10th engineer combat battalion

[Walt's Daughter]

Got this letter this week from Jay Ryan:

 

I'm looking for information on the 10th engineer combat battalion in WWII.

My great uncle served with this unit from Anzio to War's end. Thanks!

 

Here's the letter I sent back to him:

 

Hi Jay:

 

The 10th Engineer Combat Battalion was a part to the 3rd Division and you can try contacting the following person:

 

10th Combat Engineer Battalion,

3rd Infantry Division

Mr. Howard B. Nickelson

1209 Bryon Circle

Carlsbad, NM 88220

(Newsletter)

(505) 885-5336

 

You may also want to talk to one of the vets I know, Dick Feitz. This is what he has on his web page:

 

"...Just to explain my sudden interest in WW II: I dug out all the pictures of the Southern France operation when my daughter was assigned there in 1998. One, in particular, got me doing research--the picture of Wilfred Boucher next to his Piper Cub on the beach. A little research identified him for me. We began corresponding and developed a circle of individuals who had an interest in that invasion. It consists of Dutch Schultz, who wrote about his Piper Cub "Janey", Cap't. Francis A. Even, of the 10th Engineer Combat Battalion, who designed the take-off platforms on LST's that were used to launch observation planes, Wilfred Boucher and myself..."

 

I will send your letter to him this morning and let you know what I hear back.

 

(I also sent him all the links for the 3rd Division on my site too)

[Walt's Daughter]

Dick Fietz sent me the following on this:

 

Marion Chard e-mailed me that you have a question or two re; The 10th.

 

I have a publication sent to me by its author, " The Impromptu LST Aircraft Carriers of The Mediterranean in World War II." He is Capt. Francis A Even.

 

The 10th was part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

 

I don't know if the publication is available elsewhere. If you can give me some specific questions, I'll try to answer them for you.

 

Also, Francis Even may still be alive. He has a law practice in Chicago, specializing in patent law.

helpfully,

Dick Fietz

[Custermen]

The 10th was part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Appendix C of Carlo d'Este book Fatal Decision, which is about Anzio, lists the 10th Engineering Battalion as part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

However, my table of Divisions lists the 3rd Engineering Battalion as the unit assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. This is confirmed by the unit history of the 3rd Division that was published for the soldiers at the end of the war.

 

Unit History of 3rd Infantry Division contains a list of attached units at the end. It does mention the 10th Engineering Battalion in the text. (Search for "Engr" and "10th")

 

My Reference Table of Divisions lists the regiments, artillery battalions and engineer battalions established in each Division.

 

Just my observations. A little confusing, eh?

Steve

[Walt's Daughter]

Well actually here's the breakdown for infantry divs in WWII:

 

Organization Compositions of Divisions, Infantry

 

Here's the breakdown for the 3rd Infantry Division:

 

3rd Division Table of Organization

 

The 10th Engs were always a functioning unit of the 3rd Inf in WWII.

The engineer "attachments" for the 3rd Inf Div were:

• 36th Engr Regt
• 290th Engr C Bn
• 2831st Engr C Bn

The 3rd Eng Bn was organized as the 3d Battalion of Engineers on 25 March 1901, at Fort Totten, New York. On 1 October 1941, the Regiment was reorganized to form the 3d and 65th Engineer Combat Battalions. The 3d Engineer Combat Battalion became one of the organic components of the 24th Infantry Division. They saw their first action at Pearl Harbor and continued on in the Pacific Theatre of Operations.

 

Here's the complete lowdown:

 

History of the 3rd Engineers WWII

[Custermen]

Well actually here's the breakdown for infantry divs in WWII:

Organization Compositions of Divisions, Infantry

Thanks for the Link. I'll cross-check it against mine. But you notice----that link is missing many divisions-----34th, 85th, 88th 91st, 92nd ----seems to be all the divisions that served in Italy, as well as the Airborne Divisions

 

I'll have to correct my table for some of the lower numbered divisions, such as the 3rd.

 

Steve

[Walt's Daughter]

Yes, that particular site is missing info, but it served the purpose for our discussion here.

[Custermen]

----that link is missing many divisions----

I see why. The title of the page doesn't explain it but the Link includes "ETO", which I guess excludes the Italian Front & the Pacific.

 

Steve

[Walt's Daughter]

In case anyone is interested, they can find more info regarding the European and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations.

 

European Theatre of Operations

 

Mediterranean Theatre of Operations

[Walt's Daughter]

There is a related link to this thread below. Scroll down to the bottom of the thread and read a couple of pages regarding the building of a bridge by the engineers in Sicily.

 

Cape Cavala Bridge - Sicily - August 1943

[jfbruns]

My Dad served in the 10th engineers from N. Africa to Germany. I am publishing his diary 70 years to the day he wrote it.

 

I keep track of the men mentioned in my Dad's diary and list them on this page: http://70yearsago.com/reference/

 

Look forward to hearing from anyone about the 10th.

 

John Bruns