Enjoyed your site -- I served in the 2nd Corp Engineers, 5th Army in Italy. At the end of the war in Europe, was aboard ship heading to Japan when peace was declared. The ship was then rerouted to Newport News, VA. I ended my army career at 2nd Corp headquarters in Louisana.
Never received any info regarding reunions perhaps because I was overseas such a short time, having joined the unit in northern Italy as a replacement. Do you have any interesting info on this unit's activities?
One proud Veteran
Robert H. Eklund
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He wrote back and added that he was with the 401st Combat Engineers that I joined in Udine, Italy in 1944.
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Here's some info I gathered. I will have more hopefully this weekend.
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Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1940 as the 19th Engineers
Redesignated 1 August 1942 as the 19th Engineer Combat Regiment
Regiment broken up 1 March 1945 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows:
1st Battalion as the 401st Engineer Combat Battalion
(Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Engineer Combat Group; 2d Battalion as the 402d Engineer Combat Battalion -- hereafter separate lineages)
401st Engineer Combat Battalion inactivated 6 December 1945 at Camp Polk, Louisiana
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Here's a link for the Order of Battle. Your bn was attached to IV Corps earlier in the war:
The 401st and 402nd Battalions started off as the 19th Combat Engineer Regiment. Here is a name for a gentleman. I'm afraid I can't tell you for sure if he is still alive, but it's worth a try.
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"
Found this little tidbit. Not much, just states a little about this particular gentleman.
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John Castle
John Castle entered the Army on May 1, 1942, on his 30th birthday. Basic training took place at Fort Leonard Wood, KS. He was assigned to the 5th Army, 19th Combat Engineer's. He arrived in North Africa in November of 1942, followed by action in Sicily and Italy until the German surrender. John attained the rank of Staff Sargeant. He was offered the opportunity to receive a promotion and to move the Pacific Theater of operation, he did decline. John was discharged in Sept. of 1945..
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Here's a bit more...
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During World War II, designated as the 1st Battalion, 19th Engineer Combat Regiment, the Battalion participated in the North African, Sicilian, and Italian Campaigns. In November 1942, the battalion was part of the assault echelon in landings in North Africa. Over the next several months, the unit maintained main supply routes, repaired airfields, conducted recons, built bridges, cleared mines, dodged air attacks, prepared obstacle systems and fought as infantry. On 19 February 1943, the battalion reorganized as infantry and dug in as part of the 1st Infantry Division’s defense at Kasserine Pass. On the night of 20 February 1943, the battalion came under intense fire. The unit suffered 117 casualties at Kasserine. For the remainder of the Tunisian Campaign, the 52d Engineer Battalion provided construction and combat engineer support to the 1st and 34th Infantry Divisions and the 1st Ranger Battalion. A major part of the support was keeping over 360 miles of roads open.
The battalion was again in the assault echelon during the invasion of Sicily. The engineers hastily cleared sections of beaches, reconnoitered for exit routes, provided dozer support and knocked out pillboxes. When the unit moved inland, they repaired the Comiso Airfield. During the march across Sicily, the engineers spent most of their time probing for mines, bypassing blown bridges or occupying positions alongside the infantry.
During the fighting in Italy, the battalion was given one of the toughest missions assigned to any engineer unit in World War II, support for the 36th Infantry Division’s disastrous crossing of the Rapido River. In the bitter battle, the engineers built bridges in open terrain under heavy enemy fire. The 36th Infantry Division was destroyed in the fighting. The battalion spent the rest of the war supporting operations in Italy.
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World War II
Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead)
Tunisia
Sicily
Naples-Foggia
Rome-Arno
North Apennines
Po Valley
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Here's a link (PDF file) that contains a reference to the 19th Combat Engineer Regiment, as well as many others in the ETO and PTO.
This was taken from my friend Steve's page on the 310th Engineers.
The Gothic Line, August 1944 - "Fifth and Eighth Armies were now moving slowly closer to Florence and the Arno River. Headquarters of both armies had several plans under consideration for crossing the Arno. River-crossing training of the 85th Division was stepped up. On 2-3 August, Companies A, B, and C of the 310th Engineer Battalion, with two companies of the aattached 1st Battalion, 19th Engineer Regiment, moved to the banks of the Elsa River south of Certaldo, where they practiced bridge construction for ten days. This river was fifty feet wide and from three to four feet deep. The engineers, working every day, built and dismantled foot bridges and treadway bridges. They also fashioned 'flying ferries' of M-2 assault boats. The rest of the Division continued to occupy itself with river-crossing problems, and Division and unit commander prepared plans for crossing the Arno west of Signa, which was west of Florence."
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I will keep looking through my Fifth Army books, etc. to see what else I can gather for you.
I strongly suggest that you call the Army Corps of Engineers and talk to Michael Broadhead. He's head of the history department there, a good friend, and a real gentleman. He played a huge part in the success of this site and has also helped many others in their research.
Tell him that you are looking for records for the 19th Combat Regiment, which later split into your battalion the 401st, and the 402nd.
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 Fort Ord Panorama Newspaper Fort Ord began its evolution into what we would recognize today in June 1940. The area purchased in 1917 and known to the troops at the Presidio of Monterey as the “devil’s own acres†had been used by them as a training and maneuver area since World War I. The area sometimes known as the Gigling Reservation then consisted of 15,000 acres of manzanita scrub brush and sand. Elements of the 3rd Infantry Division participated in exercises here in early 1940 before building began in earnest.
The 7th Infantry Division was activated by order of the War Department on 1 July 1940 at Fort Ord with the soon to be famous Brigadier General Joseph Stilwell as its first commander since World War I. It began moving into a tent city at Camp Ord (later called East Garrison), while a more permanent post was hurriedly constructed in an area close to Highway 1, known as Camp Clayton. One of the units stationed at the Presidio of Monterey during the inter-war years, 2/76th Field Artillery, became the first unit of the new division. The other unit that was stationed at the Presidio of Monterey, the 11th Cavalry, was soon moved to southern California for duty on the Mexican Border. The 17th Infantry Regiment, a unit traditionally associated with the 7th Infantry Division, was pulled from various posts throughout the country and assembled at Fort Ord. Other units assembled or activated at Fort Ord for inclusion in the Division were: the 32nd Infantry, the 53rd Infantry (activated 1 August 1940), and the 31st Field Artillery (activated 1 July 1940). Non-divisional units at Fort Ord were: the 19th Engineer Regiment (Combat, Corps) -- this unit originally activated as the 39th Engineer Regiment (General Service) on 27 June 1940 was redesignated as the 19th four days later -- and the 1st Medical Regiment.
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"
This was an early link that I had originally placed on my Stories page.
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memories of Tim Nelson
email to:timbo@nellie.com
I wrote this short story after locating and gathering info from the reunion association of my Dad's II Corp unit, the 19th Combat Engineer Regt. This is a true story.
-Tim Nelson
Los Gatos, California
December 7th, 1941. The living room radio delivered news of a deliberate three-hour attack on the American Pacific naval fleet. This repulsive bludgeoning infuriated America, and would forever change the world . My dad, Clay Nelson, enlisted in the United States Army the next day.
Induction centers were flooded with spirited young men. Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, was boot camp for my Dad, like many men from the "Iron Range" of Minnesota. This is where he became friends with a soldier who enlisted from Chisholm, a short drive from his parents home in Hibbing. Earnest Decobellis was a nice kid from a big family of Italian immigrants who sent two sons off to war.
The combat engineering unit they were members of became the first group of Americans to sail to England for the eventual invasion of North Africa. The agonizing boat ride was followed by more training in England, Ireland and Scotland. Earnest and my Dad, fraternal brothers of Minnesota, found their home in the anti-tank gun crew of the third platoon, Company B, 19th Combat Engineers Regiment.
North African soil offered them targets of battle hardened German troops, the Afrikakorps. Together, they often performed numerous reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines. On one occasion, Earnest and my Dad were decorated with a Bronze Star medal with "V" device for destruction and capture of several enemy armored vehicles, capturing 20 and killing an unknown number of Italian and German soldiers in a protracted three-day skirmish deep inside enemy territory in southern Tunisia. One of their prisoners was an Italian Major. Col. William O. Darby, of "Darbys Rangers" movie fame, overlooked the skirmishes and accepted the prisoners.
The hostilities of North Africa and the invasion of Sicily hardened the American soldiers for perhaps the most agonizing ground campaign of the entire second world war. Italy. After many months stalemated in the Liri Valley under the watchful eye of the Monte Casino monastery, the British and Americans rushed to capture Rome before Eisenhower's Normandy invasion of D-Day. The Germans were skilled at fighting a planned defensive retreat, making the allies pay in blood for each step of ground.
This was, as Fifth Army General Mark Clark said, the "engineers' war". (Most American soldiers, by the way, has a great dislike for Clark, seeing him as arrogant, aloof, and uninformed) The combat engineer is perhaps the most resourceful man on the battlefield. His task was to act as regular infantry, but also spearhead river assaults, disarm and plant booby traps while subjected to unpleasant sniper, mortar and artillery fire. When the infantry or armor is stalled, call the combat engineers. When a bridge must be destroyed to stop the enemy advance, call the combat engineers. In fact, I spoke to one former 19th combat engineer who claimed he volunteered for an Airborne Infantry assault unit just to escape the misery and discomfort of the tasks assigned to this engineering unit.
Earnest and my father were the only men in the weapons squad from Minnesota's Iron Range, and among the first men in the state to be twice decorated for heroism. They both won the Silver Star on an April morning in 1944. The commendation, written personally by Maj. General Willis Crittenburger, commander of the VI Army Corps, reads:
"For gallantry in action on night of 28-29 April 1944 in the vicinity of Minturno, Italy. These men were responsible for maintaining the vital pontoon bridge over which supplies to our forward elements were being transported. Between 0100 and 530 hours the bridge was hit directly and seriously damaged by enemy artillery fire on three separate occasions. During this time one man was killed and two others were wounded. It was required that all men work constantly while completely exposed to the accurate and continuous enemy fire. During this time the destroyed pontoons were replaced, damaged pontoons were repaired and pumps were kept running in order to keep punctured pontoons afloat. The fearlessness and skill with which these men accomplished this task resulted in keeping this vital bridge in continuous operation and the complete saving of valuable equipment. Their heroic devotion to duty reflects great credit on themselves and the traditions of the Armed Forces of the United States."
My dad, now diseased, almost never talked about that day. That was the day in April of 1944, where his efforts earned him a Silver Star, and his best buddy, Earnest Decobellis died in his arms at the edge of the Garigliano River.
After dodging incoming heavy artillery for hours, finally a direct hit from a 88mm was scored on the bridge, landing between Earnest and my father. They were within an arms length from each other. The swirling curtain of shrapnel lifted Earnest from the bridge, and threw his mortally wounded body into the icy river. The agonizing and redundant screams of this wounded man echoed through the dark Italian Valley.
Earnest was pulled from the river and carried off the bridge by my Dad. A witness told me that Earnest was screaming my dads' name, his final words, as enemy artillery shells continued to pounded the bridge. He expired in my dads' bloodied arms.
This savage dance with death still brings tears to the eyes of those who men witnessed it. Soldiers who watched this incident from the protection of foxholes received Bronze Star medals, to illustrate it's resonating ferocity.
The bridge remained floating through the attack, and the engineers were relieved by replacements at daybreak, just as the artillery assault had stopped, and the mission was accomplished. The men quietly returned to their bivouac, or sleeping area, to lick their wounds. The men of "B" company were still quite shaken by loss Earnest when a young man from Headquarters company arrived with an urgent letter for the dead soldier that morning. Grieving friends read the dispatch that ordered Earnest Decobellis to pack his belongings and return home immediately for the funeral of his brother, Fred, who was very recently killed in the South Pacific.
The bodies of the Decobellis brothers were flown home. They were buried the same day in the Chisholm, Minnesota, cemetery. The small mining town shut down at noon that day. Residents could not to forget the contributions of the Decobellis family. The men of "B" Company, 19th Combat Engineers, some fifty years later, would not forget the likable kid named Earnie.
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"
19th Combat Engr Regt (WWII): Debra King (618) 939-5213
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"
Extracted from "Vol II Engineer History Mediterranean Theater, Fifth Army"
19th Engineer Combat Group (19th Engineer Combat Regiment) The Arno through the winter static phase.
On 31 August, the 2nd Battalion, 19th Engineer Retiment, had been relieved of all assignments and attached to IV Corps. A road net was assigned on both sides of the Arno in the Pontedera-Empoli area. Rubble was cleared from these towns and neighboring villages, bypasses were constructed, fills made and mines cleared. The battalion gave support to Task Force 45, 1st Armored Division and the 6th South African Armored Division while attached to IV Corps, and was detached 5 September and returned to regimental control. (This battalion later became the 402nd and the 1st Bn became the 401st Bn. 19th Engineer Group)
Heavy rains on the night of 7-8 September caused a treadway and a Bailey bridge over the Arno River just east of Florence to wash out. Both bridges had been constructed too low. Since the Bailey bridge was on a main supply route and the attack on the Gothic Line only a few days away, a 300 foot floating treadway bridge ws constructed as soon as bridging could be hauled to the site. The Bailey bridge was salvaged by dragging it out with blocks and truck winches.
As the Gothic Line was attacked on 11 September, the 19th Engineers had their usual job of supporting the division engineers. The 1st Battalion started the attack in support of the 91st Division, but on 13 September changed to support the 85th Division. The 2nd Battalion remained in the rear, taking over the roads and supporting the 1st Battalion where it required help until 21 September when it began giving direct support to the 88th Division Engineers.
The 19th Regiment advanced up Highway #65, then continued on #6524. On 18 September, the main defenses of the Gothic Line were borken and for some miles our forces moved forward rapidly. In a few places the enemy had failed to demolish bridges or side-hill cuts and the engineers were able to keep the roads open with little difficulty.
Near the end of September the havy rains started. They caused no end of trouble by washing out culverts and frills, making fords impassible and softening the roads until they could not stand up under the heavy traffic.
As the 19th advanced in September through Vaglia, Aan Piero, Acarperia, to Firenzuola and north, it operated three water points, constructed sixteen bailey bridges, totalling 2,000 lineal feet, and one 90 foot trestle treadwaybridge, in addition to filling craters, building revetments and construction of five cub strips. A the storms continued through October, the roads required more and more work to keep them open. Supply and evacuation became critical at times, and the move forward finally came to a standstill.
The 19th worked day and night to keep traffic moving. The deep mud and very rough roads soon began to show in the operation of vehicles and equipment. There were many break downs and spare parts were hard to get, until frequently units of the regiment were almost without vehicles and equipment and the efficiency of their work dropped proportionately.
During the latter part of October, the 19th received 2 1/2 ton cargo trucks from the Corps Quartermaster which helped materially in keeping the roads open. The work done in October was similar to that of the previous month. From Firenzuola the 19th Engineer Regiment moved north and east, up Route #6528, and across country to contact #6531 near S. Benedetto. The northeren boundry on these two roads was near the town of S.Clemente and Tazzola, respectively. Seventeen Bailey bridges totallying 1,600 feet were constructed, twelve cluverts installed, five minefields cleared and cratered, bypasses, fords, fills and a cub strip worked upon.
On 8 November, the 2nd Battalion turned Route #937 over to thte XIII Corps and moved to the regimental area near Frassineta, about two miles east of Monghidoro, and began construction of a road from that point to the southern end of Route #6531, which followie ith Idice Rive south from S.Benedetto to highway #65 at Filligare. "Easy Street" was finished on 29 November, a one-way, all-weather road. The 1st Battalion worked on the maintenance of roads in the interior area between Highway #65 and Route #937 in support of the 88th Division, which relieved the 85th on 18 November. the 34th Dividion in turn relieved the 88th on 13 January and the 91st followed on 11 February.
During the month all men of the regimeht had the opportunity to spend six days of rest in Montecatinin, the first rest period for the organizatin since June. Three snow posts and one sub-station were opened in December. On 22 December, the ground froze hard, and a day later five inches of snow fall. Sand and gravel that had been stockpiled alont the roads were spred on he snow and ice, and little difficulty was experienced in keeping the roads open. In January the snow was sometimes as deep as twenty-two inches.
The road maintenance work was easier from that time, as no new potholes developed. In January eight bridge sites were prepared for demolition and six minefields laid.
401st and 402nd Engineer Combat Battalions.
The latter part of February was spent in planning for the reorganization of the regiment into a group. The new unit was called the 19th Engineer Combat Group, with the old 1st Battalion named the 401st Engineer Combat battalion and the 2nd Battalion the 402nd Engineer Combat Battalion. The changeover officially took place at midnight between 28 February and 1 March. The road assignments on route #6531, the Quinzano road from Highway #6531 to Highway #65, and the tributary roads and trails remiained the same. During March, there were rest periods again, and bridge training was done on teh Arno with Baileys and M-2 treadways.
I will research the role of the 19th Engineer Combat Group during the Po Valley Campaign next.
Bravo! You spent a lot of time placing that info here for my friend and for all of us. Can't tell you how much it is appreciated. Thank you.
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"
A platoon of the 19th Engineers relieved me , just one hour before, of the job of building the bridge across the Rapido river for the assault by the 36 Division in January 1944. No one ever explained to me why the switch was made. I suppose THe Lord had plans for the brave engineers from the 19th that died that night I commanded 1st platoon of co. B 48th Engrs. at the time. I have thought many times about the operation. Why, WE, were the ones that had trained for and had made a special reconnaissance of the site. Yes The 19th was in Italy!!! I tell of the operation in my writings. AL Kincer 48th Engrs
Added note from Marion -
Al and others. I've noticed that changing the font sizes, etc. are still a problem for many on this forum. Here's a helpful hint.
If you want to change the size of the font, etc., first highlight all the text with your mouse, then while it's still highlighted, go up to the size box and select from it.
Extracted from Vol II Engineer History, Mediterranean Theater, Fifth Army.
19th Engineer Combat Group
For the first half of April, the 401st and 402nd Engineer Combat Battalons of the 19th Engineer Group, Commanded by Colonel John D. Cole, Jr., were mainly occupied with road maintenance on Route #6531 and the route between Loiano and Quinzano. Culverts were widened, narrow places were dozed and blasted to allow two-way traffic, ditches were cleaned out and Bailey bridges were removed. The roads became very dusty in April due to the very dry spring. Water tankers, some from the 405th Engineers and some "homemade" ones, were used to combat this difficulty.
401st Engineer Combat Battalion
As II Corps jumped off on 16 April, the 401st Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jack S. Berry had Company "A" working with the 109th Battalion, and Companies "B" and "C" with the 316th Battalion in support of the 34th and 91st Divisions, respectively. Company "B" Worked up Highway #65, and shortly thereafter the battalion command post went up the same road to a bivouac near Sabbione.
The work of the 401st on Route #65 was mostly the construction of bypasses and clearing of minefields. At Pianoro, a bypass had to be constructed through a minefield. A lane ws cleared using both mine detectors and prodding; nevertheless, a D-7 bulldozer was blown up.
It appeared that the 401st might be one of the first units to enter Bologna, but on 20 April the battalion was transferred to IV Corps sector to work with the 1108th Group, in support of the 1st Armored Division. The following day, the battalion moved to Mount Moscoso on Highway #64. The day after the move, a Class 40, 60-foot, double-single Bailey bridge was built over a damaged bridge at Modena.
The companies were leap-frogging each other to keep up witht eh 1st Armored Division. On 23 April, the next day, a 180-foot, triple-single Bailey was built across the Panaro River near Modena. Two other Bailey bridges were installed the same day.
On 24 April, work began to "bulldoze down" the banks of the Po River at S. Benedetto. Float construction began at 1600 hours. All night long the work progressed, and at 1045 hours, 25 April. the first bridge across the Po River (the longest bridge ever built by the battalion) was officially opened. The next day, a 75-foot M-1 treadway bridge was constructed across the Mincio River. On 28 April, a 110 foot triple-single Bailey bridge was built at Montichiari.
Later, rain caused such a rise in the river that the original stone support upon which the bridge rested gave ay, and the bridge collapsed into the river bed. The fallen bridge was recovered with difficulty, then replaced with a 60-foot addition to insure its resting upon a solid base.
In the fast moving situation in the last half of April, there were several times when the battalion had groups of men very close to the front. Often it seemed that they would be surrounded and cut off from aid. The last two days of April found the 401st COmbat Battalion maintanining the main suppoy routes in IV Corps sector.
On 30 April, the 401st got word that it would return to the 19th Engineer Group Headquarters. The battalion crossed over to the II Corps sector by way of Verona, Padova, and Vicenza and bivouacked at Castelfranco. On the day of the surrender of German forces, the battalion built a 100-foot trestle treadway bridge across the swift-flowing Piave River, about midway between Feltre and Belluno.
402nd Engineer Combat Battalion
When the advance began on 16 april, the headquarters of the 402nd Battalion split into two sections, and forward command post moved to Bilbulomo. Also on 16 April, Companies "B" and "C" were assigned to support the 313th Engineer Battalion of the 88th Division. Company "A" worked on the net of roads between Highway #65 and # 6620, and on 24 April was at Poggio Rusco.
On 21 April, Company "B" began construction of two 110-foot spans of triple-single Bailey bridge across the Reno River near Praduro. which was completed two days later. On 22 April. the 402nd's support of the 34th Division was terminated, and Company "C" was switchd to the 91st Division.
Company "A". assisted by units of Companies "B" and "C". constructed an M-2 treadway bridge across the Po River about two miles east of Ostiglia on 25 April. Company "B" maintained the bridge the next two days, then went to support the 88th Division in its crossing of the Brenta River on the 28th. An M-1 trestle treadway bridge was built, which was damaged by a tank on 30 April, but ws promptly repaired. The bridge was on Highway #53 between Vicenza and Cittadella.
In the meantime, Company "A" had moved north to construct an M-1 treadway bridge across teh Adige River at Legano. WHen the construction was completed, the unit began to rock the approaches. This work continued until the next day , when Company "A" was relieved by Company "C". On the last day of the month both Company "C" and Company "A" movet to the town of Treviso.
In May, the 402nd Engineer Combat Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Donald S. Nero supported the 85th and 88th Divisions by making minor road repairs and maintaining the Brenta River bridge.
