New - dad was 280th Engineer

[Ed's Daugthter]

Hi to all. I am new here. My Dad was a WWII veteran. From all of the reunions he attended and memories he shared he always referred to the 87th Engineers Heavy Ponton Battalion. His discharge papers reference Company C 280th Engineers Battalion. He was from Michigan. I was referred to this site from the Wild Bill Guarnere site. Sadly, my Dad died in December. He saved everything -- every piece of paper from that time, letters and some pictures. He shared a few stories over the years, but not much. Anyone out there know anything about the 87th? His service record states the following battles and campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. Thanks! I can post the photos he saved if anyone is interested.

[Walt's Daughter]

Hello proud daughter. Delighted to have a fellow daughter of a WWII engineer.

 

First off my deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to you and your family. I know from personal experience how hard it is to lose a father. To be honest, my heart has never quite healed and sometimes I still get all choked up when I'm writing or talking about him. He is ALWAYS in my

 

I will see what I can find out for you. We would love to hear all about your dad. Please feel free to share anything about him. Let's consider creating a page for him in the near future. If you've had a chance to check out the main site, then you've see the Memoirs Pages that I did for many of our vets.

 

Welcome to our FAMILY. I hope you will feel right at home amongst our vets and other contributors. So many wonderful folks here.

 

Smiles

[Walt's Daughter]

March 22, 1945

XII Corps made the first assault crossing of the Rhine in the Third Army area at Nierstein, starting at 2200 hours. More than 200 assault boats operated by the 204th and 249th Engineer Combat Battalions shuttled the troops across, and by dawn a substantial part of the 5th Infantry Division had crossed. The 87th and 88th Engineer Heavy Ponton Battalions constructed and began operating heavy ponton rafts by 0930 hours. Approximately 65 tanks and tank destroyers, plus hundreds of other vehicles, were ferried across during the day. DUKWs from the 453d Amphibious Truck Company made 220 trips with ammunition, rations, and gasoline.

 

March 23 —

In the Oppenheim area, Third Army, the 87th and 88th Engineer Heavy Ponton Battalions, and the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion constructed a 1,280-foot, Class-24 heavy ponton bridge in 13 hours.

[Walt's Daughter]

Several references to the 87th Heavy Ponton Engineers on this page, the 89th Inf Div.

 

http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_bookl...ntry/index.html

[Walt's Daughter]

Here's a contact name for you:

 

280th Engineer Combat Battalion (WWII)

Mr. Marlin Kreighbaum

1726 W. Bel Aire Avenue

Peoria, IL 61614-5628

(309) 691-9410

[Walt's Daughter]

Found that the 280th Engineers were contributors to the National WWII Memorial

 

http://www.wwiimemorial.com/default.asp?pa...subpage=vetssts

 

You can find there name under the heading, Other Contributing Veteran Groups.

[Walt's Daughter]

Here's another mention of the 280th at the Battle of the Bulge.

 

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/dadswar/bulge/index.htm

 

They are listed here:

 

Units at Unknown Locations

 

There are many units that received recognition for participation in the Ardennes-Alsace campaign. This is a list of some of those units so recognized but for which I have yet to determine their geographic location during the Battle of the Bulge. If you have information on these, please let me know.

 

260th Engineer Combat Battalion

275th Engineer Combat Battalion

280th Engineer Combat Battalion

281st Engineer Combat Battalion

285th Engineer Combat Battalion

286th Engineer Combat Battalion

289th Engineer Combat Battalion

290th Engineer Combat Battalion

293rd Engineer Combat Battalion

294th Engineer Combat Battalion

297th Engineer Combat Battalion

298th Engineer Combat Battalion

301st Engineer Combat Battalion

303rd Engineer Combat Battalion

304th Engineer Combat Battalion

305th Engineer Combat Battalion

[Walt's Daughter]

Here are a few pages from an engineering book that I have. The 280th are mentioned on page 518. This is in reference to crossing the Rhine in the spring of 1945.

280th_Engineers.pdf

[chambers]

Dang lady!! You're quick!

 

 

Brooke

[Walt's Daughter]

Just call me super sleuth sweetheart.