Three cheers to all of you!

Randy this is so cool!

Yes Marion, this is all very cool! Our little 292nd family on this forum is growing, I like it a lot! I was so excited to see Lisa's post yesterday I had to call my friend Ralph right away, because I knew he would be just as eager to hear it too. Who's Ralph? He and I met on the ww2f.com forum 5 years ago and have remained in contact ever since, even meeting once in person. His father and my grandfather were both from Missouri, both served in Company A of the 292nd, and we think they may have been friends during their time in service. We are both anxious to see what photos Lisa may have to share. The panoramic photo she mentions has particularly peaked our interest. Neither of us has or has seen a photo like this for the 292nd. We speculate that it may be a company photo, not a battalion one, for It would be quite a challenge to capture 632 men in a picture. Since it appears that her father-in-law was a member of Company A, and if indeed this turns out to be a photo of Company A, our relatives could be in this photo as well. That would be amazing, and Lisa might just become our new BFF!

Randy

Welcome aboard Lisa! Been awhile since I've been here to work, but am glad to be back. As you may have read above, my grandfather served in both H&S and for awhile in A company as a mechanic. Anything you can provide for this little documented company would be appreciated by all whether it be photos, documentation or anything pertaining to your father-in-laws service. Thanks so much for joining and I look forward to continued dialog.

 

Randy, long time no see, my friend! I still am going to post the photo I mentioned a few months back and hopefully as you have time can forward the unit info we last spoke of.

 

The search for information continues, folks as does the desire to document our loved ones service and the history of this neglected unit. Forward, folks, and let's get out any and all info, photos and anything else relevant to honor these patriots!

Hey Gary, glad to see you back! Ralph had asked me on the phone yesterday if I had heard anymore from you. I told him no I hadn't, but lo and behold here you are. Sorry that I have not sent the 292nd papers to you yet, I haven't forgotten about it. I will do my best to get that task completed soon. Forward indeed Gary, forward we march!

Randy

 

 

Yes Marion, this is all very cool! Our little 292nd family on this forum is growing, I like it a lot! I was so excited to see Lisa's post yesterday I had to call my friend Ralph right away, because I knew he would be just as eager to hear it too. Who's Ralph? He and I met on the ww2f.com forum 5 years ago and have remained in contact ever since, even meeting once in person. His father and my grandfather were both from Missouri, both served in Company A of the 292nd, and we think they may have been friends during their time in service. We are both anxious to see what photos Lisa may have to share. The panoramic photo she mentions has particularly peaked our interest. Neither of us has or has seen a photo like this for the 292nd. We speculate that it may be a company photo, not a battalion one, for It would be quite a challenge to capture 632 men in a picture. Since it appears that her father-in-law was a member of Company A, and if indeed this turns out to be a photo of Company A, our relatives could be in this photo as well. That would be amazing, and Lisa might just become our new BFF!

 

Randy

Wonderful, thanks for sharing how you got to meet Ralph, etc.

Yes, it would be a company photo and I bet you and Ralph are waiting with great anticipation. I would be too!!! I have seen quite a few of these panoramic images and it's always exciting for others to get a glimpse of their loved ones.

I'm so happy that this post has multiple entries from family members of the 292nd. May the "family" continue to grow...

 

 

Hey Gary, glad to see you back! Ralph had asked me on the phone yesterday if I had heard anymore from you. I told him no I hadn't, but lo and behold here you are. Sorry that I have not sent the 292nd papers to you yet, I haven't forgotten about it. I will do my best to get that task completed soon. Forward indeed Gary, forward we march!

 

Randy

 

Randy,

No problem, my friend. I assure you that I will never disappear from those that I have made contact with here. I look forward to anything you can provide in the way of documentation and will reiterate that as someone who owns a photography company and deals with media every day, I would love to get copies of any and all documentition and photos that ANYONE has to provide, welcoming the opportunity to scan this information with the very high quality scanner that the company has to distribute for any and all. We need to get this information out so that this one of many little documented units does not fade into history.

Randy, here's the image, most likely a company photo, that I spoke of earlier. My family believes that my grandfather started as a mechanic in "A" company and then later was moved to "H&S" due to a shortage of mechanics and then may have moved back to "A" company later. I imagine that this photo was taken before deployment in the Fall/Winter of 1944, but cannot be sure whether it is "A" company or "H&S" company. Clearly, it has some issued having an old burn hole that destroyed the faces of two members along with some fold creases. My grandfather is fourth from the left in the back row. Maybe any and all can take a look to see if you see your relative and this would in turn allow us to determine which company this was for sure. This photo is relatively small compared to the original scan. Here is a link to 4x size version of the image so that you may better zoom into faces:

www.photozealots.com/tempalbums/19440000_292dCombatEngineers_large.jpg

Keep in mind that the file is quite large at 5.5 megabytes. I actually have a version that is 4.5x larger that this one, but at 57 megabytes figured it would be more than what folks needed.

Thanks to all for there time in posting here. We an and should band together so that this unit and these men do not fade into depths of history.

Awesome photo Gary! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. It is a shame it has a burn hole in it. I have studied the photo closely several times and I do not see my grandfather in it. However, the soldier in the back row just to the right of the burn hole to me resembles Ralph's dad from pictures I have seen of him. Hopefully Ralph will drop in on the forum soon and tell us yes or no. He is already a member but has not been active. He told me Sunday he would check in on us but so far has not done so. I'll e-mail or call him to let him now he needs to get on here. I count 47 men in your photo, do not think it is an entire company. I am not sure but it may be some kind of training photo. When the 292nd entered the war zone in Dec. 1944 it had a total of 631 men (599 enlisted, 32 officers) between four companies (H&S, A, B, C) and a medical detachment. The Dec 1944 Company A morning reports show it to be 159 soldiers strong. Thanks again for posting the photo Gary my friend and hope to hear again from you soon.

Randy

Hello, all,

Feeling dumb, of course my photo is not of the whole battalion. I took a closer look and saw the "A" below the Battalion number. It appears to have been taken at the same location as yours, Gary, but of the entire company. No faults at all in mine. I hope to get back to the gallery that copied what I have to find out whether any of you who want a hard copy can order it from them. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out how to show it to you here on the forum. Can anyone point me to instructions on how to upload my photos?

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

To upload your photo click on the "More Reply Options" block located on the bottom right hand corner of the reply box. A "Choose File" block will appear on the bottom left hand side, clicking on this will allow you to browse for files on your computer to upload. Once you have found the photo you want, click on it, then click "Open". Then click on the block "Attach This File", once file is loaded look over to the right were it says "Add To Post" click on this to add your photo to your reply box. Hopefully this has helped , if not let us know and we will do our best to help you. Very much looking forward to seeing your photo, if there would be a hard copy available to order I would definitely be interested in having one and I'm sure my friend Ralph would too.

Randy

Lisa,

I absolutely echo what Randy said concerning the possibility of getting a copy of the photo you speak of. I, too, look forward to seeing the photo and would love to be able to scan it in and post it as as high a resolution as possible.

Isn't this great hearing from folks that have the same regard and respect for the men of this unit and all that they sacrificed?!! I look forward each and every day to seeing if another message has been posted to this forum and to this thread regarding our common interests. Thanks so much to all of you for your time and efforts and I look forward to continued correspondence with any and all who look to honor these great patriots!

Great words, Gary!

Great words, Gary!

Yes Gary, well said my friend! I don't spend a lot of time on Ebay, but I did happen to spot a panoramic photo of Company C of the 292nd for sale. Seems these type of things have a way of finding me! Anyway, even though I have no family connection to Company C, it is a piece of 292nd history and I couldn't resist having it. It's being shipped as we speak and I'll try and get a photo posted as soon as I receive it.

Randy

Randy, how cool. I bought several engineer related items on Ebay throughout the years. You never know what you will find.

Hello to all When Randy called me about Liza's post my wife and me were packing to move into town and my computer was already packed. Long story short we got moved the internet hooked up today. It's great to see some interest in the 292nd, as Randy said my father was in A co with his grandfather and we are sure that the knew each other. I looked at Gary's photo which is great photo hoping my father was in it but he's not there. I am greatly interested in seeing Lisa's photo. If it is a company photo than all our kind should be in it. that would be really awesome.My father told me of riding home on leave with a follow soldier by the name of Clark, I'm sure that he was Randy's grandfather so I was greatly pleased when Randy and I met on another forum and become friends. I look forward to future post's from you all. Ralph.....

Hey Ralph,

Glad to see you check in with us. Hope you have settled into your new place alright. Don't envy you none, moving is such a chore, done more than my share of that over the years. Thought that one fellow in Gary's picture might have been your dad, sorry it wasn't. Since Gary's grandfather was a mechanic I was thinking maybe it is a motor pool section photo. Do you have any thoughts as to what group the photo might be?

Randy

Randy I would say its a good guess that you are right about it being motor pool. I don't know how many men were in motor pool but would assume it would be platoon size. I'm thinking the man standing on the left would be a LT, the man standing on the right looks to me like a staff sergeant, ..........Ralph