Joe Izzillo- 4907 Europa Drive, Naples FL 34105- (239) 262-2778. Division now driving in the direction of PERIERS - St LO Highway. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 January 4, 1945: Co "B" dismantled steel treadway bridge at NOISEUX, BELGIUM. 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. Part 1 of 2. January 30, 1945: The Battalion moved from ERZEE, BELGIUM to the vicinity of HUY, BELGIUM. The level of combat detail varies from unit to unit. 63. Division begining [sic] at 1500 hours. 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. 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. July 21, 1944: Bn. . Two fold-out maps from the unit history are stored separately in an oversize box. Temperatures were minus 20 degrees. 1. Co "A" relieved Co. "C" on the construction of Timber Trestle Bridge in VICHT. Bill Adair may have been the luckiest man in the Bataan Death march. A defense was set up by Co's B, A, & C: the Bn. March 7, 1945: The Battalion C.P. February 13, 1945: Co "B" constructed a C1. Power Surge, 249th Engineer Battalion Responds to Electrocutions in Iraq by LTC Paul B. Olsen, P.E. The battalion's motto is "Build, Support, Sustain!". EmailPhone, Research A World War II Veteran (WWII WW2). Bn. It wasnt all work as they had opportunities to play ball and see shows by Bob Hope and company. 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. Chow detail going to Post #1 was ambushed by a 6 man patrol; the enemy patrol withdrew after a short fire fight. 101. Robert James was in the shower aboard ship when the alarm went off. We are always glad to assist! The truck accidentally back up over some mines and about 90 mines exploded. 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 September 15, 1944: The Battalion operated in GERMANY for the first time. Bn. 55. Find out whether your WWII veteran was awarded valor medals for gallantry in action or for wounds received in the line of duty. All Rights Reserved. November 15, 1944: Co "C" relieved Co "B" of Post #1, 2, & 3 as of 1200 hours. What do they do at Parris Island? ArmyAir Force/A.A.F.Marine CorpsNavyCoast GuardMerchant Marine, If Army Air Forces was your veteran At the new bivouac area orders were waiting for the Bn. This often includes map coordinates which can be translated using Google Earth to pinpoint the G.P.S. Heat, insects, and mud were constant companions during basic training. They had a little too much fun and ran into some MP's who had a grudge against their unit. 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 When the war ended, I was in Austria and I was discharged in January, 1946. Co "B" attached to the 297th Engr. moved to a new bivouac in BELLEAU WOODS in the vicinity of CHATEAU-THIERRY. The enemy lost 14 prisoners and 6 men killed. 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. He was in the hospital right at the time of the explosion . have been maintained. Division for the drive to close the famous "FALAISE GAP". Everyone made it out of the plane except George "Danny" Daneau, the nose turret gunner, who went down with the aircraft. September 22, 1944: Co "C" started constructing a Class #40 Timber Trestle bridge under the Bailey Bridge in VICHT. I am now a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol of the United States Air Force Auxiliary. 54. August 12, 1944: Co "A" replaced flooring on Bailey Bridge at St. BEAUDELLA. July 22, 1944: Bn. 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. Alongside those are the plaques with the names of the Sherborne men who were killed in World War II. Companies cleared abaties from roads in the vicinity of EUPEN and MONSCHU. After Pearl Harbor, he was drafted and became a citizen in the Army before he shipped out to Europe. March 14, 1945: The Battalion moved to DUISDORF, in the vicinity of BAD GODESBERG, GERMANY in preparation for the crossing of the RHEIN RIVER. 41. in the crossing of the SIEG RIVER and the reduction of the RHUR POCKET. February 5, 1945: The Battalion moved from BELGIUM to STOLEBERG, GERMANY. However, I strongly suggest that you contact the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they have a file on his unit. Co "B" sent a five (5) man patrol to investigate enemy positions during the afternoon. VII CORPS from February 1, 1944 to April 2, 1945. 45. It was the day of activation of the 284th Engineer Combat Battalion. 1st Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Infantry Division: 603rd Tank Company: 1st Engineer Regiment, 1st Division: 603rd Tank . moved to CHATEAU MODAVE then on to CHATEAU ENGLE BERMONT. Co "A" occupied road blocks #4 & #5; Co "B" occupied road blocks #1, #2, #3; Co "C" occupied position #11. Available for both RF and RM licensing. The 296th crossed the Rhine River south of Bonn. September 2, 1944: Bn. About Us | Contact Us | Copyright | Report Inappropriate Material Have you already requested personnel records from the archives? 71. CARANTILLY, FRANCE.24
10. December 10, 1944: Co "C" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. April 13, 1945: The Battalion moved to DERSCHLAG, GERMANY. I have been back to Sherborne on four occasions. After a nerve-wracking mission to bomb Tokyo and a typhoon, B.E. 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. January 22, 1945: Co "C" (with the 4th Cav.) moved from ANDENNE, BELGIUM to RAEREN, GERMANY. On March 20, 1944, I was lying in bed when there was a huge explosion and I was blown off my bed. On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. Several prisoners were captured in the vicinity. My guess is he was in another unit prior to his service in the 257th. The Battalion advance C.P. The exact battles your WWII veteran took part in. understand the battlefield experiences and sacrifices of your WWII veteran and their military unit. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) Status coordinate No status yet. 111. September 21, 1944: Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge in VICHT. September 5, 1944: Co "C" started construction of Class 40 Timber Trestle Bridge under Bailey Bridge at MARIEMBOURG. 40. 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. April 11, 1945: The Battalion moved from WISSEN to MORSBACH, GERMANY. All the villages there had been evacuated and were ultimately destroyed by gunfire. Henk Duinhoven was in church with his family when the sounds of bombing started. November 16, 1944: The 4th Inf. The remainder of the night was utilized for digging in which was a difficult operation in the frozen ground. April 12, 1945: Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at WIEHL, GERMANY. The waterproofing worked great and Bob Darino powered his jeep through the surf and up the hill at Normandy. Dedicated to the men who proudly served their country during World War II by serving in the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion. moved to BRISCOL, BELGIUM where the vehicles were parked. The 296th built a 180-foot bridge across the Ilm River. 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. The Japanese had made their move. Co "C" swept the road from ROTGEN to ROTT for mines. 38. The timber trestle bridge at ROTT was closed to traffic. November 9, 1944: Bn. 3. This was a Pile Bent Bridge with 3-story trestle bents on the piles, 55 feet high. June 12, 1944: Our first mission on the continent - Lt Lawson with a D7 bulldozer assisted the 1110th Engr. 66. He was just a hundred miles inland a few days after D-Day and the Germans caught him almost immediately. Bn. October 21, 1944: Co "B" was relieved from the roadblocks by 294th Engr. 43. Considerable confusion resulted. June 13, 1944: Battalion moved to the vicinity of St MERE-EGLISE and given the mission of providing general support to the 4th Infantry Division. Must have brought back some intriguing memories going back to the Isles. For more information, please contact the . It was later learned that the town had never been secured by the 4th Armored Division. September 13, 1944: Bn. How should we contact you? Rufus Dalton was at the Maginot Line bouncing mortar shells off an old citadel. Two Germans were captured at Post #3; one man was killed by small arms fire on Post #5 at 1700 hours. When he went off to college and heard the news about Pearl Harbor, he and his friends began to wonder. 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. Day May 8, 1945. About a week after the explosion on March 20th, I was taken to a General Hospital in Taunton, Somerset for further treatment. 3 March-31 Dec. 44, contains the following sections: Chronicle, Operations and training, Recreation, Battle casualties, Commendations, and Awards and decorations. 21. April 15, 1945: The Battalion moved to WIPPERFURTH, GERMANY. They paid mightily for that shot. April 5, 1945: The Battalion moved back to KROPPACH north of ALTENKIRCHEN. It was disgusting down below in the Queen Mary so Newton Riess went up on deck to escape the smell. crossed the BELGIUM border with the 9th Inf. Somehow I found this site and yes my Dad who was in the 294th had told me that story many times. WISSEN, GERMANY.12
I went to visit him and he was cursing a blue streak in German. 7 to 8, 2020, as. February 24, 1945: Co "C" attached to 4th Cav. October 2, 1944: At 0800 hours 40 rounds of artillery fell on and around Post #4; shortly thereafter an estimated company of enemy Infantry attacked the position, surrounding it and cutting off communications. She worked as a secretary at the 228th while I was there. Dear Ms. Bradley, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 234th Engineer Combat Battalion liberated Holtum. Then time ran out for the B-17 and Don Scott had to slip down the hatch into the slipstream. April 7, 1945: Co "C" constructed a C1 #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at HANHOFF, GERMANY. of a sector of the front line in the Hurtgen Forest. December 16, 1944: The Ardenne breakthrough begins; there was much aerial activity in vicinity of STOLBURG and DUREN. 79. Then he got acquainted with giant mosquitoes. was set up in the village of ANTHEE. I'm sure he would be glad to share his experiences with you. 74. When the pumps began operation, a 40-foot-wide opening was made in the sheet piling to allow water to flow out of the canal. THE BATTALION WAS ATTACHED TO THE FOLLOWING UNITS AT VARIOUS TIMES:
This society is an independent charitable organization. moved at 1630 hours and reached the destination at 2030 hours. Co "B" was given the mission of cleaning the streets and Co "C" was given the mission of removing the railroad and building the road. Well I for one will be one of the first in line to read and buy your memoirs. 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. Copyright 2023 Witness To War. Two engines were out, a third smoking, and they were were losing airspeed and altitude, but they were flying level and pointed home. On 19 March 1945, the unit was assigned to the engineer task force charged with crossing the Rhine at Oppenheim. 51. After Pearl Harbor, leaves were cancelled, but that policy eased and Newton Riess and a few buddies headed to New York City for a little fun. Bn. MARIEMBOURG, BELGIUM11
From 1955 until 1960, the 249th Engineer Battalion (Construction) was stationed at Kleber Kaserne, ((Kaiserslautern, Germany)). Co "C" still defending road blocks with 297th Engr. October 20, 1944: Co "A" was attached to 297th Engr. Frances R. Fulton, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey, the Bn. September 12, 1944: Bn. 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. Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags, with approximately 125 sandbags breaking the surface of the water. January 23, 1945: Co "C" relieved of attachment to the 4th Cav. He came in as a replacement to a tank destroyer battalion. 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. October 18, 1944: At 0900 hours an enemy force approached Post #5 - the enemy withdrew after exchanging a few shots. 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. 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 to a new bivouac in the woods North of ANTHEE. On this day, two German E-boats came out of the fog and fired their torpedoes and escaped back to France. July 17, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac at TRIBEHOU. January 11, 1945: Co "B" repaired the timber trestle bridge in PETIT-HAN by replacing the flooring and decayed nailing strips. January 9, 1945: Co "A" completed the continuous Bailey Bridge in DURBEY. 294th Engineer Combat Battalion - 1944. In February 1945, the battalion was selected for the special task of crossing the Rhine River. CHAOTEAU ENGLE BERMONT, BELGIUM..31
LENNEP, GERMANY.2
After all, he was the son of a chef. #1 of Companies A, B & C arrive at bivouac area in vicinity of St MARIE-DU-MONT. Part 2 of 2. I find it strange that he was only credited with the Central European (22 Mar - 11 May 1945) campaign. The Bn. September 26, 1944: Co "A" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge in VICHT. April 2, 1945: The Battalion was attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps as of 0800 hours. But the highlight for every guy in the outfit was building the largest bridge in the European Theater. 49. The battalion was organized and under the command of only three captains. Holtum, Netherlands. 61. 28. It was completed on V.E. We can actually determine the exact aerial missions that your individual Army Air Corps pilot flew. DERSCHLAG, GERMANY.10
Bn. 40 Bailey bridge in SHEVENHUTTE, GERMANY. October 5, 1944: At 0400 hours an enemy patrol of about 5 men approached Post #2 carrying teller mines; men from Co "C", who were occupying the position, opened fire at close range, exploding the mines and obliterating the enemy patrol. Hannah Deutch was a teenager when the Kindertransport rescue effort became her means of escape from Germany. as of 0700 hours. 30. All Listings. 114. Your Name (required) Phone Number (required) . December 11, 1944: Bn. The Allies had arrived in Holland. The 237th Engineer Combat Battalion served with distinction under 1st Army during WWII. Gp.) This includes when and where the WWII veteran was promoted in rank. Group. June 24, 1944: Co "C" constructed a Class 40 timber trestle bridge at St MARTIN-DE-AUDOVILLE. I was taken to the 228th for treatment. 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. I have been flying since 1963. January 3, 1945: Co "C" attached to the 4th Cav. This bridge remained in use until 1955. November 29, 1944: Co "C" completed the timber trestle bridge at ROTT. relieved Company "A" as of 1800 hours. Active: August 1941 - May 1943 July 1943 - April 1945: Country Nazi Germany Branch: Army Please tell Michael Brodhead that I sent you. 1944 to engage the 236th and another battalion of combat engineers, the . Harry Kone can tell you because he went there for basic training after Pearl Harbor. Rommel's big push had begun. 19. They left Berlin in the fall for Le Harve, France to come home. RONCEY, FRANCE.4
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 . August 30, 1944: Bn. In October through November 1944, the soldiers were specially trained on using the Bailey bridge in Trier, France. In England he boarded another ship for he knew not where. and was given the mission of defending two roadblocks. http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/history/contact_us.htm. The 249th Engineer Battalion also supports other missions: The 249th Engineer Combat Battalion was constituted on 5 May 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas. September 3, 1944: Bn. One of the pilots was brought into our hospital and had his legs amputated. The other patients and I raced outside and we saw the carnage. 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. Henk Duinhoven was lucky to be in the countryside, where gardens had been harvested. 97. 53. 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. 106. Then, we went to Tennessee maneuvers for a couple of months. While there, there was a German air raid and two planes were shot down. 139. He served hard duty in an anti-aircraft battery with the 6th Army in New Guinea and other parts of the 2023 Deep River Historical Society. moved to the vicinity of St GERMAIN-LAXIS. 95. After practicing law for 55 years, I'm sure you have more than a few stories to tell. 119. 11. The unit-built bridges in Trois Fonts by B Company and C Company. Exactly when your WWII veteran joined and left specific units of assignment. 245th Engineer Combat Battalion, U.S. Third Army, Camp Gordon Georgia 551 heavy engineer pontoon battalion photos. March 24, 1945: The Battalion was relieved of the ferrying operations on the RHINE RIVER and moved to KONIGSWINTER, GERMANY. At first, there was jubilation, but that turned to fear as he hid in his basement for a week while the battle raged for Arnhem. moved to the vicinity of DIZY-LE-GROS North of REIMS. Their mission was accomplished. It was their third mission over Berlin and they were heading home. of the 60th Infantry Regt. bivouac was shelled by enemy artillery for 30 minutes at 1900 hours; one shell exploding 11000 pounds of TNT in the center of the bivouac area. Joseph Waz enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1942 at the age of 29. Division at approximately 1100 hours. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenants from the 1943 class of West Point. Division heading for COUPTRAIN and PRE-EN-PAUL. moved to OBERWINTER at 1400 hours. His C.O. They learned how to dismantle and remove land mines, repair and build bridges and construct camps for their comrades in other units. moved to the vicinity of ZWEIFALL, relieved the 294th Engr. Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge over the timber trestle bridge in VICHT. RootsWeb is funded and supported by 20. moved to the vicinity of LUMINGNY. In loving memory of my grandfather who served with Co. A in this unit, I would like to bring together friends and. 32. I believe my father-in-law was in A Company. The 249th Engineer Combat Battalion was constituted on 5 May 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas. Co "B" constructed reinforced Heavy Ponton Bridge 465 ft. in length across the SEINE RIVER at MELUN in 9 hours and 30 minutes. LA VICTOIRE, FRANCE.9
The story was put out that two German saboteurs had set off an explosion. 8. . The daily location of the WWII veterans unit and any movements they made. A typo is noted by the use of [sic] other errors are probably my own. 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. August 6-7, 1944: Bn. Our mission was to provide close Engineer support to 78th Infantry Div. Robert James was propped up against a bulkhead, going in and out of consciousness. 294th Engineer Company | CurrentOps.com Units US Army 294th Engr Co 294th Engineer Company U.S. Army Subordinate units 294th Engineer Company ( MO ARNG) Carthage Armory | Carthage, Missouri, United States Detachment 1 Anderson Armory | Anderson Locations . His father worked as a chef in America and as soon as he became a citizen in 1939, he sent for the rest of the family. 25. 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. 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? 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.
26. moved to vicinity of VILLEDIEU-LES-POLES. On 16 July 1965, the 299th Engineer Battalion was alerted for movement overseas to the Republic of Vietnam. I am writing my memoirs and I already have over 200 pages. 68. New York City native Newton Riess enlisted in 1939 and his first drills were with broomsticks. Division. 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. 138. location of the Company HQ on a map. 96. 75. 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. Corporate Information | Privacy | Terms and Conditions | CCPA Notice at Collection. 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. moved from PLOMION to the vicinity of MARIEMBOURG, BELGIUM. Learn when and where a WWII veteran was wounded or killed in action (we can often show you exactly how a veteran was wounded or killed in action). 125. June 25, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in vicinity of VALOGNES. 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. GAVRAY, FRANCE.6
Once they got there, a fierce ten day battle ensued due to the last major German offensive, Operation Nordwind. On order, deploy worldwide to provide prime electrical power and electrical systems expertise in support of military operations and the National Response Framework.[1].