285th Engineers

[Walt's Daughter]

Thanks for the updates. A thread is never considered OLD and is always open for addendum. Always pleased to see additional info added to our site.

[mikel]

I guess I'll add some more details to this just in case someone else happens upon this while looking for information on the 285th.

 

The 284th and 285th rode over to the ETO on the Marine Raven, information on this ship can be found on the 284th's website and scattered about the internet.

 

As far as the 1142nd I asked Dale about it and his response was:

 

I wrote to Pace explaining I was in the 285th before it had the fillers just cadre. He posted my email on his page but I have never had any reply. I remember the 1142nd sign in Camp Crowder and I know that was the group we were assigned. I can not remember if we were assigned that group in the ETO. The only assignment I am sure of is that we were XII Corps.

[mikel]

Now for a couple stories from Dale:

 

Marine Raven:

When we boarded to the Raven we had most of what we owned in a back pack. I forget the exact number of bunks, there were either 7 or 8. They folded against the wall (bulkhead?). The bottom bunk was deployed you were instructed to lay down in the bunk, with your backpack on and stay there till notified you could get up. The second bunk was lowered and the next in line got that bunk, lay down and don't move (couldn't move if you had to after the next bunk was lowered). You laid there till all 7or 8 bunks were occupied then you had to wait till the entire room maybe 70 or 80 men were in the bunks. When all the bunks were full and the next room was opened you could get out of the bunk. Of course the top bunk had to get down first and the first bunk was the last to get out. No place for claustrophobia. And of course during the sea trip it was always one of the top bunks that the occupant got sea sick and of course the ensuing "waterfall".

 

I was just talking to one of my friends I graduated from high school with and we agreed it was a great experience but hoped no one else had to endure anything like it.

 

40/8s:

Had more room on the 40/8s. While awake pretty much room. Nights were cosy. It was cold but you "spooned" with another G.I. Not all that comfortable but we kept each other not warm but from freezing.

Most of us were pretty lucky but a couple of the 40/8s had been damaged by shell fire and had holes in the roofs. I think those guys were more uncomfortable than we were. Another car had a 4 foot hole in the floor where some idiots had built a bonfire.

 

I rememeber at a long stop somehow we were furnished bread. I stood outside the car with my arms extended and got as many loaves of bread as I could carry. I was told to run to the end of the train and 2 loaves NO MORE ! to each car. As a result the train started just as I ran out of bread so I just jumped on the car till the next stop. We never knew how long a trip would be or when or how long a stop would last.

[Walt's Daughter]

Great to hear those stories, for they are priceless. Every time I read recollections such as his, I always think about how COLD they were. It truly makes me appreciate that I can simply walk in my door at any time and get warm and toasty. When I shovel snow each year and am fighting the wind and the elements, I think about all those GI's enduring the winter. I tell myself, "you are only going to be out here for 20 minutes, those poor guys were out there for days upon days and weeks upon weeks, without any real shelter, you have it easy, Marion." It's a real reality check, isn't it?

[mikel]

Brief history of the 285th: (my apologies for any spelling errors, the font is small and faded on the document that I'm reading for this)

 

Arrrived at Barry, Wales aboard the USS Marine Raven, debarked 2 NOV 1944. Boarded train there and proceeded to Delamere Park Camp, 1 mile NW of Cuddington Station, England. Battalion quartered there until departing for continent. Embarked 7 Jan 1945 at Southhampton, England. Debarked at Le Havre, France 9 Jan 1945. Entrained to Camp Twenty Grand SW of Duclair, France. Entrained again after sweating it out for a week on salmon and cheese for Ukange, France. Departed by truck for Delheim, Luxembourg 20 Jan 1945. Assigned to Third Army, attached to 12th Corps, further attached to 42nd Cavalry Sqdn of 2nd Calvary Group. Relieved of attachment to 42nd Cavalry Sqdn and attached to 1137th Engr. C. Group 3 March 1945 at Wecker, Luxembourg. 17 March 1945 placed in direct support of 11 Armored Div. east of Bitburg, Germany. Relieved of support to 11th Armored Div. 24 March 1945 at Undenheim, Germany. Place in direct support of 4th Armovered Div until relieved 31 March 1945 near Lauterback, Germany. Crossed the Rhine river 25 March 1945. Relieved of support of the 4th Armored Div and attachment to 1137 Engr. C. Group 31 March 1945. Attached to 1135 that date. Relieved attachment to 1135 Engr. C. Group; attached to the 1137 Engr. C. Group at Herbstein, north of Gedern, Germany 7 april 1945, being relieved of this support 22 April 1945 and made direct support of 26th Infantry Div. that date at Kaltenbrunn, Germany. Remained in support of 26th until termination of war and relieved 12 May 1945.

[mikel]

Battle Map:

 

[CaptO]

That's a lot of miles of walking! Of course, I think most of that was probably motorized, but riding the pine in a deuce and a half isn't a whole lot better!

[Walt's Daughter]

Nice to have the details.

[mikel]

For archival purposes here are some more 285th documents. These pertain to when Patton talked about the two untested engineers in his book "The War as I Knew it". They were attached to the 2nd Cav were essentially a battalion of engineers were used as infantry to cover what was once covered by a regiment!

2ndCavAARFebruary1945.pdf

2ndCavAARJanuary1945.pdf

[Walt's Daughter]

What can I say but, fantastic. This will be such a treasure for those interested in this unit.