Here's another link. A bit of info located almost to the bottom of the page - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=a62cee70-4fef-4ac2-86b5-b405cb8e430e
Dad served with the 1252nd Engineer Combat Battalion, H&S Co., in General George S. Patton’s, 3rd. Army. The battalion sailed from New York City 22 Oct. 1944 on the HMR Tamaroa, and debarked at Avonmouth England 4 Nov. 1944.(While here, Dad wrote a big brother letter to Don, telling him about Army life. The letter was published in Andrew Carroll’s book, "Grace Under Fire". To read the letter, go to:
www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/graceunderfire/exhibit_guf_4.php
After moving to Torquay England where they received more training, the battalion sailed from South Hampton England on board MV Sobiesky, and landed via U.S. Navy LCVP at Lye Havre, France 31 Dec. 1944. The 1252nd participated in the Ardennes - Rhineland - Central Europe Campaigns, building bridges and roads, laying and removing mine fields, establishing water points, and pressing the enemy.
During the Rhineland Campaign: On 26 March 1945, Co. C, with two platoons of Co. A and one platoon of Co. B, relieved the 165th Engineer Combat Battalion at St. Goar, Germany, and continued to ferry the 89th Infantry Division across the Rhine River while under heavy small arms and 20mm cannon fire by the enemy. The 89th Infantry Division was the first American unit to actually come upon a Nazi concentration camp. Ohrdruf camp was quickly liberated on April 4.
At this time, Dad was up in the castle Burg Rheinfels, built in 1245, with the artillery forward observers, who called in artillery rounds that came whistling in over their heads, landing on the enemy positions across the river. The rest of the battalion crossed later that day and began to build the pontoon bridges for the units that were to follow.
The battalion suffered: KIA-5, Seriously Wounded-9, Lightly Wounded-23, and Injured-4, during their time in action, and captured 68 pillboxes, help take 5 towns, and took 76 prisoners. The battalion embarked at Marseille, France on the S.S. Bienville on 23 August 1945, arriving in the United States at Boston, 4 September 1945.
At 282Deg. and 33 paces, you will find my Uncle Don. He was a Tech. 4 and serviced in Co. B of the 98th Signal Battalion, in the Pacific theater, and later as part of the occupation forces in Japan. Donald R. - August 14 1926 – July 15 19(J)1 Betty L. - October 27 1925 – October 3 2004
