51. 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. of a sector of the front line, and went under control of the 3rd Armored Division. Bn. I do not know how current the info is, but it's worth trying first: Unfortunately I do not have anymore info at the present time. 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. Regiments vs Divisions regiment English ( wikipedia regiment) Noun ( en noun ) (military) A unit of armed troops under the command of an officer, and consisting of several smaller units; now specifically, usually composed of two or more battalions. 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. 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. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion, VII Corps, 1st Army, Bill Adair - Army, Don Scott - Army Air Corps, Bill Garrison - Army Air Corps, Bill Livingstone - Army Air Corps, Clyde Burnette - Army Air Corps, Bill Toombs - Army Air Corps, B.E. Co "C" swept the road from ROTGEN to ROTT for mines. Co "B" launched 7 landing Craft at OBERWINTER from 2200 to 2315 hours. 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. October 25, 1944: Co "C" completed culvert in vicinity of BRAND. QUETTEHOU, FRANCE.16 20. With a commandeered ambulance full of casualties, he threaded his way through the ordeal thanks to luck and guile. It was horrendous. On June 4th 1944, the 297 th Engineer Battalion left the city of Bournemouth, England to reach its marshalling camp. 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. This article incorporates public domain material from .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}249th Engineer Battalion lineage and honors information as of 1 March 2004. The 249th deployed teams to the Gulf Region under Joint Task Force Katrina, working with contractors, and local and state entities to assess, they helped install and maintain emergency generators at critical facilities. December 17, 1943 was the big day. October 6, 1944: 47th Enfantry [sic] Regt. April 14, 1945: Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at WIPPERFURTH, GERMANY. LA VICTOIRE, FRANCE.9 Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. January 31, to February 4, 1945: Rest, recreation, and some training constituted the activities of the Battalion for this period. Send Us a Request to Start Researching Your World War II Veteran. 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. proceded [sic] on to the vicinity of MAYENNE arriving late in the afternoon. It receives no town or state funding. Click below to see how you can help us expand our mission. 10. Then, we went to Tennessee maneuvers for a couple of months. All Rights Reserved. Contact was lost with this platoon at 0850 hours. July 2, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in vicinity of Ste MERE-EGLISE. 137. 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. Does your father-in-law remember the hospital and was he involved in the building of the road from the port of Weymouth prior to and for D-Day? I am an amateur artist and I just had a one-man show with 40 paintings. September 2, 1944: Bn. It was the highest bridge constructed by the first army Engineer Combat Battalion in the E.T.O. 76. 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. LENNEP, GERMANY.2 119. 115. In February 1945, the battalion was selected for the special task of crossing the Rhine River. 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 . 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. From 1955 until 1960, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Construction) was stationed at Kleber Kaserne, ((Kaiserslautern, Germany)). 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. 3RD ARMORED DIVISION It was the day of activation of the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion. 17 DEC 1943. 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 A round from a German 88 immediately tore through the engine compartment, but left him unhurt. The unit was assigned to V Corps, First U.S. Army. The exact battles your WWII veteran took part in. The Battalion C.P. 21. 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. 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. moved to WISSEN. In 1994, the battalion was reactivated and designated as the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), stationed at Fort Belvoir, VA. moved to vicinity of GAVRAY, and reverted to control of the 1120th Engr. . http://208.56.11.96/Invision/index.php?showtopic=23. When I entered the Army in March 1943, I was assigned to the 293rd Combat Engineers and we trained in Camp Gordon, Georgia. November 29th: Our National Day of Giving. The battalion was organized and under the command of only three captains. The main body departed Fort Gordon, GA, on 27 September 1965 by troop train bound for . City|Area. RONCEY, FRANCE.4 as of 0700 hours. Chow detail going to Post #1 was ambushed by a 6 man patrol; the enemy patrol withdrew after a short fire fight. At the end, though, there was a camp waiting for him just like all the rest. The reason for the withdrawal was that the position now had no tactical value due to the new enemy situation. No one from shore was ever allowed on ships from one particular country. December 10, 1944: Co "C" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. Yes I thank God every day too for my many blessings. He sure did on Guadalcanal but he hopes some later generation will find a way to avoid war. I will be able to say, I know the man behind the book! The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenants from the 1943 class of West Point. Bn. Bill Adair may have been the luckiest man in the Bataan Death march. April 13, 1945: The Battalion moved to DERSCHLAG, GERMANY. moved 100 miles on the night of August 24 - 25th to the vicinity of LA LUPE, arriving at 0830 hours on the morning of August 25th. His training continued on board ship in the Pacific. Bn. October 23, 1944: Co "A" relieved from attachment to 297 Engr. 138. She worked as a secretary at the 228th while I was there. He came in as a replacement to a tank destroyer battalion. moved to a new bivouac in the woods North of ANTHEE. 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. I can tell you a lot about the 294th Combat Engineers and the incident which took place on March 20, 1944. . October 21, 1944: Co "B" was relieved from the roadblocks by 294th Engr. The North portion of the position was reached but the foxholes were found empty. It receives no town or state funding. The Battalion was subsequently inactivated on 28 November 1945 at Camp Kilmer, NJ. Joe Izzillo- 4907 Europa Drive, Naples FL 34105- (239) 262-2778. On March 20, 1944, I was lying in bed when there was a huge explosion and I was blown off my bed. Bn. Welcome sir. Division. April 2, 1945: The Battalion was attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps as of 0800 hours. moved to OBERWINTER at 1400 hours. November 28, 1944: Co "A" started construction of a Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge in VICHT. 81. 1 talking about this. Those do give us a better feel for the area and the time period. One of the pilots was brought into our hospital and had his legs amputated. Co "B" attached to the 297th Engr. 71. 126. 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. In May 1945, when the war ended in Europe, the battalion was moved to Plattling, Germany where they built a camp for displaced refugees. Moving through France, Bob Darino recalls how the grateful civilians came out with toasts of strong apple brandy. was relieved by 246 Engr. They weren't sleeping. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. They learned how to dismantle and remove land mines, repair and build bridges and construct camps for their comrades in other units. September 13, 1944: Bn. The waterproofing worked great and Bob Darino powered his jeep through the surf and up the hill at Normandy. 121. 49. Then an 88 round went right through the number four wing tank. 5. August 24-25, 1944: Bn. Holtum, Netherlands. - Present Carthage Armory Carthage, Missouri, United States 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. September 15, 1944: The Battalion operated in GERMANY for the first time. 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 87. of the 60th Infantry Regt. 74. 24. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenants from the 1943 class of West Point. The truck disappeared and 29 men were torn apart and their bodies were scattered through the trees. March 24, 1945: The Battalion was relieved of the ferrying operations on the RHINE RIVER and moved to KONIGSWINTER, GERMANY. Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. Normandy: 6-7 June 1944 Assault Landing. 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. WISSEN, GERMANY.12 67. It was completed on V.E. 128. This bridge remained in use until 1955. Exactly where the veteran was stationed and locations he visited during WWII. 84. The first operation for the 4th Division was the landing on Roi-Namur. Russel, T/5 Stiedel and Pfc. Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. 39. January 4, 1945: Co "B" dismantled steel treadway bridge at NOISEUX, BELGIUM. His crew shot down a ME 109 just before we got there. It was Oran in North Africa. Along with thousands of others, he was forced to surrender and was facing the prospect of joining what would become known as the Bataan Death March. 48. I have been wearing hearing aids since 1946 and I am now profoundly deaf. Battalion noun Any large body of troops. Veteran's Branch of Service? The 237th Engineer Combat Battalion served with distinction under 1st Army during WWII. Bn. 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. 40 Bailey bridge in SHEVENHUTTE, GERMANY. We have six children, thirteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The 294th Combat Engineers were training at the same time at Camp Gordon. The Battalion was assigned to the FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY and attached to the U.S. VII ARMY CORPS. There were three 42" mobile pumps staged and two 42" and two 30" pumps were placed at the sheet pile closure. 44. 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. 113. Part 2 of 3. 107. As he drove frantically to his hangar on Ford Island, he saw the USS Arizona hit. 41. 94. From Taunton, I was transferred to the Topographic Engineers in Leicester in the Midlands. 133. 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. From 25 July to 27 July, the 296th supported the 4th Infantry Division at Marigny, France. 46. However, I strongly suggest that you contact the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they have a file on his unit. Co "C" constructed Class 40 D/S Bailey Bridge at AUBENTON. Destroyers came alongside and were able to rescue all the men on board. (C) Bn. moved to a new bivouac in the woods South of EUPEN. Bn. Gp. October 13, 1944: The enemy penetrated our lines between Post #9 and the Infantry on our right during the afternoon - one Co. of the 47th Infantry Regt. Bn. The remainder of the night was utilized for digging in which was a difficult operation in the frozen ground. #2 arrive in bivouac area. After the emergency was over, plans called for the canal to be drained and the wall repaired. 50. moved to 3rd Armd. CARANTILLY, FRANCE.24 July 25, 1944: The Battalion witnessed the "Carpet Bombing" of the breakthrough zone by 2,000 U.S. Co "C" attached to 297th Engr. Must have brought back some intriguing memories going back to the Isles. 42. The 249th Engineer Combat Battalion was constituted on 5 May 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas. April 7, 1945: Co "C" constructed a C1 #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at HANHOFF, GERMANY. 63. If you have additional information on the 294th I would like to share it with my father-in-law. From then on it was the road to Berlin. June 21, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in the vicinity of MONTEBURG. 25. Access WWII personnel records showing your veterans enlistment, draft, honorable discharge, serial numbers, promotions, military training, ranks, military duties and enlistment photographs. It was an emotional moment. Division heading for COUPTRAIN and PRE-EN-PAUL. On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. The enemy lost 14 prisoners and 6 men killed. 70. moved to the vicinity of St GERMAIN-LAXIS. If so, when? Yours will be another great story for people to see. Your Name (required) Phone Number (required) . moved to the vicinity of COUPTRAIN and was given the mission of supporting the 9th Inf. (C) Group. Battalion moved into bivouac west of QUETTEHOU. 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. March 16, 1945: Co "C" moved to OBERWINTER at 1700 hours and started construction of Heavy Ponton Rafts. Bn. returned to Battalion. I have been flying since 1963. Date 1944-09-29. MARIEMBOURG, BELGIUM11 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. One engine was shot out. He was awarded the Silver Star for this action. 58. In England he boarded another ship for he knew not where. It wasnt all work as they had opportunities to play ball and see shows by Bob Hope and company. Sewell, Sgt. 1965-1971 Synopsis of the 299th in Vietnam. 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. October 31, to November 7, 1944: Bn. 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.