Monte Artemisio & Road to Rome

[Walt's Daughter]

Another one

[Walt's Daughter]

Back row: Farga, Daily

Front row: Coleman, Dunn

[Walt's Daughter]

Charles Edward Dunn 1945

[alkincer]

Co B 111 Engineers was called into active service on 25 November 1940. We remained in Bowie Texas untill the 27 December, on that date we moved to Camp Bowie Texas. Camp Bowie was at Brownwood Texas. We stayed there until February 1942, at that time we moved, the entire 36 Division, to Camp Blanding Florida. I was platoon sgt of the first platoon. in April of 42 I was assigned to the Engineer School OCS. I was commisioned in June. Several times during the war in Italy & France I was fortunate to visit with my friends from Co B 111th Engrs. Many of them were high school classmates.

[Walt's Daughter]

Sad news. Our thoughts and prayers go out tonight to Charles Dunn who is pictured in several posts above. Here is the letter I received today.

 

Hello, this is Eddy Stewart. I wrote about my "Grand pa" , Charles Edward Dunn of the 111th Combat Engineers of WWII. I received your e-mail and I thank you. I am sorry it has taken awhile to get back in touch but he is sick (had a stroke) and hospitalized in Pensacola, Florida. The Doctors are saying he probably wont leave the hospital. I will be getting in touch again soon. I just wanted you to know what was going on.

 

Thank you,

 

E. Stewart

[twobisquit]

In my Dad's copy of "The Road to Rome"it metions that the FSSF was relieved at Monte Artessimo by another unit. Dad wrote that that unit was the 36th Combat Engineers.

[Walt's Daughter]

Ah, just placed this elsewhere. Funny you should mention it...

 

 

I could expand a little on the First Special Service Force. When we were relieved from the Moletta River Front to get scraped off and some replacements we had only a few days to train them.. The Regiment ordered each of the Lieutenants who had the British Commando Training in Africa to go with two non-coms to the Musolini Canal Front with the FSSF. Our job was to learn the terrain and be ready to take over the positions when the Regiment followed up in about a week. I went along with the evening patrols as a rifleman with an experienced FSSF Sergeant leading and my non-coms did the same. It was quite an experiences and we learned plenty to run the patrols and raids when the rest came up.

 

The FSSF never got the opportunity to blow out the Heavy Water plant in Norway which they were originally trained for but they did a heck of a job wherever they went. They spearheaded the assault out of Anzio and later went to France to outpost the line between France and Italy. They had been supplemented by the survivors of Darby's Rangers and actually were wasted in France. Eventually they were converted to the 343rd Infantry Regiment and the Canadian Soldiers returned to Canadian Divisions.

 

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.