Second photo

Third photo

I then got this email from Harold Whiting this morning. The subject of his email was SMALL WORLD. Indeed! Here is Harold's email:

Good morning:

Last night while looking over O'Barrs pictures I found some info. Not only did I come home through camp roosevelt but they came through Camp San Francisco. This camp was in the same area as camp roosevelt he mentions going to sassion france on pass.

Also you and I wondered how close the 540-th --36th -10th 85th. Guess what the 163rd part of the 1109th group. They helped to build the bridge across the Rhine 163rd AND 157th made up the 1109 group.

Picture 30 of O'Barrs tells of the 163rd c eng working together with these other engineer bn. I think it was Gantry diary that speaks of camp San Francisco. The 157 ©eng bn maintained that bridge at Worms after they left. This info is in the Major Davis part of my story The 157th also worked on the Danube with the O'Barrs.

Small World

HWhiting

Oh, Rod's site can be found here. There are hundreds of great photos. Rod was one of my earliest web contacts, and we have been sharing info for about two years. http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dl...oupid=89066&ck=

I also added several pages from Rod's site to my 540th Photo Page.

https://ww2combatengineers.comphotos540th.htm

Before I revamped my site, I used to have a slide show that included Rod's photos. It was one of those things that got overlooked when I created the new pages.

Marion: Yes, I recall the work of the 540th C.E.'s (who were attached to our 3td Inf Div)

at this time for the Rhine River crossing.. The Engineers brought up the aluminum boats

and paddles we used for our initial crossing and were repairing a bridge for getting the

tanks and T.D.'s across the Rhine while under heavy fire. Seems like the Anphibious Shermans did not fare well in their crossing and we sure needed some tank support after the crossing. Their quick work gave us tank support shortly. Each of the small

boats held a squad and were left at the bank where we crossed over.

Marion: Yes, I recall the work of the 540th C.E.'s (who were attached to our 3td Inf Div)

at this time for the Rhine River crossing.. The Engineers brought up the aluminum boats

and paddles we used for our initial crossing and were repairing a bridge for getting the

tanks and T.D.'s across the Rhine while under heavy fire. Seems like the Anphibious Shermans did not fare well in their crossing and we sure needed some tank support after the crossing. Their quick work gave us tank support shortly. Each of the small

boats held a squad and were left at the bank where we crossed over.

Joe I have wondered how the C.E. anchored those pontoons. I remenber going across one, I think it was the Arno River, it was in the PO Valley. All I can say is I stand and SALUTE THE COMBAT ENGINEERS. !!!! Roque

Joe have you read this?

https://ww2combatengineers.comdoc...rch25-27001.pdf

Roque: No idea as how they were anchored. We just plain left the small boats and paddles on the far shore. Not our job to return them. Where we crossed was about

300 yds of Rhine River with quite a current. Seemed like 3 miles wide not the 300 yds

it was. Some boats did not make it over.

Marion: Yes I checked it out and quite true and pertinent.

I noticed on eBay that they have a DUI pin for an 85th Engineers. I'm not sure if this is the pin for the unit that is the subject of this thread or not. They lable it as "CREST 85th--A1--ENG". The "A1" may refer to the version of the pin.

The pin is listed in under the category of WW2(1939-1945) | United States | Pins

I'm just curious to know if this is the DUI for this unit.

Steve

I have an original for them. I will scan it later when I get a chance and post it here.

Great Pics!

In the second photo... there are some lines run off the right hand side of the bridge which I assume is to help anchor the bridge against the current. Any ideas on what they might be tied off too?

Got a few engineers looking at this post. Hopefully they will be able to give you some answers.

The pontons(o) were anchored in several ways, usually a cable was stretched on the "Up" side from shore to shore with lines tied into & then down to the ponton. That worked better than The anchors that were available. Maintenance of the cable was a 24 hour task. Adjustments to the cable & lines was continious. The bridges bowed in the middle, the critical point, & could not exceed about 10deg. At times boats with motors pulled the bridge to the up side. Pontons are uncovered "Boats", pontoons have a top on them !!! Engrs. used mostly pontons. The 540th bridge across the Rhine is a ponton bridge. Who knows what the Rule of Thumb "Seven UP" means???

Floating bridges of any sort were a pain in the neck. The larger ones were especially tough, dangerous and harder to work on. WE had several near drownings, many broken hands and fingers from the unstable work place. Floating baileys were the worst, only one built by the 48th. WE built the one ponton bridge across the Neckar in Heidelberg on about 1 April 45. The high banks of the river made the approach & exit of the bridge especially tough. I'm sure the flow was much less than The Rhine (540) bridge. After construction of floating bridges it would take the supply sergeant several days to write "droppage reports" for the tools lost. Yes We had to account for all tools at all times.