292nd Engineer Combat Battalion (New Member)

[Sir Gator]

Here's one more, folks. I found a photo of Sylvester A. Stuiber SN 36 807 983 from the Kaukauna High School in Wisconsin from 1942 along with a fellow from the unit photo that I think may be him. Take a look. The eyebrows are distinctive and the same in both. The creases on both sides of the nose look the same, also, as well as the flatness at the bridge of the nose. The left ear is very similar. The shadowing and the fact he is trying to avoid looking in the sun from the company photo makes it a bit challenging, but that is my case for the ID.

[Sir Gator]

Gary,

 

Here is another item Ralph had shared with me awhile back (that Ralph is good people!). It is an article written by Medical Detachment member SSGT Richard Wardlaw detailing his experiences with the 292nd. Think you will enjoy this.

 

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Keep up the great work, my friend

 

Randy

Randy,

 

Thanks for the post, my friend! It just so happens that Pete sent me a copy of this when he sent me the Engineer Group documents. I agree, though... thanks to Ralph and also to Pete for their work in contributing to our discussions here. Here's a little info on him including his entry into the Army in 1940, reenlistment in 1943 and his grave marker. Tragically for him he never knew his father. His mother was about six weeks pregnant with him in Jan 1919 when his father passed away of "pneumonia fever" at the age of 31 leaving his mother with four kids and Richard on the way. It's clear from the above article that you posted that despite these early circumstances that he was still able build a life of service to his country and one that was very productive and fulfilling.

 

Until next time,

 

Gary

[Sterling's daughter]

Gary,

I think you've got a very strong match with Steiber.

 

I don't think I'm with y'all on the KP theory. Everyone else is dressed for the photo. If the KP guys stayed in their whites, you'd think everyone else would be in fatigues. When you say "medical detachment," are you talking about medics? They'd be with the unit, but I don't think they'd be in white, would they? And why would they be placed so prominently? It's definitely an interesting little problem. Too bad we can't see insignia on more of these guys.

 

I did give a copy of the Company A photo to the Camp Butner Society. I definitely want to get them some names, but you're adding so many names every day that I think I'll wait a while. Right now, they don't have a place to display it anyway. The museum is just a small room currently, and they told me they have quite a bit in storage. Based on what I've seen on their Facebook page versus what was in the museum, I'd have to confirm that.

 

Randy,

The original Company A photo is also lightly brown, almost sepia. It's too even to be aging, in my opinion, so I think the light brown is original. Looks good with the khaki in the uniforms. Just my opinion.

 

Lisa

[Sir Gator]

Gary,

I think you've got a very strong match with Steiber.

 

I don't think I'm with y'all on the KP theory. Everyone else is dressed for the photo. If the KP guys stayed in their whites, you'd think everyone else would be in fatigues. When you say "medical detachment," are you talking about medics? They'd be with the unit, but I don't think they'd be in white, would they? And why would they be placed so prominently? It's definitely an interesting little problem. Too bad we can't see insignia on more of these guys.

 

I did give a copy of the Company A photo to the Camp Butner Society. I definitely want to get them some names, but you're adding so many names every day that I think I'll wait a while. Right now, they don't have a place to display it anyway. The museum is just a small room currently, and they told me they have quite a bit in storage. Based on what I've seen on their Facebook page versus what was in the museum, I'd have to confirm that.

 

Randy,

The original Company A photo is also lightly brown, almost sepia. It's too even to be aging, in my opinion, so I think the light brown is original. Looks good with the khaki in the uniforms. Just my opinion.

 

Lisa

Lisa,

 

Randy has a point that you'd think that maybe these guys would be attached to H&S Company? It's possible that maybe the white "lab coats" are the uniforms that would coincide with the the uniform that the other soldiers are wearing? We'll have to keep working on this. Lisa, take a look at the pages that Randy posted above and you will see that Wardlaw mentions that he was transferred to the 292nd in Nov of 1943 to "organize and train the members of the medical detachment, which consisted of one dentist, one doctor, one staff sergeant and fourteen medical specialists of different ranks". I do agree with you that sepia tone of the photo is really fantastic with the subjects and composition of the photo. We love our framed ones!

 

More comparisons coming soon so keep watching!

 

Gary

[Sir Gator]

Here's an updated A Company image with a few more guys identified... 12 so far and hopefully more to come! Incidentally, C Company folks, once Randy has done his thing with your company photo then we will begin to identify as many of those guys as well.

 

 

Gary

[Sir Gator]

Alright, here's the next comparison. This is Harry J. Tischbein, Jr SN 35 674 622 in the 1940 Withrow High School (Cincinnati) yearbook, the 1942 Dennison University (Ohio) yearbook along with a guy I think may be him from the A Company photo. Opinions?

[buk2112]

Here's an updated A Company image with a few more guys identified... 12 so far and hopefully more to come! Incidentally, C Company folks, once Randy has done his thing with your company photo then we will begin to identify as many of those guys as well.

 

 

Gary

Hey Gary,

 

The photo shop contacted me earlier today and informed me that no major restoration work was necessary on the Company C panoramic(didn't figure there would be). They gave me the price and they are proceeding with what had been discussed. This included restoring it to a true black and white, I'm sorry if this is going to make it stand out a lot different from the Company A photo. Had I read your posts before they called I might have canceled that. Will see what we got when they are done.

 

Randy

[buk2112]

Alright, here's the next comparison. This is Harry J. Tischbein, Jr SN 35 674 622 in the 1940 Withrow High School (Cincinnati) yearbook, the 1942 Dennison University (Ohio) yearbook along with a guy I think may be him from the A Company photo. Opinions?

Folks, Gary is real good at this isn't he? I'd say that's a definite match

 

Randy

[Sir Gator]

Recently, Randy posted the ship's name that the 292nd had shipped home on, the SS Hampden Sydney Victory. I ran across some manifest documents from that trip which began on Feb 21, 1946 in Le Havre, France and ended in New York Harbor on March 2, 1946. Unfortunately, there were no unit documents with passengers from the units that came home on that trip (some ships had unit lists like this). These are all the documents that I have found from the trip.

 

Gary

[Sir Gator]

Hey Gary,

 

The photo shop contacted me earlier today and informed me that no major restoration work was necessary on the Company C panoramic(didn't figure there would be). They gave me the price and they are proceeding with what had been discussed. This included restoring it to a true black and white, I'm sorry if this is going to make it stand out a lot different from the Company A photo. Had I read your posts before they called I might have canceled that. Will see what we got when they are done.

 

Randy

Don't be sorry, my friend. We all appreciate the time and effort you are putting into this. Let's see what they come up with and if there are major differences then we can make decisions from there. You may want to message me if the price is high and I'd be more that willing to kick in a portion if that is the case. Anything for the cause, folks!

 

Gary