Harbor Docks, Southampton, England, Christmas Eve, 24 December 1944, 2300 Hours. * A company of G.I.'s is waiting to board a transport ship bound for the continent. It is bitter cold and yet to be one of the worst winters on record. While vehicles are loaded aboard the Liberty Ship S.S. Louis Marshall, a cheery Red Cross girl hands out doughnuts and hot coffee to a thankful group of shivering men. There is time to reflect and yet, no one seems to notice that it is Christmas Eve. Perhaps it is just the bone chilling darkness, or the uninviting prospects of the ship's steel hold, but likely it is something else. By now all know that a fierce battle is being waged on the snow bound frontier of western Germany and that thousands of Americans are being killed or wounded. Each ponders what the future holds but all determine to do their duty when the time comes. As the line moves forward each man gives his name to a soldier at the gangplank to record on the company roster. One of the young American soldiers on the dreary docks of Southampton that night was my grandfather, William E. Scott, Corporal, 1st Platoon, C Company, 245th Engineer Combat Battalion.
William Emmett Scott of Alexander City, Alabama
Corporal, 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, Company C, 245th Engineer Combat Battalion,
XX Corps, Third United States Army
Germany 1945.
* Note: This is the same time as the "S.S. Leopoldville Disaster". The Leopoldville was a troopship that had left Southampton Harbor Christmas Eve morning loaded with 2,235 men of the U.S. 66th Infantry Division bound for France. This was at height of the Battle of the Bulge and troops were urgently needed at the front. Just before midnight on Christmas Eve 5 1/2 miles from Cherbourg the Leopoldville was torpedoed by the U-486. Chaos ensued and 763 American soldiers lost their lives in the freezing waters of the English Channel. When ships carrying the 245th Engineer Combat Battalion and other units left Southampton on Christmas morning their convoy sailed for the mouth of the Seine River. The Seine was still strewn with floating mines and wrecked ships and according to the battalion history of the 245th, there were Marquis even then fighting with Vichy French in Le Havre. The Louis Marshall slowly threaded its way upriver. C Company did not get unloaded until the ship docked at Rouen on December 28. From Southampton to Cherbourg the crossing would have been less than a day's sail. Given knowledge of a U-Boat operating off Cherbourg Harbor one wonders whether Rouen was the original intended destination or not. Due to wartime censorship the sinking of the Leopoldville was kept secret until U.S. documents relating to the disaster were declassified in 1959. Official British documents of the sinking were not released until 1996.
245th ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION,
XX "GHOST" CORPS,
U.S. THIRD ARMY, E.T.O., 1943-1945
The 245th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi on October 25, 1943. The battalion was commanded by Major John Hall Livingston and consisted of three line companies A, B, & C along with a headquarters/service company. Cadre for the battalion came from Fort Polk, La and enlisted men were sent from Fort Devens, Mass and Fort McPherson, Georgia. Basic training for enlisted men began on December 6, 1943 and was completed on March 6, 1944. On March 13, 1944 the battalion was sent to the Tennessee Maneuver Area for additional training which lasted until May 30, 1944. The battalion was then returned to Camp Shelby for additional training in bridge building, Air/Ground operations, mine fields, antiaircraft firing and small arms. On September 23, 1944 the battalion boarded trains and departed Camp Shelby for the E.T.O. (European Theater of Operations).
The battalion left New York Harbor aboard the SS Explorer on October 30, 1944 and arrived at Avonmouth, England on November 10, 1944. It was stationed at Camp Seamills near Bristol, England for six weeks of intensive training on minefields and road maintenance. The battalion departed England for the continent on December 25, 1944. It was assigned to XX Corps, U.S. Third Army under General George S. Patton with which it remained until the end of the war. Elements of the 245th Engineer Combat Battalion saw action in support of the 26th Infantry Division, 94th Infantry Division, the 6th, 10th, and 11th Armored Divisions, the 3rd and 16th Cavalry Groups - among others. Beginning with assignment to the XX Corps in the Saar-Moselle Triangle, the battalion's combat activities carried it through central and southern Germany and on into northern Austria. Members of the 245th were frequently called upon to perform dangerous and complex duties which encompassed the spectrum of WW2 combat engineering. They cleared mine fields, maintained roads, built bridges (often under artillery fire), destroyed German fortifications, guarded prisoners, conducted river crossings into enemy held territory, and even fought as infantry. The battalion earned three battle stars for participation in the Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central European Campaigns, losing 8 men killed in action. By the end of the fighting in Europe, members of the battalion had earned 73 Purple Hearts, 33 Bronze Stars, 3 Silver Stars, and 2 Soldier's Medals. It was slated for redeployment to the Pacific Theatre following the surrender of Germany, but the devastation wrought by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought an end to the hostilities with Japan.
BATTALION ROSTER
HEADQUARTERS & SERVICE COMPANY
COMPANY A
COMPANY B
COMPANY C
SOME WARTIME PHOTOGRAPHS OF PAUL H. SPENCE,
1ST PLATOON, B COMPANY, 245TH ENG. C. BN
The Saar - Moselle Triangle
A knocked out American halftrack in winter camouflage near Nohn, Germany on the west bank of the Saar River sometime in late February, 1945. T/4 John A. Harper [Jackson, Miss.] and Cpl. William E. Scott [Alexander City, Ala.] are probing for mines. Sgt. Carl L. Schultheiss [Cherryvale, Kansas] is operating a mine detector. The white flag hanging from my grandfather's pocket was used to mark the location of suspected mines. Minefields along the Siegfried Line were often mixed antipersonnel/antitank fields. These nasty devices were most often made from metal, wood, and sometimes glass. This necessitated both probing and electronic detection by the engineers. Among the most deadly and fearsome antipersonnel mines was the S-Mine Or "Bouncing Betty" as my grandfather and the G.I's called it, not to mention the ubiquitous "Schu" mine. It was on the road outside of Nohn while supervising the clearing of a minefield at night that Lt. Thomas R. Matthews of 1st Platoon, Company C, lost his left foot when he stepped on a wooden schu mine on February 23, 1945. Lt. Matthews was awarded the Silver Star for meritorious and courageous service.
The Saar - Palatinate Triangle
The treadway bridge site on the Kyll River at Ehrang, a suburb of Trier, Germany about March 7, 1945. The 245th Engineer Combat Battalion was operating in support of Combat Command B, 10th Armored Division. The D7 dozer on the far bank is awaiting an O.K. from the mine detecting team before proceeding with clearing an exit ramp.
The day before this photo was taken, a short distance upriver from this site, 1st and 2nd Platoons of B Company assisted two companies of infantry in making a forced crossing of the river. After their wooden assault boats had been destroyed by German mortar barrage on March 5th, two companies of the 20th Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th Armored Division, aided by the engineers, resumed their attack on March 6. Thirteen rubber rafts were found by Lt. Walter R. Hofman of the 245th and brought forward but all but one was quickly rendered useless by German mortar fire.* Faced with the daunting task of ferrying some 200 infantrymen across the swift little river with only one 3 man reconnaissance raft, 2nd Lt. Walter R. Hofman [Pittsburg, Pa.] and Sgt. John Craig Vernon [Fairfield, Iowa] waded out into the water. Tying a rope to each end of the raft, the two engineers worked it back and forth across the river for the next four hours until the mission was accomplished. All of this was done while under enemy fire and standing chest deep in freezing water. Sgt. Vernon received the Bronze Star for valor. Lt. Hofman was later killed in action near Bad Sulza, Germany on or about April 11, 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions on the Kyll River.
Read 2nd Lt. Walter R. Hofman's Silver Star Citation.
* Per Ralph Horchler, Jr. of Volant, PA. June 2, 2008 - "My grandfather, Fred M. Horchler of New Castle, PA., served with Company "B", 20th Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th Armored Division and received the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions at Erhang, Germany on March 5, 1945. He rescued his comrades from the river when their boats were sunk by enemy mortar fire. He carried them over 500 yards to safety."
Read Pvt. Fred M. Horchler's Silver Star Citation.
Pfc. Paul H. Spence [Geraldine, Alabama] of 1st Platoon, B Company recalled his part in the Kyll River action years later:
"The [Kyll] river was no wider than a big creek, and there was a footbridge across the river which we could see had been damaged by a hit. I was told to go and see if it could be used by the infantry for a foot crossing. I walked down to the bridge and up to the center and was jumping on it to see how strong it was when a sharpshooter in a church steeple on the east bank of the river started shooting at me. All I could do was drop into the river. I crawled by the east bank where he couldn't hit me but every time I tried to get away he would start shooting again. I was in the freezing water for a long time but finally our troops were able to hit the church steeple with a mortar and I could swim back to the west bank where our troops were."
That same day,1st Lt. Lawrence H. Anderson [Providence, Rhode Island] B Company Commander and 2nd Lt. Francis C. Thomas [St. Joseph, Missouri] leader of 3rd Platoon, B Company, attempted another assault crossing near Ramstein im Kyll, a short distance upriver from Hoffman's and Vernon's site. Anderson and Thomas had their men quickly begin construction of a makeshift wooden raft, but as with other crossing points on that stretch of the Kyll River their efforts were under German observation. A German mortar shell exploded killing both officers. Lt. Anderson had previously seen combat as a Sergeant on Guadalcanal and in the China-Burma-India Theatre before returning stateside and officer candidate school. Lt. Thomas had just reported for duty with the 245th and was on his first mission.
The fierce German response with machine gun and mortar fire caused heavy casualties in Thomas's platoon and brought a halt to the ferrying effort - survivors took shelter in the basement off a nearby house. Seriously wounded by enemy fire were 1st Sgt. Cecil E. Platz [Brashear, Missouri], S/Sgt. Paul J. Koop [Covington, Kentucky], Pfc Kenneth H. Juhnke, and Pfc. John J. Wagenbach. Major Fredrick W. Thompson, Battalion Executive Officer, Tech 5 /Medic Kenneth J. Kuhn [Hundred, West Virginia] were slightly wounded.
Material salvaged from the destroyed rail yard at Ehrang are used to build a piling in the middle of the swift moving Kyll River. Lt. Ralph D. Johnston [Philadelphia, Penn.] is seen in this image directing the work of the 1st Platoon, C Company. On March 7, 1945 Lt. Col. John Hall Livingston and 1st Lt. D. E. Soderquist of 2nd Platoon, C Company were inspecting this site when fired on by the enemy from the opposite bank. Rushing for cover, Lt. Soderquist stepped on an schu mine and was seriously wounded. Lt. Col. Livingston, less than two steps away, was slightly wounded in the face by the explosion. As Livingston continued supervising the work on the bridge site, more German shells fell in the area. Years later, Lt. Col. Livingston recalled, "the shelling was so fierce I dived under the water-clothes, guns, and all. I do not recall the ice cold water as being cold that day." Construction of a treadway bridge was hampered for three days until the area was cleared of German troops and enemy fire suppressed. A number of American infantrymen were reported to have been killed or wounded during this operation.
[Note: If anyone has additional details or insight on any units involved {American or German} in the fighting along the Kyll River around Ehrang please email me!]
The finished treadway bridge at Ehrang. The bridge was inspected by General Walton B. Walker, Commander of the XX Corps, Third Army on March 9, 1945.
ACTION AT RIOL, GERMANY
On the 11th of March, 1945 the 1st Platoon, "C" Company of the 245th was attached to the XX Corps 3rd Cavalry Group. The following day the reinforced 3rd Cavalry Group captured the little village of Riol a few miles northeast of Trier and the high ground surrounding it.
From page 231 of The History Of The 245th Engineer Combat Battalion is quoted the following:
"The "Fool'em" 2nd squad, as well as the other two squads, drew "hot" assignments, while attached to the 3rd Cavalry in March. One day they were pinned down in the Church in Riol by enemy mortar fire for eight hours. During such time and while the "Krauts" reloaded, Rapheal [T/5 Joseph C. Rafael - Fairhaven, Mass.] would play a song on the organ. Joe was no musician but those notes were quite the thing then. All their prayers were answered because they all came out alive, and when they returned to the Company only Stull [PFC John H. Stull - Los Angles, Ca.] and Underwood [George E. Underwood - Huntersville, West Va.] were slightly wounded.
That night the "fearless" 3rd squad took off about midnight to put a treadway bridge across an antitank ditch at Riol, which was beyond the Cavalry forward C.P. and mightly close to the front line. It was so dark that night that Silevitch [PFC Harry Silevitch - Dorchester, Mass.] thought the white star was gone off the hood, but was amazed in the morning when he found it still there. Lt. Kessler [Lt. Leo Kessler], fresh from a "Reppo Deppo", was in charge, and even though it was a cold night he showed signs of perspiration. "Von" Neely [T/5 Harold N. Neely - Loysville, Penn.] took him back to the C. P. at a rapid pace in "Champs". "Red" was going so fast that Lt. Kessler could not tell him in time about the dead horse around the corner, and when they felt the bump they knew "C" 13 had sped over the old nags windpipe. "Jerrie" was not far away, but the Schultheiss [Sgt Carl L. Schultheiss - Cherryvale, Ka] crew, knowing that "Dead-Eye" Bolbach [PFC Edwin H. Bolbach - Lancaster, Pa.] was on the outguard, felt safe and completed the job schnell.
The first squad returned to the Cavalry that morning and had some real excitement when they helped the Cavalry take the high ground overlooking Riol. They were Combat Engineers, sure, but made very good Infantrymen that day. While hopping from one hole to another, one house to another, etc., they were happy to be Engrs. instead of Infantry. That hill, where Scott [Cpl William E. Scott - Alexander City, Ala], Magnant [PFC Theodore A Magnant - New Bedford, Mass], Bohanon [PFC George E. Bohanon - Waltham, Mass] and Floyd [Laurel E. Floyd - Bloomfield, Ind.] blew the soot out of their M-1's, was christened "Hill No. 9". The other one where the whole squad battled was known as "Hill No. 10", to the "Fighting First". It was a rough contest with the enemy letting everything go at them but V-bombs. The worst break to come our way was the losing of two tanks, but the mission was accomplished as usual."
Tank Destroyers of an unidentified armored unit in southern Germany. Unit markings on the sides of the TD's have been retouched by a censor to prevent identification, but they are prehaps from the 13th Armored Division. My grandfather's handwritten caption on the back identifies the dirt road in the foreground as having been built by his squad. Spring, 1945.
The 636 foot treadway bridge over the Inn River between Simbach, Germany and Braunau, Austria built by the 245th Engineer Combat Battalion with assistance from the 179th Engineer Combat Battalion and the 995th Treadway Company. The bridge was built on May 3 & 4, 1945 in just 17 hours during adverse weather conditions. On May 6, 1945 on the eve of the end of the war in Europe, two members of Company B of the 245th, Corporal Clifford G. Barry [Marblehead, Massachusetts] and Private Richard L. Felt [Waltham, Massachusetts] were drowned while maintaining this bridge. Corporal Barry was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously. The river current was reported at 10 feet per second as curvature of the bridge in this photo indicates. This was the first bridge built by U.S. Army Engineers across the Inn River from Germany to Austria. This bridge was destroyed by high water on May 12, 1945. Braunau is the birthplace of Adolph Hitler.
Tech 5 William G. Shaw [Hempstead, New York], C Company driver with an unnamed soldier of the Allied Polish Army somewhere in southern Germany in the spring of 1945. Photograph courtesy of his son, Larry Shaw.
Grandfather’s Squad. Cpl. William E. Scott is second from the right in front. The soldier standing third from the left is believed to be Pfc. John F. Benevento [per his son, Charlie Benevento, Boston, MA]. I believe this photograph was made either at Simbach, Germany or Seeon, Austria in May or June, 1945.
MUSEUM OF MODERN HISTORY AND CONCENTRATION CAMP EBENSEE
A slave labor camp at Ebensee, Austria that provided labor for tunnel construction where parts for an advanced Nazi intercontinental rocket were to be manufactured. Liberated by the 3rd Cavalry Group, U.S. Third Army May 6, 1945. Photographs of some of the horrors of this camp are in the 245th Engineer Combat Battalion's history book. Apparently members of the battalion visited the camp shortly after it was liberated.
The historical information on this site was found in the following publications:
245 ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION - ITS HISTORY AND ACHIEVEMENTS Written and edited by members of the battalion. 264 pages. Printed by Knorr & Hirth, Munich, Bavaria. 1945. My grandfather's copy.
THE XX CORPS - Its History and Service in World War II Written and edited by XX Corps Personnel. 408 pages. Published by the XX Corps Association ca. 1946. Printed by the Mainchi Publishing Co., Ltd. Osaka, Japan. Copy in my collection.
Personal wartime photographs of William E. Scott, Corporal, 1st Platoon, C Company, 245th Engineer Combat Battalion.
Personal wartime photographs of Paul H. Spence, Pfc, 1st Platoon, B Company, 245th Engineer Combat Battalion.
Unpublished private manuscript of the wartime experiences of John Craig Vernon, SSgt, 2nd Platoon, B Company, 245th Eng C. Bn.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANY VETERANS OR DESCENDANTS OF MEN WHO SERVED IN THE 245TH ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION
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COPYRIGHT 2007 WILLIAM G. WILSON
