Co "C" started preparing a site for construction of a Bailey Bridge to by-pass an existing bridge west of GEY. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) 119. (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. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material Wes Ruth was eating breakfast when he saw the planes coming in. Co "B" sent a five (5) man patrol to investigate enemy positions during the afternoon. This society is an independent charitable organization. Division begining [sic] at 1500 hours. moved to the vicinity of St GERMAIN-LAXIS. Bn. Bn. Wikizero - 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) 294th Engineer Combat Battalion US Army in Memoriam (pamphlet), 1989 It was an emotional moment. moved to ANDENNE, BELGIUM and trained in River crossing operations on the MEUSE RIVER. 54. Our mission was to provide close Engineer support to 78th Infantry Div. On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. April 7, 1945: Co "C" constructed a C1 #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at HANHOFF, GERMANY. Robert James was in the shower aboard ship when the alarm went off. Bn. moved through the breached enemy lines with the 3rd Armd. 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. After a nerve-wracking mission to bomb Tokyo and a typhoon, B.E. Learn more. BELLEAU, WOODS, FRANCE.10 It was many years after the war that a local reporter, using the Freedom of Information Act, wrote the true story. It was horrendous. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. He will never forget the words of General Eisenhower. The enemy lost 14 prisoners and 6 men killed. 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. While there, there was a German air raid and two planes were shot down. Exactly when your WWII veteran joined and left specific units of assignment. 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. 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION Part 1 of 2. Temperatures were minus 20 degrees. Contact was lost with this platoon at 0850 hours. 44. moved to the vicinity of LUMINGNY. My guess is he was in another unit prior to his service in the 257th. 112. 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. Bn. In October 1943, the battalion left Boston for England and spent months in England training. 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. 298th Engineer Combat Battalion, WWII - RootsWeb There are two plaques on the south side of Sherborne Abbey with the names of the 29 men who were killed on March 20, 1944. Once you look through everything, please let me know if you have any further questions. Division now driving in the direction of PERIERS - St LO Highway. October 6, 1944: 47th Enfantry [sic] Regt. Companies cleared abaties from roads in the vicinity of EUPEN and MONSCHU. 96. It was their third mission over Berlin and they were heading home. Division heading for COUPTRAIN and PRE-EN-PAUL. 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. moved to BRISCOL, BELGIUM where the vehicles were parked. What do they do at Parris Island? 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. 1944 to engage the 236th and another battalion of combat engineers, the . RootsWeb is funded and supported by This is a free service. 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. June 12, 1944: Our first mission on the continent - Lt Lawson with a D7 bulldozer assisted the 1110th Engr. The main body departed Fort Gordon, GA, on 27 September 1965 by troop train bound for . HURTGEN FOREST, GERMANY99 . 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. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion - American Battle Monuments Commission 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. April 17, 1945: This day marked the end of the RHUR POCKET in which 315,000 Germans were captured. All men returned safely. 130. Gp. moved to vicinity of GAVRAY, and reverted to control of the 1120th Engr. 137. It was the highest bridge constructed by the first army Engineer Combat Battalion in the E.T.O. 85. Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. Without enough points to go home in the first wave of returnees, Frank Capuozzi became an acting mess sergeant and took over a kitchen. They had a little too much fun and ran into some MP's who had a grudge against their unit. As they approached the beach, the ship hit two mines and sank. 61. 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. 115. The waterproofing worked great and Bob Darino powered his jeep through the surf and up the hill at Normandy. 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. 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. Russel, T/5 Stiedel and Pfc. The truck accidentally back up over some mines and about 90 mines exploded. They weren't sleeping. This bridge remained in use until 1955. It was a fierce week long battle for the city of Heilbronn. One of the daughters, Pamela Digby later married Randolph Churchill, Winston's son. Harry Kone can tell you because he went there for basic training after Pearl Harbor. WW2 Army Unit Records Research | WW2 Research 129. Heavy rains and the overflowing ROTGEN DAM caused failure of timber trestle bridges at ROTT, MULARTSHUTTE, and VICHT. November 21, 1944: The rains came! Joe Izzillo- 4907 Europa Drive, Naples FL 34105- (239) 262-2778. Near the end of the war, the food supply in Holland had been disrupted and there was widespread hunger. Henk Duinhoven was lucky to be in the countryside, where gardens had been harvested. While stationed in Eupen, the Battle of the Bulge began, on December 17th. 5. Gp.) 72. August 3, 1944: Co "B" constructed Class 40 Ponton trestle bridge across SIENNE River at GAVRAY. Learn more. Dear Ms. Bradley, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! August 13, 1944: Bn. Vaughan - Navy, Rufus Dalton - Army, Ed Harrell - Marines, Robert James - Navy, John Souther - Army, LtGen Lawrence Snowden - Marines, Jim Wicker - Army Air Corps, Frank Capuozzi - Army, Newton Riess - Army, Harry Kone - Marines. However, I strongly suggest that you contact the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they have a file on his unit. Bn. July 28, 1944: Bn. They traveled from Liverpool to Berlin, a total of 1800 miles in 623 days. http://208.56.11.96/Invision/index.php?showtopic=23. Everyone made it out of the plane except George "Danny" Daneau, the nose turret gunner, who went down with the aircraft. I have been back to Sherborne on four occasions. The 296th landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy 20 days after D-Day. City|Area. and was given the mission of defending two roadblocks. Alexander: The Story Of The 236th Battalion - Chattanoogan.com Naturally, we were warned by security to keep quiet or we would end up being taken to Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. Thank you very much for your service to our country and sharing your experiences with us. He scrambled to his gun mount to man the 20 mm gun and then the threat became apparent. Often the names of ships or number of the landing crafts a veteran traveled on- or went into combat aboard are included in the reports. Division. I've heard the story of the training accident many times. 76. 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. Bn. 106. 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. At 0100 hours on August 7, 1944 Capt. 45. After a close call with a booby trap, he was injured when a tank shell landed right under his jeep. Find the perfect iowa leader stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. 138. If you have additional information on the 294th I would like to share it with my father-in-law. For more information, please contact the . Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags, with approximately 125 sandbags breaking the surface of the water. 98. From then on it was the road to Berlin. 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 296th crossed the Rhine River south of Bonn. Frank Capuozzi was a rifleman who rode in a jeep ahead of the guns as they pushed across France. Discover the military campaigns and battles your WWII veteran took part in. But the highlight for every guy in the outfit was building the largest bridge in the European Theater. October 20, 1944: Co "A" was attached to 297th Engr. If so, when? 8. In 1994, the battalion was reactivated and designated as the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), stationed at Fort Belvoir, VA. They made a desperate run for Brussels, which had been liberated. October 31, to November 7, 1944: Bn. ArchiveGrid : 296th Engineer Combat Battalion collection, 1944 - OCLC Hits - 2,910. That was only one hazard at the air fields in China; the others being Japanese air raids and infiltrators. 69. the goal was to be home by Christmas! Co "B" attached to the 297th Engr. Frank Capuozzi was born in Naples. Next, they removed minefields, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Duties in France included repairing roads, removing mines, disposing of a bomb, and removing, repairing, and constructing bridges. Access WWII personnel records showing your veterans enlistment, draft, honorable discharge, serial numbers, promotions, military training, ranks, military duties and enlistment photographs. 64. One of the pilots was brought into our hospital and had his legs amputated. alerted for movement with the VII Corps to the ARDENNE Sector. 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. moved to the vicinity of PLOMION. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenants from the 1943 class of West Point. Have you already requested personnel records from the archives? 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. Engineer Combat Battalion - Wikipedia 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. Carroll, John M. | Veteran Oral History | National Guard Militia Museum Heat, insects, and mud were constant companions during basic training. Bill Adair was suffering from the effects of a concussion when the battle for the Philippines came to an end for him. Co "A" started construction of 150' T/D Bailey Bridge across the SIEG RIVER at WISSEN, GERMANY. 114. 135. Click below to see how you can help us expand our mission. Captured several prisoners. THE HISTORY OF THE 298th DURING WWII - RootsWeb How very nice to hear from you. Personnel losses were as follows: Capt. 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. On his first raid in North Africa, reconnaissance platoon leader John Souther captured a hundred Germans with no losses to his own unit. December 17, 1943 was the big day. - the enemy attacked with small arms, mortar and artillery fire. 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. December 22, 1944: Bn. 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. Division at approximately 1100 hours. They don't realize how wonderful it is to hear and I bet you'd be so happy to have yours back. They lost all of their equipment. On June 4th 1944, the 297 th Engineer Battalion left the city of Bournemouth, England to reach its marshalling camp. Active: August 1941 - May 1943 July 1943 - April 1945: Country Nazi Germany Branch: Army (C) Bn. October 18, 1944: At 0900 hours an enemy force approached Post #5 - the enemy withdrew after exchanging a few shots. MARIEMBOURG, BELGIUM11 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. Bn. His crew shot down a ME 109 just before we got there. Both on the attack and on the defense, engineers led the way. 74. It was disgusting down below in the Queen Mary so Newton Riess went up on deck to escape the smell. Bill Garrison was standing in a chow line when a man up the line suddenly dropped, shot dead by a sniper. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/contact_us.htm. In the North Atlantic in January, they said that we would have lasted only about five minutes in that cold water. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion - 1944. 234 Engineer Combat Battalion (USA) - Back to Normandy Let me repeat how exciting it is to hear from someone who was part of the 294th. April 11, 1945: The Battalion moved from WISSEN to MORSBACH, GERMANY. 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. The unit was discharged on December 19, 1945, from Fort Devens, MA. alerted to move; received movement orders at 1600 hours to move at 1630 hours to bivouac in vicinity of BRECEY. The Japanese had made their move. 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. His name is on the link above. We can actually determine the exact aerial missions that your individual Army Air Corps pilot flew. Bn. Companies A and C were ordered into the town of Arsdorf where the battalion was engaged in fierce combat for two days. 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 Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge over the timber trestle bridge in VICHT. September 15, 1944: The Battalion operated in GERMANY for the first time. September 7, 1944: Co "C" Completed the timber trestle bridge at MARIEMBOURG. 111. D Day - V Corps - Order of battle moved from ANDENNE, BELGIUM to RAEREN, GERMANY. moved to the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, relieved the 294th Engr. At the new bivouac area orders were waiting for the Bn. Once they got there, a fierce ten day battle ensued due to the last major German offensive, Operation Nordwind.
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