160 Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B

All of these photographs are from the 160 Engineer Combat Battalion book, I estimate that the platoon group pictures were taken February-March of 1945 probably in Germany. Detail in these photographs is not great and I have identified all of the people that we can recognize.

We can identify a few men in the photograph of the second platoon. In the front row kneeling on the left end is Herman S.Landrith, Ssgt. from Walkertown, North Carolina. In the middle row, left end is Joseph W. Bolek. Sgt. from Hammond, Indiana. In the back row, left end isThelbert O. Kallam, Sgt. from Stonefield North Carolina. In the back row, third man from right end is Oscar G. Anderson, Tec5 from Indianapolis, Indiana.

In the photograph of headquarters platoon we can identify the two officers kneeling in the front, on the viewers left is Lt. Delbert B. Linn and right is Lt. Ernest W. Lybarger. In the front row left end is Edwin N. Blasingim, 1stSgt from Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the front row 5th from the left end is Harold G. Baxter, Tec5 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the very back row on the far right end is Frank W. Prinz,Tec5 from Indianapolis, Indiana. The man with the dachshund is Roby D. Turner, Tec5 from Royboro, North Carolina.

160 Engineer Combat Battalion, Company C

At present we cannot identify anyone in these photographs that are copied from the 160 ECB book.

Glen Blasingim

160 Engineer Combat Battalion, Headquarters and Service Company

These photographs are from the 160 Engineer Combat Battalion book and of Headquarters and H and S Company.

Boys from Headquarters.

Glen Blasingim

This is a photograph of 160th Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B. This photograph is marked, " January 13, 1944 Camp Rucker Alabama ". I have numbered each man in the company photograph and we have listed those that we are able to identify.

The men listed have been identified by Kenneth McBride ( no 56 ),Father of Michael McBride who supplied this information, my father Edwin Blasingim and some loved ones. Kenneth McBride wrote the names of his fellow engineers on the photograph when he was with them.

If anyone can put a name to a face please let us know and we will add that to this list. The first photograph is of my Dad remembering some of his friends from 72 years ago.

Identified:

   3  Blasingim, Edwin N., First Sgt., Chattanooga, Tenn.

  19 Rydelski, Chester P., Pfc., Erie, Penn

  23 Kallam, Thelbert O., Sgt., Stonefield, N.C.

  25 Rydelski, Joseph S., Pfc., Erie, Penn

  54 Baxter, Harold G., Tec 5, Pittsburgh, Penn

  56 McBride, Kenneth C., Pvt., Baltimore, Md

 63 Stanley, Earl L., Sgt., 1st Platoon, Chattanooga, Tennessee

 64 Brown, Fredrich J., Tec 4, 1st Platoon, Tampa, Fla

 66 Swift, Oddie L., Pvt., 1st Platoon, Ninevah, Indiana

 67 Grider, Virgil, Ssgt., Motor Pool, Vincennes, Indiana

 68 Weber, Pfc., 1st Platoon

 69 Nichols, Pvt., 1st Platoon

 70 Brooks, Abe H.,Tec5, 1st Platoon, Whittier, N.C.

 71 Todd, Pfc., 1st Platoon

 72 Tornwall, William H., Tec5, 1st Platoon, Tampa, Fla

 73 Moody, Percy T., Pvt., 2nd Platoon, Louisville, Ky

 74 Howard, Dewey D., Pvt., 2nd Platoon, Evansville, Indiana

 75 Dawgiellio, Edward J., Pfc, 2nd Platoon, Pittsburgh, Penn

 76 Andre, Pvt., 3rd Platoon

 77 Stackawitz, Harry O., Pfc., 2nd Platoon, Pittsburgh, Penn

 78 Trimbur, Joseph A., Pfc, 2nd Platoon, Pittsburgh, Penn

 79 Church, Ray L., Tec4, 2nd Platoon, Chicago, Illinois

  80 Conner, Pfc., 1st Platoon

  81 Blakenship, Pvt., 1st Platoon

  82 Arradendo, Adolfo W. Pfc., 1st Platoon, Kokomo, Indiana

  83 Corley, Pvt., 3rd Platoon

  84 Walsh, Sgt., 3rd Platoon

  85 Boyton, Reginald E., Sgt., 3rd Platoon, Millinocket, Maine

  86 Scroll, William H., Tec4, Cook, Plymouth, Indiana

  87 Turner, Roby D., Tec 5, 2nd Platoon, Royboro, N.C.

  88 Bolek, Joseph W., Sgt., 2nd Platoon, Hammond, Indiana

  89 Cannon, Harry A., Sgt., 2nd Platoon, Nzssa, Oregon

  90 Groves, Jesse M., Tec4, 3rd Platoon, Winter Haven, Fla

  91 Murphy, Lawrence J., Pfc., 1st Platoon, Philadelphia, Penn

  92 Wheeler, Gaither J., Ssgt., 1st Platoon, Tampa, Fla

  93 Slonsky, Morris M., Ssgt., Cook, St. Louis, Mo

  94 Aron, Tec4, Cook

  95 Miller, George J., Tec 4, 2nd Platoon, Terrehaute, Indiana

  96 Korol, Benedick P., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Pittsburgh, Penn

  97 Sumner, Charles D., Tec5, 1st Platoon, Indianapolis, Indiana

  98 Carter, Charles W., Cpl., 1st Platoon, Owensburg, Indiana

  99 Anderson, Oscar G., Tec 5, 2nd Platoon, Indianapolis, Indiana

100 Warner,Russell H.,Pfc., 3rd platoon, LaPorte, Indiana

101 Bailey, Willie J., Tec4, 3rd Platoon, Jacksonville, Fla

102 Brock, Edward J., Tec5, 2nd Platoon, Kokomo, Indiana

103 Allred, Russell S., Pfc., 1st Platoon, Winston-Salem, N.C.

104 Erickson, Joseph W., Ssgt., 2nd Platoon, Rutland, S.D.

105 Evans, Thomas L., Ssgt., 1st Platoon, Des Moines, Iowa

106 Martin, John H., Tec5, 3rd Platoon, Mansfield, Ohio

107 Sturgill, Anson, Tec5, 3rd Platoon, Jackson, Ohio

108 Nichols, Pvt., 3rd Platoon

109 Lea, Sgt., 3rd Platoon

110 Wycoff, Ernest W.,Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Mansfield, Ohio

111 Pitman, Pvt., 2nd Platoon

112 Lemanowicz, Edwin A., Tec5, 3rd Platoon, Philadelphia, Penn

113 Mayes, Archie S., Major, Warrensburg, Mo

114 Lybarger, Ernest W., 2Lt., Brooklyn, N.Y.

115 Furrier, Steve J., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Gary, Indiana

116 Crist, Charles L., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Coalmont, Indiana

117 Conkey, Lester L., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Lancaster, Ohio

118 Brabson, Pfc., 3rd Platoon

119 Allen, Herbert N., Sgt., 3rd Platoon, Fitzgerald, Georgia

120 Cruse, John A., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Columbus, Ohio

121 Young, James H., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Hawesville, Ky

122 Bennett, Claude, Jr., Pfc., 3rd Platoon, Tipton Hill, N.C.

Let's see how far we get on this. Fantastic!!!

Wow! I have a hard time remembering people I served with two years ago!

I will say, however, I do remember guys from my platoon in Iraq a lot better than others - and that's been 13 years (hard to imagine it's been that long). I imagine that being with the same set of guys for 2-3 years would really sear details into your memory. I was only with my guys from 9 months.

CaptO, is that you in the back? Nice picture, you have been in a lot of organizations in your career, Dad was always in the 160th and some of the guys he remembers were with him from the time the 160th was formed until they left Austria.  I hope there are a few more people out there who can pick out their Dad's , Grandfathers, Uncles or friends in this photograph. There might even be someone who could remember a fellow engineer or two, let's hope.

p.s.- Write it down, it might be valuable to someone soon.

Glen Blasingim

Yep, that's me in the back right. Since the majority of my photos from that trip were digital, I changed the file name for all of the pictures (several hundred!) with either the place or name of the individual/s therein. I made sure to do this within a few months of returning so I would not forget names. I also have a headshot of each of the Marines in my platoon with their name tape showing. I knew that I would want to be able to put names to faces some day!

That is a great way to remember people you have served with. Your photograph quality is better and being digital it won't fade. That will be appreciated, I already do. I noticed that their are several weapons configurations in the Photograph. I am just curious, what is standard issue? Do Marines have a choice? There is so much available for that gun, I wondered what the Marines found useful and reliable.

Thought I had done this already, so my profuse apologies. This is a file compiled by Doug Steinke.

Quote

 

Marion,

 

Thanks for your reply. Let me reassure you that I am in no way associated with any kind of spammer or have any political agenda. I did send a paragraph to your general email giving a little of my background interest in your website. I lost my father back in 2001. His name is Robert J. Steinke. He was a sergeant in the 160th Combat Engineers during WWII. Recently I was reading a very well written document from Glen Basingim on your forum website whose father was Edwin Basingim who also served in the 160th Combat Engineers in WWII. My father was in Company "A" and Edwin was in Company "B", they both had the same Battalion commander. When I read Glen's article there are some things I can add to it with documents my father kept from the war like the ship they sailed home on was called the "Europa" a captured German vessel. I can also help Glen identify some of the people in the photos he posted from his fathers campaign book which is identical to my fathers campaign book. 

 

In addition I have been working on my family tree through Ancestry.com In another discovery, my father had a second cousin to his mother who was a Major General during WWII under General Douglas MacArthur. His name is George Jacob Nold. He was stationed in Alaska during WWI and was in charge of the 10th Army. I have been doing research on him and have a PowerPoint presentation that I could send you as well if you are interested.

 

Sorry for getting too wordy here but I again want to reassure you I am simply an interested researcher looking for clues to my past.

 

Please let me know if you need anything else from me and I hope that I meet your criteria to become a site member.

 

Best Regards,

 

Doug Steinke 

 

Robert_J_Steinke_160th_Engineer.pdf

(12MAR18) Thanks Marion, this is great. I will try to get in touch with Doug and see if he will let me put those names to faces in pictures that we have already posted. I hope to learn more about the 160th from him. Keep up the good work.

Glen Blasingim

(23JUN18) I have not been able to get in touch with Doug. I am going to add the names of people that he has identified in pictures that I have already posted. I would like to add something about his Dad and post some pictures of him. I would especially appreciate personal accounts from memories that Doug has of things that his Dad has told him over the years.

Glen Blasingim

My Father Kenneth McBride was in the 160th Co B I have the same photo of Co B that I saw on here. He is #56 in the photo. I;m glad to fing some info as he passed away in 1960 when I was 7 yr old. The only info I have is the photo, the burial record and his Medals. He was wounded somewhere in Europe and lost his arm at the shoulder. If anyone has any info I would be very interested.

On 12/11/2017 at 1:13 PM, glen blasingim said:

This is a photograph of 160th Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B. By the ranks of some of the men in the photograph and by who is in it I estimate that it was taken late summer- early fall 1944. The first photograph is of Dad identifying some of his friends that he remembers after 72 years.

I have numbered each man in the company photograph and have identified the ones that Dad remembered by number. If anyone can put a name to a face please add to the list.

Identified:

   3  Blasingim, Edwin N., First Sgt., Chattanooga, Tenn.

  19 Rydelski, Chester P., Pfc., Erie, Penn

  23 Kallam, Thelbert O., Sgt., Stonefield, N.C.

  25 Rydelski, Joseph S., Pfc., Erie, Penn

  54 Baxter, Harold G., Tec 5, Pittsburgh, Penn

  79 Church, Ray L., Tec 4, Chicago, Illinois

  87 Turner, Roby D., Tec 5, Royboro, N.C.

  88 Bolek, Joseph W., Sgt., Hammond, Indiana

  89 Cannon, Harry A., Sgt. Nzssa, Oregon

  92 Wheeler, Gaither J., Ssgt., Tampa, Fla

  95 Miller, George J., Tec 4, Terrehaute, Indiana

  96 Korol, Benedick P., Pfc., Pittsburgh, Penn

  99 Anderson, Oscar G., Tec 5, Indianapolis, Indiana

100 Krum, Irwin, Pfc., Philadelphia, Penn

113 Mayes, Archie S., Major, Warrensburg, Mo

114 Lybarger, Ernest W., 2Lt., Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

My Father is #56 in this photo. Private Kenneth McBride Baltimore, MD. I have this same photo and it has numbers on the back with rank and last name up to number 60 but does not tell how the numbers run.

Welcome to our forum. Wonderful to see yet another person identified in this photo. 

Michael, it is good to hear from you. We are so glad to know that your Dad, Private Kenneth C. McBride is in this picture and now has his name with his face. My Dad has passed also and probably knew yours. I can't imagine how difficult it was to lose your Dad at such an early age. Thank you for your Dad's service and sacrifice. We are always interested in what he did and where he went in Europe and other places, we want to always remember what was done for us and why we have the freedoms we have today. Be sure to pass his memory along to all the youngsters in your family. Write down what you remember being told and save the keepsakes for someone. My posts have several B company photographs, do you or anyone else recognize your Dad in any other photographs? We are interested in anything you can share about your Dad. Thanks.

Glen Blasingim