Hi, I’m Judy. I’m excited to meet you all! My dad, Jim, was a T/5 in the 1275th Combat Engineers Bn, Company A, 15th Army, and served in England, Germany, and the Philippines from December 1944 to January 1946. He passed away in 1982. While reading a book recently called “When Books Went To War”, my curiosity was piqued about my father’s wartime experience. He never spoke to me about “the war”, but I have letters he wrote while he was overseas that contain scattered details of his whereabouts and activities. I started surfing the web, trying to piece some things together when I discovered the VI Corps Combat Engineers WWII web page. I was happy to find others who were following a similar path. Even though he didn’t speak of his war experiences, my dad was very proud of the German Luger he brought home. As I was growing up, he would occasionally bring out the Luger and let me hold it. He showed me how to load it and clean it and he spoke of its power. I was scared to death of it but at the same time, I knew it was a special, almost sacred, moment that I was sharing with him. I’m just getting started on this journey so don’t know how far my curiosity will take me. I wish you all the best on your journeys.
Welcome to the forum, Judy. Wow, I was drooling when I read about the Luger. My dad used bring his out on occasion too, and I always loved it. For some reason when he passed in 1967, my mom either threw it out, or gave it away (along with his German officer's sword), when they were supposed to go to me. I never forgave her, and she would never divulge what happened to those items. Makes me so sad.
Do you have it? :pdt34:
Thanks for joining. Talk to you soon.
Hi Judy
I made an account specifically to reply to this. I found the post when I googled the 1275th Combat Engineer Battalion. My grandfather, Sydney Ross, was a Private First Class in Company C of that unit. I know for sure that he served in France and Germany in the spring and summer of 1945, and then in the Phillippines in the fall and winter of that year. We have a photo album of pictures he took during his service, but due to an unfortunate family estrangement, we don't have access to his original discharge papers (which I'm trying to get a copy of now), and his collection of flags and personal weapons from both the German and Japanese armies. I thought you might be interested in these links, which I found when researching the unit.
The first is a Google Books copy of an autobiography of a jazz musician who was part of that unit. This is cool because he specifically mentions towns which match the names written on my grandfather's collection of photographs.
The second is an operations log from a particular LST (LST 493) transporting troops from England to France, which happens to mention Comapny C of the 1275th Engineers, so I know the exact date of my grandfather's arrival in France (April 9th, 1945).
I'd love to know if you have any other information on the unit's movements and activities, or just any other random tidbits you'd like to share.
Welcome to the forum, Alex. Thanks for joining and sharing what you have.