Extracted from Vol. III "Engineer History, Mediterranean Theater, Fifth Army"
540th Engineer Combat Regiment: The 54oth Engineer Shore Regiment was aactivated at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts, on 11 September 1942. During training, the 540th worked with the 36th Combat Regiment in ampibious exercises at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At Camp Bradford, virginia, and ont eh Chesapeake Bay. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were attached to the 60th and 47th Infantry Regiments of the 9th Division. This attachment was made for the purpose of coordinating infantry missions with those of shore engineers, and to create regimetal combat teams capable of forcing a landing and maintaining a beachead on hostile shores. On 19 October, the 2nd Battalion left the continental limits of hte United States folowed by the 1st Battalion on 23 October. The regiment was changed from a Shore Regiment to a Combat Regiment on 25 October. The convoy zig-zagged its way across the Atlantic, first toward England, the Bermuda, Dakar, the Canary Islands, and finally French Norht Africa. Both abattalions landed 8 November--D Day.They did various jobs including beach, port, and depotwork until assigned to Fifth Army on 15March 1943. Thereafter they trained with te I Armored Corps at Rabat and under the First Engineer Ampnibian Brigade at Port-aux-Poules. Modern equipment was issued to the regiment, and the men given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new amphibious truck called the "DUWK".