343rd Engineer General Service Regiment

[Matt Malley]

Just called one of your recommendations in VA thank you!! Looking at dad’s honorable discharge laminated card, it confusingly says “369 Engineer Combat Batalion”... different unit from the first one I found...so begins my quest down the rabbit hole - thank you for your awesome site Marion!! 

[Walt's Daughter]

Don't let that throw you for a loop. Men were frequently discharged with other units going home. A common occurrence. 

[Matt Malley]

19 minutes ago, Walt's Daughter said:

Don't let that throw you for a loop. Men were frequently discharged with other units going home. A common occurrence. 

Got it thank you!!

[Walt's Daughter]

I can't tell you how many questions I get regarding that. :-) It's confusing as hell, and has led many a person on a wild goose chase. That's the army for ya!

 

[Matt Malley]

1 hour ago, Walt's Daughter said:

I can't tell you how many questions I get regarding that. :-) It's confusing as hell, and has led many a person on a wild goose chase. That's the army for ya!

 

Lol good to know I’m not alone!

[Matt Malley]

On 1/31/2019 at 12:56 PM, Matt Malley said:

  Wow!! Reading your dad's page right now and I am shocked at our similarities - "the box"!! That's what I'm going through now, at 55 years old, as we're getting my 90 year old mother ready to live with us and she's having me sort through the "treasure vs. trash" in her existing house where I grew up! You, and your site here are such a great resource Marion!! I tried getting dad's records from the St. Louis archives and you must know about this but in the 70's I believe, there was a fire or flood and letters M-Z (or something like that) were lost forever. Dad's records were one of them. So great to be connected here...reading the rest of your dad's page now.

  Hi Marion and anyone who might be watching - here is some real gold - I saw that this memorial has been mentioned but I can't seem to get a photo to load. My childhood friend Mike Detwiler has been on this case for a few days and found a pic on Google of the 343rd Memorial in Nettlebed, (closer to Highmoor than Nettlebed proper). First here's a link to the spot on Google Maps:

  https://goo.gl/maps/ApaohxDnjPT2

  And a close-up of the memorial: 

[Walt's Daughter]

Ya, ain't that cool. I remember that photo. Thanks for reposting for our readers. 

[Matt Malley]

On 2/5/2019 at 5:15 PM, Matt Malley said:

  Dear Marion and anyone who might be watching - here is some real gold! My childhood friend Mike Detwiler has been on this case for a few days and found a pic on Google of the 343rd Memorial in Nettlebed, (closer to Highmoor than Nettlebed proper). First here's a link to the spot on Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5656969,-0.987609,3a,90y,123.67h,88.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9AqN9spL-gK5jkjcUYDqsQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

  And a close-up of the memorial: 

 

[Matt Malley]

 

Hi Marion and all, here's something cool - possibly the ship that my dad, (and some if not all?) of the 343rd sailed off to war on: (2 links) - please let me know if this looks accurate or not:

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Argentina_(1929) 

   http://moore-mccormack.com/SS-Argentina-1938/SS-Argentina-1938-Timeline.htm

[Walt's Daughter]

Wonderful and you should find this helpful too. It's a reference guide:

Troop Ship Crossings WWII - great site!

http://ww2troopships.com/index.html