just woundering what combat engineer battalions were in Italy? anyone have a list?

picked up a Ph named to a local vet that was kia and family is gone Saved it from

Ebay paid too much for it but he was from my county in PA and felt It hade to stay in this area! I know he was killed in Italy on sept. 25 1944 and was suppose to be an engineer thats all I have he was awarded ETO medal w/1 battle star if that helps! may be I have wrong info but maybe you guys know!!!

his name was Alexander G Rose us army #33 337 595

kia 9-25-1944 italy !!!!

As you can imagine, it would be hard to ascertain what unit he might have been with. There were quite a few engineer regiments in Italy. I can name a few to begin with:

• 540th
• 36th
• 39th
• 85th
• 2759th
• 109th
• 40th
• 235th
• 307th Airborne
• 310th
• 328th
• 111th
• 370th
• 120th
• 206th
• 1108th
• 48th
• 308th
• 150th
• 19th
• 531st
• 313th
• 126th Mountain
• 334th
• 378th
• 384th
• 337th
• 10th
• 1051st Port Construction
• 94th General Service
• 344th General Service
• 345th General Service
• 386th
• 387th
• 696th Petroleum Distribution
• 343rd General Service
• 16th Armored
• 175th General Service
• 1554th Heavy Pontoon
• 85th Heavy Pontoon
• 235th
• 19th
• 1710th Map Depot Detach
• 66th Topographic
• 1621st Model Making Detach
• 1338th
• 169th

I'm sure I can narrow down the units that were fighting on Sept 25, 1944 and that should help us a bit. I will get back with you shortly on this.

picked up a Ph

What? A Purple Heart?

Sept 25 1944 is about 2 weeks after the attack on the GOTHIC Line. This was about the time the Germans fell back and began to dig in---and then the rains came. Fighting continued in the mountains until Oct 23.

Steve

September 1944 areas of campaigns in Italy

Could have been in the North Apennines

North Apennines

Gothic Line

The Italian Campaign

Guys Thanks for all your research ! Turns out the Dealer was wrong He was a member of 351st Infantry Regt. 88th Division someone found him on a unit list!

Sorry! thought he was a combat engineer by what dealer told me still happy to have this PH from local hero!!!! heres a picture trying to research him a bit! wrote army for IDPF and st. louis for info will let you know what comes back! NOT a combat engineer but a nice PH !!!

heres back!!! trying to find out were in bucks co. Pa. he is buried !!! feel as though

should pay respects with flowers since all his family is gone and stuff was being sold by people who cleaned out an estate!! Im a softy!!!

I believe his unit fought at Gothic line!! but not 100% on that???

THANKS AGAIN now we know what units were in Italy!!

And a good "softy" you are, too. Thanks to you, this vet has someone to care for him again.

Marilyn

Well that is good news and the research is NEVER wasted because it helps all of us and those who come here in the future too.

Here's some info on the 88th, otherwise known as the Blue Devils

The 351st Infantry Regiment

Constituted in the National Army 5 August 1917 as the 351st Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 88th Division. Organized 30 August 1917 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. Demobilized 7 June 1919 at Camp Dodge. (88th Division demobilized 10 June 1919, relieving components from assignment; reorganized in 1921 in the Organized Reserves.) Reconstituted, allotted to the Organized Reserves, assigned to the 88th Division, VII Corps Area, 24 June 1921, and organized in October 1921. Ordered into active military service, less personnel, and organized 15 July 1942 at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, as an element of the 88th Infantry Division. Relieved of assignment to the 88th Infantry Division 1 May 1947. Withdrawn from the Reserves and allotted to the Regular Army in 1951.

Campaign Credits

World War I

Alsace

World War II

Rome-Arno

North-Apennines

Po Valley

Decorations

French Croix de Guerre with Palm embroidered CENTRAL ITALY (Department of the Army General Order 50-43)

All companies of the 2nd Battalion entitled to the Distinguished Unit Citation embroidered MT. CAPELLO, ITALY by authority of War Department General Order 46-43.**

All companies of the 3rd Battalion entitled to the Distinguished Unit Citation embroidered LAIATICO, ITALY by authority of War Department General Order 45-6. **

Service Company entitled to the Meritorious Unit Citation embroidered EUROPEAN THEATER by authority of 88th Infantry Division General Order 52, 1945.

Medical Detachment entitled to the Meritorious Unit Citation embroidered EUROPEAN THEATER by authority of 88th Infantry Division General order 98, 1945.

Motto

“Toujours Pret.†(Always Ready)

Distinctive Insignia

The shield is blue for Infantry. The Regiment was first organized in Minnesota, and the three stars are taken from the state flag of Minnesota, the “North Star State.†The large star at the top represents Polaris, the North Star. The fleur-de-lis symbolizes the service of the organization in France during World War I.

Here's some links for this unit:

http://www.88infdiv.org/hist.html

http://www.mtmestas.com/Military/88th_InfD...88thInItaly.htm

http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/...8thinitaly.aspx

http://members.aol.com/ItalyWW2/Division88.htm

Scott, thanks for being a kind heart. You will be rewarded for it. You have one happy vet smiling down from heaven and my dad is probably patting him on the back and saying, "See I told you someone would find you, now I'll hook him up with my daughter."

THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO !!!!!!!

scott