Hello to all! I'm researching my deceased father's WWII experience. The information I have is from what he told me, as well as military papers and photos. He was: Alfred D. Scoggins - 34 447 847 - Sergeant - Headquarters and Service Company - 345th Engineers (U.S. Army). Date of Induction: 10-17-42 Entry into Active Service: 10-31-42. Departed for EAMET: 5-12-43 & Arrived: 5-20-43. Departed for U.S.: 11-28-45 Arrived: 12-6-45. He told me he was in North Africa, Rome, & Sicily. I have a few old letters with photos of girlfriends from there. I know he was never in any 'action' and his discharge papers show no campaigns/battles. He broke his wrist at some point and surgery was required. Years ago, I found a paper typed on onion-skin (I think that's what it's called). It was faded & difficult to read so I made a copy on a copier. It has 'DTC TIMES' written in the top center. It's dated March 7, 1943. Where the price is listed it has: Free To Company C. On the top left, it has Personality Sketches & my dad is listed. The paragraph at the bottom of the page is about him: I've researched DTC TIMES online, & it takes me to 'Patton's Desert Training Center' where troops were prepared for North Africa. There were several camps with different names & I remember him talking about Camp Young. I'm guessing this is where the newsletter is from. I'm interested in learning more about the Desert Training Center, my dad's role in WWII, & what he was doing from the time the war ended until he departed for the U.S. on 11-28-45. I don't know why he stayed over-seas so long after the war ended. I have several photos that I've asked Pat Curran to prepare and post for me. One is of the DTC TIMES newsletter & the others are of my dad. (In the photo of several soldiers, my dad is the sergeant wearing a cover different from the others.): I'm wondering if these were taken at The Desert Training Center. I'll appreciate any information, suggestions, & leads. Thanks! Patricia Edited by Pat to include photos: 18/05/2014 @15:59
Hi Patricia, My guess is that the two photos were taken at The Desert Training Center. However, there is no way of being sure - they could just as easily have been taken in the Mediterranean Theater. I found the map of Camp Young below... ...and, despite the harsh terrain and the passage of time, the old camp roads still show up very well on Bing and Google Earth as can be seen by the ties below from the north western section of the camp: Will keep digging... Regards, Pat
Thanks, Pat! Those are amazing to see. I'm surprised to see that the roads are still visible. Patricia
A link to a brief unit history appears in Reply #13 here: http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=7257&hl=345th
Hi, everyone! My dad's discharge papers show he was assigned to Headquarters And Service Company 345th Engineers, but over the weekend I found a handwritten note that looks like someone was notating his mailing address. It has: Sgt. Alfred D. Scoggins 34447847 - 438, Repl Co. 32nd. Repl. Bn A.P.O.#761 By (or Of) P.M. New York, N.Y. (I posted it exactly as it's written.) I'm confused as to why his discharge papers show one thing and the hand written note shows something different. Can anyone please help me understand? Thanks! Patricia
Hi Patricia, I could be wrong, but my understanding is that 'Replacement' Battalions were holding units for GIs on their way back to active service following serious illness or injury. A GI could be assigned to a completely new outfit from these 'holding' units depending on demand for personnel at that particular point in time. Can anyone confirm this explanation or offer a correction? Below is the address to which Patricia refers: Regards, Pat
APO 761 was Oran, Algeria. My best guess at the muddy dates on the discharge and comparing those to the unit history is that he didn't accompany the 345th on its movement to North Africa. If that reading is correct, I'd guess he was shipped overseas as a replacement. If Patricia can report the relevant dates on the discharge, other possibilities might be evaluated. In answer to an earlier question: the U.S. Army had right at 3 million men in the ETO on VE-Day. Only about 400k were needed for occupation duty. Every one of the remaining 2.5+ million wanted to be on the first boat home. It had taken over 2-1/2 years to get them all over there. There was a point system for individuals that set priorities for embarkation home. Length of service overseas, combat awards, dependents under 18 were among the criteria. The month your father came home - November - saw the largest number of GIs embark - just over 400k. It's also possible your father's unit was slated to go to the Pacific, but was a low enough priority for the invasion of Japan that the war ended before their embarkation date. I have an uncle who was sent to the ETO as a replacement, arriving in May '45. As a low point man, he was immediately turned around and sent to the Pacific by direct redeployment through the Panama Canal. He arrived at his assigned Pacific base a few days after VJ-Day. He thus traveled half way 'round the world and never heard a shot fired.
firstflabn - I'll list the dates that appear on the discharge paper since they are difficult to see. I listed most in my first post. Date of Induction: 10-17-42 Date of Entry into Active Service: 10-31-42 (Date of Departure: May 12, 1943 Destination: EAMET Date of Arrival: May 20, 1943) (Date of Departure : Nov 28, 1945 Destination: USA Date of Arrival: Dec. 6, 1945) Military Occupational Speciality and No. : Platoon Sergeant (745) He was in no battles or campaigns. Reason and Authority for Separation: CONV OF GOVT RR1-1 (DEMOBILIZATION) AR6 15-365 DEC 15, 1944. As I previously stated, he said he was never in any 'action'. I just found what appears to be foreign currency dated 1-5-43. It has BANQUE DETAT DU MAROC at the top. It has a star in the center of the bill and 10 DIX FRANCS on each side of the star. I don't know anything about it. Thanks to any and all who can provide insight. Patricia
Thanks, Patricia. Looks like I may have guessed right - he embarked three months after the 345th. Unless he was in the hospital or jail (just kidding!), he would almost certainly have shipped out with his unit. Illness and injury - even in service units - required a steady stream of individual replacements. I don't have any early war T/O&Es, but 0745 is the Rifleman MOS. Wonder if he managed to get transferred from an infantry unit? Did he have any prewar construction experience?
firstflabn, I know he injured his arm at some point and surgery was required because a metal plate of some type was used to repair the injury. The reason I know about the metal plate is because it bothered him occasionally during his lifetime. I live in a small town and today, I remembered that a local man was overseas with my dad. He is also deceased, but I know some of his family. I'm going to see if they recall anything their dad may have told them. I have some letters my dad received from army buddies after he returned home. The man I'm referring to is mentioned in some of them. (The letters don't give me any information- at least not the type I'm seeking). When I find out something from the man's family, I'll post it. Also, my dad grew up on a 100 acre farm and had a 7th grade education. That was not uncommon in this area during the time he grew up. He practically ran the farm alone. He had no construction training, but he could do nearly anything. (He had very little education, but he was a very wise man.) Where do you think the currency I mentioned in my last post is from? Thanks for your help with this! Patricia
Currency is easy, 'Maroc' is the French word for Morocco. 'Dix' is the french word for 'ten' It's actually Banque d'État du Maroc. The french Wikipedia has a page: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banque_d%27%C3%89tat_du_Maroc Guess the note looks like this: [img=850x651]http://images-01.delcampe-static.net/img_large/auction/000/156/079/734_001.jpg[/img] linked from: http://www.delcampe.net/page/item/id,156079734,var,MAROC-10-Francs-Banque-d-etat-du-Maroc-3-1944,language,E.html Edit: Image place holder size reduced to 850x651 pixels by Pat @ 11:19 on 24th May 2014
YES, that's what it looks like. The one I found is dated 1-5-43. Where and when do you think he would have gotten it? Thanks! Patricia
Hi Patricia, Apologies for the delay in getting your images uploaded. Below are the the two sides of the note in question: Regards, Pat
Hello to all! A couple of days ago, I removed the photo of my dad (standing with other soldiers outside their tents), from the heavy black pages of the old album it was in. This is the photo Pat Curran posted for me previously. I wondered if it was taken at the Desert Training Center. When I lifted it from the album, I found writing on the back. My dad wrote that it was in front of their tents in the Arizona desert. I should have checked the back to start with. I didn't, because the photos seemed to be glued to the page and I was worried about destroying them. Anyway, I wanted to share what I found! Patricia