I am trying to locate records of my father's units with the Engineering Corps during WWII, especially in Europe, later Phillipines.Anything you can tell me is more than I know.
He is Leo Walter Zimmer, 36 895 965, 1-20-1943-12/22/1945. US Corps of Engineers. Pvt to t/5.
I am hoping you can give me info on the applicable forestry units that my father served with in WWII. I have only snippets of his units, although his over-riding role was with a forestry company in France. He drove heavy truck for 12months and was a carpenter for 9 months per service record. Here is what I know of the units for which I seek info:
796th Engineering Forestry Battalion. He was with them when he made t/5. I think in France.
1391st Engineering Forestry Division at one point. I think in France.
1063D Engineering Forestry Division at discharge. He was in the Phillipines with some (this?) unit after VE Day.
At discharge per DD-214 he wore 3rd Army patch on right shoulder; 6th Army patch on left shoulder.
Locations/timing I know of:
Jan 24, 1944 with the 1532nd S.U., Fort Sheridan, Ill.
May 1, 1944 - end of basic, early June. Camp Clairborne, LA per photo.
June - July 3/4 1944 Camp White on Rogue River, Medford or Ashland, Oregon per photos.
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.
Early August 1944 went to Cherborg, France.His first night in France was in Cherborg.Per letter home.
Sept 1944 wrote home from France.
October 1944 per a local radio announcement, "Zimmer is with the sawdust commandoos in France, under CO 1st LT Morris C. Reeve CE of Edwardsport, Indiana". It was labeled "Black boots deliver logs to Engineers to build."
October 23, 1944 in France with a Sgt Zumwalt per photo
December 1944 in Nancy, going up to Bastogne-area attached to Patton's 3rd Army per Dad.
Spent two months in Belguim, with Engineers staying/based at a monestary per Dad. Not sure if this was in 1944 (pre Nancy) or early 1945 after Bastogne.
Medals per DD-214 and letter from 1st LT James D. Barclay CE dtd 11Nov1945: Legion of Merit; Unit Meritorious Service Plaque; American Campaign w/star; Asia/Pacific Campaign; European/Africa Campaign w/4 battle stars (Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Germany); Phillipine Occupation Medal w/star.
No idea whatsoever about Legion of Merit but it was a well-worn ribbon so think it came from Europe, not Phillipines where he was training to clear mines on Japan's beaches.
If you can fill in any blanks it would be more than I know now. His units must have been small enough that they don't pop-up on searches for them. I do think they wee TAD to other units.
Thank you,
Bob Zimmer
Like my father, a proud combat veteran,
Mobile Riverine Force Vietnam, USN
as XO, USS Mercer (APB-39)
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
It was wonderful receiving your letter this week. I will be more than pleased to see what I can come up with. I also forwarded your information to dear friends; both are historians - one working in Alexandria at the Army Corps of Engineers' Office of History - the other works at Fort Leonard Wood. Between the three of us, we should be able to shed some light on your request.
I will also post this on my forum; this way I can put out more feelers among my members and readers.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. It's balmy here in Michigan for this time of year; 62 degrees and sunny. Loving it!
Warmly,
Marion
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
From the info Robert gives, it appears he was mostly with the 796th Engineer Forestry Battalion. The other 2 units were Engineer Forestry Companies. I havent found anything of the 1063rd or 1391st going to the pacific.
796th Engineer Forestry Battalion
Campaign Credits:
(13) Leyte, Companies A & C only
(15) New Guinea, Companies A, B & C only
25 Ardennse-Alsace
26 Central Europe
34 Rhineland
Occupation Germany, 2 May - 4 July 45
Meritorius Unit Commendation, 1 Nov 44 - 1 June 45, GO 219, Hqs TSFET, dtd 29 Aug 45.
(note: TSFET was the Theater Services Forces, European Theater, Formerly the services command, COMZ.)
1391st Engineer Forestry Company
Campaign Credits:
26 Central Europe
32 Northern France
34 Rhineland
Occupation Germany, 2 May - 14 Aug 45
1063rd Engineer Forestry Company
Campaign Credits:
26 Central Europe
Occupation Germany, 2 May - 4 June 45
There is a copy of the unit history of the 796th available at the Eisenhowr Library;
There appears to be a typo in the article were it mentions units attached to the 796th during this training, the article lists the 1931st Eng Forestry Co., but there was no such unit so it was most likely the 1391st Forestry Co.
Found a brief outline of the 796th`s history at All Experts.com - Military History. I cannot verify the information given at this time, but the source does seem reasonably good. You will have to get the actual unit records to verify this.
Military History/798th ENGR FORESTRY CO
Expert: LTC Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard - 1/9/2008
Question
QUESTION: My stepfather served in the Army from 22 Mar 1943 - 4 Dec 1945. His name was Paul O. Haney, Army Serial #:39 329 291, Rank:TEC 3, Military Occup.Specialty:Millwright 464. According to his discharge papers, he served with the 798th ENGR FORESTRY CO. Can you give me any info on the company and where he was stationed? He has a Asiatic Pacific Service Medal. I'm building a shadow box and am looking for a company badge or patch he might have worn, along with dogtags for that time period.
ANSWER: Dear Krystal,
I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but myself and a friend (he is an eminent military historian) checked the National Archives located in Suitland, Maryland and came up with the following information:
The U.S. Army had no 798th Engineer Forestry Company but it did have a 796th Engineer Forestry Battalion. It's war record is as follows-
Camp Claiborne, La. Activated 6-25-1943 to 4-25-1944
Camp White, Oregon 5-30-1944 to 7-15-1944
Camp Kilmer, N.J. Staging 7-20-1944 to 7-26-1944
Ship 6926-U.S.S.Gen. William Mitchell New York Port of
Embarkation 7-26-1944 to 8-06-1944
England 8-06-1944 to 8-20-1944
France 8-25-1944 to 11-07-1944
Belgium 11-07-1944 to 12-26-1944
France 12-26-1944 to 3-26-1945
Germany 3-26-1945 to 7-17-1945
Le Havre, France Ship 10897 7-17-1945 to 8-14-1945
Boston Port of Embarkation 8-27-1945 to 8-29-1945
Fort Lewis, Washington 9-05-1945 to 10-20-1945 Inactivated
Military Campaign Participations:
Ardennes-Alsace 12-16-1944 to 1-25-1945
Central Europe 3-22-1945 to 5-11-1945
Rhineland 9-15-1944 to 3-21-1945
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions. May God Bless-Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Thank you very much for the info. I sure hope my siblings and I can thread our way to more info but you have given us the only thing we've seen of any specificity to date.
Thanks again to all of you.
Bob Zimmer
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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?
Now that's enough to scare off a whole horde of wild boars!!!
Another great job, Larry. Many thanks for all your hard work.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
The orginazation of an Engineer Forestry Battlion & Company.
From Appendix B of the Corps of Engineers, The War Against Japan. pg 687
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Forestry Battalion consisted of 8 officers, 2 warrant officers, 82 enlisted men. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company supervised 3 or more forestry companies.
For organization details, see FM5-5, paragraph 420, page 185.
Organizational charts of a forestry company are found in a Thesis by Ralph Gordon De Moisy, titled: "A Plan For Equipping United States Army Engineer Forestry Companies", found at: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/20042
The company is commanded by a Captain, and a 1st LT as administrative officer, and a 2nd LT as supply officer commandind the service section.The maufaturing & logging platoons are commanded by 1st LT`s assisited by a Technical Sgt.
Figures 5,6 & 7 indicate the distribution of personel within the company.
