712th Railway Operating Battalion R.J. Roberts HQ Co. footlocker
Guv writes from Belgium about footlocker..
I found it as a kid in the attic with my grandparents house in the ‘70’s.
I never got around asking how he got it, as both passed away in 1982, and my mother doesn’t remember either
She was a young girl during the war.
I assume my grandfather must have met these GI’s at a railyard, close where they lived at Namur, Belgium,
As my grandfather was a construction worker.
I hoping posting on the blog might shed some light....
If anyone knows about Roberts contact me thanks Nancy
.....I served in the Persan Gulf Command
Thank so much for MSaxton research into this amazing group
the railway units involved in this command were:
- 3rd Military Railway Service (702nd Military Railway Grand Division)
- 711th Railway Operating Battalion
- 730th Railway Operating Battalion
- 754th Railway Shop Battalion
- 762nd Railway Shop Battalion
- 791st Railway Operating Battalion
What's included:
-- The front cover and the first 2 pages
-- All but the first page of the section by Joel Sayre, 27 pages,
is left out for copyright reasons.
-- The last 6 pages, on military aspects, freight tonnages, the
list of units, and the song "Men of the Persian Gulf Command"
-- The back cover is missing from the copy I have so I copied the jpeg file
from the PERSIAN GULF COMMAND VETERANS ORGANIZATION World War II website
http://pgcvowwii.homestead.com/home.html
The organization has disbanded for reasons of age but the website has
some good material.
Joel Sayre (1901) was a war correspondent who spent 49 weeks with the
Persian Gulf Command. He wrote for the New Yorker and was a friend
of James Thurber. Short biography at IMDb.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0768540/bio
He published the Persian Gulf Command material in three places, basically the
same material.
1. The New Yorker
06 Jan 1945, Some Marvels between Khorramshahr & Kazvin, Part I
10 Feb 1945, Persian Gulf Command, Part II
24 Mar 1945, Persian Gulf Command, Part III, The Whirling Men
31 Mar 1945, Persian Gulf Command, You Don't Fool Around with a Railroad, Part IV
2. This Army publication
3. His book. Persian Gulf Command Some Marvels on the Road to Kazvin.
Published by Random House, New York, 1945. Introduction by James
Thurber. It's easy to find a copy to buy, either an original or a
reprint. 140 pages, 4-5/8 X 7-1/8 inches
In the Army "Green Books" series, UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II.
The Middle East Theater. THE PERSIAN CORRIDOR AND AID TO RUSSIA.
by T. H. Vail Motter. Available free online
http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/008/8-1/index.html
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