booby traps when Co "A" relieved the Company from 297th Engr. A brisk fire fight ensued until daylight. Then an 88 round went right through the number four wing tank. Those do give us a better feel for the area and the time period. The 257th was also credited the Ardennes-Alsace campaign (9 Dec 1944-25 Jan 1945) and the Rhineland (22 Feb - 21 Mar 1945) campaign. The unit was assigned to V Corps, First U.S. Army. Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. The Captain said that in 25 years at sea he had never seen such a storm. July 29, 1944: Co "A" cleared hundreds of wrecked enemy vehicles from the streets of RONCEY and other roads in the vicinity. This Veterans Day we give THANKS to all who have served our country and continue to recognize those 416 men and women who served Deep River during World War II. alerted to move; received movement orders at 1600 hours to move at 1630 hours to bivouac in vicinity of BRECEY. Harry Kone can tell you because he went there for basic training after Pearl Harbor. 24. moved to 3rd Armd. John Souther was on reconnaissance patrol when he nosed his halftrack up over the edge of the gully in the Tunisian desert. How should we contact you? proceded [sic] on to the vicinity of MAYENNE arriving late in the afternoon. Forward Observer Rufus Dalton went into the demolished city looking for a rifle company he was instructed to find. Bob Darino | 294th Engineer Combat Battalion, VII Corps, 1st Army - Army Sorry, the video player failed to load. as of 0800 hours. Co "A" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. Normandy: 6-7 June 1944 Assault Landing. The kamikaze had destroyed the starboard gun mounts and there were many dead and wounded. From 25 July to 27 July, the 296th supported the 4th Infantry Division at Marigny, France. C.P. 114. 61. My guess is he was in another unit prior to his service in the 257th. Co "B" was given the mission of cleaning the streets and Co "C" was given the mission of removing the railroad and building the road. This society is an independent charitable organization. 108. moved to HANS BACKHEIM in the vicinity of MANHEIM, GERMANY. MARIEMBOURG, BELGIUM11 ANTHEE, BELGIUM.11 September 7, 1944: Co "C" Completed the timber trestle bridge at MARIEMBOURG. About 400 miles east of Newfoundland, we hit a terrible storm with 70 foot seas. Later, they were reequipped and went on with the war and a number of the men were killed in later battles, including the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. 88. February 5, 1945: The Battalion moved from BELGIUM to STOLEBERG, 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.

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