Hello, all,

I went to the Camp Butner Society museum yesterday. They have next to nothing on the engineers and were pleased to get the Company A photo. Maybe we can get them a Company C eventually. Gary, can you give me a list of the guys you've identified so far? They'd like to have the names to go with the photo.

 

Right now they have a lot in storage, with a few display items being in a small room. They're raising money to expand. They are collecting items specifically about Butner. However, they do have one campaign map for the 78th Infantry that lists the 303rd Engineers. I didn't take a photo of that. I do have a photo of one little mystery on a hand-made "pillowcase" (new term to me). The "Build - Fight - Destroy" motto sounds like a combat engineers unit, but I think I've found online that the 35th was an infantry division. I don't know how divisions were made up, but it seemed an odd motto for an entire division.

 

Another pillowcase is for engineers, but no battalion number.

 

I'll also took some photos of the blueprints for Camp Butner, if anyone is interested. They are not particularly clear, so I won't post them here. The entire place was built in 90 days by a private contractor. There was also a POW camp nearby.

 

At any rate, the museum is not currently worth going out of your way for, but it should be eventually.

 

Lisa

 

Incidentally... Lisa I would definitely be interested in the photos of the Butner blueprints. More interesting pieces to fill in the 292nd puzzle.

Gary

Hello, all,

I went to the Camp Butner Society museum yesterday. They have next to nothing on the engineers and were pleased to get the Company A photo. Maybe we can get them a Company C eventually. Gary, can you give me a list of the guys you've identified so far? They'd like to have the names to go with the photo.

 

Right now they have a lot in storage, with a few display items being in a small room. They're raising money to expand. They are collecting items specifically about Butner. However, they do have one campaign map for the 78th Infantry that lists the 303rd Engineers. I didn't take a photo of that. I do have a photo of one little mystery on a hand-made "pillowcase" (new term to me). The "Build - Fight - Destroy" motto sounds like a combat engineers unit, but I think I've found online that the 35th was an infantry division. I don't know how divisions were made up, but it seemed an odd motto for an entire division.

 

Another pillowcase is for engineers, but no battalion number.

 

I'll also took some photos of the blueprints for Camp Butner, if anyone is interested. They are not particularly clear, so I won't post them here. The entire place was built in 90 days by a private contractor. There was also a POW camp nearby.

 

At any rate, the museum is not currently worth going out of your way for, but it should be eventually.

 

Lisa

 

Lisa,

Here's a list and location of those that have been Identified on the A Company photo thus far for the folks at the Camp Butner Society:

Randall Gates is 7th from the left in Row 1

Sterling Sykes is 11th from the left in Row 2

Daniel Leasure is 16th from the left in Row 2

Earl Haughton is 2nd from the right in Row 2

Arthur Clark is 5th from the left in Row 4

Ralph Richardson is 10th from the left in Row 4

Leopold DeMello is 16th from the left in Row 4

That's it for now, but hopefully more to follow as identified. Randy and Lisa, tell me what you think about sending the C Company photo to Hampton House if it can be removed from the frame.

Gary

Agreed, Randy, about the C Company photo. If it can be removed from it's frame then maybe we can enlist Lisa and have it taken to Hampton House for scanning just like the A Company photo? They did such a great job in scanning and duplication that they came to mind. As for Ken's grandfather, I have a few possibilities that I have attached. Many of the faces start to look similar after looking at them for awhile.

 

Let me know what you think and hopefully Ken will log on and chime in.

 

Gary

The first photo may be him. I will print them out and take them to my grandmother and have her look. She knows better than most.

I have not had the chance to arrange for the photo to be sent to me, but I will be and if we can't by then we will once I get it.

Lisa,

 

Here's a list and location of those that have been Identified on the A Company photo thus far for the folks at the Camp Butner Society:

 

Randall Gates is 7th from the left in Row 1

Sterling Sykes is 11th from the left in Row 2

Daniel Leasure is 16th from the left in Row 2

Earl Haughton is 2nd from the right in Row 2

Arthur Clark is 5th from the left in Row 4

Ralph Richardson is 10th from the left in Row 4

Leopold DeMello is 16th from the left in Row 4

 

That's it for now, but hopefully more to follow as identified. Randy and Lisa, tell me what you think about sending the C Company photo to Hampton House if it can be removed from the frame.

 

Gary

Gary,

Are you able to cross reference any of the names I provided off photos to the company C photo?

Ken

Hello, all,

I went to the Camp Butner Society museum yesterday. They have next to nothing on the engineers and were pleased to get the Company A photo. Maybe we can get them a Company C eventually. Gary, can you give me a list of the guys you've identified so far? They'd like to have the names to go with the photo.

 

Right now they have a lot in storage, with a few display items being in a small room. They're raising money to expand. They are collecting items specifically about Butner. However, they do have one campaign map for the 78th Infantry that lists the 303rd Engineers. I didn't take a photo of that. I do have a photo of one little mystery on a hand-made "pillowcase" (new term to me). The "Build - Fight - Destroy" motto sounds like a combat engineers unit, but I think I've found online that the 35th was an infantry division. I don't know how divisions were made up, but it seemed an odd motto for an entire division.

 

Another pillowcase is for engineers, but no battalion number.

 

I'll also took some photos of the blueprints for Camp Butner, if anyone is interested. They are not particularly clear, so I won't post them here. The entire place was built in 90 days by a private contractor. There was also a POW camp nearby.

 

At any rate, the museum is not currently worth going out of your way for, but it should be eventually.

 

Lisa

 

Lisa,

Here's a list and location of those that have been Identified on the A Company photo thus far for the folks at the Camp Butner Society:

Randall Gates is 7th from the left in Row 1

Sterling Sykes is 11th from the left in Row 2

Daniel Leasure is 16th from the left in Row 2

Earl Haughton is 2nd from the right in Row 2

Arthur Clark is 5th from the left in Row 4

Ralph Richardson is 10th from the left in Row 4

Leopold DeMello is 16th from the left in Row 4

That's it for now, but hopefully more to follow as identified. Randy and Lisa, tell me what you think about sending the C Company photo to Hampton House if it can be removed from the frame.

Gary

The first photo may be him. I will print them out and take them to my grandmother and have her look. She knows better than most.

 

I have not had the chance to arrange for the photo to be sent to me, but I will be and if we can't by then we will once I get it.

Ken,

I was thinking that, also. I thought a good smile on the first guy and I think we'd definitely see even more of a similarity.

Gary

Gary,

Are you able to cross reference any of the names I provided off photos to the company C photo?

 

Ken

Ken,

I don't actually have the C Company photo... Randy bought it off of EBay and has it so until I am able to get a high res digital image of it maybe he can give this a try.

Later, good buddy!

Gary

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Lisa,

 

Warmest welcome to the forum! It is always exciting to me to meet another family member of a 292nd soldier. My grandfather, PFC Arthur A. Clark, was in company A of the 292nd. I have been doing some research on this unit for the last few years and have a lot that I can share with you. I have obtained from the NARA the unit histories, after action reports, and journals of the 292nd. I have copied a number of the morning reports of company A from the NPRC in St. Louis. According to one of the morning report documents I have your father-in-law, S/SGT Sterling C Sykes ASN# 34454730, was also a member of company A. I have attached a copy of this document below, sorry it is not that easy to see but you can understand because of the age. Your father-in-law's name is listed in the first column, 6th name down. You will notice my grandfather's name is listed just four names down from your father-in-law. As Marion has stated there is no problem posting your photos, and I as well as others are really looking forward to seeing them. I have photos to share as well. Hope to hear from you soon,

 

Randy Clark

 

 

 

 

IMG.jpg

Randy,

Is there any way to have this any more legible to read the lower right column. Was trying to see if I could identify any of the men in my photos with the marching party list.

Thanks,

Ken

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.

 

 

I was able to identify a few off the back off of the 1st squad photo. My grandfather is in the middle row in the center for frame of reference (Anton Pagoria). The others names I identified beyond nicknames or possibly after the marching orders document were:

Ray Kollman

Ralph Bateman

Floyd Savill

John Guthrie

Maynard Toot

Forrest Will

Names I did not find were: Gardecki, Kosmari, Moran, Lawrence, Herzie, Schemehorn, and Santer.

I was able to identify a few off the back off of the 1st squad photo. My grandfather is in the middle row in the center for frame of reference (Anton Pagoria). The others names I identified beyond nicknames or possibly after the marching orders document were:

 

Ray Kollman

Ralph Bateman

Floyd Savill

John Guthrie

Maynard Toot

Forrest Will

 

Names I did not find were: Gardecki, Kosmari, Moran, Lawrence, Herzie, Schemehorn, and Santer.

Ok, sorry for the repost but figured one more out from the good conduct list that Randy posted Robert Herzig is Herzie....He was not in the marching orders list for Company A, Randy if you possibly posted the rest we may be able to figure out a few more. Esp. Kosmari and Moran since I have them pin pointed in photos.

Ken

Ok, sorry for the repost but figured one more out from the good conduct list that Randy posted Robert Herzig is Herzie....He was not in the marching orders list for Company A, Randy if you possibly posted the rest we may be able to figure out a few more. Esp. Kosmari and Moran since I have them pin pointed in photos.

 

Ken

No reason to be sorry, Ken! You are on a roll, my friend! Keep up the good work!

Gary

I was able to identify a few off the back off of the 1st squad photo. My grandfather is in the middle row in the center for frame of reference (Anton Pagoria). The others names I identified beyond nicknames or possibly after the marching orders document were:

 

Ray Kollman

Ralph Bateman

Floyd Savill

John Guthrie

Maynard Toot

Forrest Will

 

Names I did not find were: Gardecki, Kosmari, Moran, Lawrence, Herzie, Schemehorn, and Santer.

Ken,

From the documentation that I have here is what I found concerning the unidentified that you listed:

Gardecki... didn't find him yet

Kosmari... didn't find him yet

Moran... didn't find him yet

Lawrence... PFC Manuel H. Lawrence SN 31 388 955 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 9/27/45

Herzie... PFC Robert A. Herzig SN 36 881 728 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Schemehorn... PFC Harry V. Schemerhorn SN 31 417 098 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Santer... TEC5 Edward G. Santer SN 36 900 178 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Here's a little info on the guys you found:

Ray Kollman... listed as PFC Roy T. Kollman SN 36 841 154 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Ralph Bateman... PFC Ralph W. Bateman SN 35 814 028 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Floyd Savill... PVT Floyd E. Savill SN 35 902 799 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

John Guthrie... PFC John F. Guthrie SN 42 054 615 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 9/27/45

Maynard Toot... listed as PFC Raymond E. Toot SN 36 900 151 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Forrest Will... listed as CPL Forrest E. Wilt SN 35 813 651 listed as getting a Good Conduct Medal on 3/28/45

Now we have to try to ID which name goes with which guy in your photo so we can ID them on one of the company photos. More nuggets found... more to come.

Gary

Hello Everyone,

Ran across this article tonight that mentions the name of the ship, Hampden-Sydney Victory ( http://7seasvessels.com/hampden-sydney-victory-1945-imo-5080665/ ), the 292nd returned on to the port of New York after the end of the war. This article appeared on page #11 of the 2 March 1946 edition of the Bradford PA. newspaper, The Era.

This answers another one of the questions I had always wondered about. Have a good one everbody.

Randy

I was able to identify a few off the back off of the 1st squad photo. My grandfather is in the middle row in the center for frame of reference (Anton Pagoria). The others names I identified beyond nicknames or possibly after the marching orders document were:

 

Ray Kollman

Ralph Bateman

Floyd Savill

John Guthrie

Maynard Toot

Forrest Will

 

Names I did not find were: Gardecki, Kosmari, Moran, Lawrence, Herzie, Schemehorn, and Santer.

Ken,

Question... just to clarify, I cropped out the guy from your original photo that I believe you said was your grandfather (1st image). Am I correct? If so, is the guy I cropped out of the company photo (2nd photo) possibly him also?

Gary

Gary,

That is him! I know that mug anywhere... Thanks a bunch. Where is he located?

Ken

Ok,

I had the owner of the company photo scan it to me. Unfortunately they don't have a large scanner so they had to spit the photo in two. I layered it and flattened the images the best I could.

Any recommendations to send to some people who are not that tech savvy, but have the tech to do it... If any of you are better at photoshop and could get a better layered image let me know and I can post the two images on here.