Sorry I posted the group photo twice - I'm still getting used to this forum. This post includes 2 images from the back of the photo. Amazingly, someone took the time to write in the names of each person. It was too big for my scanner, so it is split into 2 sections.

Rick

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Rick:

Can you re-upload the photo. The stupid forum erased BOTH. I removed the duplicate you posted and for some reason, they are both gone. That's never happened before. Sorry about that and thanks for understanding.

Glad to.

Rick:

 

Can you re-upload the photo. The stupid forum erased BOTH. I removed the duplicate you posted and for some reason, they are both gone. That's never happened before. Sorry about that and thanks for understanding.

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Hello everyone. My Name is Jeremy and I have my grandfather who served with B Company of the 351st General Service Engineer Regiment. My father and his sister really didn't get a chance to get much information about his service in B Company. I currently serve and had pulled his service records to start the inital search to find out what I can. Since I came across this forum, I wanted to know if anyone that you knew would have a company photo of B Company. My grandfathers name was Roy Brown and he was originally from New Hampshire. Can anyone help me find possible picture of him? Thank you in advance.

Jeremy

Jeremy: I hope someone on the forum will be able to help you with your request. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Hi Everyone,

Would love to know some information about the 351stEngr. GSR. My grandfather, Pvt Lewis Tumia was in Co D. I have read the PDF file for this regiment and am having a discrepancy with the dates so I am wondering if I have something incorrect.

My Grandfather was drafted and entered 2/27/43. He was a Rifleman in the Combat Infantry. His Separation paper states he was wounded European 7 Aug 44. The narrative would have had the Regiment stationed in England from 5 July 44 to 13 Aug 44 - this is not a battle time from what I can tell.

My Grandfather never talked about the war so I know nothing of his service time. He died in 1991.

Thanks for any input!

Cori Walkden

I talked with another new forum member this weekend, and it may be (as it was with his loved one) that your grandfather started off with one unit, but when he was discharged, was assigned to the 351st and returned home.

You say he was an infantryman, but how did you deduce that?

From what you have stated, I would indeed say he was in an infantry regiment, and did not do actual time with the combat engineer regiment. This is not uncommon.

Do you have any pictures or anything to help us establish which unit he started with? It's often helpful to dig through archived home town newspapers as they often featured short articles on their home town boys.

Could you give us his serial number etc. Can you upload a copy of his discharge papers and anything else you think may be helpful?

Is this him?

NARA RECORDS

Hi Cori, it will help alot if you can send us a copy of of his discharge documents, if you can, upload them to the forum or email them to Marion or me.

We need to find which Infantry Division he was originaly was in when he was wounded, he was not with the 351st when wounded.

In you rour post you say he was wounded 7 Aug 44. I seen your message board post on Ancestry.com in which you stated " My Grandfather was also wounded, sent home for a brief time to recover and then sent back."

In this case, he would not have been sent back to his orginal unit. When he went back he would have gone through the system of Replacement Depots and assigned to his new unit ( the 351st GSR) shortly after his arrival back in France.

The 351st is shown on his discharge because it is the last unit he served with.

There may be clues to his original unit in his separation papers.

Yes, this is him =)

Is this him?

 

NARA RECORDS

I have emailed you a copy of his Separation Paper and information from his Separation Qual Record which may be helpful. I have not figured out how to upload photos to the site yet, sorry. This site has already helped me decipher some of the info on his papers so thank you!

Of interest, I did write to NPR several years ago and sent them copies of all the papers I had for my Grandfather. They stated it was more than they had because the records on my Grandfather burned in the infamous fire. They did however, award him 3 medals post humously, but did not elaborate on his service record.

Hi Cori, it will help alot if you can send us a copy of of his discharge documents, if you can, upload them to the forum or email them to Marion or me.

We need to find which Infantry Division he was originaly was in when he was wounded, he was not with the 351st when wounded.

In you rour post you say he was wounded 7 Aug 44. I seen your message board post on Ancestry.com in which you stated " My Grandfather was also wounded, sent home for a brief time to recover and then sent back."

In this case, he would not have been sent back to his orginal unit. When he went back he would have gone through the system of Replacement Depots and assigned to his new unit ( the 351st GSR) shortly after his arrival back in France.

The 351st is shown on his discharge because it is the last unit he served with.

There may be clues to his original unit in his separation papers.

I do also remember my Grandmother saying that his unit was in a fire fight and he somehow was the only soldier that survived. I am not sure if this is when he was wounded. I don't think he actually was returned home when he was wounded, the newspaper article just stated he was "returned to duty after being wounded in action in the European area."

Hi Cori:

Am uploading the file for you.

Okay, now that we have that, maybe we can find more clues. Thanks!

Also doing research for Ed, whose dad was listed as being with the 351st (on his discharge papers). Am uploading here. Ed is also questioning whether his dad served with another unit prior to.

Here's a couple of letters....

On Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 2:50 PM, Edward Ferrari wrote:

Hi Marion,

I could use your help and advice. My father Walter Ferrari served in the 351^St General Engineering Regiment during ww2. He died some years back and I’m trying to make sense out of his service record. According to his discharge papers, he was in the D Day invasion at Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge , Ardennes and others. He spoke of being with Patton’s army which I remember from years back. He was shot in the arm in France and after recovery was sent back to Patton’s army and division which he said was great because other units were sent to a pool and Patton wanted his people back.

Anyway, when I researched the 351^st GER, according to what I have read, I found that the 351^st was not involved with Patton’s group nor in the battles. He said he was there and his paperwork shows the same. Was it possible to be in the 351^st and be in the third army? I can not find any listing of the 351^st with the 3^rd. I have no idea which division he would have been attached to.

How do I find information regarding this? His occupation was called a Rigger 188. I believe these are the people that were removing mines but again I do not know if that is correct. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Ed Ferrari

---------------------

Ed:

There is a table which refers to WWII MOS listings (Military Occupational Specialties). Rigger 189 refers to his specialty, which fell under the following category. The numbers are simply Army designations.

Army MOS CODES WWII

If you go to that site and scroll down and click on Rigger 189, you get the following. Pretty cool huh? Hope all this begins to shed light on him.

Marion

RIGGER (189)

Performs all types of general rigging work on military construction, manufacturing, shipping, reclamation, and other activities.

Raises and moves heavy equipment, using derricks, cranes, gin poles, a-frames, cableways, and chain blocks. Sets up, braces, and rigs hoisting equipment, splices rope or steel cable, and reeves and runs rope and guy wire.

Uses such equipment as rope, steel cable, chains, hooks, snatch blocks, pulleys, ax, sledge, wrenches, knife, and other small tools.

Must be able to climb. Must know knots. splices, correct method of moving heavy objects, and safety precautions to be followed in moving heavy equipment.

Dads Discharge - William Ferrari.pdf