John Pilsits Obituary John P. Pilsits, 99, of Oak Hill Village,

Middletown, died Thursday, November 16, 2023 at Oak Hill Village. John was born on October 14, 1924. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, stationed in India with the 748th Railway Operating Battalion. He was an avid Notre Dame fan, liked reading mystery books, walking and especially the times when he would see anyone and just say "hi." John was the youngest son (and the last of the family line) of the late Rudolph and Lucy Knoll Pilsits of Steelton. He was predeceased by his wife of 47 years Mary E. Magaro Pilsits. He is survived by four sons and one daughter. John Jr. of Aurora, IL., Richard of Enola, Dennis of Philadelphia, Keith of Etters, and Robin Kay Deibler of Wrightsville; 9 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:00 AM Monday, November 27, 2023 in Seven Sorrows BVM Catholic Church, 280 N. Race St., Middletown. Celebrant will be Rev. Timothy J. Sahd. 

Viewing will be in the narthex of the church Monday from 10:00 AM until the time of the service. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, West Hanover Twp. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Oak Hill Village for the Benevolent Fund. www.pennlive.com/obits

 733rd Railroad Operating Battalion

If you can help Rob in his search for these locos get in touch with me.

Rob writes ... My WWII railway interests focus on motive power and rolling stock, particularly ambulance trains aka hospital trains. 

Gathering drawings and photos, I endeavour to produce compilations which are deposited in the Archives section of the Military Railway Study Group https://www.mrsg.org.uk/ 

At the moment, I am searching for photos of (British) WD 2-8-0s lent to the USATC bearing Transportation Corps USA on their tenders and RGD branding on the lower cabside. 

The image Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation Operational Photog_00009.jpg LINK shows an RGD branding. This comes from a better copy of the book held by Bangor Public Library,

The library also holds some ROB histories. Ft Eustis was able to furnish a photo of WD 2-8-0s in USATC use in Belgium. I attach it together with a crop, enlargement, and colour inversion of the locomotive in the middle of the view showing USA on the tender side. (below)

Photo 50876 of the attached .pdf 50875 - 50889 SPARE PARTS LINK TRAIN being photos from Library and Archives Canada shows an ROB brading on the lower cabside. 

Note the apparent repainting of the tender side to obliterate any USA markings which simply wouldn't do for an official 1st Canadian Army photo! Attached is a compilation regarding these locomotives. 

Of particular interest is 79189 which was exchanged for S160 3257 which was acquired for training purposes on the (British) Longmoor Military Railway. LINK

Knowledge of this was scarce and only recently has a photograph of something else with 79189 came to light in a German article Eisenbahn Kurier 12_2020 seiten 48 - 52 - mit Übersetzung ins Englische, also attached. LINK

Richard writes about his uncle Fred  ... I started my search for my uncle's history before I received this Veteran's archive document from St Louis. 

I knew he was at Normandy and he crossed the Rhine at Wesel to the north of the famous railroad bridge at Remagen (Ludendorff Bridge). I visited that site as an LT in 1972. I pieced together the 729th because the NY, New Haven & Long Island RR was where he worked prior to entering service in the CT NG 1932 then called up in 1942. 

He shipped out to England arriving 18 Jul 1943. Landed at Normandy 3 days afterwards (though I found a piece of camo parachute silk in this cigar box which had in ink that he landed. I don't think it was his). Day 3 would be the LST landing ships bringing in the prefabricated rail cars along a long pre-fabricated ramp the engineers pieced together from the beach. 

My uncle had "engineer castle insignia's which confuses me as they were also part of the 729 but he didn't go to engineer school, He went to Atlantic Coast Transportation and Chemical Warfare school. 

Fred worked on Railway Signals Maintenance for 729th ROB

William writes... Hi my Dad Paul T. Hines Served in the US Army from Dec.30 1943-May 6 1946 DOB October 11, 1918 Army serial #31427521 Rank Cpl Served with the 743rd Railway Operating Battalion Belgium,Germany,and France for about 18 months (My Dad Capt Bill Griffin served in B company 743rd) Thanks William for great docs and photos ... 

 

 

 Interested in trains used in WWI ? ( many were still in use when we got to France in '44) Pick up a used copy or check you library 

The Men, Locomotives and Tracks That Took the Armies to War 1914-18
by Roden, Andrew 

Without the railways for the Great Powers, the most terrible conflict the world has ever known would have taken a very different form - if it had happened at all. In a remarkable historical railway journey through Britain and Europe, author Andrew Roden tells the story of the men and women who manned the tracks and the trains, and who relied on them to get them to battle and back home again. Drawing on diaries, memoirs and archive material he reveals the personal stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and pays tribute to their overlooked contribution.  He looks at defining moments of railway history on both sides of the Great War.

 

J.R. writes ... My father COL Richard Paris Clark, Jr., commanded the 714th between 1968 and 1970. He kept a diary of his Vietnam tour from 1965 to 1966, where he served as chief of Movements Branch, J-4 MACV. You can read it on

A Vietnam War Clerk's Diary. There are lots of mentions of TC officers and inside information regarding the big troop buildup in SVN.

http://vietnamwarclerksdiary.blogspot.com/  

More information here http://militaryrailwayservice.blogspot.com/2014/05/mrs-events-and-update-from-mark-metz.html