A little research help.

[60buick]

I am trying to do a little reasearch on some family in WW2 and am not sure where to look. I pulled all the information I have from letters, V-mail 50 year old documents and the internet. No relatives that remember are alive and the ones still around don't care. The only one who would know is my grandfather but he is unable to talk. This is all the information I have uncovered in a few months to my dissapointment. There is more out there I just don't know where to find it.


My grandfather

Sgt. William Arlie Thomas 34182701
898th ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company
Entered sevice July 8th 1941
Was in India, Burma, Egypt, Calcutta, Oran Algeria, Ledo Bazar
Seperation 27th November 1945

My Grandfathers Brother.

Private first Class Willard D Thomas 34630175
Co. 2. 142 Inf
Enlisted April 24 1943
Died of Wounds
He was alive to write my grandfather a letter on January 2nd 1944
My dad says he died some where in Germany.


My Grandmothers Brother

Corporal Carl Gregg 14080161
enlisted February 21 1942
Died in 1992

I know he was in Germany and brought home some stuff off a dead Nazi including a Nazi flag.

No one knows much of anything about him.

See if you can read who he served with off the V-mail.



Can any of you army guys identify the patches or bars?



Just some stuff I thought was interesting.
The Camp Kilmer Booklet is a guide to the base.
There is my grand fathers military drivers licence
His meal card and a coupon for ciggs and it also doubles as a movie coupon with all the shows and times inside.
Then a Guide for the Stillwell road in Burma and what to see as far as sight seeing and the history behind the road.

[scoutsout]

Ok...Your dad's brother served with Company "G", 142nd Infantry.
142nd was part of the 36th infantry Division. Unit history is as follows:

April 1, 1943 - Sailed from New York harbor

April 13, 1943 - Landed in Oran Africa. Division to Magenta for training.
- 142nd Co. M to Arzew

August, 1943 - Reassembled at Arzew Beach.
- Sailed from Oran to Salerno.

Sept 9, 1943 - Landed on Salerno beach

Nov 15, 1943 - Mt. Camino

Dec 16, 1943 - Mt. Lungo

Dec 25, 1943 - Mt Summucro
- Rapido River

Jan 1, 1944 - Cassino
- Attached to 34th. Division‑Terrelle Sector
- Mt Castelone, Madeloni, Torrino (near Naples) Qualiano

May, 1944 - Anzio Beach

May 30, 1944 - Velletri

June 2, 1944 - Alban Hills ‑ Rome
- Civittavechia, Capalbio, Magliano, Grosetto
Sieno relieved ‑ back to Rome

Aug 15, 1944 - Naples to St. Raphael
- Frijus, Droguinan, Gap, Nyons, St. Martin, Crest, Alex, Livron, Lyon, St. Vith, Luxueil, Plombieres, Remiremont

Sept 27 -
Oct 3, 1944 - Tendon
- Les Rouge Eaux, LaPetite, Houssiere, MaNDRAY, St. Marie Aux Mines

Nov 27, 1944 ‑ St Croix
- Selestat, Mittlevihr, Strasbourg

Dec 25, 1944 ‑ Trais Fontaines

Jan 3, 1945 ‑ Montbrann
‑ pregnant doge Sector
- Mirlebach
- Hagenau

Feb 1, 1945 ‑ Oberhoffen
- Rohrweiler

Mar 15, 1945 ‑ Moder River
- Wissembourg

Mar 19, 1945 ‑ Siegfried Line and Ober‑Otterbach Rulzheim, Kaiserslautern
- Landsberg, Murnau, Kufstein, Itter, Kitzbuhel

May 9, 1945 ‑ Mittersill

Your Grandmothers Brother:
He served with the 563rd SAW Battalion (per the v-mail addy)

The 563rd SAW Battalion was a Signals Air Warning unit for aircraft identification and control. It was attached to the XIX TAC, or 19th Tactical Air Command providing air support to Patton's Third Army. Served in France, England, Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge.

Patches and Ribbons-

The "7" Patch is a variation on the 7th Army Corps patch.

The Red/White/Blue dot is a variation on the Ground Forces patch (to diferentiate them from the Army Air Corps components).

The Star with wings is the Army Air Corps patch

The Ribbon that is yellow is the American Defense Medal. The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between 8 September, 1939, and 7 December, 1941 for a time span of twelve months or longer.

The Ribbon with the brown ends is the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was awarded for service within the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations between 7 December 1941, and 2 March 1946, under any of the following conditions:

1) On permanent assignment within the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater

2) For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty status for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days.

3) For service in active combat in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent confirming actual participation in combat.

[60buick]

Thank you very much David!

[60buick]

Thanks again David, Your information was able to spin me into a new direction and because of it I found some historians with the 36th Division. This is what I got after one day.

Here is the file card for your great uncle. It shows he was with Co. L, 142nd and was listed as MIA on Sept. 30th 1944. On Sept. 29th Co. L was fighting near Tendon, France and was taking small arms, mortar and artillery fire. On the 30th they replused a german attack and were engaged in heavy fighting near a roadblock at the Tendon-Tholy road. I will see what other information I can find
Lisa Sharik
Museum Registrar

[60buick]

I also found out he was killed by the 19th German Army that was defending Southern France.

Warren as the German expert would you know anything about them? I have found a little on the internet but nothing substantial.

[cephian]

Richard the pin with the red border, white field and 2 blue stars denotes that your grandfather and his brother both servered in the military. It's the pin version of the national sevice flag that normally was displayed outside the homes during the war if you didn't already know. Hope what little I know helps.

Bill