Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I hope to be an active part in this community! Most of what my uncle sent home from his service before his death, was sadly lost in a fire in the 1950's. I am going to look through my Dad's stuff to see if he has anything from Uncle Charlie that I might be able to share. I currently only have 1picture of my uncle, which is a photocopy. I have already learned more about my Uncle, and his fate from you folks, than I had learned all of my life, so I thank you all. I dont even think my Dad or any of his brothers ever learned of how Charlie died. So I am grateful for that information Gary! I will definitely be looking to get a copy of that picture provided by Lisa, of the unit. It will be a treat to see not only my uncle, but those men he shared his service with.
Thanks again,
Steve
ps: Yes, I was born and still reside in Ohio, between Akron and Cleveland.
Steve,
It is a shame that your uncle's items were lost in a fire. I was wondering if you had one of these 292nd campaign maps, showing their movements during the war. If not, we can sure hook you up with one.
My family's three and half month odyssey is over. Our Company A, 292nd CEB prints are framed and an identification plate is attached. Thanks, again, to Lisa for giving us the opportunity to not only own a piece of history, but one near and dear to our family. Thanks, also, to Marion for creating her little piece of cyberspace and thus facilitating this project as well assisting so many others in documenting those who came before and sacrificed for all of us.
As promised, here's the final project as complete.
Gary,
Very nice my friend, I'm sure your family is thrilled and proud to have one. I did the framing on ours myself. The local arts and crafts store did not have an exact size frame on the shelf, so used an oversize with white matte. Used my wife's label marker to do the inscriptions, I was confident in using the date, but hey if I'm wrong, it won't be the first time! I didn't think it turned out to bad. Talk to you soon,
Very nice my friend, I'm sure your family is thrilled and proud to have one. I did the framing on ours myself. The local arts and crafts store did not have an exact size frame on the shelf, so used an oversize with white matte. Used my wife's label marker to do the inscriptions, I was confident in using the date, but hey if I'm wrong, it won't be the first time! I didn't think it turned out to bad. Talk to you soon,
Looks great, bud! There is so many ways to do this that can make it look wonderful and your solution is one of them. I should have some time soon and will begin to get some documents scanned to share.
Later, my friend,
Gary
Gary L. Gates
Proud Grandson of Randall Gates
Mechanic, A and H&S Companies, 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 1149th Engineer Combat Group
It is a shame that your uncle's items were lost in a fire. I was wondering if you had one of these 292nd campaign maps, showing their movements during the war. If not, we can sure hook you up with one.
Randy did me well and got me "hooked up" with one of these and it is great! If you don't have one then our "main 292nd man" Randy can satisfy your need for one.
Until next time,
Gary
Gary L. Gates
Proud Grandson of Randall Gates
Mechanic, A and H&S Companies, 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 1149th Engineer Combat Group
I located two other units that shipped out with the 292nd on Oct 22, 1944 on the USAT Thomas H. Barry. They were the 90th Chemical Mortar Battalion and the 475th Military Police Escort Guard Company. Slowly, more details appear...
Gary
Gary L. Gates
Proud Grandson of Randall Gates
Mechanic, A and H&S Companies, 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 1149th Engineer Combat Group
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
I located two other units that shipped out with the 292nd on Oct 22, 1944 on the USAT Thomas H. Barry. They were the 90th Chemical Mortar Battalion and the 475th Military Police Escort Guard Company. Slowly, more details appear...
Gary
Hey Gary,
Good job! I too had spotted the 90th CMB aboard ship and I think another unit who's name and number escapes me at this time, I'm sure it wasn't the 475th MP's you speak of, guess I'm getting a touch of "old timers". God knows why but the government intentionally destroyed troopship records in 1951. Some folks over at ww2troopships.com started a most worthy and ambitious project to try and reconstruct the many convoy crossings. I submitted to them 1-2 years ago the info I had at the time about the USAT Thomas H, Barry's departure from New York on 22 OCT 1944, but apparently, "the light is on, but nobody home". Guess their interest in the project ran out, tis a shame. The only departure their site currently shows on 22 Oct 1944 from New York is the ship "Saturnia"(http://www.ww2troopships.com/crossings/1944b.htm), carrying the 286th ECB. The 282nd ECB was apart of this convoy, maybe even aboard the "BARRY", this topic was touched on this forum here at this thread http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=8379&hl= in case you missed it. Keep up the good work Gary my friend!
Gary, I had forgotten that Randy's post of the C Company photo had a date. So I would say you are right and most likely that they were taken on the same day or close to it... Ralph
Ralph my friend,
Just wanted to let you know that me and the family are going to be in Branson again on July 10th,11th, and 12th. If you are available on any of these days I would love for us to get together again for coffee or a meal. I plan on bringing a number of items of interest with me if this time frame suits you, just let me know.
Looks great, bud! There is so many ways to do this that can make it look wonderful and your solution is one of them. I should have some time soon and will begin to get some documents scanned to share.
Later, my friend,
Gary
Gary,
I am going to have a couple of weeks off from work beginning June 29th, in this time period I plan to complete the copying of the NARA documents I have and get them sent to you for scanning. I'm looking forward to getting the documents digitized for our 292nd "family" here which I know they will appreciate and I am hopeful will promote much discussion. Keep up the good work my friend,
Good job! I too had spotted the 90th CMB aboard ship and I think another unit who's name and number escapes me at this time, I'm sure it wasn't the 475th MP's you speak of, guess I'm getting a touch of "old timers". God knows why but the government intentionally destroyed troopship records in 1951. Some folks over at ww2troopships.com started a most worthy and ambitious project to try and reconstruct the many convoy crossings. I submitted to them 1-2 years ago the info I had at the time about the USAT Thomas H, Barry's departure from New York on 22 OCT 1944, but apparently, "the light is on, but nobody home". Guess their interest in the project ran out, tis a shame. The only departure their site currently shows on 22 Oct 1944 from New York is the ship "Saturnia"(http://www.ww2troopships.com/crossings/1944b.htm), carrying the 286th ECB. The 282nd ECB was apart of this convoy, maybe even aboard the "BARRY", this topic was touched on this forum here at this thread http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=8379&hl= in case you missed it. Keep up the good work Gary my friend!
Randy
Randy,
It is unfortunate that the records were destroyed without explanation. I will continue to gather the nuggets that fill in the holes in the history as I am sure others will here, If you remember what that other unit was that you had found that traveled on the Barry then give me a heads up. Hand in hand we walk forward, my friend, inching closer to the ultimately goal of complete documentation of the unit and at the same time help others in their searches. We may not ever get all the way there, but will never stop trying.
Gary
Gary L. Gates
Proud Grandson of Randall Gates
Mechanic, A and H&S Companies, 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 1149th Engineer Combat Group
