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I have been looking for information on my Great Uncle, Fred G. Dougherty Jr. All that I have been able to gather is that he was a Staff Sergeant in the 61st Engineers Combat Battalion. I know that he died on November 3rd, 1944 and was a "DNB" death. He is buried at the Henri-Chappelle cemetery in Belgium and died in Liege. I have been looking rapidly for any and all information and continually am coming up short. If anyone has any information on the 61st Engineers or have any tips, it would be greatly appreciated!

Bobby Munizza

bobbymunizza@hotmail.com

609-425-8512

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=dougherty&GSiman=1&GScid=1991678&GRid=56280737&

Hello Bobby,

Warmest welcome here to the forum, glad you could join us, hope you will hang out and stay awhile. Don't know what all info you do have, but here are a few things that might get you started. According to the online enlistment records your great-uncle was inducted at Camp Lee, Virginia on 18 March 1942.

https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=fred+g+dougherty&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=3642071

Stanton's "World War II Order of Battle" tells us the following about the 61st Engineer Combat Battalion:

Formed at Atlantic Beach, Florida on 25 JAN 1943

Departed New York on 24 MARCH 1944

Arrived in England 4 APRIL 1944

Arrived in France-ETO on 1 JULY 1944

August 1945 location: Mulheim Germany

Deactivated 18 SEPT 1945 in Germany

Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland

Here is a thread on the forum involving the 61st ECB that has some interesting items you should check out.

You may have noticed that your great-uncle's induction predates the formation of the 61st ECB by nearly one year. So most likely he was with another engineer outfit before coming to the 61st. This is not unusual, there were new units forming all the time during the course of the war and a few men with prior training were transferred to the new ones to give them some experience to go along with fresh recruits.

Marion has provided a great resource here in the Help Section about finding  veterans records, check it out.

Here is something I think is kinda cool. The above photograph is of my grandfather taken in 1945 at the Henri-Chapelle cemetery. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission website, your great-uncle is buried in Plot F, Row 9, Grave 20 at Henri-Chapelle.

https://abmc.gov/node/377692#.WN34Hm_yvIU

I did a lot of research on this picture and I know exactly where my grandfather is standing within the cemetery. This is Plot F, the same plot where your great-uncle is buried. My grandfather is looking at  Row 3, Grave 1,  your great-uncle's grave location would be in the background to his right.

Let us know if you have more questions and good luck with your search Bobby!

Randy

On 3/31/2017 at 1:59 AM, buk2112 said:

 

I did a lot of research on this picture and I know exactly where my grandfather is standing within the cemetery. This is Plot F, the same plot where your great-uncle is buried. My grandfather is looking at  Row 3, Grave 1,  your great-uncle's grave location would be in the background to his right.

 

Wow! How about that! What are the odds there! Once again, Marion, you are putting the right people in touch with each other!!

Just doing my job, sir. Just doin' my job!  A simple conduit in the line...

So many great people (members) have joined our little family and it is through them, that all these wonderful occurrences keep happening!