I am trying to find out where the 65th Engineer Battalion was stationed in October 1944. I believe it was attached to the 25th Division in the Pacific war but am not sure if that was for the duration or some of the time.
From 25th Infantry Division Assn. Website :
Constituted 18 October 1927 in the Regular Army as the 65th Engineer Battalion. The battalion remained inactive until assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and activated as a combat engineer battalion at Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii on 1 October 1941 using the personnel and equipment of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Engineer Regiment of the Hawaiian Division. The 65th Engineers received their baptism of fire during the Japanese attack on Hawaii on 7 December 1941. In WW II and Korea its three line companies were primarily placed in direct support of the 25th Division’s three infantry regimental combat teams. In the Pacific campaigns of WW II and in the Korean War the 65th Engineers were called upon to clear mines and booby traps and to assist combat elements in emplacing friendly – or reducing enemy – obstacles and fortifications. The battalion also performed missions to improve roads, trails and to build bridges for the re-supply of the front lines and to speed the evacuation of casualties. As necessary, the 65th Engineers were prepared to and did on occasion fight as infantry. In WW II Companies A, B, and C, each received a Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry on Luzon.
65th would have been where the 25th ID was; it was a permanently assigned Engineer unit to the 25th.
Thank you. I’m looking for an engineer battalion which saw combat in October 1944. That would not have been the 65th then if they remained with the 25th Div.
My late Dad was in the 65th engineers. After the Soloman Island battles, the 25th DIV went to New Zealand for R&R. Dad was on his way back to the US and halfway across the Pacific when they announcement was made of the D_Day landings so that was 6 June 44. Some time after that, the 25th (along with the 65th engineers) went on to New Guniea If I recall what Dad had told me some time ago
Thanks Bucky. I will do a little research on New Guinea and see what I can find.
No problem I guess what I meant to say is that the 25th (and the 65th) were still in NZ around May/June of 1944. Some where I have a temp drivers license that was issued to my Dad from the City Of Auckland so the 25th must have been in that area for their R&R. Dad said the people of New Zealand were just fantastic and made them feel very welcome My Dad never forgot that. He was a long way from his small hometown of Blue Ridge Summit PA (near Gettysburg)
Bucky
Bucky, did your Dad have any photos or letters with a man named Harold or Harry Preston in them? Or he was sometimes called Hap.
ceejay
I will have to look as I have all of the papers and pictures he brought home from the war That name does not ring a bell however I will go over his suff again
ceejay, My dad was in the 65th and I have a picture that has a note on the back of it that is dated Sept. 10,1944 and a note from my dad that says they were in New Guinea. I have another picture with a note that is dated Feb. 11, 1945 that was written when the LST my dad was on took a torpedo in the invasion of Leyte Gulf. This note also said that it was the 6th day out of New Guinea. The LST 577 was cut in half by a torpedo and my dad was a survivor. The survivors were sent to Taclobian in the Philipines (just north of Leyte) until March 6, 1945 and the moved to Lingayen Gulf which is north of Manila. Lingayen was captured on Jan 6, 1945.
From my dads notes I would conclude that the 65th was in New Guinea in Octorber 1944. I also have notes that my dad was writing letters to the familes of his buddies that were killed during this time so they were definately seeing combat at this time as well. Hope this helps.