Deeds And Doing of Co-A 1252nd Engr. Combat Battalion

Commendations letters For the men of 1252nd Engineer Combat Battalion.

• Joe’s Traveling Circus A-Company:

October 1944
12	Left camp Swift, Texas for futher adventures
13-14	Enroute (money changes hands via craps & poker) Arrived camp Kilmer, N.J. Distances traveled 2.000 miles (3218km)
16-19	Processed for overseas (foothbath Physical)
20	Boarded HMS Tamaroa at N.Y. (to begin our starvation cruise)
21	Still tied up and already discouraged (what a tub)
23 -2 November.	Sailing sailing (two sub alerts – no action)
3	Landed at AVONMOUTH, England and entrained for TORQUAY
4-18	Period of meeting TORQUAY and TORQUAY meeting us
19 November – 12 December.	Camp routine during daytime but indcorsports at night (ballrooms, barrooms and bedrooms
13	Alerted for departure (final dated with ginches)
14-28	Still alertered and still a final date each night
29	Departure amidst breaking of bottles and hearts (ours)
30	Left England via Southampton on SS Sobieski
31	Arrived LeHarve, France (god, what a mess) Hiked 10 miles to billets of nice mud, what a New Years!
1945
1 January 1945	Departed in driving snow on trucks in zero temp. For FORGES-LES EAUX
2-9	A happy week at Camp Cow Shit pasture (just mud, Snow, and zero weather in cozy pup tents)
10	Rode in open trucks in zero temp. to ROUEN – boarded 40&8
11	Arrived at ENGHIEN LESS BAINS to find  deep snow and billets
12-15	We try the bars and gals in town and find both good
16	Departed from ENGHIEN again in 40&8
18	Arrived in BIWER, Luxembourg. After seeing the France mess
19-21	Period of organized confusion
22	Leave BIWER for ‘’old mill’’ on the Moselle River (begina the fire works)
23-26	Become acquainted with our dearly beloved fox holes
27	First Casualties – 5 men hit by schrapnel
28	The war becomes a personal affair
1 February	Two more down – McVaugh and Pvt. Still Picked off
2-4	Swimming time in the aforementioned holes as it rained steadily
5	Depart from the mill for FLAXWEILER, Luxembourg
6-7	Schrape off mud – go outside and get muddy
8	Left for and arrived at ESHWEILER, Luxembourg
10	Entered WALHAUSEN, Luxembourg Greeted with gifts  – all metal
11	Usual duties ( shallend and shot at, ducked and dove)
13	Left WALHAUSEN to be again shot at and shelled
16	E.W. Johnson and Lt. Weiss hit by schrepnel
17	Back again at CONTHUM, Luxembourg
18-19	A chance to clean off a weeks mud
20	Merryman & Rishell killed, Schackelfor, Dayton & Nelson wounded on patrol
21	For those that have no dutues, rest – waiting for another crack at the krautz
22	Left Consthum, Luxembourg
	Into SIEGFRIED LINE – Crossed Our river – Jumped off from Dasburg
23-24	Captured 3 Towns accom. By tanks – Cap. 77 Krautz – 13 pillboxes losing 3 men – back to CUSTHUM, Luxembourg

25-26	Sweat out next project & catch up on our sleep
27	Leave Luxembourg  and move into St. Vith, Belgium. Up to this time I have not seen a town so badly shot up as this town stunk because of unrecovered bodies.
28 – 2 March	Road work and mud
3	Depart for BRACHT, Belgium – another mud hole
4	More rain – Never seems to end in this country
7	Leave BRACHT, Belgium for HALENFELD, Germany
8-9	Some old story- Mud getting deeper
10	Move to ROTH – A town of about 25 houses – half shot up
11	Try to repair roads – not in this kind of weather
14	Leave town of dead and go to BOOS,Germany – a long ride – seen plenty of bombers – visiting jerry’s
15-23	Sun stayed out and managed to do some work
24	Left BOOS to BUBACH – near rhine river
25	Road repair
26	Alerted about 1am to be supporting engineers for the 188th Engr. Who had the task of taking the 89 Div. across the Rhine River. They got badly shop up, our fears are realized, we have to move in. Never seen so much shot in or so much death as on this day but our usual luck holds and we suffer no casualties but C.Company losses some men
27	Spent this day picking up bodies & equipment at ST. GOARHAUSEN and rubber necking though the towns across the river (what a mess)
28	Leave for REDWITZ
29	Leave REDWITZ and arrive at GRAFENWORTH at 0466 and leave there at 1330 (move, sleep, and move again) to BOWENWOHR
1 May	Just unpack, take ten, then pack again
2	Arrived at MITTERNACH – here we have a whole 24 hr. break
4	Oops off again. This time to RUHMANSFELDEN
5	Off agan – now to PASSAU, on the TERMAN-AUSTRIAN border
6-18	A period of brige building, drinking and fraternizing
	It was here that we celebrated the ending of the war (may 9) and on the afternoon and evening of that day we saw more action than we had seen for a long time. The Luftwaffe makes a final gesture of definance by Starfing the bridge on the Danube. Ack-ack has a busy time and manages to knock down two of the Jeryy planes. We really had a ring side seat for that performance
19	We sadly leave the town of pleasure and move to ARNSTORF
20-31	During this time the different platcons are sent out on guard jobs
1 June	At this point we cross in to Austria to TOLLETERAU, at this place we move into an ex-Hitler Yout Camp and justlay around
3-8	Moved to PITTENHART – worked PW’S – enlarged a stockade – had movies – a sight seeing tours – swimming