Jim Davis was trying to get some info on Co B of the 48th and here is some of the correspondence between Vernon Champlin and Jim. I arranged for them to chat.

Hello Marion,

 

Hope all is well in your house and world. It is here.

 

I have need to speak with someone who was a member of B Company, 48^th Engineer Combat Battalion and came home on the Admiral Capps sailing out of Marseilles on 10/9/1945. Do you have a name and contact info for such a person?

 

Mahalo and Aloha,

Jim

 

 

James G. Davis, Member and Historian

1204^th Army Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

North Africa – Italy – France – Germany

World War II

Hello Vernon,

 

Thank you for your message and your offer of help. I am in Maui, Hawaii 6 hours ahead of East Coast time and 3 ahead of West Coast time. That being said it is better that I telephone if you are willing to share your location, phone number and days and times (your time) that you would be available for my call.

 

Thank you and Aloha,

 

James G. Davis, Member and Historian

1204^th Army Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon

North Africa – Italy – France – Germany

World War II

Jim,

 

I am not a veteran of the 48^th Co B…. but my grandfather was.

 

I am not sure that I can be of any assistance, but I have done some research on the Company, as well as heard a few stories.

 

Please let me know if I can assist in any way.

 

Vernon

(Grandson of Vernon Snodgrass)

Jim,

(To the best of my knowledge)... Here is a little time-line of my Granddad's

where-a-bouts with the 48th.... I thought you might be interested.

 

1941

September 11, 1941 - Entered Military Service

 

1942

September 23, 1942 - Married high school sweetheart

October 1942 - Private - CoD 64th Inf. Training Battalion (Camp Walters, Tx)

December 1942 - Made Private First Class

November 18, 1942 - Camp Gruber, Oklahoma

December 18-20, 1942 - Took weekend furlough from Camp Gruber and returned

home (Liberal, Mo) for a visit

 

1943

February 1943 - Captain

March 1943 - Training at Camp Polk Louisiana

June 1943 - Back at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma

July (First week - 15), 1943 - On leave, back to Liberal, Missouri

August 14'ish, 1943 - Traveled to New England States

August 20, 1943 - Boarded USS Edmund Alexander on New York Harbor (for 2

week trip to North Africa)

September 4, 1943 - North Africa

October 21, 1943 - Italy

December 15-23, 1943 worked on the "Express Highway" (Italy)

 

1944

January 4-8, 1944 - 1108th Cited for Outstanding Performance

January 12, 1944 - Wounded (Purple Heart) - Near San Pietro, Italy (Spent

time in Hospital)

April 1944 - Reassigned to the 337th Quarter Master Supply Company

 

1945

April 1945 - Sergeant

May 8, 1945 - European VE Day

June 1945 - Leghorn, Italy

October 23, 1945 - Left Leghorn, for Naples to board a ship back to the

states

Hello Vernon,

 

Many thanks for the book. I will enjoy reading and having it, having been

one of them even if only for a short while. Let me build on the little

story I recently sent you.

 

B Co. 48th ECB boarded the USS Coast Guard AP Admiral Capps on the afternoon

of October 10, 1945 in Marseilles France. She sailed for the US in that

day's early evening. She arrived at Newport News, Virginia at sunup on

October 19, 1945. We were off loaded and put on board trains for Camp

Patrick Henry, VA for arrival there by noon that day. 48 hours later we

boarded trains for home with stops in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis

and Fort Worth to offload members of the 48th (including some former 1204

EFFP members). Now there were 5 48th ECB members left headed for the West

Coast where we arrived on October 25, 1945. By 5:00PM on October 27, 1945

we 5 walked out the gate of Fort Mc Arthur, CA as discharged Veterans.

 

Do you recall your Grandfather speaking of the 48th's doings in Naples? We

arrived in Naples on October 3, 1943 to become the both the 5th Army's as

well as the Naples City fire department, the enemy having either taken or

destroyed all civilian fire trucks.

 

For some reason, not clear to me, the link in your second message will not

open. I look forward to anything you share and send.

 

Thank you for your efforts. Be happy to answer any of your questions, if I

can.

 

Aloha,

Jim

 

 

James G. Davis, Member and Historian

1204th Army Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon North Africa - Italy - France -

Germany World War II

B COMPANY 48^TH ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION

FROM AUGUST 1945 TO HOME

 

In probably August 1945 B Co. moved into a small German farm town located between Heidelberg and Frankfort. The name of the town is forgotten and I would like to know it.

 

On September 1, 1945 the enlisted men of the 1204^th Army Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon stationed in Heidelberg shut down, turned in their vehicles, packed their personal gear and boarded B Co. 6x6s for the trip to this small town where they became members of the Battalion.

 

Several days later B Co. boarded 6x6s and headed west crossing the Rhine south of Frankfort on an Engineer constructed timber bridge at a town whose name I have forgotten and would like to know. After an all day trip sunset came in probably the Belgian Mountain and an overnight stop at an Army tent city that offered bunks, showers and meals. If there was a town close by I would like to know its name.

The next morning B Co. boarded the 6x6s for all day ride to an Army Staging Camp somewhere in the Reims/Laon, France vicinity. The camp’s name started with “Camp” with the rest forgotten but something I would like to know as well as the camp’s location.

 

After sometime in the Camp B Co. boarded trains for the trip to a staging Area outside Marseilles, France from where it boarded the USS Admiral Capps for the trip back to the US.