A teenage girl selling them said they were found in her grandfather’s house when they were cleaning it out.
Would the ROB stand for a railroad battalion? And would Co. B have been in Germany in 1945?
We have had no idea what the writing stands for.
Thank you for your assistance.
Answer: Maybe a gift sent home from Holland by the soldier ? Company B was in charge of the rolling stock.
Unfortunately she did not get the soldiers name .
This cup was destined for the metal recycling at a thrift shop, was rescued and given to our Sisters Museum in Sisters, Oregon.
It is a diary and timeline compactly etched into the cup issued by US A Co 1943.
Etched is the following:
On the base: Co - A H D B 717th Ry. Opr. Bn
1943
1944
1945
Right now Yankee hoggers and brake-heads, engine hostlers, car knockers and gandy dancers are delivering goods in five continents. They are operating rail lines from Alaska to North Africa and from Iran to Caledonia ... This Week Magazine March 11, 1944
One of the most important documents on this blog!
Troops demonstrate military tactics. Official caption: "Railroad men from the 705th Railway Grand Division simulate defense against aerial attack. ASFUTC, New Orleans, La., 11/9/43." "
Evening Star 24 Jan 1945
Evening Star Fri Feb 23 1945
The Evening Sun_13_Feb_1945
Amarillo Daily News Fri Jul 13 1945
Crestline_Advocate Thu Jun 21 1945
The Bradenton Herald Tue Jan 23 1945
Ft Worth Star Telegram Feb_23_1945
1st Sgt Carl Flieshman 716th Railway Battalion
This belonged to First Sergeant Carl F. Flieshman (ASN: 39118130) who served with the 1st Military Railway Service, 716th Railway Operating Battalion during World War 2.
Scrapbook: The scrapbook is filled with over 100 photos, newspaper clippings, command events, menus of locations in France and many more. There is a lot of official documentation like rosters, promotion notices, travel orders and tickets and so on. A Lot of reading and research is to be had with this scrapbook!
Photo Album: This album contains hundreds of personal photos belonging to First Sergeant Flieshman, as well as his brother. There are pictures of the Flieshman brothers scattered throughout the album, as well as being seen together while in France at Metz. The photos mostly feature trains and other railway related scenes. There are many pictures of war torn landscapes, cities, train car crashes and so on. The most interesting photos are the ones of the victory parade in Paris and pictures of French General Charles de Gaulle, who would eventually go on to be the President of France for 10 years.
One of the most historically significant items in the album is an original telegram dated December 20, 1944 and was addressed to the 716th Railway Operating Battalion in Paris. It is a notice alerting the guards and men of the 716th that German paratroopers were seen wearing American and British paratrooper uniforms.
The original telegram is as follows: 12/20/44 710TH RWY GRD DIV PARIS 716ROB PARIS. PARACHUTISTS ARE DROPPING IN FOWARD AREAS DRESSED IN AMERICAN AND BRITISH UNIFORMS USING MOTOR AND RAIL TRANSPORTATIONS TO REAR AREAS. CHECK ALL TRAINS CAREFULLY APPREHENDING ANYONE ACTING IN SUSPICIOUS MANNER. C-157 CRILL—---0115.
This telegram is in reference to Operation Grief, a special operation commanded by Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The operation was the brainchild of Adolf H, and its purpose was to capture one or more of the bridges over the Meuse river before they could be destroyed. German soldiers, wearing captured British and U.S. Army uniforms and using captured Allied vehicles, were to cause confusion in the rear of the Allied lines. A lack of vehicles, uniforms and equipment limited the operation and it never achieved its original aim of securing the Meuse bridges
On five continents the Army's railroad troops are putting the spirit of American railroading to work in supplying the advancing armies of the United Nations
Bart writes about his cousin Ralph W. Engram, Jr.
He was commissioned on October 20, 1943, at the Transportation Corps Officer Candidate School at the New Orleans Staging Area in New Orleans, LA.
He knows that he served in France, close to Paris as he sent home several pictures of him on Christmas Day in Paris and others in the French rail yards, on locomotives, and in front of rail cars.
Ralph is wearing LT insignia in all these pictures. He died in the 1950s so Bart never met him. His tombstone lists his unit as 1964th S.C.U.T.C. (these were ad hoc Service Command Units) which is a unit he served in after service in Europe.
We would love to know what MRS units he was in, if anyone knows about Engram contact me militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com
Here are the captions from the back of the pictures:
1. Picture with 3 figures: Capt Boyer, Capt Redding, Lt Engram
10. Picture with 7 figures: Capt Haase, Lt Hellman, Lt Engram, Lt Lindsey, Lt Howell
2. Picture of chateau: Chateau where Lt Engram lived January 1945
9. Picture of soldiers in mess line: Chowhounds
7. Picture of locomotive 1791: Lt Engram France January 1945
5. Picture of front of locomotive: Lt Engram France January 1945
Picture of person on rail car: Lt Engram France January 1945
3. Picture of milkman: Lt Engram Paris Christmas Day 1944
6. Picture of person standing in beside a rail car: Lt Engram France January 1945
8. Picture of person leaning on pile post obstacle: Sgt Ralph Engram Camp Claiborne September 1942
The Machinist, Official newspaper of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, published 1946 to 1994.
The Machinist, Official newspaper of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, published 1946 to 1994.
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