292nd Engineer Combat Battalion (New Member)

[buk2112]

Glad you got them Gary. I agree with you that Hampton House did a terrific job on the reproductions. I know I will cherish mine always.

 

Randy

[buk2112]

Ok everybody,

Here are the photos I have that have more than just my grandfather in them.

 

 

The most important photo is the group titled "This is 1st squad" It is labeled on the back (not in order of the photo) My grandfather is in the middle row in the center for frame of reference.

 

The labeling is top to bottom starting at: Will, Pagoria, Bateman, Lawrence, Herzie, Savill, Toot, Guthrie, Schemehorn, Kollman, Santer

 

There is one with you boxing with someone unidentified

 

There is one with him with a man with the last name Gardecki all bundled for winter.

 

There is one with him planning at Gosselies Belgium

 

There is a group photo that is unlabeled

 

There is one at the POW camp, not sure if any of you had any serve there as well but thought I would attach it.

 

There is one with him in a picture with Captain Moran and Staff Sergeant Kosmari (I think that is how it is spelled on the back) and it is at Camp 20 Grand.

 

 

 

 

Ken,

 

Always enjoy seeing pictures, as the old saying goes "are worth a thousand words", thanks so much for posting these. There are three names you have listed from the pictures that I have found in the Company A records that I have:

 

PFC Roy T. Kollman

PVT John F. Guthrie Westchester County, New York

PVT Floyd Savill Hancock County, Indiana

 

Here are three photos from my grandfather's collection at a POW camp. The first two are not labeled, in each my grandfather is on the right with an unidentified soldier on the left.

 

 

The last one is a photo of just him, I just discovered this morning it had writing on the back, awesome!

 

 

Apparently the 292nd not only built POW camps but helped in the guarding of the prisoners as well. My grandfather's letters to home make several references to guarding German prisoners. Have a good one everybody and keep those pictures coming!

 

Randy

[Sir Gator]

 

 

Ken,

 

Always enjoy seeing pictures, as the old saying goes "are worth a thousand words", thanks so much for posting these. There are three names you have listed from the pictures that I have found in the Company A records that I have:

 

PFC Roy T. Kollman

PVT John F. Guthrie Westchester County, New York

PVT Floyd Savill Hancock County, Indiana

 

Here are three photos from my grandfather's collection at a POW camp. The first two are not labeled, in each my grandfather is on the right with an unidentified soldier on the left.

 

IMG.jpg IMG_0003.jpg

 

The last one is a photo of just him, I just discovered this morning it had writing on the back, awesome!

 

IMG_0001.jpg IMG_0002.jpg

 

Apparently the 292nd not only built POW camps but helped in the guarding of the prisoners as well. My grandfather's letters to home make several references to guarding German prisoners. Have a good one everybody and keep those pictures coming!

 

Randy

Randy,

 

Great addition to our group. Makes you want to figure out who those other guys are? Maybe someday soon, my friend. I was so happy with the prints that I had to call Hampton House and let them know. Laura was great! The one thing that struck me as a little unusual was that the "C" Company photo that you acquired had labeling added when developing or printing, but "A" Company did not. I thought that was kind of an odd inconsistency. Did Lisa ever mention if her relative said much about how he came to get the original print? Also, did your grandfather send many letters back after Germany surrendered? My grandfather sent a leter with a list of when certain things occurred after censorship was lifted following Germany's surrender. If your grandfather sent letters later I just wondered without the fear of censorship if he talked somewhat more about what he was experiencing during his deployment?

 

More questions sometimes than answers, but we'll keep on striving for the answers.

 

Gary

[buk2112]

 

Yes Gary, it makes you wonder who they are. There are a couple of other pictures my grandfather had of the fellow that is on the left of this photo I posted earlier.

 

 

Makes me wonder if he was a friend.

 

 

 

Hampton House did a marvelous job, it was a nice gesture Gary calling and thanking her personally, kudos!

 

I think all of the panoramic unit photos I have ever seen have had some kind of writing on them, so yes it is a bit different that the Company A photo did not. But hey, we know who they are.

 

I think there are 8 to 10 letters that my grandfather sent home that I have. Two or three are from after the war and there are a few other things he mentions like the one guarding German prisoners. Maybe I'll transcribe them in a future post.

 

Randy

[Sir Gator]

IMG.jpg

 

Yes Gary, it makes you wonder who they are. There are a couple of other pictures my grandfather had of the fellow that is on the left of this photo I posted earlier.

 

IMG_0005.jpg IMG_0004.jpg

 

Makes me wonder if he was a friend.

 

 

 

Hampton House did a marvelous job, it was a nice gesture Gary calling and thanking her personally, kudos!

 

I think all of the panoramic unit photos I have ever seen have had some kind of writing on them, so yes it is a bit different that the Company A photo did not. But hey, we know who they are.

 

I think there are 8 to 10 letters that my grandfather sent home that I have. Two or three are from after the war and there are a few other things he mentions like the one guarding German prisoners. Maybe I'll transcribe them in a future post.

 

Randy

Randy,

 

That's a thought... my grandfather sent dozens of letters home from the time he shipped out to Camp Butner until he came home and my grandmother in her own way knew that they would be important not only for her, but for the future and so kept them all. Family was at the core of who she was and by keeping his letters her family has gotten a glimpse into not only the lifeline he had during his deployment, but also the lifeline she got from him during her daily struggles alone, during wartime with four small boys. You realize that the brave men serving were not the only ones fighting a war, but that the ones left behind had their own battles to fight. So, that's got to go on my list, also... transcribing information from some of their letters that could give a glimpse of what these patriots experienced during their service and how that affected the ones that stayed on the home front.

 

That's my diatribe for the now. Goodnight.

 

Gary

 

p.s. Randy, have you tried to compare the photos to see if there is anyway to match up the mystery "friend" with the men on the company photo that we all have gotten? May not give us a name, but it would be interesting to find him in that photo. Just a thought, my friend.

[Sir Gator]

Here's a link to a short, but interesting New York newspaper account of the crossing of the Roer (Ruhr) River and the building of the Bailey Bridge by the 292nd.

 

http://fultonhistory.com/newspapers%207/Catskill%20NY%20Recorder/Catskill%20NY%20Examiner-Recorder%201945-1946%20Grayscale/Catskill%20NY%20Examiner-Recorder%201945-1946%20Grayscale%20-%200159.pdf

 

Gary

[Walt's Daughter]

Awesome. Love to read about bridges. It's my favorite.

[Sir Gator]

Greetings from Warren's Son. My father, Warren Schroeder, was with the 292nd Engineers and while doing some research I discovered your website. My father has been deceased for many years and I wish I could question him about his past experiences. He did not talk too often or in depth about what he did and saw. He was wounded in North Africa at Kasserine Pass, I remember him saying. You will see from the transcript that he went on to many other countries after that.

 

Anyway, I felt the need to share what little I had of his past and thought you would be interested in seeing his military record. I attached a copy along with some photos of him and hopefully it can be enlarged by clicking on it. Let me know what you think.

Best regards,

Dennis Schroeder

 

 

Dennis,

 

I ran across a paper written by an officer at Ft Benning in the late 40's about the battle of Kasserine Pass.

 

http://www.benning.army.mil/library/content/Virtual/Donovanpapers/wwii/STUP2/HornadayRalphJ%20%20LTC.pdf

 

Hope it has information relevant to your father's service in North Africa, my friend.

 

Gary

[buk2112]

Randy,

 

That's a thought... my grandfather sent dozens of letters home from the time he shipped out to Camp Butner until he came home and my grandmother in her own way knew that they would be important not only for her, but for the future and so kept them all. Family was at the core of who she was and by keeping his letters her family has gotten a glimpse into not only the lifeline he had during his deployment, but also the lifeline she got from him during her daily struggles alone, during wartime with four small boys. You realize that the brave men serving were not the only ones fighting a war, but that the ones left behind had their own battles to fight. So, that's got to go on my list, also... transcribing information from some of their letters that could give a glimpse of what these patriots experienced during their service and how that affected the ones that stayed on the home front.

 

That's my diatribe for the now. Goodnight.

 

Gary

 

p.s. Randy, have you tried to compare the photos to see if there is anyway to match up the mystery "friend" with the men on the company photo that we all have gotten? May not give us a name, but it would be interesting to find him in that photo. Just a thought, my friend.

 

 

I had already done just that Gary. He is on the left side, 3rd row, 4th soldier from the end.

 

 

I also believe this to be Earl Haughton. He is on the right side, 2nd row, 2nd soldier from the end.

[Sir Gator]

 

003 (2400x1800).jpg

 

I had already done just that Gary. He is on the left side, 3rd row, 4th soldier from the end.

 

004 (2300x1725).jpg

 

I also believe this to be Earl Haughton. He is on the right side, 2nd row, 2nd soldier from the end.

Cool, my friend! I had a thought of identifying as many of the guys as possible as we find them and you have begun that. Great minds think alike! Speaking of Haughton, I hope his IDPF will show up sometime soon. I sent in the request last August. You never know about these things, but when it arrives you will be the first person to know.

 

Gary