SUE - HERE IS THE HISTORY OF THE 53RD, I HAVE THEIR CRUISEBOOK. I'M CHECKING OUT WITH MY SOURCES. - THAT IS MY PHOTO OF SEABEE DEMO TEAM 3 ON GUAM. THE SEABEES HAD DEMOLITION SQUADS, THAT WERE DIFFERENT THAN THE "UDT" (UNDERWATER DEMO TEAMS). THE DEMOLITION SQUADS REMOVED MINES THIS IS MOST LIKELY WHAT YOUR FATHER DID.- THE UDT TEAMS DID RECON ON THE BEACHES PRIOR TO THE ASSAULT FORCES. I'LL GET BACK YO YOU.
53RD BATTALION
Alter activation at Norfolk Dec. 22, 1942, the 53rd NCB moved to Davisville, R. I., Dec. 28,
and was divided into two sections Jan. 16. 1943. The Second Section left Davisville Feb. 7
with orders to join a section of the 17th NCB to form the 120th NCB. Exact movements of
Second Section are unreported following departure from Davisville. On Feb. 12, one
company and one fourth of Headquarters Company of the First Section moved to Hadnot
Point, New River, N. C. for duty with the Fleet Marine Force. Another company, with
Headquarters group, went to San Diego for duty with FMF The Hadnot Point detachment
was transferred into Naval Construction Replacement Group, Camp Lejeune, New River,
N. C., Feb. 15. The 53rd was assigned 13 officers and 541 men from the replacement
group at Lejeune, and seven officers and 268 men from replacement groups at Camps
Elliott and Pendleton, San Diego. The contingents joined at San Diego Feb. 26, and sailed
for Noumea, New Caledonia, March 11, arriving March 25. The 53rd was designated as
Naval Construction Battalion, First Marine Amphibious Corps, April 14. The Battalion
switched operations to Guadalcanal Oct. 12, 1943, and from there sent one detachment to
Vella Lavella and several groups to Bougainville in November and December. The
Battalion regrouped at Guadalcanal in January 1944, and on May 12 was redesignated the
53rd NCB. In six echelons, the unit moved to Guam, participating in the invasion, and was
on duty there when the war ended.
