101. vehicles were withdrawn to an assembly area at MILLEY. continues to support the 9th Inf. The Bn. 11. Their mission was accomplished. December 2, 1944: The Battalion moved from FRIESENRATH, GERMANY to VICHT, GERMANY. He bunked with regular B-17 crew members, but Bill Livingstone was a gunnery instructor who was there to keep skills sharp. 61. 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION 7. In February 1955, it was activated and assigned to USAREUR and an Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy). We. After all, he was the son of a chef. The Bn. December 26 - 27, 1944: A large amount of artillery and mortar fire constituted the enemys [sic] activity during this period. November 19, 1944: Co "B" converted Bailey Bridge from 80' D/S to 110' T/S, in the vicinity of WALHEIM, GERMANY. After basic training he was attached to the Navy to learn to operate Higgins boats and participated in maneuvers at Guantanamo Bay. He scrambled to his gun mount to man the 20 mm gun and then the threat became apparent. November 10, 1944: The Battalion was relieved of attachment to the 3rd Armored Division and attached to the 4th Infantry Division. You are a great artist. Division begining [sic] at 1500 hours. The remainder of the night was utilized for digging in which was a difficult operation in the frozen ground. Shortly after, the battalion participated in two maneuvers in Louisiana, known as the "Louisiana Maneuvers"; there the battalion and its soldiers learned valuable lessons for war. We can actually determine the exact aerial missions that your individual Army Air Corps pilot flew. Bn. Bn. As a photo-recon pilot, he was dispatched as soon as the attacks ended to search for the enemy fleet. the goal was to be home by Christmas! Part 1 of 5. 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. . 84. of the 60th Infantry Regt. KAMM, GERMANY13 The 236th was created during World War II, an offspring of the 44th Engineer Combat Regiment at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Gp. July 21, 1944: Bn. September 6, 1944: Co "B" constructed steel Treadway Bridge 288' in length at HASTIERE across the MEUSE RIVER - bridge was opened to traffic at 1530 hours. returned to Battalion. 115. His crew shot down a ME 109 just before we got there. Transcribed by Bob Kipke (Feb-Mar 2013) Attempts have been made to maintain the original formatting, within my limited HTML capabilities, and the differences between a 1940s typewriter and a modern computer keyboard. 3. 71. KaRonda Fleming, Public Affairs Office, TF SAFE improves electrical safety in Iraq by Joan Kibler, Training prepares 249th for six-month Iraq duty by Julie LeDoux, Fort Belvoir Eagle, Soldiers Power Up Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan by SSG Michael Carden. He came in as a replacement to a tank destroyer battalion. 91. Active: August 1941 - May 1943 July 1943 - April 1945: Country Nazi Germany Branch: Army It receives no town or state funding. moved to vicinity of LE HORPS. 18. August 12, 1944: Co "A" replaced flooring on Bailey Bridge at St. BEAUDELLA. The 294th Combat Engineers were training at the same time at Camp Gordon. On 19 March 1945, the unit was assigned to the engineer task force charged with crossing the Rhine at Oppenheim. 114. I will be able to say, I know the man behind the book! From then on it was the road to Berlin. Near the end of the war, the food supply in Holland had been disrupted and there was widespread hunger. November 29, 1944: Co "C" completed the timber trestle bridge at ROTT. September 21, 1944: Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge in VICHT. However, I do rent airplanes and fly and have the other pilot handle the radio. February 13, 1945: Co "B" constructed a C1. 22. Bn. One engine was shot out. July 6, 1944: Battalion placed in direct support of the 4th Inf. 1 talking about this. August 30, 1944: Bn. moved to a new bivouac in the woods South of EUPEN. Part 1 of 2. October 17, 1944: At 1130 hours a patrol of Co "A" moving from Post #8 to Post #1 encountered heavy small arms fire - three men failed to return. The Captain said that in 25 years at sea he had never seen such a storm. It was the day that was going to affect the lives of approximately one thousand men. The force withdrew under heavy mortar fire. October 10, 1944: Co "A" occupied newly established blocks No's #6 - #7 - #8 - #9, as of 1300 hours. April 16, 1945: The Battalion moved to LENNEP, GERMANY. 30. 17 DEC 1943. It wasnt all work as they had opportunities to play ball and see shows by Bob Hope and company. I have been wearing hearing aids since 1946 and I am now profoundly deaf. moved to the vicinity of PLOMION. September 5, 1944: Co "C" started construction of Class 40 Timber Trestle Bridge under Bailey Bridge at MARIEMBOURG. 33. 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. I remember walking in snow up to my crotch in Belgium. 50. October 25, 1944: Co "C" completed culvert in vicinity of BRAND. Captured several prisoners. On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. Support bridge which was across the MEUSE RIVER North of DINANT. Click below to see how you can help us expand our mission. This incident was also kept secret until many years after the war when a local resident told of seeing hundreds of bodies being buried on the beach. Stanley Stopa enlisted at the age of 19 years in the U.S. Army. August 24-25, 1944: Bn. The timber trestle bridge at ROTT was closed to traffic. 502nd Quatermaster Port Battalion: 6th Engineer Special Brigade: Colonel Paul W. Thompson (WIA 6 June 44) 147th Engineer Combat Battalion: 149th Engineer Combat Battalion: 203rd Engineer Combat Battalion: 293rd Joint Assault Signal Co.: 60th Medical Battalion: 7th Naval Beach Bn (attached): Commander L. C. Leever : 74th Ordnance Battalion: Co "A" relieved Co. "C" on the construction of Timber Trestle Bridge in VICHT. Commenced landing on UTAH and OMAHA Beaches in NORMANDY on June 9, 1944 and moved into an assembly area in the vicinity of St MARIE-DU-MONT. Stan found out Frank was located in Liege, about 15 miles West. 118. 7 to 8, 2020, as. 1944 to engage the 236th and another battalion of combat engineers, the . 124. Later, they were divorced and she had a series of lovers and, at one time, became America's ambassador to France. I find it strange that he was only credited with the Central European (22 Mar - 11 May 1945) campaign. All Rights Reserved. 65. April 21 - May 7, 1945: The Battalion moved to BRAUNFELS, GERMANY on April 21st and was given the mission of re-constructing and repairing Route N-49, which was the First U.S. Army's M.S.R., from BRAUNFELS to the AUTOBAHN south of GIESSEN. The history, titled History 296 Engr. Dedicated to the men who proudly served their country during World War II by serving in the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion. We spent the night shifting the ballast, which was sand, from the stern, forward of the crack in the hull, to try to lift the stern higher out of the water. ANTHEE, BELGIUM.11 God has been good to me and I thank Him every day for sparing me into old age. The Allies had arrived in Holland. 28. 4th Engineer Battalion 4th Medical Battalion 4th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment 4th Military Police Platoon 4th Infantry Division Band Headquarters, Special Troops, 4th Infantry. The exact battles your WWII veteran took part in. Copyright 2023 Witness To War. Well I for one will be one of the first in line to read and buy your memoirs. April 7, 1945: Co "C" constructed a C1 #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at HANHOFF, GERMANY. When he did get home he started a family and worked as a top rate hairdresser in New York. The Battalions mission was general engineer work in the VII Corps sector in the area around STOLBURG, KORNELIMUNSTER, BREINIG. February 24, 1945: Co "C" attached to 4th Cav. constructed Class 40 Bailey Bridge at CHERAIN, BELGIUM. Bn. The Battalion C.P. From Taunton, I was transferred to the Topographic Engineers in Leicester in the Midlands. Please tell Michael Brodhead that I sent you. Our World War II veterans are dying at the rate of 1500 a day! Four German fighters pounced on the B-24 and it was engulfed in flame and going down. February 26, 1945: The Battalion moved to GURZENICH. Gp. in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.). The 296th crossed the Rhine River south of Bonn. Waiting for the main part of his unit to catch up, he told soldiers he thought were sleeping to "Get up! 45. Temperatures were minus 20 degrees. P.S. 1. After a close call with a booby trap, he was injured when a tank shell landed right under his jeep. CARANTILLY, FRANCE.24 While there, there was a German air raid and two planes were shot down. 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 waterproofing worked great and Bob Darino powered his jeep through the surf and up the hill at Normandy. of 9th Infantry Division made an attack thru Post #5 at 1100 hours; the Infantry met strong resistance 300 yards in front of Post #5; Post #5 was relieved at 1630 hrs. Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at KLUPPLEBURG, GERMANY. 53. Exactly when your WWII veteran joined and left specific units of assignment. The daily location of the WWII veterans unit and any movements they made. No one from shore was ever allowed on ships from one particular country. 126. She worked as a secretary at the 228th while I was there. 12. 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. 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. 81. Contact was lost with this platoon at 0850 hours. We have six children, thirteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. moved again to the vicinity of MILLEY arriving at 2330 hours. After Pearl Harbor, he was drafted and became a citizen in the Army before he shipped out to Europe. 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. Frances R. Fulton, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey, the Bn. Learn more. Division for the drive to close the famous "FALAISE GAP". Division at approximately 1100 hours. 139. I was taken to the 228th for treatment. Bn. moved to CHATEAU MODAVE then on to CHATEAU ENGLE BERMONT. HURTGEN FOREST, GERMANY99 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). Gp. You may want to try and contact this gentleman. Please consider making a donation to DRHS. When he had to bail out, Jim Wicker was literally sucked from the cockpit when he released the canopy because of his high rate of speed. The other patients and I raced outside and we saw the carnage. One of the pilots was brought into our hospital and had his legs amputated. 112. Considerable confusion resulted. 110. 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. Bravo Joe. Division. Organized by type of material, then chronologically, The collection contains a unit history and photographs regarding the 296th Engineer Combat Battalion of the United States (U.S.) Army during World War II. September 17, 1944: One Platoon of Co "C" demolishing pillboxes in the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, one platoon of Co "C" maintaining ford in MONSCHU. By October, all of 296th was in Belgium. New York City native Newton Riess enlisted in 1939 and his first drills were with broomsticks. 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. #1 of Companies A, B & C arrive at bivouac area in vicinity of St MARIE-DU-MONT. 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. The unit-built bridges in Trois Fonts by B Company and C Company. April 9, 1945: Co "C" converted the railroad bridge in WISSEN to take vehicular traffic. was across the river without tanks and anti-tank guns and it was being counterattacked by SS troops using flame-throwing tanks. Thomas W. Silva, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey and 42 men from H&S Co. and Co. "C". Bill Adair was suffering from the effects of a concussion when the battle for the Philippines came to an end for him. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. The 296th landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy 20 days after D-Day. 41. moved to a new bivouac East of ESNEUX. Upon arriving to the front, the 249th was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division, already engaged and in defensive positions along the southeast corner of the Bulge. 136. 15. 70. 13. What are we going to do? The level of combat detail varies from unit to unit. Find the perfect iowa leader stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. moved at 1630 hours and reached the destination at 2030 hours. During August and September of 1965, the battalion received new vehicles, equipment, and filler personnel. 39. March 30, 1945: The Battalion moved to HERBORN, GERMANY. THE HISTORY OF THE 298TH ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION IN EUROPE JUNE 9, 1944 - MAY 8, 1945 C O N T I N U E D THE BATTALION SUPPORTED THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONS AT VARIOUS TIMES: 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION 75TH INFANTRY DIVISION 3RD ARMORED DIVISION 5TH ARMORED DIVISION THE BATTALION WAS ATTACHED TO THE FOLLOWING UNITS AT VARIOUS TIMES: Moving through France, Bob Darino recalls how the grateful civilians came out with toasts of strong apple brandy. April 14, 1945: Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at WIPPERFURTH, GERMANY. 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. ArmyAir Force/A.A.F.Marine CorpsNavyCoast GuardMerchant Marine, If Army Air Forces was your veteran August 31, 1944: Bn. Even though they were only delaying the inevitable, the Germans weren't beat, yet. 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. With his radio, he began spotting artillery on their position, under fire the entire time. Have you already requested personnel records from the archives? Prisoner of war enclosures of barbed wire were also constructed. 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 90. 32. in clearing rubble from the streets of CARENTAN. 55. There were three 42" mobile pumps staged and two 42" and two 30" pumps were placed at the sheet pile closure. 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. RONCEY, FRANCE.4 Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. 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. Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. How very nice to hear from you. Part 1 of 2. April 5, 1945: The Battalion moved back to KROPPACH north of ALTENKIRCHEN. September 12, 1944: Bn. Troops were divided into groups: one group reached the marshalling camp by truck commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Julian P. Fox Junior, and the second one left by train under Major Wales W. Wallace' s command. Through the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the 249th soldiers provide contracting officer technical representation on projects throughout the world.[9][10]. Holtum, Netherlands. Co "C" swept the road from ROTGEN to ROTT for mines. 47. Division in its drive to the North. Advertisement. Welcome sir. January 11, 1945: Co "B" repaired the timber trestle bridge in PETIT-HAN by replacing the flooring and decayed nailing strips. Division assembly area in the vicinity of LE DESERT. They were sent to Fort Devens, then assigned to the 296th Combat Engineer Battalion, and shipped to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for basic training over a period of seven months. Several prisoners were captured in the vicinity. 63. The battalion met little resistance across the river and quickly began constructing the bridge. Bill Elias' WWII Story: 258th Engineer Combat Battalion. We slowly made out way West with the two Cutters alongside and landed in Argentia in Newfoundland. The Official (DECLASSIFIED) Files of the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion during World War II Activation of the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion March 18, 1943 and Reorganization November 3, 1944 Journal for August 1943 Journal for September 1943 Journal for October 1943 Journal for November 1943 Diary 1943 31. Gp. Bn. Then an 88 round went right through the number four wing tank. 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 He was grateful when someone gave him some morphine to ease the pain from multiple shrapnel wounds. On 16 July 1965, the 299th Engineer Battalion was alerted for movement overseas to the Republic of Vietnam. Bn. 5. 72. This society is an independent charitable organization. Send Us a Request to Start Researching Your World War II Veteran. moved to the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, relieved the 294th Engr. On this day, two German E-boats came out of the fog and fired their torpedoes and escaped back to France. John Souther was on reconnaissance patrol when he nosed his halftrack up over the edge of the gully in the Tunisian desert. I understand that this was done because placing a hospital near explosives was a violation of the Geneva Convention. 88. The Bn. Joseph Waz enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1942 at the age of 29. Can't wait to hear more about your time spent in training and your work with the engineers. 37. A brisk fire fight ensued until daylight. moved to ERZEE, BELGIUM. He has over 5000 books in his WWII repetoire and may have further info on the 294th. POULAY, FRANCE.2 He thought they were ours until the bombs started falling. I have a lot more to tell. The first operation for the 4th Division was the landing on Roi-Namur. To some of these thousand men, it was going to be the beginning of a new, big adventure. I'm sure he would be glad to share his experiences with you. Now you have information on the tragic accident from someone who was there. December 28, 1944: At 0200 hours an enemy Infantry Battalion made an attack in the vicinity of the motor vehicle park and the Battalion FWD. DERSCHLAG, GERMANY.10 LENNEP, GERMANY.2 62. 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. 93. April 6, 1945: Co "B" constructed Steel Treadway Bridge at DREISEL, GERMANY across the SIEG RIVER. 86. Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. THE BATTALION WAS ATTACHED TO THE FOLLOWING UNITS AT VARIOUS TIMES: . Hits - 2,910. Stan left by bus from East Hampton, CT with 13 other boys from Deep River and entered active service in the Army on March 8, 1943, in Hartford, CT. Eight assault teams of the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion landed on OMAHA beach (Easy Red, Fox Green, Fox Red) with the mission of clearing eight 50-yard gaps in the underwater obstacles. Thank you very much for your service to our country and sharing your experiences with us. One of the first waves at Omaha Beach. N/AA pilotEnlisted air crewEnlisted ground crew. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material
Just another site