1053rd Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group

[flygirl]

Hi Jason and others,

I know this topic is really old but I thought I'd put my 2 cents in about the 1053rd. My dad, George Brown, was also part of the group. He said he built bridges and blew up bridges.

I had the great experience of traveling with him back to France and Belgium back in the 1970s when I was

a teenager. He hardly ever spoke about his time in WWII except when we were over there visiting. We went from small town to small town literally knocking on doors of bars and homes of local families he remembered. We were treated like the family of a hero and we often ate with the families...whether they were the originals or not! It was awesome. We also went to see bridges (boring for me) and places where bridges used to be (reaaallly boring for me). Of course now I wish I had listened more.

In Belgium we knocked on the door of a convent/elementary school. My dad brought us and the nuns down to the basement where, according to him, he lived on cheese, cheese, cheese. The highlight was when he walked over to a window frame he had repaired during the war.....and his initials were still carved there. It somehow really struck him. ;-)

 

I have recently been looking through a few photos from that time. St Lo, St Malo, Porthcawl, Bournmouth, Liege, Rhinehousen Bridge, Meusse (?) Bridge, and more.

I have pictures of him (Brownie) with guys named Timmerman, Smith (Smitty), Brand, Frames, Regan, and "Heavy" Spradling.

 

In 8 weeks I am bringing my husband and kids to Normandy and of course I wish I had more to tell them about the 1053rd.....

[Walt's Daughter]

Wow, what a great letter. Loved the part about

 

In Belgium we knocked on the door of a convent/elementary school. My dad brought us and the nuns down to the basement where, according to him, he lived on cheese, cheese, cheese. The highlight was when he walked over to a window frame he had repaired during the war.....and his initials were still carved there. It somehow really struck him. ;-)

 

Now, what a thrill that must have been.

 

Thanks for joining and I hope you find our forum helpful. Would love to see the pics in the near future.

[randyhenson]

My Dad was a captain and a combat engineer. He was Cecil W. Henson (0 468 898 Captain) from Hollis Oklahoma, and was the cadet colonel of the Oklahoma A and M ROTC in 1941 (now OSU), then a "90 day wonder" straight into the service as a Second Lt. I do not do intense research, but I have all his military records and am trying to fill in the blanks. I have a Fifth Army Training Center, 39th Engineer Combat Regiment for a course in the Mines and Demolition course issued "somewhere in Africa" in March 1943. I have found the meaning of all his patches and awards, bronze star, purple heart, combat stars, theater ribbon. My biggest question is he was listed in the 1051st Engineer Port Construction and Repair when he separated in 26 Jan 1946? I was born in Dec. 1946, so he got back to school and started a family - he married before going overseas. Google groups the 1051st in with the 360th (?) engineers in Europe - I am trying to make the distinction. He started overseas in North Africa (as a platoon commander for the training for combat and the use in combat of the engineering platoon)taking up mines and building bridges, hopped the Med. and was switched to the new MOS and involved in rebuilding the ports of Naples Marseille and Le Hawre and is listed as a engineer group supply officer and proceeded to South France and "Rome Arno Rhineland" in Central Europe. He was shot through the shoulder on a patrol, recovered, returned to service but declined a Major slot to stay and work with the reconstruction of Europe. Four years, I think, was enough for him. Thank you for the opportunity to have a look at the site, I have a group photo of the 1051st I will scan and insert.

 

Thanks, Randy Henson 5527 3rd Street, Lubbock TX 8067907405

[Walt's Daughter]

Hi: Touched on this in another post, but many guys who stayed in occupied Europe, often shipped home later in 45 and 46 with another unit, not necessarily their own. That is where the confusion lie.

[mikel]

I've even seen grave markers wrong due to this confusion

 

Hi: Touched on this in another post, but many guys who stayed in occupied Europe, often shipped home later in 45 and 46 with another unit, not necessarily their own. That is where the confusion lie.

[Walt's Daughter]

So true.

[Curlock]

Hi Everyone! Been gone from this site for quite a while now. I kept hitting dead -ends on finding information concerning my father, Walter N.P. Curlock who was with the 1058th PC & R Group in Europe .It has been discouraging as many of you can attest to, therefore I have decided to hire a research assistant to help me in seeking information on where my father went to boot camp, what towns and villages he traveled through during the war and any other pertinent information available concerning him or his group.

 

If anyone could help me out in this, I really would appreciate it!

 

Curlock

 

 

[Walt's Daughter]

You can find some excellent researchers via NARA in Maryland. I don't know if you have been to their site yet, but they list a number of people and include their specialities. Let me know.

[JerryLH]

My Father in Law was in the 1053rd Port Construction and repair group as a marine diver. T/Sgt Carmen DeLucia. He enlisted in Nov 1942. Trained in NY Navy Salvage 12 weeks and at Ft Screven GA. 12 weeks Marine Diving 1943. Was deployed Dec 1943 and arrived in England Jan 1944. Army Engineer Divers were placed in Port Construction and repair groups. There were 17 officers and 235 enlisted men in these groups. Their sole purpose was port restoration. The 1053rd was ADSEC and deployed in late June or July of 1944 to Cherbourg France. They were then moved to clear ports of St Malo and Brest in Brittany in August/September 1944. The efforts in St Malo and southern ports were ended in late Sept, as they could not produce the tonnage needed for supplies. Focus was put on Cherbourg, LeHarve other larger ports. The 1053rd was in Cherbourg from Oct 44 to Jan 45. We have a commendation naming all in the 1053rd for the meritorious and brave work in 90 ft of water installing charges and cutting metal under water to make connections to raise sunken boats and cranes etc. Carmen was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work. He was moved to Reims France in Dec 44/Jan 45 due to the Battle of the Bulge. He never spoke much of the war and only said it was cold as hell that winter and those boys were being cut to ribbons upfront, so they were moved up closer to the front lines. He always said the real heroes never came home. He was then moved to Liege Belgium, when we are not sure. After the Battle of the Bulge the push was on to crossing the Rhine. Many bridges were built to cross the Rhine these units supported the Corps of Engineers efforts. In March/April ,the 1053rd and the 1058th Port Construction and Repair groups were detached to the 1146th Engineer Combat group to build a fixed timber highway bridge at the Rhine 1,813 ft and Lippe rivers, 411 ft.at Wesel. The 1053rd and 1058th built the Rhine portion of the bridge. Work began March 31 and open to truck traffic April 18, 1945. The spam was named the Roosevelt Bridge. Carmen was then deployed from Le Harve France on June 16,1945, and arrived in NJ and taken by train right thru his home town of East Liberty section of Pittsburgh, (after being in ETO for 18 months he said his family did not know if he was dead or alive at that time and he so much wanted to jump off the train that day) to San Diego placed on a troop ship to Luzon Philippines arrived July 20 1945 where he helped clear and salvage the port of Luzon. He returned home in late Nov 1945.

[Walt's Daughter]

Thank you for the info on your father-in-law. It's great to have some details!