ANTHEE, BELGIUM.11 Stan found a glider made in Deep River and removed the ID plate from a glider made by Pratt Read & Co. One of the most difficult experiences was the cold that winter says, Stanley. proceded [sic] on to the vicinity of MAYENNE arriving late in the afternoon. Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this down. 93. HURTGEN FOREST, GERMANY99 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. CHAOTEAU ENGLE BERMONT, BELGIUM..31 Later, they were divorced and she had a series of lovers and, at one time, became America's ambassador to France. September 28, 1944: The Bn. column. What are we going to do? 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. 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: This bridge was very important as it was the first bridge across the river in the 9th Inf. Companies A and C were ordered into the town of Arsdorf where the battalion was engaged in fierce combat for two days. 1st insignia of 90th Light Div. You can literally trace the steps of your WWII veteran! was relieved by 246 Engr. It took us 21 days from Antwerp to New York. 137. The mission of World War II combat engineers (known as "sappers" or "pioneers" in other armies) was three-fold: mobility operations; countermobility operations; and, when necessary, to fight as infantrymen. October 16, 1944: At 1705 hours the chow detail enroute to Post #1 was ambushed by 8 Germans - a small fire fight took place and the Germans withdrew. 89. Waiting for the main part of his unit to catch up, he told soldiers he thought were sleeping to "Get up! It was the day of activation of the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion. 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. placed in direct support of the 9th Inf. 129. June 23, 1944: Battalion given the Infantry mission of clearing the North East corner of the Cotentin penisula [sic] of scattered enemy troops - liberated the French towns of QUETTEHOU and St VAAST LA HOUGE. He was also there to substitute for any crew member who was not able to fly. - Co. "C" was relieved on road blocks by a Company from 294th Engr. I understand that this was done because placing a hospital near explosives was a violation of the Geneva Convention. On his first raid in North Africa, reconnaissance platoon leader John Souther captured a hundred Germans with no losses to his own unit. After a nerve-wracking mission to bomb Tokyo and a typhoon, B.E. All men returned safely. It was later learned that the town had never been secured by the 4th Armored Division. 25. Bn. We could not launch the life boats because of the high seas and the Coast Guard told us later that if we sank they would have tried to rescue as many as they could. 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. Then it was dispatched to France for a time. Google Map of Major Ops of the 298th C.P. 136. continues to support the 9th Inf. About a week after the explosion on March 20th, I was taken to a General Hospital in Taunton, Somerset for further treatment. Co "C" started preparing a site for construction of a Bailey Bridge to by-pass an existing bridge west of GEY. Status coordinate No status yet. The Bridge site was heavy mined; T/5 George Oatinbaker was killed by a mine which exploded when his bulldozer passed over it. Access WWII personnel records showing your veterans enlistment, draft, honorable discharge, serial numbers, promotions, military training, ranks, military duties and enlistment photographs. July 17, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac at TRIBEHOU. So how about it? BOIS DE LUMIGNY, FRANCE4 ", 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.,. THE HISTORY OF THE 298th DURING WWII - RootsWeb It was the highest bridge constructed by the first army Engineer Combat Battalion in the E.T.O. 1 talking about this. Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. 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 have been wearing hearing aids since 1946 and I am now profoundly deaf. The unit was discharged on December 19, 1945, from Fort Devens, MA. 96. 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. If you have additional information on the 294th I would like to share it with my father-in-law. It was an emotional moment. It was Oran in North Africa. 55. It was their third mission over Berlin and they were heading home. On 19 March 1945, the unit was assigned to the engineer task force charged with crossing the Rhine at Oppenheim. 62. This is a free service. 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. The Battalion arrived at WEYMOUTH, DORSET, ENGLAND on the morning of February 1, 1944, where it entrucked for a short trip to SUTTON POYNTZ and CHALET CAMPS. moved to the vicinity of COUPTRAIN and was given the mission of supporting the 9th Inf. 146th engineer combat battalion 185th Combat Engineer Battalion 238th Engineer (Combat) Battalion 250th Engineers Combat Battalion Roster 263rd ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION 299th Engineer Combat Battalion 309th Engineer (Combat) Battalion 320th Engineer Battalion 331st Engineer 335th Engineer Regiment 340th Engineer Regiment 389th Engineers . Stan said their first job was repairing the main supply route from Utah Beach. By the time we finished training, the war in Africa was over. Then fate intervened in the form of an ambulance without a driver. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) December 17, 1943 was the big day. April 7, 1945: Co "C" constructed a C1 #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at HANHOFF, GERMANY. Battalion moved into bivouac west of QUETTEHOU. Let me repeat how exciting it is to hear from someone who was part of the 294th. moved to the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, relieved the 294th Engr. A wartime journey to Berlin : the 296th Engineer Combat Battalion (1943 From 25 July to 27 July, the 296th supported the 4th Infantry Division at Marigny, France. Now that's what I call getting the REAL SCOOP! WW2 Army Unit Records Research | WW2 Research 79. In March of 1943, fourteen young men from Saybrook enlisted in the army and left by bus for Fort Devens. We would like to share just a few words about another of Deep Rivers WWII veterans. The 294th Combat Engineers were training at the same time at Camp Gordon. 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. I will be able to say, I know the man behind the book! Division begining [sic] at 1500 hours. His C.O. Wikizero - 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) Day May 8, 1945. Co "A" occupied road blocks #4 & #5; Co "B" occupied road blocks #1, #2, #3; Co "C" occupied position #11. September 21, 1944: Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge in VICHT. 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. Bob Darino | 294th Engineer Combat Battalion, VII Corps, 1st Army - Army Sorry, the video player failed to load. October 20, 1944: Co "A" was attached to 297th Engr. September 15, 1944: The Battalion operated in GERMANY for the first time. Part 1 of 2. I was taken to the 228th for treatment. Co "C" constructed Class 40 D/S Bailey Bridge at AUBENTON. Find the perfect iowa leader stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. The Battalion C.P. 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. Thank you very much for your service to our country and sharing your experiences with us. Discover the military campaigns and battles your WWII veteran took part in. The North portion of the position was reached but the foxholes were found empty. 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. 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. The mission of both companies was to occupy pillboxes in the Siegfried line to prevent the Germans from entering them. crossed the BELGIUM border with the 9th Inf. 7. November 29th: Our National Day of Giving. The Bn. That was only one hazard at the air fields in China; the others being Japanese air raids and infiltrators. Robert James was propped up against a bulkhead, going in and out of consciousness. 40. 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. Frank learned English and worked in the restaurant with his father. Group. Exactly where the veteran was stationed and locations he visited during WWII. Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. Find out whether your WWII veteran was awarded valor medals for gallantry in action or for wounds received in the line of duty. ArchiveGrid : 296th Engineer Combat Battalion collection, 1944 - OCLC (C) Bn. September 26, 1944: Co "C" attached to 297th Engr. September 22, 1944: Co "C" started constructing a Class #40 Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge in VICHT. In February 1955, it was activated and assigned to USAREUR and an Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy). City|Area. The 237th Engineer Combat Battalion served with distinction under 1st Army during WWII. Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/contact_us.htm. All Rights Reserved. One of the daughters, Pamela Digby later married Randolph Churchill, Winston's son. Gp. Even though they were only delaying the inevitable, the Germans weren't beat, yet. Then he got acquainted with giant mosquitoes. 121. 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. Two engines were out, a third smoking, and they were were losing airspeed and altitude, but they were flying level and pointed home. Newspaper Items- 298th Engineer Combat Battalion, WWII - RootsWeb 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). 245th Engineer Combat Battalion, U.S. Third Army, Camp Gordon Georgia 551 heavy engineer pontoon battalion photos. By October, all of 296th was in Belgium. The first operation for the 4th Division was the landing on Roi-Namur. Once they got there, a fierce ten day battle ensued due to the last major German offensive, Operation Nordwind. April 12, 1945: Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at WIEHL, GERMANY. Also, I have been practicing law for 55 years and I hope to write a book about some of my cases which read like Hollywood fiction. Temperatures were minus 20 degrees. April 2, 1945: The Battalion was attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps as of 0800 hours. Considerable confusion resulted. I am attaching a painting I did of Sherborne Abbey and the Cross Keys pub next door where I learned to play darts while serving with the 294th. 47. The Bn. You may want to try and contact this gentleman. You are a great artist. December 10, 1944: Co "C" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. relieved Company "A" as of 1800 hours. The winter of 1943 was brutal. The new mission of the Battalion was general engineer work in the VII Corps sector in the KONIGSWINTER - HONNEF - ITTENBACH area. There we prepared the maps for the invasion and also the maps for the other countries on the continent. By 1630 hours all units of the Battalion had been relieved - the Battalion moved back to RAEREN. The truck disappeared and 29 men were torn apart and their bodies were scattered through the trees. This was a Pile Bent Bridge with 3-story trestle bents on the piles, 55 feet high. Bn. September 17, 1944: One Platoon of Co "C" demolishing pillboxes in the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, one platoon of Co "C" maintaining ford in MONSCHU. THE BATTALION WAS ATTACHED TO THE FOLLOWING UNITS AT VARIOUS TIMES: Are you stuffed from all that turkey and fixings? in the crossing of the SIEG RIVER and the reduction of the RHUR POCKET. 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. 1. EmailPhone, Research A World War II Veteran (WWII WW2). Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. #2 arrive in bivouac area. Co "C" attached to 297th Engr. 298th Engineer Combat Battalion, WWII - RootsWeb was given the mission of straightening up the line. Advertisement. Bill Adair may have been the luckiest man in the Bataan Death march. N/AA pilotEnlisted air crewEnlisted ground crew. He thought they were ours until the bombs started falling. Bn. 87. 19. We traveled by train down to Sherborne in Dorset. The reason for the withdrawal was that the position now had no tactical value due to the new enemy situation. 86. The 296th crossed the Rhine River south of Bonn. Exactly when your WWII veteran joined and left specific units of assignment. moved to a new bivouac in the woods North of ANTHEE. We. At 2300 hours U.P. August 1, 1944: Bn. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion US Army in Memoriam (pamphlet), 1989 June 6 Scope and Contents From the Series: The Dickinson R. Debevoise World War II series documents his service as a sergeant in the 2nd Platoon of company A of the 294th Combat Engineer Battalion. Bill Adair was suffering from the effects of a concussion when the battle for the Philippines came to an end for him. 113. 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. October 11, 1944: A 6 man German patrol was found between Post #1 and #3 - two of the enemy were killed and four escaped. Division for the drive to close the famous "FALAISE GAP". to continue movement to the vicinity of MAYENNE. moved to a new bivouac in BELLEAU WOODS in the vicinity of CHATEAU-THIERRY. 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. Group. March 7, 1945: The Battalion C.P. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. It was the day that was going to affect the lives of approximately one thousand men. April 10, 1945: Co "B" removed the Steel Treadway Bridge at DRIESEL and constructed it again at WISSEN; construction was completed at 0530 hours April 11, 1945. 324th Combat Engineers WWII- Family & Friends - Facebook Carroll, John M. | Veteran Oral History | National Guard Militia Museum Was searching the internet for my father-in-law who was a member of 294th Engineer Combat Battalion during WWII and found your web site. My guess is he was in another unit prior to his service in the 257th. Harry Kone says each generation should do the best that they can. The Digby family were living in the relatively new castle at the time. Bn. Five (5) men were killed and 25 injured. Division. What a great way to start my Sunday; hearing from someone who was there in the flesh. 114. Normandy: 6-7 June 1944 Assault Landing. moved from BRAUNFELS to WETZLAR on April 29, 1945. Bill Elias' WWII Story: 258th Engineer Combat Battalion alerted for movement with the VII Corps to the ARDENNE Sector. 3. He sure did on Guadalcanal but he hopes some later generation will find a way to avoid war. 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. 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. They traveled from Liverpool to Berlin, a total of 1800 miles in 623 days. understand the battlefield experiences and sacrifices of your WWII veteran and their military unit. Co "A" started construction of 150' T/D Bailey Bridge across the SIEG RIVER at WISSEN, GERMANY. 1st Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Infantry Division: 603rd Tank Company: 1st Engineer Regiment, 1st Division: 603rd Tank . Please consider making a donation to DRHS. At a R.J. approximately 2 miles East of MILLEY, the head of the column was ambushed by enemy infantry and tanks. May 26, 2010 at 2:13 pm. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material The battalion's motto is "Build, Support, Sustain!". March 1, 1945: Co "A" started construction of a large box CULVERT just west of DUREN. moved through the breached enemy lines with the 3rd Armd. 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. It's rotten losing men at any point in the juncture, but so sad that all these men were killed in training. 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. Clyde Burnette fought for consciousness as the other crew in the back of the plane bailed out. Reconnaissance was made of the MEUSE RIVER in the vicinity of DINANT and HASTIERE in preparation for the crossing of the 9th Inf. A typo is noted by the use of [sic] other errors are probably my own. 29. August 12, 1944: Co "A" replaced flooring on Bailey Bridge at St. BEAUDELLA. October 10, 1944: Co "A" occupied newly established blocks No's #6 - #7 - #8 - #9, as of 1300 hours. I have been flying since 1963. The 1120th's 294th and 297th Engineer Combat Battalions were responsible for maintaining the two main supply routes-from Tribehou to Marigny-on the right flank, while the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion was to support the 3d Armored Division. The Battalion's mission of supporting the 78th Infantry Division was completed. 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 The 249th sailed from the United States to England in May 1944, after equipping and preparing for combat, the Unit landed on Utah Beach in August 1944 under the 1137th Engineer Combat Group commanded by Colonel George A. Morris. October 6, 1944: 47th Enfantry [sic] Regt. moved to ANDENNE, BELGIUM and trained in River crossing operations on the MEUSE RIVER. Thats when Stan saw a truck from his brother Franks outfit, 639 A.A.A. Seeking records of 111th Engineers Combat Batta | History Hub 133. He was grateful when someone gave him some morphine to ease the pain from multiple shrapnel wounds. From 1955 until 1960, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Construction) was stationed at Kleber Kaserne, ((Kaiserslautern, Germany)). 44. 116. 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. The truck accidentally back up over some mines and about 90 mines exploded. As an aside, many of you, I am sure, have heard about the Slapton Sands incident. On this day, two German E-boats came out of the fog and fired their torpedoes and escaped back to France. less Co "B" plus Co "C" of the 294th Engr. moved to WISSEN. Hits - 2,910. The ship cracked across the deck and partly down the hull. December 3, 1944: Co "A" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge in VICHT, GERMANY. March 18 - 24, 1945: Companies "B" and "C" operated Heavy Ponton Rafts and LCVP ferries across the RHEIN RIVER in the VII Corps Sector. 119. July 25, 1944: The Battalion witnessed the "Carpet Bombing" of the breakthrough zone by 2,000 U.S. 106. April 8, 1945: Co "A" completed the Bailey Bridge in WISSEN, GERMANY at 2030 hours. CARANTILLY, FRANCE.24 Joe Izzillo- 4907 Europa Drive, Naples FL 34105- (239) 262-2778. What do they do at Parris Island? It receives no town or state funding. The enemy lost 14 prisoners and 6 men killed. Whitney were injured. August 4, 1944: Bn. 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. January 31, to February 4, 1945: Rest, recreation, and some training constituted the activities of the Battalion for this period. 103. November 10, 1944: The Battalion was relieved of attachment to the 3rd Armored Division and attached to the 4th Infantry Division. 28. 138. Ironically, the wounded were taken to the 228th Station Hospital in Sherborne. August 26, 1944: Co "A" constructed reinforced Infantry Support Bridge 504 ft. in length across the SEINE RIVER at MELUN in 5 hours. Division sector; one Battalion of the 60th Inf. as of 0800 hours. I can tell you a lot about the 294th Combat Engineers and the incident which took place on March 20, 1944. I came back from Germany to get married on August 4, 1945. VIC. The 249th Engineer Combat Battalion was constituted on 5 May 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas. On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. 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. Bravo Joe. was shelled by artillery from across the RHINE RIVER - T/5 Malone was killed, Capt. January 22, 1945: Co "C" (with the 4th Cav.) 80. 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.