wwii combat engineer units

1317th Engineer General Service Regiment: The 1317th Engineer General Service Regiment, manned by black soldiers, was assigned as support for George Patton's 3rd Army. (WIoM0zgJSkPz'?fi[L3 aSV,4rG>|Q,KNo~H'Fwr` S~ Washington , This post highlights and describes the primary series of World War II unit records in NARAs custody for each branch of service, with links to the series descriptions in the National Archives Catalog where available. The 249th Engineer Combat Battalion was originally constituted in 25 February 1943 and activated 5 May 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas initially under the command of only three captains. Combat engineers from across the 82nd Airborne Division train for the Best Sapper competition, Feb. 12, 2020, on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Eddie Rickenbacker, the ace of aces, may have broken the record for aerial victories in World War I, but that was hardly the most remarkable part of his extraordinary life. She passed away 10 years ago. This is written up the in the book "Bloody Skies: U.S. Eighth Air Force Battle Damage in World War II." Each, comprises the records of a major government entity (e.g. World War II War Diaries, 12/7/1941 - 12/31/1945. Personnel diaries provide compiled monthly and list significant personnel status changes, including transfers, promotions, leave, or temporary duty. Weisman, Morris Box 19 PVT Unidentified unit letters, v-mail . Interesting.very hard to know the 'who hit who'..Fort had enough flying time to be a instructor, I know nothing about the other pilot. , which are arranged by year and thereunder by unit, and include highlights of outstanding activities and operations by Coast Guard ships and shore units during World War II. US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Combat Engineer is an account of engineering units that rarely get much attention in typical history books of the World Wars. Generally, the files do not include any personnel or medical information. dates given are day-month-year [e.g. There are also gaps in the muster rolls - we sometimes lack muster rolls, particularly for smaller units and advance bases. More detailed information about deck logs is available on, NARAs The Text Message Blog, Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs. Some record groups have thousands of entries, so it can be daunting to try to figure out the best place to start. Anthony Ward Jr. Related: New Book Follows Marine and His Interpreter From Afghan Wars Deadliest Battle to Dramatic Escape From Kabul. WWII Navy muster rolls and personnel diaries comprise the series, Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 1/1/1939 - 1/1/1949, . 46th, newspaper . Burma, Arden Buenagua understood the risk he was taking when he extended his green, plastic metal detector and assumed the position at the head of the single-file patrol. The WWII muster rolls have been digitized through NARAs partnership with Ancestry, and are available to search and view on Ancestrys website at, US World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949. , includes a variety of records, including select action reports, war diaries, rosters of officers, unpublished histories, correspondence, and more. The dates covered by an individual file are listed within the file units description under Details -- it will note, This file unit documents the time period, followed by a date range. These have also been digitized through our partnership with Ancestry, and can be viewed on their website at: U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958. For information on how to access morning reports, please visit the website, There are several records groups containing WWII Navy records in the custody of the Textual Reference Archives II Branch at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Related: Peaky Blinders: Inside the Real World War I History That Made the Characters. This Command built, repaired and defended airfields in the European theatre during World War II beginning with the Normandy invasion on D-Day. The locations of military personnel records depend on the branch of service and time period --. 13th Engineer General Service Regiment 38th Engineer General Service Regiment 41st Engineer General Service Regiment - to Liberia as part of U.S. Army Forces in Liberia under United States Army Forces in the Middle East. Her (and Roberts') son Robert Maze Jr is alive and well. !1N|@mT||i SB9lv4=n1B6yxQxpV(X Each record group comprises the records of a major government entity (e.g. 50th, In the evening of July 8, 1943, a group of transports and supporting warships was steaming eastward along the Tunisian coastline toward the next joint British-American operation of World War 11. Combat Engineers ferried infantry and special forces troops in craft such as this M2 assault boat boat in Europe in World War II, Infantry support bridge over the Saar River erected by 289th Combat Engineers at Volklingen, Germany, A WWII era combat engineer battalion had possessed both combat and combat support capabilities. The Marines in the Sapper Leader Course conducted demolition training to familiarize themselves with explosive breaching and develop proficiency in mobility support to infantry units. In 183 days in combat, the men of the 761st liberated more than 30 towns, and were awarded 11 Silver Stars. 93rd, So this is dredging up an old report, but I'm very curious We just found out about this. Unit records are useful if you would like to learn more about a units movements and operations. Because of this training, the unit's distinctive insignia was designed with a seahorse on a red and white shield. He and six others perished while three were able bail out and became POWs. Deck logs consist of journal-style entries of the ships administrative activities; location and course of travel; disciplinary procedures; and any unusual events. The records are arranged according to an alphanumeric filing system based on military hierarchy. 1322, William Farrar landed with his engineer combat battalion on Omaha Beach on D-Day - June 6, 1944 - at the beginning of the largest seaborne invasion in history that left about 4,500 Allied soldiers confirmed dead.After spending the first night, The News Stories page of the Sacramento District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2013 2023 WW2 Research Inc. All rights reserved. Marine combat engineers move the nosepiece of a bridge into place in Mirmandab, Afghanistan, March 25, 2012. Mountain Warfare Training Centre, Cedars, Lebanon, WW2. are arranged by year, thereunder by type of unit or station, thereunder alphabetically. Unlike most of NARAs World War II Unit records, which are are at NARAs College Park location, the Coast Guard records are located at the National Archives in Washington, DC. These microfilmed records are available to view at the National Archives at College Park, MD. The US Army and the US Marine Corps both have designated combat engineers MOSs 12B and 1371, respectively. 1395, 1225, The ship war diaries were maintained on a daily basis and describe the major activities of the day (e.g. in Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338). There are copies of, of the monthly rosters from 1912-43 and 1947-59 for Army units (including Army Air Corps) in the custody of the National Archives in St. Louis, MO. Both are eligible to attend the US Armys elite Sapper Leader Course. Memorial website to the crew of RAF Lancaster bomber ED627 (EM-N) of 207 Squadron who died when they were shot down over Germany on August 28, 1943. There are also gaps in the muster rolls - we sometimes lack muster rolls, particularly for smaller units and advance bases. 24th, On Nov. 24, 2010, Buenagua stepped on an IED. muster rolls and personnel diaries), typically unit records contain little or no information regarding individuals service and we do not have a name index to the unit records. Diamond li. The lineage of the 254th dates back to 8 August 1881 with the organization of the Calumet Light Guard, which was mustered into Michigan state service as Company B, 2d Battalion of Infantry. Engineer Unit Histories, 1942-1946. . They are exception based reports, meaning that a soldiers name will on appear on the report only if his status has changed from the previous report (e.g. During World War II the 36th Engineer Regiment consisted of nine combat engineer companies trained for amphibious assault and support operations. For example, by the end of January, 1945, the 47th Infantry Regiment (which fought in France and Germany) had lost well over 100% of their strength to battle casualties, where men were either killed, wounded, missing, or taken asprisoner of war. , which can serve as a finding aid to the records. A brief History of the 472nd Engineer Maintenance Company. Free shipping for many products! Maryland, The explosion killed him. List of battleships of the United States Navy, This article does not contain any citations or references. Another large series that contains WWII Army unit records is Unit Histories, 1943-1967 in Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338). A paper file list index for this series is available at the National Archives. 20th Engineer Combat Regiment . Similar reports are also called unit journals or diaries. During the First Jewish-Roman War, Roman engineers spent two months constructing a giant ramp in order to ascend a mountain and sack the fortress of Masada. series consists of war diaries submitted by District Coast Guard Officers (DCGO) and ship officers during World War II. Many records relating to the Coast Guards participation in wartime operations during World War II are dispersed among the Navy records (see above), however, there are additional series of WWII Coast Guard records in the Records of the United States Coast Guard (Record Group 26). during WWII ], [ 20th Infantry Division - Did not exist He is also the creator of Pipes & Pages, a site intended to increase readership among enlisted troops. This link points to an archived copy]Contains rolls for 35th Battalion, 3rd NZ Division in the Pacific, World War II. Thank you for your efforts here. 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. Most war diaries provided a day-to-day record of operational activities and sometimes administrative activities as well. Muster rolls list personnel attached to a unit or command, while personnel diaries list significant personnel status changes, such as transfers, promotions, leave, or temporary duty. Related Topics / Keywords / Phrases: He was on the waterpolo team. The WWII Marine Corps muster rolls list both officers and enlisted. Many thanks for the commentary, Some of these reports, known generally as After Action Reports (AAR), may describe the days combat in as little as a paragraph, or across several pages. Combat engineers are among the most valuable troops on any battlefield. Ledo, 1963, 27th, Captain Oliver was, in fact, killed by a concussion, but the actual cause of his injury was that he that he stepped on one of the mines. US Army photo by Sgt. There are additional unit histories and supporting documents of Army Air Force and Air Force units that are still in the custody of the Air Force at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In the early morning of 29 May 1943, the 50th Combat Engineers were the first U S Army unit encountered by the last Japanese troops on the island, making a suicide charge toward artillery atop Engineer Hill. 3829 0 obj <>stream They are arranged in several subseries, by command, and then roughly hierarchically. - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 23rd Infantry Division - Did not exist The WWII Marine Corps muster rolls list both officers and enlisted. [The original link is broken. 1312, Unit records are useful in piecing together stories abouta unit or group, as well as aboutindividuals who served in them. Army and Army Air Forces Morning Reports and Unit Rosters: We frequently get requests for unit rosters from World War II. While Army and Navy records for the World War II period are dispersed across a number of record groups, smaller branches like the Marine Corps, Army Air Forces, and Coast Guard, are generally limited to a single record group each for the WWII period. Records of non-organic units (units not permanently attached to a division) generally consist of historical reports and some administrative records. Reports typically contain narratives about unit activities, descriptions of facilities and locations, and a narrative about organization and administration. Company A, 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. In Remembrance of the AIF's 2/15th Battalion. DC, Using demolition charges and flamethrowers, Bonnyman and his 21-man unit killed an estimated 150 enemy soldiers. The reports do not contain patient medical records. Lance Cpl. Related: How the Special Operations Combat Medic Course Provides Real-World Training. Online searchable database of 32,213 records of men who served with the, 111th Infantry Regiment -- U.S. Army -- World War II. Company C, Matthew Teutsch. The Textual Reference Archives II Branch at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, has custody of several series of records related to World War II Army units: The main series of WWII Army unit records is the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917- (Record Group 407). Please improve this article by adding a reference. The other. Category: World War II | He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. Bonnyman who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and eight other pioneers were also killed. You may search the file titles in this series by clicking on Search within this series.. 1918, You may search the file titles in this series by clicking on Search within this series., There are additional unit histories and supporting documents of Army Air Force and Air Force units that are still in the custody of the Air Force at the, Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), , Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. They can construct bridges capable of bearing the weight of entire armored units, defensive fortifications that can withstand complex enemy attacks, and berthings to house even the most forward-deployed troops. DNA research has led to Wilson family in South Carolina, just hoping to try to piece together more information. It served in the Middle East (Tobruk, El Alamein), New Guinea and Borneo from 1940 to 1946. He died leading the way. They are prized by commanders for their unique expertise and versatility. All of the reels are not available, so please be sure to contact the reference staff (email: archives2reference@nara.gov), if you locate a document of interest. The battalion began as one of the many units organized to bolster the United States Army in the months following the nation's entry into World War II. Division files usually include historical reports, general orders, directives, journals, memos, circulars, bulletins, and policy records. Clark, ^j,0R| Marine combat engineer Lance Cpl. 105: Engineers Played an Important Role in Europe During the Cold War : No. Suitland, They are arranged in several subseries, by command, and then roughly hierarchically. Like so many other combat engineers killed in the line of duty, he died doing what he was trained and expected to do. Bill Beigel researches veterans who served and survived the war, as well as those who were WW2 casualties. 1311, :k}g #30Fh~@H.V,HFH#j#'^h0m6:Bza l.bU_EG&(S1?121Ff_0:y*kX>1xGU^9\Zi The two primary record groups are the Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (Record Group 24), which includes World War II-era deck logs and muster rolls and the Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1875 - 2006 (Record Group 38), which includes War Diaries and Action Reports. Nearly 2,000 years later, British engineers tunneled across no-mans land and set off a series of bombs underneath the German trenches. Most war diaries provided a day-to-day record of operational activities and sometimes administrative activities as well. Caltrider spends most of his time reading, writing, and waging a one-man war against premature hair loss. Washington (DC), US Army photo by Master Sgt. He died leading the way. These reports were filed by the units and sometimes include encounter reports by pilots, aerial photographs, and loading lists. Caltrider earned his bachelors degree in history and now reads anything he can get his hands on. The ship war diaries were maintained on a daily basis and describe the major activities of the day (e.g. There are copies of most of the monthly rosters from 1912-43 and 1947-59 for Army units (including Army Air Corps) in the custody of the National Archives in St. Louis, MO. Many thousands of men were trained in mountain warfare at Cedars during 1943 and 1944. Within each record group, records are divided into numbered series or entries, which are grouped based on the creating office and type of record. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. merchant vessels that entered U.S. ports during World War II. Unfortunately, the bodies were strewn about a German mine field. They followed in his footsteps as he walked the lonely road so often traveled by combat engineers, knowing, as he did, that if there were a hidden bomb waiting for them hed probably be the one to trigger it. Personnel diaries provide compiled monthly and list significant personnel status changes, including transfers, promotions, leave, or temporary duty. World War II War Diaries, 12/7/1941 - 12/31/1945: this series consists of daily operational journals created by various naval commands, shore installations, ships and other activities throughout the Navy, as well as some Marine Corps and non-Navy commands. The DCGO diaries include a compiled weekly report from memorandums, reports, and meeting minutes on operational, personnel, intelligence, legal, and medical activities. Cody D.J. Another large series that contains WWII Army unit records is. The National Archives has custody of accessioned microfilm copies of some of AFHRAs records in the Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations (Record Group 342), Entry (UD) 1006-B1. Thank you to Rebecca Collier, Marie Taylor and Rachael Salyer for contributing to this post! Yates, George K. Box 19 SSGT Company A resume, personal Army . The Muster Rolls of Coast Guard Ships and Shore Establishments, 1941 - 1949 are arranged by type of ship or station, thereunder by year, and consist of printed forms giving, for each person on board, information concerning his enlistment and whether he was entitled to honorable discharge; a personal description; the date he was received on board; and data concerning his transfer, discharge, desertion, or death. Thanks for putting this together. Randall Col Randy is actually my great grandfather and I was wandering if you ever new him? The dates covered by an individual file are listed within the file units description under Details -- it will note, This file unit documents the time period, followed by a date range. 30th, This post highlights and describes the primary series of World War II unit records in NARAs custody for each branch of service, with links to the series descriptions in the. The unit was en route to Okinawa when it was diverted to New York soon after the bombing of Hiroshima. The Avro Lancaster B1 on display in the Aeroplane Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, ACT, Australia. |&Axwn]>b\|7E/FyNMvO>@] GrzGXNH@K -V@rCbWri RHe 3sHe T=@*%.n7eF =c$cp~B{]1-X "VVVdb V5b5b9#jX@F# `,!h\Fls#ap{*H?'|>N>A3~X;8bmU-~BWb:]~! Kim Woods, Im looking for information on My Great great GRANDFATHER WAS ON A B-24 LIBERATOR CALLED: List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Engineer battalions of the United States Army, Engineering units and formations of the United States Army, Conducting river crossings by pontoon/raft, motor-powered. Whether one is a member of Special Forces, wears the Sapper tab, or simply holds the military occupational specialty of a combat engineer, there is no question that the soldiers and Marines who serve in this highly important and often very dangerous role are exceptional. It turned out that Captain Oliver was working with a group of men to gather the remains of some of the men in their outfit that had recently been killed. The regiment was deployed in the south of England to assist with the arsenal build up for D-Day and the advance through France. Please note: Graduates are authorized to wear the coveted Sapper tab on their uniform and rank among the most elite combat engineers in the world. Unfortunately, rosters for units serving in World War II from 1944-46 were destroyed in accordance with Army records disposition authorities after the war. hlj1WnEKA XKv3Kkf-MDz*oHP/`*6c"zqo\6z The entries show the name of service member, service number/SSN, and rank. Combat engineers are among the most versatile, reliable, and misunderstood troops in the United States military. The site includes rosters, photos, memoirs and unit histories. Muster rolls are lists of naval personnel attached to a ship, station, or other activity. from present for duty to ordinary leave, or from present for duty to sick in quarters, etc.). 858th, 01.03.1944 = March 1st, 1944], [ 12th Infantry Division - Did not exist 1943, American pioneer units proved equally as effective in World War II as their World War I German counterparts. A number of deck logs have been digitized and are now available online in the National Archives Catalog. a bureau or an independent agency). If you are researching the military service of a specific individual, we suggest you start by requesting their military personnel records. In this role, engineers cleared paths for other soldiers, sailors, and Marines to follow on foot and in vehicles and engage the enemy without their movement being restricted by the additional risk of concealed bombs. Devoted to the history of the Calgary Highlanders in World War Two. This is a list of known United States Engineer Regiments in existence at the time of World War II . 1518, The two primary record groups are the, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (Record Group 24), , which includes World War II-era deck logs and muster rolls and the, Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1875 - 2006 (Record Group 38). These reports were filed by the units and sometimes include encounter reports by pilots, aerial photographs, and loading lists. These records are also arranged in several subseries, generally by command and thereunder roughly hierarchically. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tasks as well as construction and demolition duties in and out of combat zones. The Navy Cross the branchs second-highest award for valor in combat isnt handed out to just anybody. The unit served as infantry for several . They departed France on August 7, 1945, with designation of Shipment #R5218-S. As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel providesresearch services to genealogists, historians, authors, andcivilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unitrecords. At a minimum, these records, prepared daily, describe the daily actions of the unit (typically a Division or a Regiment), including intelligence information on the enemy forces faced, the geography of the area, weather conditions, and the success or failure of the days fighting. This website is only in its very early stages, aiming to give a full spectrum of data on World War II fighting units, including details on organization, commanders, and literature. On battlefields throughout history, the combat engineer has proven time and again to be a decisive factor in victory and defeat. Records of non-organic units (units not permanently attached to a division) generally consist of historical reports and some administrative records. Copyright 1996-2023 Cyndi Ingle, CyndisList.com. : this series consists of daily operational journals created by various naval commands, shore installations, ships and other activities throughout the Navy, as well as some Marine Corps and non-Navy commands. website provides a handy chart, which can help you determine where the personnel records you seek are located and instructions about how to request them. The battle was filmed, marking the first time actions that resulted in the awarding of a Medal of Honor were caught on video. The locations of military personnel records depend on the branch of service and time period -- NARAs Locations of Service Records website provides a handy chart, which can help you determine where the personnel records you seek are located and instructions about how to request them. The 1317th moved to Marseilles France for shipment to the South West Pacific to partake in the final campaigns against Japan. where available. A separate series of War Diaries, World War II War Diaries, Other Operational Records and Histories, ca. Hawaii, These records consist mostly of unit historical reports, after action reports, unit journals, and general orders. Before and after his presidency were some of the greatest contributions Jimmy Carter made to the world we know today. Some also include photographs, reported security violations, cargo data, investigations of alleged sabotage or suspicious incidents, and survivors accounts of sunken vessels. Unit records are useful in piecing together stories about a unit or group, as well as about individuals who served in them. of AFHRAs records in the Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations (Record Group 342), Entry (UD) 1006-B1. Their quick work was praised by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of all American forces during the invasion, who famously said, They went through the first barrier like it was water.. @JI #bp\2l8 cL|w]~!C`'0XZ%!hU\CX|th_NVZ.4bQ1%?Ay?G~T@#|p=B9#\`U\E#)V#X`}1BPj$FjF 9F _`F-I|eXN^`C@ i* . Across the wars urban battlefields, where IEDs posed the biggest threat to American troops, engineers were often tasked with conducting route clearance missions. Abstracts of War Diaries, 5/1942 - 9/1945. Sramek, Frank J. The Coast Guard war diaries include Abstracts of War Diaries, 5/1942 - 9/1945, which are arranged by year and thereunder by unit, and include highlights of outstanding activities and operations by Coast Guard ships and shore units during World War II. Army Air Forces World War II Combat Operations Reports, 1941-1946, also known as "Mission Reports," are located at the National Archives at College Park, MD in the Records of the Army Air Forces (Record Group 18). If the IRISREF number in the Document Detail page begins with an A, B, or C, the National Archives may have the document on our accessioned microfilm. The explosion killed him. and initiative, [ 39th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 47th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 49th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 51st Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 52nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 53rd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 54th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 56th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 57th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 58th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 60th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 61st Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 62nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 64th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 67th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 68th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 72nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 73rd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 74th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], Leo van Bussel (from Holland) & Ron Villegas. Two US Army Reserve combat engineer soldiers from the 374th Engineer Company (Sapper) cast from a CH-47 Chinook into Lopez Lake, California, during a two-week field exercise known as a Sapper Leader Course Prerequisite Training. Be sure to include the unit(s) and date(s) of interest. For information on how to access morning reports, please visit the website Access to Morning Reports and Unit Rosters. during WWII ], [ 15th Infantry Division - Did not exist This series contains copies of reports of Army medical units and facilities, as well as reports from medical components of regular Army units. This series contains copies of reports of Army medical units and facilities, as well as reports from medical components of regular Army units. from present for duty to ordinary leave, or from present for duty to sick in quarters, etc.). Hi! Reports may also contain statistics, photographs, or maps. They embody the ethos of doing more with less. 1321st Engineer General Service Regiment, 1322nd Engineer General Service Regiment, 1323rd Engineer General Service Regiment, 1324th Engineer General Service Regiment.