History of the 337th Engineer Combat Battalion

[Walt's Daughter]

It is a possibility, though he was probably home by that time. My father came home from Germany in November of 1945. He and his company were handling post-war engineering operations.

 

It would be great if we could find out more personal information on the Major. Would be wonderful if we could find a family member, or someone who knew him. If the family has his discharge papers, then...

 

What we need are the archived unit records from NARA.

[SonofaMP]

I have sent an inquiry message to a possible family member through Ancestry.Com. Lets hope we get a reply, sometimes family tree owners are no longer on Ancestry & wont get the message.

[Enrico]

It is a possibility, though he was probably home by that time. My father came home from Germany in November of 1945. He and his company were handling post-war engineering operations.

 

It would be great if we could find out more personal information on the Major. Would be wonderful if we could find a family member, or someone who knew him. If the family has his discharge papers, then...

 

What we need are the archived unit records from NARA.

 

sorry I have not specified, I meant November 1944 ...

 

Unfortunately, NARA does not have any record of Rowell, maybe it was destroyed in the fire of St. Louis. I have tried in all ways to trace a relative but the only thing I found was your pdf!

 

But from Italy is hardest I think ...

 

 

Add: I have tried in footnote, but not in Ancestry I don't have account! Thank you for all your support! Being able to speak with one of the relatives, and learn about the history of one of the dog-tag would be a dream for me!

[Walt's Daughter]

Thanks for doing that Larry!

 

 

Enrico, I am not talking about personnel records from St Louis, but the UNIT records from Maryland. Two different buildings, which serve two different purposes.

 

I acquired about two thousand pages of documentation from Maryland a few years ago.

 

http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/index.html

 

Hope that helps.

 

The others who have posted in this section, may have already contacted NARA in Maryland. Let's find out.

[Enrico]

Ah, great I was not aware of this archive!

 

I hope that something comes out!

[SonofaMP]

I think i found an answer as to how the dogtags got in the dump, earlier you mentioned that dozens of dogtags were found there which raised the question..why?

On this website: http://www.dogtagsdirect.com/ww2.html you will find an evolution of WWII dogtags.

The tag you have was used Nov. 1941 - Jul. 1943.

From Jul. 1943 - Mar. 1944 a new tag was used with different information stamped on it.

So it`s possible he was issued the newer dogtags & the old ones ended up in the dump.

[Walt's Daughter]

Hmmmm, not sure. I knew they made different tags for the guys, and from the kind issued, you could determine when they were received. But I've never heard of re-issuing.

 

I will have to ask one of my historian friends about that.

 

 

Added later...

For instance, you can tell when my dad was inducted from the type of dog-tags he received. He still had his after the war. He served from 1943 to Nov 1945. Never a re-issue.

[Enrico]

I was aware of the different type of dogt tags, friends have found dog-tags with only 4 and 3 lines written in fact. But I do not know if this is the case.

 

In Pietramala, as I said, I found all 3 dog-tags in my possession.

The one of Rowell at the landfill to the hospital, while the other two come from a wood 0,3 miles south.

The first of the two (the first one I found) is made of brass, 5 lines. The other is of Alek G Pytel http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=alek+g+pytel&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=312855 .

The last dog-tag was in a landfill hole (in the forest can still see the spots where the tents were installed. It was a big camp and the whole forest is full of landfill holes). She was folded in half, just like the one of Major Rowell.

In the same hole we have found two helmets, a canteen , 4 or 5 cups for canteen, several beer bottles, many bottles of insect repellent, a U.S. collar disc, and many others marvelous objects!

I do not know if the fact that they were folded in half indicates the replacement of the dog-tags ...

 

Even for Alek G. Pytel I have not found other news, in the rest him is born in 1885 and find some relatives is not easy! I assumed that, because he is post-graduate, he was an officer? Maybe a doctor of the 8th EVAC?

He was also widower without children, perhaps he may have enlisted again to save some lives?

I'm afraid that this will always remain a mystery ...

 

I hope I have been clear enough...

[Walt's Daughter]

Good answers. I love this topic. So interesting.

 

You may be onto something there; the dog-tags folded in half. These may have been folded and discarded.

 

Decided to start another topic, just strictly related to the possible re-issue of dog-tags. Please see this link.

 

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=6938

[SonofaMP]

Some good news! I have got a reply from my inquiry on Ancestry and am now in contact with a niece of Major Rowell.

 

"Subject: RE: Would like to know if this Ernest L Rowell was an officer in WWII

 

Yes, Ernest L. Rowell, JR was an Army Officer. He was my Uncle E.L. The family has pictures of him in uniform.

 

Subject: RE: Would like to know if this Ernest L Rowell was an officer in WWII

 

Unfortunately Mrs. E.L. Rowell, my Aunt Shasta, died before my Uncle E. L. did. Uncle E. L. died a number of years ago in Ft. Myers, FL where they had moved after he retired from the phone company. After the war was over, he went to work for the phone company as an engineer. His father (my grandfather) had worked for the phone company too (as did my father).

 

Subject: RE: Would like to know if this Ernest L Rowell was an officer in WWII

I'll be glad to talk to Enrico. What kind of information does he want about my uncle?"

 

 

 

I dont have an email address for her yet, but we`ll find a way to get you in touch with her.

 

Also, from Ancestry records:

Florida Death Index, 1877-1998

about Ernest L Rowell Name: Ernest L Rowell

Death Date: 23 Aug 1994

County of Death: Lee

State of Death: Florida

Age at Death: 85

Race: White

Birth Date: 5 Feb 1909