Sunday, June 7, 2009
Concentration Camp Photos - #1
These are the first of many pictures Wilbur Musser took while serving in the U.S. army in World War II in Germany in 1945. Unfortunately he did not label these pictures. We would love to know more about the circumstances surrounding these pictures. If you happen to have an idea of which concentration camp (we think it may be one of the Malthausen satellite camps - perhaps Ebensee) please kindly contact us. Wilbur Musser is the GI in the final snapshot.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Was Combat Engineering Service Dangerous?
Apparently it was for the men in the 292nd Combat Engineer Battalion. Please see the citation below.
Paul Baumgardner entered the US Army in 1944 and was sent
to England with the 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion attached
to General Simpson's 9th Army. His unit was responsible for building
bridges, sweeping for mines and maintaining supply routes for the
advancing infantry divisions. He was wounded, taken as a POW
and eventually released.
http://www.huntington.in.us/county/veterans/PatrioticDay2003/
Paul Baumgardner entered the US Army in 1944 and was sent
to England with the 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion attached
to General Simpson's 9th Army. His unit was responsible for building
bridges, sweeping for mines and maintaining supply routes for the
advancing infantry divisions. He was wounded, taken as a POW
and eventually released.
http://www.huntington.in.us/county/veterans/PatrioticDay2003/
Possible Itinerary of Wilbur Musser's Military Service
We do not have an actual itinerary for Wilbur Musser's service in WW2. The below itinerary was posted in another forum by a veteran of the 292nd Combat Engineer Battalion. Several key elements seem to depart from the service experienced by Wilbur Musser's Company B. For example there is no mention of the Malthausen concentration camp liberation below which Wilbur Musser documented in photographs. This suggests to me that Company B may have been attached to another unit for some part of the period (perhaps beginning July 2, 1945).
February 5,1944---Departed Fort Logan, Denver, Colo.
February 7,1944---Arrived Camp Butner, North Carolina.
October 15,1944—Left Camp Butner, North Carolina
October 19,1944---Arrived Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
October 22,1944---Left New York Harbor.
November 2,1944—Arrived South Hampton, England
November 2,1944---Departed South Hampton by train.
November 3,1944---Arrived Oulton Park, England .
December 9, 1944---Departed Oulton Park, England.
December 10, 1944-Arrived Hersley Park , England thru the Port of South Hampton , England.
December 13,1944--Departed Hersley Park, England through thePort of South Hampton, England.
December 15,1944--Arrived Port Leharve, Fry, France. (Chateau Merval)
December 22,1944—Departed Fry, France.(traveled thru the Battle Of the Bulge.)
December 23,1944---Arrived Merkstein, Germany (under fire)Lost a bull dozer, truck and trailer. We built three bridges and cement piers across the Roer River on
Feb. 25-26-27 at Linnich, Germany.
February 28,1945—Left Merkstein and Crossed the Roer River with the 84th Infantry Division.
February 28,1945—Arrived Moorshoven, Germany
March 2,1945-------Left Moorshoven.
March 2,1945-------Arrived Suchstein, Germany.
March 4,1945-------Left Suchstein, Germany.
March 4,1945-------Arrived Verberg-Krefeld, Germany
March 31,1945------Left Verberg-Krefeld,Germany and Spearheaded 120 miles in 120 hours with the 5th Armored Division.
April 1,1945--------Arrived in Hiddingsel, Germany.
April 4,1945--------Left Hiddingsell, Germany.
April 4,1945--------Arrived Warendorf, Germany.
April 4,1945—Built the Bailey Bridge over the Wesser River during the night
April 6,1945---------Left Warendorf, Germany.
April 6,1945---------Arrived Bad Saltzuflan,Germany.
April 10,1945--------Left Bad Saltzuflan,Germany.
April 13,1945--------Arrived Packebusch,Germany and attempted to cross the Elbe River at night with no success, too much enemy fire from the other side , we had to pull back.
April 15,1945--------Left Packebusch, Germany .
April 15,1945--------Arrived Osterberg, Germany---here we met the Russian Army, dirty and grubby looking . They shot at us from the other side of the Elbe River.
April 17,1945---------Left Osterberg, Germany.
April 17,1945---------Arrived Polkern, Germany . Maintained anEngineering Depot.
May 2,1945-----------Left Polkern, Germany.
May 2,1945----------Arrived Bismarck, Germany.Built the P.W. Camp for an estimated 110,000 German prisoners.
May 18,1945,---------Left Bismarck. Germany.
May 18,1945,---------Arrived Quedlinberg, Germany
/May 29,1945----------Left Quedlinberg, Germany.
June 2,1945------------Arrived Mainz, Germany.
June 3,1945------------Left Mainz, Germany.
June 3,1945------------Arrived Gonsenheim, Germany.Here we built a prison camp for the SS.
July 2,1945---------Left Gonseheim, Germany
July 2,1945--------Arrived Huy, Belgium. “Chateau Neubille”
July 24,1945------Left Huy, Belgium.
July 24,1945------Arrived Tihange , Belgium, still part of Huy.Only two miles from Chateau Neuville.
August 14, 1945—Left Tihange, Belgium .
August 14, 1945---Arrived Antwerp, Belgium .---------We built Camp Top Hat, a staging area.
October 31,1945---Left Antwerp, Belgium—after Camp Top Hat was built.
October 31,1945----Arrived Fe Camp, France and built Camp Lucky Strike .
December 15,1945—Left Camp Lucky Strike.
December 15,1945---Arrived at Camp Phillip Morris, this camp was at LeHarve , France.
January 19, 1946------Left Camp Phillip Morris.
January 19,1946-------Arrived Camp Top Hat—Antwerp, Belgium
Source: Victor Bernhardt via phone interview in April. http://forums.wildbillguarnere.com/index.php?showtopic=8747
February 5,1944---Departed Fort Logan, Denver, Colo.
February 7,1944---Arrived Camp Butner, North Carolina.
October 15,1944—Left Camp Butner, North Carolina
October 19,1944---Arrived Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
October 22,1944---Left New York Harbor.
November 2,1944—Arrived South Hampton, England
November 2,1944---Departed South Hampton by train.
November 3,1944---Arrived Oulton Park, England .
December 9, 1944---Departed Oulton Park, England.
December 10, 1944-Arrived Hersley Park , England thru the Port of South Hampton , England.
December 13,1944--Departed Hersley Park, England through thePort of South Hampton, England.
December 15,1944--Arrived Port Leharve, Fry, France. (Chateau Merval)
December 22,1944—Departed Fry, France.(traveled thru the Battle Of the Bulge.)
December 23,1944---Arrived Merkstein, Germany (under fire)Lost a bull dozer, truck and trailer. We built three bridges and cement piers across the Roer River on
Feb. 25-26-27 at Linnich, Germany.
February 28,1945—Left Merkstein and Crossed the Roer River with the 84th Infantry Division.
February 28,1945—Arrived Moorshoven, Germany
March 2,1945-------Left Moorshoven.
March 2,1945-------Arrived Suchstein, Germany.
March 4,1945-------Left Suchstein, Germany.
March 4,1945-------Arrived Verberg-Krefeld, Germany
March 31,1945------Left Verberg-Krefeld,Germany and Spearheaded 120 miles in 120 hours with the 5th Armored Division.
April 1,1945--------Arrived in Hiddingsel, Germany.
April 4,1945--------Left Hiddingsell, Germany.
April 4,1945--------Arrived Warendorf, Germany.
April 4,1945—Built the Bailey Bridge over the Wesser River during the night
April 6,1945---------Left Warendorf, Germany.
April 6,1945---------Arrived Bad Saltzuflan,Germany.
April 10,1945--------Left Bad Saltzuflan,Germany.
April 13,1945--------Arrived Packebusch,Germany and attempted to cross the Elbe River at night with no success, too much enemy fire from the other side , we had to pull back.
April 15,1945--------Left Packebusch, Germany .
April 15,1945--------Arrived Osterberg, Germany---here we met the Russian Army, dirty and grubby looking . They shot at us from the other side of the Elbe River.
April 17,1945---------Left Osterberg, Germany.
April 17,1945---------Arrived Polkern, Germany . Maintained anEngineering Depot.
May 2,1945-----------Left Polkern, Germany.
May 2,1945----------Arrived Bismarck, Germany.Built the P.W. Camp for an estimated 110,000 German prisoners.
May 18,1945,---------Left Bismarck. Germany.
May 18,1945,---------Arrived Quedlinberg, Germany
/May 29,1945----------Left Quedlinberg, Germany.
June 2,1945------------Arrived Mainz, Germany.
June 3,1945------------Left Mainz, Germany.
June 3,1945------------Arrived Gonsenheim, Germany.Here we built a prison camp for the SS.
July 2,1945---------Left Gonseheim, Germany
July 2,1945--------Arrived Huy, Belgium. “Chateau Neubille”
July 24,1945------Left Huy, Belgium.
July 24,1945------Arrived Tihange , Belgium, still part of Huy.Only two miles from Chateau Neuville.
August 14, 1945—Left Tihange, Belgium .
August 14, 1945---Arrived Antwerp, Belgium .---------We built Camp Top Hat, a staging area.
October 31,1945---Left Antwerp, Belgium—after Camp Top Hat was built.
October 31,1945----Arrived Fe Camp, France and built Camp Lucky Strike .
December 15,1945—Left Camp Lucky Strike.
December 15,1945---Arrived at Camp Phillip Morris, this camp was at LeHarve , France.
January 19, 1946------Left Camp Phillip Morris.
January 19,1946-------Arrived Camp Top Hat—Antwerp, Belgium
Source: Victor Bernhardt via phone interview in April. http://forums.wildbillguarnere.com/index.php?showtopic=8747
Friday, June 5, 2009
Uncle Wilbur
My Uncle Wilbur was a hero. He served from 22 OCT 44 TO FEB 6 46. His battles and campaigns were the 1945 Rhineland Central European Theater. He earned the Service Medal with 2 bronze stars, the Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
I have a large number of his photographs that he took during his tour of duty. Please contact me if you have an interest in learning more. Herman Wu
I have a large number of his photographs that he took during his tour of duty. Please contact me if you have an interest in learning more. Herman Wu
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Germany Defeated
German troops marched off to war amid flags and banners
The German people watched them go...
From quiet, picturesque villages...
Then came the planes...
And the Allied troops... 
And those picturesque villages were no more...
Those same German troops returned...
To prison camps...
Defeated...
Or, to the ultimate last stop.The March Through Germany
The 245th Combat Engineer Battalion in 1945 Nazi Germany
Slogging through the streets
Only 45km from Marburg, 89km from Frankfurt am Main
The dash through Germany
Left devastation in its wake...
With no time to eat...
And Allied casualties abandoned...
By the side of the road...
The trophies of war...
Slogging through the streets
Only 45km from Marburg, 89km from Frankfurt am MainThe dash through Germany
Left devastation in its wake...With no time to eat...
And Allied casualties abandoned...By the side of the road...The trophies of war...
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