Recon. 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. By the time we finished training, the war in Africa was over. He woke in free fall with no idea how he had made it out, and soon he was in German custody. I have been back to Sherborne on four occasions. December 24, 1944: Given the mission of providing direct support to the 75th Infantry Division Co "B" prepared several bridges across the L'OURTHE RIVER for demolition. August 9, 1944: Co "B" Constructed 120' Class 40 Heavy Ponton Trestle bridge at St FRAIMBAULT across the MAYENNE River. The Allies had arrived in Holland. 43. Over several days from June to early July 1944, the unit went by parts from England to Vierville, France. The kamikaze had destroyed the starboard gun mounts and there were many dead and wounded. 123. After the emergency was over, plans called for the canal to be drained and the wall repaired. 18. The new mission of the Battalion was general engineer work in the VII Corps sector in the KONIGSWINTER - HONNEF - ITTENBACH area. 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. vehicles were withdrawn to an assembly area at MILLEY. Co "C" attached to 297th Engr. Have you already requested personnel records from the archives? March 10, 1945: Co "C" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. 25. How very nice to hear from you. 32. The Bridge site was heavy mined; T/5 George Oatinbaker was killed by a mine which exploded when his bulldozer passed over it. A minefield was laid and wire obstacles were erected. 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. (C) Bn. December 10, 1944: Co "C" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. I have been wearing hearing aids since 1946 and I am now profoundly deaf. July 17, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac at TRIBEHOU. Copyright 2023 Witness To War. Co "A" constructed an Infantry Support Bridge across the SIEG RIVER at HUNDHAUSEN, GERMANY. Co "C" started construction of a Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. September 21, 1944: Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge in VICHT. In February 1955, it was activated and assigned to USAREUR and an Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy). One day I woke up in my foxhole covered with frost and I realized that I had lost most of my hearing. and was given the mission of defending two roadblocks. While he was not in the immediate area of the blast he was at the scene of the accident shortly after it occured. This was a Pile Bent Bridge with 3-story trestle bents on the piles, 55 feet high. of a sector of the front line, and went under control of the 3rd Armored Division. 38. Division heading for COUPTRAIN and PRE-EN-PAUL. We have six children, thirteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. 88. RootsWeb is funded and supported by 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. Bombers. In loving memory of my grandfather who served with Co. A in this unit, I would like to bring together friends and. Any contribution above basic membership is tax deductible, and is most appreciated. September 9, 1944: Bn. November 24, 1944: Co "C" constructed a Class #40 Bailey Bridge over the timber trestle bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. 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. 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. While there, there was a German air raid and two planes were shot down. Neither of these show up on his DD-214. 78. Division. Must have brought back some intriguing memories going back to the Isles. moved to CHATEAU MODAVE then on to CHATEAU ENGLE BERMONT. The 296th Combat Battalion held reunions every 2 years in Mass, Rhode Island, and CT. 46. The force withdrew under heavy mortar fire. The Battalion advance C.P. He relates what he found out while hiding beneath Japanese planes. It was disgusting down below in the Queen Mary so Newton Riess went up on deck to escape the smell. September 15, 1944: The Battalion operated in GERMANY for the first time. Co "B" remains attached to 297th Eng. Sewer & water board, electric utility and the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) were completing pump house inspection. 1. Joseph Waz enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1942 at the age of 29. 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. From 1955 until 1960, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Construction) was stationed at Kleber Kaserne, ((Kaiserslautern, Germany)). 69. 52. Part 2 of 2. I have gone back to the Digby property several times and I have found the remnants of the 228th Hospital, and this past October, I found the site of the explosion and I placed American Flags in memory of those who were killed and prayed for their souls. in the crossing of the SIEG RIVER and the reduction of the RHUR POCKET. Our mission was to provide close Engineer support to 78th Infantry Div. 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. April 9, 1945: Co "C" converted the railroad bridge in WISSEN to take vehicular traffic. 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. December 26 - 27, 1944: A large amount of artillery and mortar fire constituted the enemys [sic] activity during this period. The Bn. 15. 112. Please see my link on where to go for help. column. Hits - 2,910. The 296th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated by the U.S. Army on 3 March 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. 60. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. placed in direct support of the 3rd Armd. The 257th was also credited the Ardennes-Alsace campaign (9 Dec 1944-25 Jan 1945) and the Rhineland (22 Feb - 21 Mar 1945) campaign. 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. Frank Capuozzi was born in Naples. moved to OBERWINTER at 1400 hours. Regt. With his radio, he began spotting artillery on their position, under fire the entire time. Bn. 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. Additionally, the commander serves as the Commandant of the U.S. Army Prime Power School, the institution responsible for the development of Army and Navy power generation specialists. 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. - Co. "C" was relieved on road blocks by a Company from 294th Engr. Send Us a Request to Start Researching Your World War II Veteran. Division launched an attack through our positions in the direction of HURTGEN and GEY; Co "B" made a limited attack in front of Post #2 & #3 for the purpose of deceiving the enemy. Both on the attack and on the defense, engineers led the way. A typo is noted by the use of [sic] other errors are probably my own. moved to new location and relieved 297th Engr. continues to support the 9th Inf. of a sector of the front line in the Hurtgen Forest. 96. 110. Find out whether your WWII veteran was awarded valor medals for gallantry in action or for wounds received in the line of duty. 45. Active: August 1941 - May 1943 July 1943 - April 1945: Country Nazi Germany Branch: Army 102. I can tell you a lot about the 294th Combat Engineers and the incident which took place on March 20, 1944. It took us 21 days from Antwerp to New York. 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. Bn. 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. August 27, 1944: Bn. 136. 119. 1 talking about this. 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 October 4, 1944: At 0810 hours an enemy force of approximately one Platoon approached Post #1; a brisk fire fight ensued and the enemy force withdrew leaving 5 dead krauts. Next, they removed minefields, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. 9. What a great way to start my Sunday; hearing from someone who was there in the flesh. Thomas W. Silva, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey and 42 men from H&S Co. and Co. "C". It was the day of activation of the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion. The timber trestle bridge at ROTT was closed to traffic. This was not surprising since we were constantly working with explosives. as of 0800 hours. In October 1943, the battalion left Boston for England and spent months in England training. It was an emotional moment. Henk Duinhoven was in church with his family when the sounds of bombing started. At a R.J. approximately 2 miles East of MILLEY, the head of the column was ambushed by enemy infantry and tanks. I am an amateur artist and I just had a one-man show with 40 paintings. We did all of our training with mines and bridges on the property formerly owned by Sir Walter Raleigh, and now owned by the Digby family. So how about it? Many years after the war, I found out that the 294th went up to Wales and from there sailed to Normandy in the Susan B. Anthony to Utah Beach on June 7, 1944. 12. I like how you also gave us further background with the "asides", such as the history of the Digby family. 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. Get up!" 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. In England he boarded another ship for he knew not where. went in direct support of the 5th Armd. Bn. Co "C" still defending road blocks with 297th Engr. The Battalion was assigned to the FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY and attached to the U.S. VII ARMY CORPS. Four German fighters pounced on the B-24 and it was engulfed in flame and going down. He came in as a replacement to a tank destroyer battalion. One platoon of Co "C" was sent to clear the situation at Post #4; they killed one German. April 6, 1945: Co "B" constructed Steel Treadway Bridge at DREISEL, GERMANY across the SIEG RIVER. On 19 March 1945, the unit was assigned to the engineer task force charged with crossing the Rhine at Oppenheim. The Bn. July 18, 1944: Bn. Three men from Co "A" were injured on booby traps when Co "A" relieved the Company from 297th Engr. Google Map of Major Ops of the 298th moved to WISSEN. 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. 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. The main thrust of the effort was to use assault boats to get troops from 5th Infantry Division across and later to construct a more stable pontoon bridge. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material The 296th crossed the Rhine River south of Bonn. It was the day that was going to affect the lives of approximately one thousand men. 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. 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. After basic training he was attached to the Navy to learn to operate Higgins boats and participated in maneuvers at Guantanamo Bay. He was grateful when someone gave him some morphine to ease the pain from multiple shrapnel wounds. Date 1944-09-29. Click below to see how you can help us expand our mission. September 5, 1944: Co "C" started construction of Class 40 Timber Trestle Bridge under Bailey Bridge at MARIEMBOURG. moved to a new bivouac in the woods South of EUPEN. Near the end of the war, the food supply in Holland had been disrupted and there was widespread hunger. Bn. 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. July 22, 1944: Bn. 29. In late 1954, the Black Lion Battalion was withdrawn from the Reserves and assigned to the Regular Army. 1st insignia of 90th Light Div. 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. I'm sure he would be glad to share his experiences with you. He was awarded the Silver Star for this action. 131. Co "A" relieved Co. "C" on the construction of Timber Trestle Bridge in VICHT. April 16, 1945: The Battalion moved to LENNEP, GERMANY. It was later learned that the town had never been secured by the 4th Armored Division. RONCEY, FRANCE.4 55. Bn. 27. XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS from April 3, 1945 to April 17, 1945, PLACE.NUMBER OF P.W's 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. An uneventful Christmas Eve for the 298th Engr. March 12, 1945: The Battalion moved to LECHENICH, GERMANY. Battalion noun Any large body of troops. September 7, 1944: Co "C" Completed the timber trestle bridge at MARIEMBOURG. July 5, 1944: Co. "B" repaired damaged bridge at BAUPTE under artillery fire. I came back from Germany to get married on August 4, 1945. 84. However, I do rent airplanes and fly and have the other pilot handle the radio. The unit was assigned to V Corps, First U.S. Army. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/contact_us.htm. An SOS went out and two Coast Guard cutters came out from Argentia, Newfoundland. LA VICTOIRE, FRANCE.9 At 0100 hours on August 7, 1944 Capt. 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. 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. After Pearl Harbor, he was drafted and became a citizen in the Army before he shipped out to Europe. 82. After all, he was the son of a chef. From Taunton, I was transferred to the Topographic Engineers in Leicester in the Midlands. Yours will be another great story for people to see. Co "C" constructed Class 40 D/S Bailey Bridge at AUBENTON. You can literally trace the steps of your WWII veteran! Infantry Regiment 28th Quartermaster Battalion 28th Troop Carrier Squadron 290th Infantry Regiment 291st Infantry Regiment 294th Engineer Combat Battalion 29th Bomb Group 29th Field Artillery Battalion 29th Infantry Division 29th . 135. Army Superior Unit Award for 2005 (Hurricanes Katrina, This page was last edited on 7 June 2022, at 00:05. Co "C" started preparing a site for construction of a Bailey Bridge to by-pass an existing bridge west of GEY. 13. This was a Pile Bent Bridge with 3-story trestle bents on the piles, 55 feet high. August 28, 1944: Bn. Francis R. Fulton, Capt. Bn. September 12, 1944: Bn. . His very first mission turned out to be a memorable one. VII CORPS from February 1, 1944 to April 2, 1945. Reconnaissance was made of the MEUSE RIVER in the vicinity of DINANT and HASTIERE in preparation for the crossing of the 9th Inf. A defense was set up by Co's B, A, & C: the Bn. Division begining [sic] at 1500 hours. When he went off to college and heard the news about Pearl Harbor, he and his friends began to wonder. September 4, 1944: Co "C" constructed Class 40 D/S Bailey Bridge in MARIEMBOURG. (with 4th Cav. moved through the breached enemy lines with the 3rd Armd. gave him permission to go see him. 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 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? Co "C" (-) 1 Platoon relieved from attachment to 297th Engr. Harry Kone can tell you because he went there for basic training after Pearl Harbor. 122. April 5, 1945: The Battalion moved back to KROPPACH north of ALTENKIRCHEN.