1270th Engineer Combat Battalion

Battalion History by Charles W. Averill, 1st Lieutenant, CE, Battalion Historian

Excerpts from Information obtained from the National Archives

March 30, 1944

The 1270th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas.
Captain Loren C. Matthews, O-285399, CE, assumed command.
A cadre of Officers and Enlisted Men was drawn from the 253d Engineer Combat Battalion, Camp Crowder, Missouri and Camp Forrest, Tennessee and from the 397th Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 42nd Infantry Division, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma.

April 1944

Captain Floyd E. Saxer, 0-1100317, CE. was appointed Executive Officer
Second Lieutenant Edwin K. Fox, 0-1594168, CE, was appointed S-2 and S-4.
Second Lieutenant John A. Holman, 0-541446, CE, was appointed S-1
Second Lieutenant George A. Redding, O-1648657, was appointed S-4.
85 enlisted men were assigned and joined from the 397th Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 42nd Infantry Division, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma.

May 1944

On 22 May the first period of training began and completed on September 2, 1944.
Second Lieutenant Thomas A. Novy, O-1596446, CE, was appointed S-1.
Lieutenant Colonel Nils R. Gustafson, O-207338, CE, assumed command.

June 1944

First Lieutenant Frank A. Pankratz, Jr. O-1726452, DC, was assigned Battalion Dental Officer and First Lieutenant James I. Laird, O-508385, MC, was assigned Battalion Surgeon.
Captain Thomas M. Culbertson, O-386066, CE, was appointed S-2 and Major Jack Neal, O-356095, CE, assumed command.
First Lieutenant Eldred L. Collins, O-382134, CD, was appointed S-1.
61 Enlisted Men were assigned and joined from the Anti-Aircraft Training center, Camp Haan, California.

July 1944

Second Lieutenant George R. Carpenter, O-1110979, CE, was appointed S-1.
Second Lieutenant Harold E. Mayo, O-1117011, CE, was appointed S-1.
Lieutenant Colonel Hugh M. Connors, O-229175, CE, assumed command.
On July 5, carbine record, Submachine Gun, caliber .45, Browning Heavy Machine Gun and Heavy Barrel Caliber .50 M1917 fire were conducted and all selected men qualified.

August 1944

August 30-31, Military Training Program Tests were conducted under the direction of Headquarters, XXXVI Corps, Fort Riley, Kansas, with a rating of Satisfactory Plus.

September 1944

First Lieutenant Constantin Dallas, O-1101800, CE, was assigned S-2.
On 29 September Captain Garlin A. Robinson was appointed S-2.
Captain Clair L. Howard, O-302920, CE, was assigned S-4
Captain Ernest R. Dixon, O-500376, CE, was appointed S-4.
September 17, 100% of personnel qualified in close overhead fire.
The second period of training began on September 4 and was completed in two weeks by 100% of the personnel.

October 1944

Headquarters, XXXVI Corps, Fort Riley, Kansas conducted a maintenance inspection and reported a rating of satisfactory.
The Battalion departed from Camp Chafee, Arkansas 14 October for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey arriving at 0410 hour, october 17.
The Battalion departed from Camp Kilmer for New York on October 21.
The Atlantic crossing was made on the "Sea Owl" on 31 October, 1944.

November 1944

On 1 November the Battalion was relieved from assignment to the 12th Army group and attached to United Kingdom Base.
2 November the Battalion disembarked at Avonmouth, England and arrived at Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset at 1700h. Billeted at the Cairo Hotel.
On November 5, a recreational tour was conducted to the Cheddar Caves.
First Lieutenant Robert O. Bands, O-1047869, CE, and Second Lieutenant Glen A. Odle, O-1647631, CE, and 8 Enlisted Men attended a Mine and Booby Trap School at Headquarters, South District

December 1944

Captain Garlin A. Robinson and 4 Enlisted Men attended the Bailey Bridge Instructor's School at Pangbourne, England on 4-9 December 1944.
The Battalion participated in Bailey Bridge Training at Wallingford, England from 13-18 December.
Second Lieutenant Linford B. Bachtell attended Graves Registration School at Cambridge, England from 12-13 December.
December 23,The Battalion was relieved from attachment to XXI Corps and attached to XXIII Corps.

January 1945

Captain Frederick V. Benjamin, O-408273, CE, was appointed S-2.
The Battalion participated in Special Infantry Training at Minehead, England from January 14 - 27
Captain John D. Gough, O-456470, CE, was appointed S-2.
Battalion strength as of January 31 was 30 officers and 580 Enlisted Men

February 1945

On 1 February Second Lieutenant Charles W. Averill, SE, o-1057952, was appointed S-1.

March 1945

March 10, an Advance Detachment left for the Continent. On 14 March the Battalion departed from Weston-Super-Mare and arrived at Dorchester, England at 1415 hour.
March 15, Battalion left Dorchester at 0600 hour and arrived at Portland,Harbor, England at 0800 hour. Personnel and light automotive equipment were put aboard two LST's; heavy equipment were loaded on an LCT. The Battalion departed Portland at 1730 hour.
March 16, Battalion arrived at Le Havre, France and at 2000 proceeded to Camp Old Gold, Yvetot, France; a "cigarette camp".
March 20, Battalion relieved from assignment to the 15th Army and assigned to the 3rd Army. The Battalion was relieved from attachment to the 23rd Corps and the 1125th Engineer Combat Group and reattached to the 1126th Engineer Combat Group
March 20, Battalion departed Camp Old Gold at 1000 hour and arrived at Soissons France at 2040 hour.
March 21, Battalion departed Soissons at 1000 hour and arrived at Longuyon, France at 2030 hour.
March 22, Battalion departed Longuyone at 900 hour and arrived at Metternich, Germany at 1730 hour.
March 23, Battalion departed Niederzerf at 900 hour and arrived at Longuyon, France at 2030 hour.
March 24 - April 3, A and B Companies were engaged in continual road maintenance in the Koblenz area including highways 327, L-200 and 108 up to the Rhine. These roads comprise the MSR for the VIII Corps.
March 24 - 26, C Company were engaged in bridge building in the Koblenz area. March 27, C Company departed Metternich and arrived at Stadtkyl, Germany to begin construction on a 110 foot Class 40 D/S fixed Bailey Bridge over the Nirft River at the junction of N-51 and L-59. Before construction was begun, a ford was built across the Nirft to facilitate traffic. During construction, a road block formed by a demolished overhead railroad bridge was removed. The bridge was complete March 29.
March 30, Headquarters and H&S Company moved from Metternich to Beulick, Germany. Company C departed Stadtkyl and arrived at Beulick, Germany. March 31, A Company departed Metternich and arrived at Kratzenburg, Germany.
March 31, the 1st and 3rd platoons of B Company began dismantling a 420 foot class 40 D?S floating Bailey Bridge across the Moselle River at Winnigen. There was no Bailey equipment available for dismantling the bridge. Panel carrying sticks were improvised from 2x4's. The project was complete April 1.
Total Battalion strength as of March 31 was 20 officers and 538 Enlisted Men.
Battalion attached to 1126th Engineer Combat Group

April 1945

April 2, B Co. departed Metternich and arrived at Schwall, Germany.
April 3, A Co. departed Kratzenburg and arrived at Bingerbruch, Germany.
April 4, A Co. began construction of a Class 70 fixed timber bridge over the Nahe River south of Bingen. The job was cancelled by higher headquarters on April 5. 10% of the bridge had been constructed
April 4, C Co. began construction of a 300-foot Class 70 D/S fixed Bailey Bridge over the Nahe River south of Bingen. The bridge was constructed at the site of a demolished arch bridge. Two of the existing piers were leveled and cribbing was built using the leveled piers as a foundation to support. One crib was 55 feet high and the other, 65 feet high. Working on 24 hour a day shifts, the bridge was completed on April 5.
April 3 - 5, B Company was engaged in continuous road maintenance
April 5, Tec 5 Earl Miles seriously injured his head and dislocated his left shoulder. Pvt. Andrew R. Chaisson seriously injured his head and dislocated an arm and broke a leg in a 2 1/2 ton truck accident.
April 6, Headquarters, H&S Company and C Company moved from the bivouac area at Beulick to Oberaula, Germany. A Company left Bingerbruch and arrived Oberaula, Germany. The Battalion occupied German billets in Oberaula, utilizing the facilities of a former Nazi girls' school.
April 7, B Company left Oberaula and arrived at Hersfeld. Company B was assigned the job of preparing billets for Third U.S. Army Headquarters at Hersfeld. 166 2 1/2 ton truck loads of refuse, 30 tellermines and 90 booby traps were removed from the buildings.
April 9, Headquarters and H&S Company departed Oberaula at 0900 and arrived at Bauhaus at 1130. Billets and offices were found in the buildings of a copper mine, the "Schnepfenbuschschact."
Two timber bridges were constructed at Breitenbach and Hersfeld. A shortage of drift pins was solved by making 3,000 pins in 10 hours in the copper mine.
B Company patrolled highway A-4 from Alsfeld to Hersfeld from April 10 - 13.
April 14, B Company dismantled a 80 ft. D/S fixed Bailey Bridge at Hersfeld. The bridge was moved to the Engineer Bridge Dump at Eisenach.
April 15, B Company moved to Spichra, Germany. Continued road maintenance and repair on the A-4. Filled 270 pot holes using 36 yards of gravel and 165 gallons of bituminous emulsion.
April 17, H&S Company and B Company moved to Arnstadt. Quartered in German billets. A former German Finance Office was used as Battalion Headquarters.
April 19, Battalion Headquarters, H&S Co. and B Co. moved to Neustadt near Sonneberg. A Co. moved to Koppelsdorf.
April 20, Battalion relieved from attachment to the 1126th Engineer Combat Group and attached to the 1152nd Engineer Combat Group.
A Co. began construction of a Class 70 1-way, Class 40 2-way, timber trestle Bridge across the Main River at Lichtenfels.
Lumber was produded at a sawmill in Lichtenfels operated by A Co. The bridge was complete on April 26. The first outfit to cross the bridge was a Tank Destroyer Battalion attached to the 14th Armored Division, Seventh U.S. Army.
The commanding office of the battalion stopped his column and commended the company on the bridge stating it was the finest he had crossed in Germany.
April 20, B Co. moved to Hochstadt and began construction of a Class 70 timber trestle bridge. The construction was carried out beneath an existing Bailey Bridge and did not interfere with traffic flow. There was only a 59 minute delay in traffic while the Bailey was being dismantled
April 22, Battalion Headquarters and H&S Co. arrived in Schney, Germany. C Co. arrived at Lichtenfels.
Second Lieutenants William E. Howard, John F. Gumper and Eric H. Schwenker joined the Battalion.
April 23, 2d Lt. George S. Bosan, O-545400, CE, was seriously injured in a jeep accident. He fractured both legs, was hospitalized, and did not rejoin the Unit.
April 25, Tec 4 Robert E. Brandli. 33369410, and Pvt. First Class George R. Paquette, 31447011, were killed, and Tec 5 James F. Jones, Jr., 38667157, was seriously injured in an enemy ambush near Weissenstadt, one mile from Battalion Headquarters. All three men were from H&S Company.
April 26, B Co. moved to Schonbrunn. A Co. moved to Wunsiedel.
April 29, Headquarter and H&S Co. moved to Roth. A Co, moved to Hilpolstien, B. Co. moved to Berching. C Co. moved to Schwabach.
April 29, The Battalion relieved from attachment to the 1152nd Engineer Combat Group and attached to the 1123rd Engineer Combat Group.

May 1945

May 1, B Co. moved to Greding, C Co. moved to Beilngries.
May 6, Battalion Headquarters and H&S Co. moved to Siegenburg. C Co. moved to Karlstadt.
May 8, Unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich
May 10, A Co. assigned the job of constructing a Prisoner of War enclosure in Auerbach. Relieved of the job on May 13.
May 10, Battalion attached to III Corps.
May 13, Battalion moved to Frankfurt. Battalion relieved from attachment to III Corps and attached to Headquarters Command, SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces, APO 757, U.S. Army
May 13, Battalion Headquarters and H&S Company were located in Fechenbeim occupying buildings connected with the I.G. Farben Fechenheim Plant. A and C Co. were billeted in a former school building in Frankfort.
Captain Ernest R. Dixon, 0-500376, was named Utilities Officer
Captain Frederick V. Benjamin, 0-408273, was put in charge of a volunteer Displaced Persons Camp, a labor group composed mostly of Italian displaced persons. These men were used by the Companies on their various assigned jobs.
A and C Co. performed a great many jobs in Frankfurt vicinity - built a road from Bad Homburg to General Eisenhower's quarters, a bypass around a demolished bridge on the autobahn through Niederursel between Frankfort and Bad Homburg.
A and B Co. renovated a former Nazi Labor camp for use as a Prisoner of War enclosure in Hochst.
C Co. repaired roads throughout Frankfurt, renovated the main I. G. Farben Office Building and annex in Frankfurt which was occupied by SCHAEF Headquarters.
Repaired 9 holes of the Frankfurt Golf Course and the field House on the Athletic Field.
B Co. attached to the newly formed Group Control Council in early May. The Co. prepared a former German Wehrmacht garrison in Hochst for occupancy by 3,000 Control Council Troops. The job included interior decoration as well as construction and resulted in comfortable quarters for the occupation troops.
The mission accomplished with the aid of a 500 man PW work battalion. B Co. also partitioned a large building of the I.G. Farben plant in Hochst into offices for the Control Council.
Battalion left Frankfurt for redeployment to the Pacific. B Co. was preparing to leave for Berlin to perform the same mission for the Council there.

June 1945

June 30, Battalion strength was 31 officers and 612 Enlisted Men.

July 1945

July 9, First Lieutenant George W. Gonyo joined the Battalion. July 11, First Lieutenant Louis W. Mech, Stephen G. Duke, and John W. Kell and Second Lieutenant William Brakey joined the Battalion. July 16, First Lieutenant William H. Watts, and Second Lieutenant James A. Richardson joined the Battalion.
July 20, Lieutenant Colonel Hugh M. Connors, Major Floyd E. Saxer and First Lieutenant Harold E. Mayo was tranferred to Headquarters, USFET. First Lieutenant George W. Gonyo was transferred to the 346th Engineer General Service Regiment.
July 20, Major Jack Neal assumed command of the Battalion
July 21, the Battalion departed from Frankfurt in Battalion vehicles and arrived at Nancy, France at 1800 and bivouacked for the night, after travelling 180 miles.
July 22, the Battalion departed Nancy at 0900 and arrived at Dijon, France at 1730. Distance travelled 120 miles.
July 23, the Battalion departed Dijon at 0830 and arrived at St. Rambert, France at 1800. Distance travelled 175 miles.
July 24, the Battalion departed St. Rambert at 0830 and arrived at Calas Staging Area, 15 miles from Marseille at 2230. Distance travelled 160 miles.
Prior to departure from Frankfurt, and in anticipation of direct redeployment of the Battalion to the Pacific which was scheduled, the high point men were cleared from the outfit. All personnel readjustments made were in accordance with Section IV and V, ETO-SOP No. 60, June 1945 and Section II, ETO-SOP No. 61 May 1945.
July 25, The following changes in assignment of Officers was made, Captain Clair L. Howard was assigned as Executive Officer, Captain Garlin A. Robinson was assigned as S-3, First Lieutenant William P. Bannister was assigned as Liaison Officer, First Lieutenant Clarence E. Cuyler was assigned as Company Commander, First Lieutenant Louis W. Mech was assigned as Reconnaissance Officer, First Lieutenant Edwin K. Fox was assigned as Assistant S-2, and Second Lieutenant Linford B. Bachtell was assigned as Assistant S-3
July 28, Captain Frederick V. Benjamin was appointed S-4, and First Lieutenant George D. Kormann was assigned as S-2.
July 31, Captain Ernest R. Dixon and First Lieutenant Martin V. Anderson were transferred to the First Staffing Area Battalion, Calas Staffing Area.
July 31, Battalion strength was 31 officers and 630 Enlisted Men.

August 1945

August 2, Master Sergeant Hugh P. Nigro was discharged from the Army to accept appointment at Warrant Officer Junior Grade. On August 3, he was appointed Temporary WOJG, Technical Specialist - Motor Transport and assigned H&S Company, principal duty Assistant Battalion Motor Officer.
While the Battalion was stationed at Calas, from July 24 until September 4, the automotive, engineer and certain items of individual equipment, including rifles, helmets and liners, were processed for shipment overseas.
Personnel received cholera shots, booster typhus and typhoid shots and smallpox vaccinations.
Field Lieutenant William P. Bannister was placed on temporary duty as Security Officer on the ship carrying the Battalion's organizational Engineer Equipment and departed August 9, 1945.
During this period many Officers and Enlisted Men enjoyed leaves and furloughs on a TD status to the Riviera, Paris and Lourdes on quotas issued by Headquarters, Calas Staging Area.
Those less fortunate enjoyed passes to Marseille, and time off at the Delta Base Beach near Marseille, or at the numerous Red Cross Clubs and open air theaters in the staging area itself.

September 1945

August 30, First Lieutenant Warren A. Bosley joined the Battalion.
September 4, the Battalion started to board the S.S. General Squier in the Marseille Port of Embarkation
Most of the personnel still uncertain whether the Battalion was headed for the Pacific or the United States.
August 15, Victory over Japan Day, Japan surrenders, ending WWII.
The General Squier docked at Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Newport News, Virginia on September 14 after a fairly smooth crossing.
At 0800 that day the Battalion started to disembark, and by 1100 had arrived at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia where personnel were quickly processed.
By midnight, September 15, all personnel had departed for the Reception Station closest to their home for discharge or 45 days TD at home.

November 1945

November 27, 1945, the 1270th Engineer Combat Battalion was inactivated as per. 1, Section III, General Order No. 42, 4th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Special Troops, First Army, dated November 24, 1945.