Very facinating research in studying and analyzing the data on this unit, it has more twists & turns than a cold war spy novel.
This would make a perfect example to use for a presentation or article on the difficulties of researching a WWII veteran.
Here we have a Battalion activated with 3 line companies, A,B,& C. The 3 companies ship out to the pacific before the battalion goes to Oregon for unit training keeping their designation as companies of the 796th for a year, hence showing campaign credit listings both with the battalion and under their new designated numbers.
So only the Battalion Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, & Med Det go to Oregon and have 5 other companies attached to them for unit training, ( per the newspaper article) the
1388th Engineer Forestry Company
1389th Engineer Forestry Company
1390th Engineer Forestry Company
1391st Engineer Forestry Company
1392nd Engineer Forestry Company
Then Battalion Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, & Med Det ships out to England & on to France with no mention of any companies going with them. So who are their line companies in France? We dont know. Possibly 3 or 4 of the companies attacthed to the battalion for unit traing? The 1388th served in India - Buma but the other 4 have similar campaign credits EXCEPT the 1391st which does NOT have credit for Ardennes.
The unit history might provide this information.
So where does Mr Zimmer fit in? Comparing the info Robert gives us, it`s still unclear what unit he was in.
"May 1, 1944 - end of basic, early June. Camp Clairborne, LA per photo."
25 Apr 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det departed Cp Claiborne for Cp White, OR.
30 Apr 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det arrived Cp White, OR.
Mr Zimmer is still at Cp Claiborne after the 796th arrives in Oregon?
"July 20, 1944 in England. Worked on pontoons for D-Day follow-up. Do not know when he got to England, but sometime in July, after the 4th.Per letter home."
15 July 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det departed Cp White, OR.
20 July 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det arrived Cp Kilmer, NJ.
26 July 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det departed NYPE
05 Aug 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det arrived England
Mr Zimmer writes home from England before the 796th leaves the US.
Robert will have to compare the travel dates in box 36 of the discharge docmument to the dates of the 796ths movement to England. The dates given should be within 2 days of his units movement.
"Early August 1944 went to Cherborg, France. His first night in France was in Cherborg.Per letter home."
20 Aug 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det departed England
25 Aug 44, Hq, Hq & Srvc Co, Med Det arrived France
It appears Mr Zimmer was in France before the 796th?
"1391st Engineering Forestry Division at one point. I think in France"
One problem i see with Mr Zimmer being in the 1391st EFCo is that he has campaign credit for Ardennes but the 1391st does not, while the 1389th, 1390th & 1392 does.
Now we need to figure out the next step. What records need to be found first?