981st Engineer Maintenance Company

[Big Pete]

Hello all,

 

My friend Jim served in this Company right after he got wounded in France.

He went ashore 3rd wave at Omaha Beach with another Engineer outfit.

On December 15, 1944 he got transferred to the 26th Division "Yankee Division".

 

The only thing I found till now is a photo of a Jeep with the markings of the 981st in Belgium in January 1945.

 

I therefore turn to you here and hope someone can help me out.

I want to know the composition of this unit, the commander(s) and where they were from let's say July 1944 till December 1944.

 

I'm piecing together the service of my friend which is quite interesting.

At the end of the war, he had not enough points and was transferred to the 83rd Division and finally to the 42nd Division.

He got shipped home in April 1946 (!).

Long time for a D-Day Veteran, no?

 

Erwin

[SonofaMP]

Hi Erwin, good to have you back.

Do you know the Eng unit he landed with on Omaha? it may help trace the movements.

 

I`m on the road this week & dont have all my research links on this laptop but i did find a few things on the 981st EMC,

They were an element of the 9th US ARMY from 5 Sept `44 - 5 May 45

 

9th Army TO

 

The 981 EMC has campaign credits for Ardennes- Alsace, Central Europe, Rhineland no excact dates.

And for Occupation -Germany 2 May - 4 July `45.

 

I believe the 42nd " Rainbow" Div had occupation duty in Austria after the war, i`ll have to check that. I`ll see what else i can dig up for ya, may take a week or so.

[Jeeper704]

Hi and thanks for the information you gave me already.

It's good to be back too.

 

As for my friend's Engineer unit ..... no idea.

He trained stateside with the 185th Engineer Combat Battalion, but then there is a gap.

He was sent to the 981st after he got wounded in France and stayed with the till he got the order that he was to be transferred to 26th Division where he became a BAR gunner.

 

I have his original transfer order from 981st Eng. Maint. Co. to 26th Division dated 15.12.1944.

And documents from his training with the 185th Eng. Combat Bn stateside.

 

The 42nd did have occupational duty; inactivated: 29 June 1946 in Europe.

Jim went home in April 1945.

 

I'll write him and ask if he really can't remember or if he can find a document with his unit mentioned in it. He's on the road a lot with his RV, enjoying retirement to the fullest.

 

Thanks again and I look forward to any other piece of information.

 

Erwin

[PJW]

Hi Erwin

 

It looks like 981st EMC was part of XII Corps, 3rd Army. It came a shore around July-27-44. Eng. Maint. Co.'s were classified as non-divisonal units and were assigned to

Engineer Combat Groups within the Corps area of operation. Also the 26th Inf. Div. was part of XII Corps and so was the 83rd. Also the 981st was more likely picked up after the war for occupational duty my father's company was transfered to 7th Army from 9th Army. The composition goes as H.Q. platoon, Contact platoon, 1st & 2nd platoons. Captain, (4) Lt.'s around 170 men NCO's & enlisted.

 

Hope this helps PJW

[Jeeper704]

Thank you for your reply, PJW

 

So, it is possible that he was sent to this company to recover from his wounds?

Maybe - due to his wounds - he was sent to "light duty" untill recovered enough to go back to the frontline units?

 

He was with assault engineers or special engineer brigade on D-Day.

But somewhere in France, he got shot up pretty bad (back, arm, leg) due to a grenade or mortar shell or something exploding nearby.

It wasn't so bad that he needed to be transferred to the US as he ended up in the 981st till December 15 when he was transfered to 26th Division (328th Regiment) as a BAR gunner.

 

I'll ask him if he got documents mentioning his unit at the time of D-Day.

Maybe he has them still ..... or they're on their way over to me as he sent me a postcard telling me he's going to send "a box of goodies".

I have his engraved Purple Heart and Bronze Star which mean more to me than the the rest of my collection together.

 

Erwin

[SonofaMP]

"So, it is possible that he was sent to this company to recover from his wounds?

Maybe - due to his wounds - he was sent to "light duty" untill recovered enough to go back to the frontline units?"

 

Thats very possible Erwin, my thoughts would be by mid december, most of the infantry divisions were desparate for replacements in the rifle companies and the brass would comb through rear echelon units for qualified personal. Your friend being trained as a combat engineer with battle experience fit the bill.

At the time, the 26th ID was resting & regrouping at Metz.

 

From 26th combat chronicles:

"On 8 November the Division went on the offensive, took Dieuze, 20 November, advanced across the Saar River to Saar Union, and captured it, 2 December, after house-to-house fighting. Reaching Maginot fortifications, 5 December, it regrouped, entering Saareguemines 8 December. Rest at Metz was interrupted by the Von Rundstedt offensive. The Division moved north to Luxembourg, 19-21 December, to take part in the battle of the Ardennes break-through. It attacked at Rambrouch and Grosbous, 22 December, beat off strong German counterattacks, captured Arsdorf on Christmas Day after heavy fighting, attacked toward the Wiltz River, but was forced to withdraw in the face of determined enemy resistance; after regrouping, 5-8 January 1945, it attacked again, reached the Wiltz River, and finally crossed it, 20 January."

[Jeeper704]

I made a slight error earlier; Jim didn't go home April 1945 but 1946

 

Rambrouch is one of the villages Jim remembers.

In Rambrouch and Kaundorf there are monuments to the 26th Division.

 

Erwin

[Jeeper704]

Was wondering about something ..... could it be possible that my friend was sent to the 112th Combat Engineers as extra manpower for D-Day?

They were attached to 29th Infantry and I believe they were overstrength specifically for this mission.

 

That would make my friend's service timeline complete.

Thanks.

 

Erwin

[rennog]

I made a slight error earlier; Jim didn't go home April 1945 but 1946

 

Rambrouch is one of the villages Jim remembers.

In Rambrouch and Kaundorf there are monuments to the 26th Division.

 

Erwin

 

Hi Erwin,

I've planned to visit all those Monuments and places relative to WWII in my Area now that it starts to be warmer again and Rambruch and Kaundorf are on my list to, so if you need something from there just ring the bell

[Jeeper704]

Hi,

Yeah, it would be great if you could take photos of those monuments as they look now .... and any other monuments to the 26th Division.

My friend (and I) will be very grateful.

Thank you.

 

Erwin