My Father's Unit - The 204th Engineers

[jster65]

Looking for any information for 204th Combat Engineers, Company 'C', Normandy Campaign, Apr. '44 to Oct. '45..... Also, which Unit and/or Division Patch would be correct ?

All i have are separation documents, trying to piece together dad's military life.

Thank you.

[Christoph]

I found something about the 204th crossing the rivers Moselle and Rhine. Company C is entioned on page 49 f of the Moselle river crossing document.

 

 

http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA144030

 

http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA439437

 

Christoph

[SonofaMP]

Hello Beth, welcome to the forum. If you post or email me a copy of the separation documents i can compare the info on the docs to what i have on the 204th Combat Engineer Battalion.

 

204th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated 25 Feb 1943, at Fort Devens, Mass.;

The 204th Engineer Combat Battalion was commanded by Lt. Colonel W.J. Peters.

The unit departed the New York Port of Embarkation on January 2, 1944 on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, arrived at Gourock, Scotland, January 8, 1944.

The 204th Engineer Combat Battalion arrived in France July 2, 1944, (D-Day + 28)

Campaigns (5):

Normandy, 2 Jul 44 / 24 Jul 44;

Northern France, 25 Jul 44 / 14 Sept 44;

Ardennes-Alsace, 16 Dec 44 / 24 Jan 45;

(Battle of the Bulge)

Central Europe, 22 MAR 44 / 11 May 45;

Rhineland, 15 Sept 44 / 11 May 45.

Occupation Duty 2 May - 19 Sept 45, Germany

Location at war's end (ETO):

Burglengengeld, Germany.

Arrived NYPE, 26 Oct 45;

inactivated Camp Kilmer, NJ, 27 Oct 45.

--------------------------------------------------

In Annex 9a. to Operations Plan, Neptune, List of Engineer Troops, pg 16, the 204th was under the 1103rd Engineer Combat Group.

1103rd Engineer Combat Group Hq. & Hq. Company

150th Engineer Combat Batalion

204th Engineer Combat Batalion

206th Engineer Combat Batalion

623rd Engineer Light Equipment Company

____ Engineer Dump Truck Company

Neptune Operations Plan page 25,

c. Army Engineer Operations

(1) 1103RD Engineer Combat Group (Army), upon arrival, will support the V Corps Engineer Operations by execution of engineer work in the forward zone of the Army area immediately in rear of V Corps. (See Annex 9b. 7.)"

At the activation of the Third Army, 1 August 1944, the 1103rd ECG with the 204th was assigned to the XX Corps, Third Army.

On December 21, 1944 the 204th was re-assigned to XII Corps, Third Army under operational control of the 1135th Engineer Combat Group. That assignment continued to August 5, 1945.

--------------------------

In September 44, the 204thECB supported the Moselle River Crossing by 5th Infantry Division, XX Corps, Third Army.

The book: Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt by Charles B. McDonald & Sydney T. Mathews, page 70 gives an account of the Moselle River Crossing by the 5th Infantry Division supported by the 1103rd Group.

Attached to 5th Division

1103d Engineer Combat Group

150th Engineer Combat Battalion

160th Engineer Combat Battalion

204th Engineer Combat Battalion

551st Engineer Heavy Ponton Battalion

989th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company

537th Engineer Light Ponton Company

623d Engineer Light Equipment Company

-----------------------------------------

Later with XII Corps, Third Army, it appears the 204th was under operational control of the 1135th Engineer Combat Group in support of the 5th Infantry Division for the crossing of the Rhine.

the document "Crossing of the Rhine by the US Third Army", Part of After Action reports of thrd Army gives accounts of the crossing.

[Walt's Daughter]

Hey Beth:

 

Welcome to our forum. I see two of our members have already given you some great info. Pleased to see that.

[SonofaMP]

I did some more checking & found that the 204th had 2 different embarkation dates, Looks like HQ & possibly Company A left 2 Jan on the Queen Elizabeth.

Company B and it appears Company C were at Camp Miles Standish, Mass. 27 Mar 44 – 6 Apr 44.

Left Boston, MA Port of Embarkation 6 Apr 44 – 16 Apr 44 on Troop Ship: US Army Transport Cristobal

Arrival Date: April 16, 1944, Arrival, Liverpool, England

Part of a twenty troop ship convoy, the USAT Cristobal had 2,257 Troops onboard.

[SonofaMP]

Oh doesnt one wish that discharge documents listed ALL the units a soldier served with instead of just the last?

We have another case of an after-the war transfer, and now looking for Beth`s dad in the 79th Infantry Division.

[Walt's Daughter]

Absolutely. Wouldn't that solve so many of our problems and questions. After all, they list landings and campaigns, so why not the units served with??????

[SonofaMP]

Beth`s search for her father`s service shows the importance of looking at and understanding ALL the information on a the DD-214 discharge document. Especially if the soldiers service records were destroyed in the `73 fire at NPRC.

Beth did not have a scanner but she sent me the info in the boxes of the doc that she was able to read.

1. Phillips, Ernest J. 3. PFC 4. C E 5. AUS

 

6. Co. C 204th Eng Bn.

 

7. Nov 45

 

8. Sep Pt Cp Edwards Massachusetts

 

22. 17 Nov 42 or 43? 24. 1 Dec 42 or 43? 25. Boston, MA 30. Truck Driver

 

31. Combat Inf Badge SS Rifle

 

32. Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe

 

 

33. European African Middle Eastern w/4 stars, Good conduct, Bronze Star

 

36. Depart: 7 Apr 44, 16 Oct 45

Destination: HTO USA

Arrive: 16 Apr 44 26 Oct 45

 

40. Conv of the Govt AR Demobilization

 

Most of the rest is very difficult to read. Thank you very much for your help.

-----------------------------------------

Well if you look at boxes 32 & 36 the campaigns & travel dates match that of the 204th ECB, so it would seem to the 204th was his unit.,

BUT

A "red flag" comes up in box 31 that lists a C.I.B.

So i asked her to look closer where the awards & medals are listed to see if if there were any dates & numbers or letters next to them., She wrote back:

 

"On re-examination, the separation form has a few very faded and tough to read

 

numbers....Box 33: Good Conduct: S O #81 31 inf 24 May 44

Bronze Star: # 173 79 inf 1 Aug 45..

...There's a dark black line running down the page, so, I cannot tell if there may be another number before or after the " 31 "

 

On the 'final payment worksheet,' in the box that reads, "previous organization (or place), handwritten is : 3hq 204th Engr C Bn., cp Hilmer (Kilmer?), NJ. Oct 27/45"

----------------

So now this tells us the Bronze Star Medal was issued by GO # 173, 79th Infantry Division and the Good Conduct was issued by the 31_? Infantry regiment. ( regiments of the 79th In were 313, 314, & 315 ). The C.I.B. would also have been awarded by the reg.

 

After searching for records of the 79th Infantry Division, i found his name on a roster of the 313th Inf Reg on page 194 of "History of the 313th infantry in World War II, by ... . Wood, Sterling A."

 

http://babel.hathitr...ge/173/mode/1up

 

On page 173 it states that while on occupation duty in the area of Miltenberg, Germany between Sept 15 & Nov 18 45 virtualy all the old personnel who fought with the regiment were transfered to other units to shipped home. This would have been when Mr Phillips joined the 204th ECB., shipped home with & was discharged from the 204thECB. so that was the organization that was listed in box 6 on the discharge doc.

 

There are a lot of co-incidences between the 79th Inf & the 204th that can be confusing. Same 4 campaigns, almost same travel dates, parts the 204th leaving the US on 6 April 44, the 79th on 7 April 44, probably jioned up with the same troop convoy.

 

The bottom line is the organization shown in box 6 may not be the unit the soldier served with his entire time of service. Sometimes it just lists the LAST unit he was with.

[beth_farias]

Just want to say a heartfelt 'Thank You' for all of the helpful information and replies.

It is very much appreciated. I shall continue searching and learning

You guys are the best !

 

Fondly,

Beth

[Walt's Daughter]

Got a phone call from a gentleman, Al Wilson, who told me that his father, S/Sgt George C.S. Wilson, had donated all his items to West Point, including maps. So if anyone is interested, they can get in contact with West Point, regarding the 204th.