**Thanks to Lewis for working on this if you know email me militaryrailwayservice@gmail.
Do you know the numbers, names and ranks of the eighteen locomotives named in Belgium during February 1945 after 708 RGD soldiers and are there any photographs of these named locomotives?
During the WW2 USA supplied 2120 S160 locomotive The United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class is a class of 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive designed for use in Europe during World War II for heavy freight work. They worked on railroads across the world, including Africa, Asia, all of Europe and South America.
During February 1945 eighteen S160 were named after Military personnel who lost their lives during the aerial and V1 bombardment of Liege and environs, Belgium. The locomotives were named after servicemen from 740th and 741th railway operations battalions and 755th railway shop battalion. Torret (1995) list 15 of the locomotive numbers and the names of three of the locomotives.
Locomotive No Name Battalion
1 1609 ?
2 2039 ?
4 2171 ?
5 2174 Pvt J. A. Auriemma 741
6 2181 Pvt H.B.Lindsey 741
7 2182 ?
8 2208 ?
9 2327 ?
10 2360 ?
11 2582 Pvt H. J. O'Brien 741
12 2603 T/5 A.A. Van Kleeck 740
13 2615 ?
14 2792 Pvt J. M. McGillis 755
15 2913 Pvt C J Anderson 741
16
17
18
Gregory (1947) includes a photo of 2582 Pvt H. J. O’Brien being names by Major Gen. Frank S. Ross at Kinkempois Yard on 28th February 1945, also present were Lt. Col. S. Pulliam, Brig. Gen. C. Gray and Col. W. S. Carr. T/4 E. H. Welborn and T/Sgt A. R. MacDonald crewed the locomotive.
Recently I came across the photo of locomotive 2181 Pvt H. B. Lindsey on the internet and 2174 Pvt. J. A. Auriemma.
Livingstone (1981) list the eight 740th servicemen are the following T/4 D. R. Gnovese, T/5 J. L. Mullin, Corp S. J. Belcastro, T/5 F. Rallo, Pvt R. J. Greco, Pvt O. L. Lance, Pvt A. G. Lewis, and T/5 A. A. Van Kleeck.
Livingstone (1981) states 8 were named after servicemen from the 740th, 8 after servicemen from the 741st and one from 755th.
Ross (1945) states “On Dec. 24, a lone German plane bombed the joint billet of the 740th and 741st Railway Operating Battalions, six blocks from the Guillemins yard. Nine soldiers were killed, several injured. Three days later, a V-1 exploded in the Kinkempois yard in Liege. The 740th lost eight men this time, had twenty injured.”
Tourret (1995) states eighteen locomotives were name in February, the other references list seventeen, but are referring specifically to incidents in the 740th history.
Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation: Operational Photographs of the U.S. Army
Transportation Corps European Theater of Operations 1945, list the eighteen men dedicated:
Rank Name Battalion Died Locomotive No.
1 Corp S. J. Belcastro 740 27/12/1944 2171 ?
2 T/4 D. R. Genovese 740 27/12/1944
3 Pvt R. J. Greco 740 27/12/1944
4 Pvt A. G. Lewis 740 27/12/1944
5 Pvt O. L. Lance 740 27/12/1944
6 T/5 J. L. Mullin 740 27/12/1944
7 T/5 F. Rallo 740 27/12/1944
8 T/5 A. A. Van Kleech 740 27/12/1944 2603
9 Pvt C. J. Anderson 741 24/12/1944
10 Pvt C. H. Creamer 741 24/12/1944
11 T/5 R. D. Gugger 741 24/12/1944
12 Pvt H. B. Linsey 741 24/12/1944 2181
13 Pvt M.H. Massaro 741 24/12/1944
14 Pvt B. Reiss 741 24/12/1944
15 Pvt E. H. Wiese 741 24/12/1944 1609 ?
16 Pvt J. A. Auriemma 741 12/12/1944 2174
17 Pvt H. J. O'Brien 741 24/12/1944 2582
18 Pvt J. M. McGillis 755 25/12/1944 2792
Unfortunately the scanned image of the locomotives around edge of the dedication is illegible, does anybody have a copy of Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation: Operational Photographs of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps European Theater of Operations 1945. It shows 17 of the 17 locomotives.
References
Ross I. (1945) Combat Railroading VFW Bulletin Sept 1945 p33-35.
Gregory A. G. (1947) The saga of the 708 Railway Grand Division
Tourret R. (1995) Allied Military Locomotives of the Second World War
Livingstone J. (1981) 740th Railway Operating Battalion History
Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation: Operational Photographs of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps European Theater of Operations August 1945, Technical Information Office
Office of the Chief of Transportation.
