712th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion- Veterans of the 712th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion Compiled by
734th Railway Operating Battalion- World War II in microcosm : one soldier's experience by Garcia, Karal Lynn
World War II in microcosm : one soldier's experience by Garcia, Karal Lynn Year: 2004
What is ROB - define ?
Define ROB (Railway Operating Battalion)
(Source: Military Railway Service, The General Board Study No. 123)
The basic operating unit in the ETO was the Railway Operating Battalion consisting of four companies:
HHC in charge of administration, train dispatching, supply, communications, and signals;
Co A responsible for maintenance of way and strcutures;
Co B operated the engine house and made running repairs of motive power and rolling stock;
Co C was the actual operating unit, with 50 train and engine crews.
This basic operating unit was capable of operating 90 to 150 miles of track with not more than one terminal with classification yard facilities. The Bn consisted of 29 officers and 790 EMs.
The Railway Shop Battalion was responsible for maintaining and repairing rolling stock, and was equipped to serve from three to four ROBs.
735th Railway Operating Battalion Gallucci, Armand obit
735 Railway Operating Battalion Gallucci, Armand obit
January 5, 2010. Predeceased by his wife, Shirley. He is survived by his wife, Marianne Gallucci; son, Armand A. (Donna) Gallucci, daughters, Monica (Frederick) Bouchey, Darlene (David) Ferrara of Boulder City, NV; step-daughter, Jean (Richard) Thomas of Webster; grandsons, William Levine of Buffalo, NY, Russell Rischenole of Las Vegas. Armand was a WWII veteran and served in the 735th Railway Operating Battalion. He was a respected restaurateur and business owner in
2305
766th Transportation Battlion Heraldic
Department of the Army Emblem
Department of the Army - Lineage and Honors
HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT 766th TRANSPORTATION BATTALION
Constituted 28 August 1944 in the Army of the United States as the 766th Railway Shop Battalion, Transportation Corps
Activated 4 September 1944 at Camp Plauche, Louisiana
Inactivated 10 February 1946 in Germany
Redesignated 16 April 1959 as the 766th Transportation Battalion and allotted to the Army Reserve
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 766th Transportation Battalion, activated 1 May 1959 at Gary, Indiana
Location changed in 1960 to East Chicago, Indiana
Inactivated 31 January 1968 at East Chicago, Indiana
Activated 15 March 1972 at Evansville, Indiana
Ordered into active military service 17 November 1990 at Evansville, Indiana; released from active military service 3 July 1991 and reverted to reserve status
Location changed 17 January 1999 to South Bend, Indiana
Ordered into active military service 7 December 2003 at South Bend, Indiana; released from active military service 3 June 2005 and reverted to reserve status
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
World War II
European-African-Middle Eastern Theater,
Streamer without inscription
Southwest Asia
Defense of Saudi Arabia
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Cease-Fire
War on Terrorism
Campaigns to be determined
DECORATIONS
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990-1991
Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 1993-1994
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY:
JEFFREY J. CLARKE
Chief of Military History
745th Railway Operating Battalion Co. C 1945 photo
Source: "World War II Order of Battle", Shelby L. Stanton, 1984 Formed: 12 May 43, New Orleans, LA Inactivated: 29 Oct 45, Camp Kilmer, NJ Locations: Departed Zone of the Interior 10 Dec 43; India 11 Jan 44; Jorhat, India Aug 45; NY Port of Embarkation 28 Oct 45. Associated with: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Meritorious Unit Commendation: 1 Mar 44-30 Sep 45, GO 6, Hq USF IBT, dtd 6 Jan 46. |
728th The L&N’s Battalion: The Story of the 728th Railway Operating Battalion, sponsored by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company during the Second World War by David Matthew Wilkins
735th Railway Operating Battalion - Gene Bryan
Lastly is a photo of my Dad, second from the left, in the back of a truck. I enlarged the photo and for the first time noted the man on the far left is holding a M-1 carbine rifle. I also discovered the truck's bumper is marked "735" on the left, and "ROB" on the right. The apparent garbage can with steam coming from it in the far right of the photo, was the Army's version of field dish washing. That is where they cleaned their mess kits. It was still done that way when I was in the Army from 76 to 79, while in the field. Thanks. Russ Bryan
735th ROB : Diary of Joe Muia
765th TRSB Korea 1953-54 Fantastic photos taken by Corporal Johnie F. Boulton
Thanks to his son, Steve Boulton for these photos.
Some notes on the photos of the 765th of TRSB photos from Corporal Johnie F. Boulton
These photos are from the 53-54 time frame. Dad worked on the Illinois Central in Fulton Ky. prior to the war and for a short time afterward. After the war jobs were scarce and to continue to work for ICRR would mean he would have to move. He met my mom after Korea while he was stationed in Ft Belvoir Va. And the rest is history.
The picture of the dog is the company mascot, Trooper. It was bought for a single carton of cigarettes.
The shop pictures are from inside the diesel shop. All of the engines in the shop are SW8 type engines. The engine in the back on the left is, as best as I can read is # 2021, now located at Cape Kennedy as a museum display and was used to transport the titan rockets around.
The photo of dad at the controls of switch engine #2001…. That engine is one of the 4 engines left in Korea and is now part of the Korean railway museum.
The transfer table pictures… the engines were driven on to the table then moved to the front of the repair bay it was going to be worked on then driven off the table into the shop.
Dad thought the pictures of the steam engine were of the Pershing engine but a close look of the label on the boiler where dad is squatting beside the boiler says Kawasaki.
Dad said that most of the Koreans that worked in the shop worked in the steam shop.
The picture of the injector room and it can also be seen on the left of one of the shop pictures, is where they repaired and maintained the injectors for the diesel engines.
The thanksgiving dinner spread was the company dinner in 1953.
The picture of Santa and his reindeer is December 1953.
The pictures of the electric shop, was where the power for the shops came from. I believe dad said that it was used to switch from DC power to AC power to run the machinery.
The picture of the Pusan docks is where trains were loaded and unloaded from ships. Dad said that it was the end of the dock.
The pictures of switch engine 2022, is the crew packaging the engine up in preparation to be shipped back to the states. This was in 1954.
720 th Railway Operating Batallion Chronology
~Brief Chronological Review of 720th Railway Operating Battalion ~
The 720th Railway Operating Battalion, Transportation Corps, was originally constituted in the Organized Reserves in 1923 as the 507th Engineer Battalion (Railway), and subsequently re-designated as 507th Engineer Battalion (Railway Operating), June 20, 1933; later as the 720th Engineer Battalion, February 21, 1941; and as the 720th Railway Operating Battalion, Transportation Corps, on December 1, 1942.
1943
• Aug.19- Ordered to be made active.
• Aug.26- Actual physical activation at Camp Harahan, New Orleans, La.; securing basic training.
• Nov. 1- Technical training at Camp Cushing, Ft. Sam Houston, Tex.
1944
• Jan. 4- Left Texas; heading north.
• Jan.19- Left Boston, Mass; overseas.
• Jan.29- Arrived, Liverpool, England.
• Feb. 6- Camp Seamills, near Bristol; deployed as 19 detachments; going East, West, South, for switching operations; engine and track maintenance; car erection- at depots in England, Scotland and Wales; as well as fitting up boats for "D" Day. Headquarters at Sudbury, Staffordshire.
• Apr.11- Recall of all units to Kirkham, Lancashire; for lectures on demolition, machine gun, and camouflage instructions.
• Apr.27- Deployed as 23 detachments. Task included railway operation; car erection; work on ships, in United Kingdom. Hdqrs, Newbury, Berkshire.
• May 25- Pfc. Sargent, of Co. "C", awarded the Soldiers Medal.
• JUNE 6- ALLIES LAND AT NORMANDY (D-DAY).
• July 12- Overseas alert orders; proceed for shipment to France.
• July 15- Motor Convoy and Company "C" arrive on the Continent.
• July18- Companies "A", "B", and Medical Detachment arrive.
• July 22- Headquarters Unit arrives. (All stationed at Cherbourg)
• July 22- "A", "B", "C", go to Lison, France.
• July 23- Hdqrs Co. arrives at Lison. Rehabilitation of tracks and switches, towers, power, and rolling stock; reconnaissance missions west to Lemans. The "720th" was specially assigned to handling supply trains moving from Cherbourg area, to support General Patton's drive to close the Falaise Gap. The first ten trains into the railhead were piloted by "720th" crews. Upon completion of the assignment, the territory- Lison to Vire, and Lison to Folligny- was controlled by "720th"
• Aug. 9- Tech.5/g J. Clardy Jr. killed.
• AUG. 15- ALLIES LAND IN SOUTHERN FRANCE.
• AUG. 19- AMERICAN WAR TANKS ENTER PARIS.
• Sept. 2- "720th" operated 48 eastward trains through Lison in a 36 hour period. (A huge task, of true unselfish devotion.)
• Oct. 23- Hdqrs. goes to Caen, France; control of Lison to Lisioux line; and also the Coursuelles line. (Long hours and hard work in adverse weather.)
1945
• MAR. 8- U.S. UNITS CROSS RHINE TO GERMANY
• Mar. 31- The "720th" enters Germany.
• Apr. 4- Headquarters at Wesel, Germany; enemy just evacuated.
• Apr. 8- Wesel to Munster line cleared by the "720th" of obstructions. First train was piloted by "720th" over Rhine on newly constructed Wesel Bridge. Enormous task of moving supplies for rapidly advancing 1st and 9th U.S. Armies; along with reconstruction, required superhuman efforts of all members of the 720th.
• APR. 12- PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DIES SUDDENLY. VICE PRESIDENT TRUMAN BECOMES PRESIDENT.
• Apr. 28- 1st Lieut. Chas. Smith killed.
• MAY 7- GERMANY GIVES UP (MAY 8-VE DAY)
• June 1- Battalion cited in General Order for meritorious duty.
• June 24- Capt. J. King fatally injured.
• June 28- "720th" takes over transportation in Belgium.
• JULY 5- ENTIRE PHILIPPINES RETAKEN BY U.S.
• July 22- Battalion cited in General Order for superior duty.
• AUG. 5- ATOMIC BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA.
• AUG. 9- SECOND 'A' BOMBING AT NAGASAKI.
• AUG. 10- JAPAN GIVES UP (AUG.11-VJ DAY).
• AUG.14- PRESIDENT TRUMAN ANNOUNCES THAT JAPAN ACCEPTS SURRENDER TERMS.
• Aug. 25- Second anniversary observed by "720th" at Liege, Belgium.
• Oct. 18- The 720th begins demobilization; high-pointers being returned home; those over 64 points kept in 720th; under 64 points transferred to 743rd.
• Nov. 19- Those sent to 743rd, switched to 740th and other outfits, going to Marseilles, France.
• Dec. 5- the "720th" arrives in New York, aboard the Vulcania, from Le Havre, France.
• DEC. 9- GENERAL PATTON SERIOUSLY INJURED IN AUTO CRASH IN GERMANY, INJURIES PROVING FATAL DEC. 21. BURIED IN LUXEMBOURG.
• Members still with "720th", honorably discharged from 1260th Separation Center, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
• Dec. 31- Storms delayed rest of 720th from reaching home in 1945. Record-breaking storms raged on the Atlantic. Captain of the Carrier Enterprise (transport), with 6,588 troops, said: "The closest thing to such storms I have seen, was a typhoon in the China sea. Waves were from 75 to 80 feet high, and wind velocity was from 80 to 85 miles an hour. In one 12 hour period we lost 41 miles. About 40 life rafts, 60 feet above water, were ripped away. For hours on end we could make only about one-half knot an hour."
1946
• Jan. 2- Many 720th members arrive with 723rd Railway Battalion; aboard the "Central Falls Victory."
• Jan. 3- Large group of 720th arrive with 740th Railway Battalion; aboard the "Saint Albans Victory."
• Members of the 720th arriving home in January, 1946, from Marseilles, were 12 days on the high seas, including Christmas and New Years Day.
• Returning units go to Camp Kilmer (N.J.) for honorable discharge.
~Commendations~
• Colonel N.J. Wilson, 21st British Area, commended the "720th" Battalion for performing its task well and efficiently at Lison and Caen.
• General Order 42, June 1, 1945; Headquarters, Normandy Base: Commendations for the Meritorious Performance of Duty by the 720th Railway Battalion.
• General Order No.8, July 22, 1944; Headquarters, Chanor Base Area; Commendation for the Superior Performance of Duty by the 720th Railway Operating Battalion.
~ Honored~
• Capt. Harold L. Barr, of Co. "A", on reconnaissance mission with Tech. Clardy Jr., sustained injuries; receiving the Purple Heart. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and received the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Star.
• Pfc. Edward P. Sargent awarded the Soldier's Medal, for heroism near Wom, Shropshire, England, having rescued a fellow soldier who fell under a moving train.
~Battle Stars~
Battle Participation Stars Designated
• Battle of Cherbourg
• Battle of Northern France
• Battle of Rhineland
• Battle of Central Europe
Text thanks to http://home.earthlink.net/~720throb/history.htm
713th Railway Operating Battaion - Hulbert photo
Barb would like to hear from others with a connection to this unit.
743rd photos from Edwin Robertson
These are great photos from 1st LT Edwin Robertson they have been scanned and shared by his son Ed-thanks !
