As I've been telling the story of the 284th on Facebook I posted this map. I asked one of the guys from the unit about the V Bomb marker on the map as I wasn't familiar with this event. I also made the wrong assumption that it was a V2.
Here is some information about it from the Recon Officer of the unit:
No, it was a V1 that hit somewhere near Delamere Park. I was in my bunk in a small building sharing space with about three other officers of the Battalion. The V1, unlike the V2 made noise passing overhead. The time to worry was when it went silent. That meant it was coming down on you. Now, we heard this small outboard motor like sound pass overhead. Then, after it had passed over only a short time went by before it went silent. The next thing I knew I was blown out of the cot, sliding across the room on the floor ending by the wall under a cot. Nobody was hurt, A wild experience. We never had another.
Whoa man, too close for comfort. That is a very scary thought. Thank God everyone made it okay. Talk about being shook up, literally!
Yesterday's I posted on the Facebook page a 45 minute video of the guys in basic training, some footage sailing over to the ETO on the Marine Raven and some bridge training in England. Here it is!
Very cool! Training videos can be very entertaining! Can't wait to watch the whole thing.
When I did the first part of my documentary, chapter one was dedicating to training, so got to browse through a lot of footage.
Yeah, this was a pleasant surprise to get a copy of it and then for it to have so many stops included. The Marine Raven footage as well as England and Luxembourg were a huge surprise to see. Good stuff.
It seems that there is some Camp Twenty Grand footage on there as well. When the guys are butchering a pig:
This was a tent camp on a high bluff overlooking the Seine River. Under proper conditions this would have been an ideal spot, but these were not ideal conditions. It was a case of work to cut wood to keep from freezing, so it became necessary for every man to grab an axe and head for the woods. The food situation was a little on the sparse side. Here too, some of the more rugged characters took to the woods, organized hunting parties and came back rewarded on occasions with the carcass of a wild hog to crown their efforts. Guard duty, that constant Army torture, was another chore that demanded a full share of attention. On 17 January 1945, after having spent one week of the coldest, roughest day imaginable, we took our leave of Camp Twenty Grand and France for the time being.
284th Engr. C. Bn - C Company, 2nd Platoon in Basic Training at Camp Breckinridge, KY
Aboard the Marine Raven heading to the ETO
Siegfried Line
C Co. Bridge over the Roer - pushed 9th Armor across and then down the Rhine to Remagen
The famous Ludendorff
Captain Heubach inspecting remnants of V2 that hit B Company's CP in Remagen. Killing 3 guys and wounding 22 others
Lindholm and Bachand inspecting remnants of V2 that hit B Company's CP in Remagen. Killing 3 guys and wounding 22 others
By the way, I'm told those two photos above, that show the V2 strike, are the only photographic evidence of that strike. When I get to Remagen in April I'm going to try to find the spot where that hit.
Wow, that's quite a remnant! How sad there was such a loss of life and injuries sustained.
Thank You so much for putting that on the website!
I will treat myself to watching parts of this every day. How lucky we are that films like this were made, saved, and now shared!
Thank you,
Jean