721st-- 725th -- 726th

Lincoln: University of Nebraska / Potomac Books, 2017. Pp. xvi, 200. Illus., maps, notes, biblio., index. $29.95. ISBN: 161234853X.

  Military Railroading in Asia's Jungles and Mountains Inspired by a box of memorabilia left by his father, a sometime staff sergeant in the 721st Railway Operating Battalion (ROB), Hantzis set out to learn more about his father’s war, and the result is this interesting history of two largely overlooked subjects, military railroading and the neglected CBI theatre, which included some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world, the jungle clad mountains of northeastern India and Burma.
  After an introduction offering some family background and comment on military railroading, Hantzis covers the recruiting and organization of the ROB battalions, each of which was organized around a cadre drawn from one of the nation’s great railways, the 721st ROB was recruited from the New York Central, the 725th from the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific, the 726th ROB from the Wabash, and so forth. He then follows these troops on their nearly 70 day voyage aboard a converted former luxury liner from the East Coast to Bombay in India, and thence overland to the front in the northeastern part of India, altogether journey of nearly 20,000 miles. From there, the book follows these troops as the engaged in upgrading the local railroads, building new ones, and bringing up the matériel needed to support the Allied war effort in the theatre.
  As he tells the story of the organization, movement, and work of these troops, Hantzis also gives us a look at the battalion’s personnel and their individual experiences coping with alien cultures and war. In the process, he also fills the reader in on a lot of information about railroading, civil and military, so, for example, we learn that one ROB could sustain operations along a 100-150 mile stretch of line. Although his primary concern is the story of the 721st ROB, Hantzis sets this within the overall picture of events in the theatre. Rails of War will prove a profitable read for anyone interested in military railroading or the CBI. Note: Rails of War is also available in several e-editions

https://goo.gl/PY7Dpe

Jay writes about his Uncle Buddy ...
attached is the picture of my Uncle who was killed in Leige along with the train. You can see his name stenciled in on the side of the Engine. I wonder how that occurred since he was only a Private.

Thanks so much to Marsha, Baldwin's daughter for sharing these reunion photos.
Does anyone know folks in these photos ?
Marsha writes ...
Many of these photos were taken at reunion in New Orleans.
These photos like the last set and the next set I will be sending was at a convention in New Orleans, but I do not know what year.
The first photo contains my mother, Alma Baldwin.  She has a brooch at her waistline on her dress.
Attached please find some photos that my parents, J. D. & Alma Baldwin took at some conventions.  This first set is St. Paul in 1982.  I do not know anyone in these photos except that from left to right in photo two, I believe that is Robert & Virginia Seeley.
I believe the first photograph is Herbert & Alice Borgerding?  Would love to know who everyone is!
These were taken in the Bahamas for the September 1975 convention.  My husband and I were on this trip as it was our honeymoon.

Dave shares his grandfather's photos from 741st.Thanks Dave ! My Grandfather Harold W Stout served in the army in the 741st Railway Operations Battalion and was at the Citadel in Liege on December 24th 1944 when a German plane got through and hit the ammo dump and fuel storage area. This is a picture of the makeshift memorial some priests erected for the American soldiers in his battalion that lost their lives that night.
 

Beckha writes..... My Grandfather was James (Jim or Jimmy) M. Norman Sr. In the group photo he is #159. He became close friends with Merrill Nolden (#118) while in St. Paul and even went back after the war to visit with them more than once (I think) and I believe Mr. Nolden came to visit my grandfather in AL (I think I have that right). 

My grandfather speaks of sleeping in an old French Chateau (Maybe it was the hotel mentioned in your blog?), also of living in a box car at one point. 

We are attempting to figure out the different places they went. He also was close with the French Translator - Mr. Lombardi (I think) and my grandmother sent crayons and other little luxuries to him and his children in France. 

Thanks to William for sending these ...

1945-11-09 GO-102 728TH ROB Normandy Campaign Award by Nancy on Scribd

1945-11-13 GO-103 728TH ROB Detachment Northern France Campaign Award by Nancy on Scribd

1945-12-11 GO-116 728TH ROB Central Europe Campaign Award by Nancy on Scribd

Detachment 757th Transportation Battalion' by Nancy on Scribd

Franklin writes of his father-in-law ...
My father in-law, Roy Edward Mitchell was with this group in WWII and Korea.

He was the last surviving sibling of his family, preceded in death by Robert Mitchell Jr., Gladys Doss, Mary Dent, and two infant sisters. Mr. Mitchell was a veteran of WWII (D-Day) and Korea earning the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and many honors. He graduated from Newport News Ship and Drydock and later became owner and president of Mitchell Construction Company.

Jay writes ...My dad's older brother, Harmon Braxton Lindsey, was in the 741st Railway OPR BN TC(Not sure what any of these acronyms mean).
I also have a few pictures that are attached. If you have any information on my uncle, please let me know. He was KIA on 12/24/44 in Leige, Belgium. The 2 pictures where he is with his unit buddies, I have no idea who these men are or if they are even still alive.
One of them is from Chicago I believe and had a nickname. I also have a picture of my Uncle on a Train with his name on the locomotive.
 ** update May 2018 Jay writes .....my 86 yr old aunt whose brother was Harmon said the man standing in the picture with my uncle on the cobblestone street was named Mickey Dominic from Philadelphia PA. If you can post his name to that picture somehow that would be great in case he has Descendents still alive.

Yankee Boomer Vol2 No48 August 30 1945 by Nancy on Scribd

Scott (Ralph's son ) writes....We have been able to find these so far – all of them are my dad, Ralph Glazer of HQ Co and in photo F, Abe Glanzman also of HQ Co. Thanks Scott !

United States Transportation Corps Locomotives by Nancy on Scribd

721st training being mentioned in local paper Captain L.B. Griffin in my Uncle is anyone has a soldier in this group please email me Nancy cunningb2(@)gmail.com