Atlantic Coast Training Corps Officer Training School Class #1

Captains
Capt. C. L. Payne
Capt. J. L. Love
Capt. E. K. Smith
Capt. J. R. Byrne
Capt. E. P. Curran
Capt. C. D. Rockhill
Capt. C. H. Bayer
Capt. L. G. Redmon
Capt. R. J. Routzahn
Capt. Alexander C. Atchison
Capt. Francis A. Brazell
Capt. Earl B. Bridges
Capt. Allen A. Bush
Capt. Frank H. Dugan
Capt. Paul H. Fleming
Capt. Frank D. Heflin
Capt. William W. Herrick, Jr.
Capt. Robert W. Hooper
Capt. James E. Inman
Capt. Stephen J. Keating
Capt. Wilfred R. Kennedy
Capt. William R. Main
Capt. Mark A. McGee
Capt. Robert L. Morris
Capt. Clarence E. Page
Capt. James M. Robertson
Capt. Joseph A. Roell
Capt. Evan Russell
Capt. George M. Schmidauber
Capt. Charles E. Smith
Capt. Frank R. Stafford
Capt. Arthur G. Teets
Capt. Monier H. Thomson
Capt. Frank E. Turner
Capt. Joseph A. Vargas III
Capt. John S. Wike
Capt. Leo R. Zack

Lieutenant Colonels
Lt. Col. William S. Carr
Lt. Col. C. R. Branch

Majors
Maj. Howard U. Bates
Maj. Ralph W. Beard
Maj. Edgar F. DeLisle
Maj. Elmer R. Harris
Maj. Albert G. Hentz
Maj. James F. O’Connell
Maj. R. O. Jensen
Maj. W. M. Lenderman

First Lieutenants
1st Lt. R. E. Kelder
1st Lt. J. L. Baney
1st Lt. J. W. Curran
1st Lt. S. C. Cuyler
1st Lt. Reg M. Cheney
1st Lt. Albert E. Crowley
1st Lt. Anthony A. D’Angelo
1st Lt. Edward P. Delaney
1st Lt. William F. Farich
1st Lt. Harold W. Gardiner
1st Lt. Godfrey S. Glaber
1st Lt. William J. B. Gunion
1st Lt. Russell R. Hilsinger
1st Lt. John B. Huckabay
1st Lt. Guy F. Hyett
1st Lt. Claude Johnston, Jr.
1st Lt. Walter H. Keebler
1st Lt. Frederick A. Kroll
1st Lt. Gerald T. McMaster
1st Lt. Kenneth L. Miner
1st Lt. William A. Moore
1st Lt. Eric G. Peterson
1st Lt. Fred Rusche
1st Lt. Frederick Schneider
1st Lt. Anthony J. Serieno
1st Lt. Greely R. Sproles, Jr.
1st Lt. Edgar B. Sweet
1st Lt. William H. Walters, Jr.
1st Lt. Harry F. Weaver
1st Lt. Francis Bailey Wing
1st Lt. William H. Yarber

Second Lieutenants
2nd Lt. Henry D. Eglin
2nd Lt. David Franks
2nd Lt. Wilfred H. Holland
2nd Lt. Alfred James, Jr.
2nd Lt. William P. Kelley
2nd Lt. Wm. McFadden, Sr.
2nd Lt. Robert H. Tiley
2nd Lt. Donald C. Tobin
2nd Lt. Donald E. Sheeran
2nd Lt. Benjamin Waters
2nd Lt. N. W. Simpson
2nd Lt. W. E. Worstall 

There were 10 classes that I know of in 1943 and 1944 ( see these class books ) 

1. 

2. 

3. March 1943 

4. May 15th 1943 

5 

6. Possible see Unknown 

7. September 1943 

8. October 1943 

9. Dec 4th 1993 

10. January 1944

This excellent ACTCOTS training class booklet was shared by the staff artist who created the book, Richard Williams son Rich. 

Rich writes "My father was the artist listed in the class books as part of the class book staff. His job was to produce the drawing and layouts and get them printed locally. Prior to the start of the war he had been drafted for a year and was ready to return to civilian life when the war started. My father was trained as a combat engineer and he wanted to do that, but as the war started the post commander Col Lentz (who was the senior Col in the Army and knew he was too old to command) negotiated a role for Fort Slocum which turned out to be this school plus other training. Considering it’s an island with no railroads it seemed odd. Once they decided to make Slocum a training facility they needed an artist and my father was already there, so he was frozen and spent the war years at Slocum. He was also part of the group that designed the branch insignia with the railroad drive wheel showing wings. TC later attributed the wings to the aviation branch but at the time of its creation there was an Army Air Corps" 

ACTCOTS (Atlantic Coast Transportation Corps Officers' Training School) 1943 

The class graduated on March 13th 1943 and reported on the 15th in the local newspaper

Thanks so much to Wendy for sharing here grandfather,  James Bragg's photos, letters etc from his service during WWII in the 723rd 

Photos All photos here

Headquarters photo

Documents part 2

 Separation papers  

Thanks to Gary for these great items once belonging to John Means

 3rd MRS Red Ball newsletter  

Captured Nazi arm bandPaper work needed to bring home captured equipment

Iranian State Railway Timetable October 1944

Merry Christmas, President Roosevelt: Seasons Greetings from the Troops in World War Two

Great article about soldier cards at Christmas from the Franklin D. Roosevelt library HERE

From Military Railway Units 743rd top and 727th below. 

Merry Christmas contact me if you had a MRS solider in your family.I'd love to hear about him. Nancy 

Thanks so much to Jerry Jensen for sharing this wonderful information about his dad, Merle Jensen.

Merle Marion Jensen was born and raised on a farm in Quenemo, KS on May 26, 1918. He worked one year with the Santa Fe Railroad prior to being drafted in the US Army in 1942, serving into 1946. He served with the 761st Railway Transportation Company seeing service in the Rome-Arno Campaign, Naples-Foggia Campaign, Rhineland Campaign, and Algeria-French Morocco Campaign from Aug ’42 through Feb ’45 and then received healthcare in the Bruns Military Hospital in Santa Fe, NM. After his military service and release from the hospital, he worked as a Brakeman, then Conductor, with the Rock Island Railroad out of Herington, KS until is death in 1969. He was an avid fisherman, hunter, and greatly enjoyed helping his parents continue to farm. He was survived by his wife, Dona Lloydine Jensen, daughter, Terri L. Jensen, and sons Gerald D. Jensen and Mark L. Jensen. He received a military burial at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Quenemo, KS. 

 I do not have much more information to provide. Other than a letter from President Truman thanking him for his service and some of his original discharge and orders assigning him to the Bruns General Hospital in NM, we don’t have much information. Also, other than applauding the good trade he made while in Northern Africa (he traded a carton of cigarettes for a beautiful native knife with a carved wooden sheath wrapped in leather), he didn’t talk much about his years of service nor his hospital care following his active duty. Being a farm kid from central KS, I’m certain his travels in WWII were eye-opening. He returned to his railroad career following his medical recovery spending his entire career as a brakeman and conductor for the Rock Island Railroad serving between the Oklahoma border south of Wichita and northeasterly to Kansas City, until his early death in 1969 at the age of 51. 

Merle M. Jensen served in the 761st Railway Transportation Co, with service in the Rome-Arno Campaign, Naples-Foggia Campaign, Rhineland Campaign, and Algeria-French Morocco Campaign from Aug ’42 through Feb ’45. He was sent to the Bruns General Hospital in Santa Fe, NM with tuberculosis and afterwards to the VAF in Excelsior Springs, MO. Those soldiers in the same railcar traveling from NM to MO with my father included, Tec 5 Harold W. Furneaux, Pfc Verdie W. Williams, Pfc Ernie T. Mears, and Pvt Fred S. Copeland. Two Attendants were Ted 5 Ingvar F. Magnuson and Pfc Morton Koplik. 

I have attached six photos, two in the service, one railroading (white hat), one younger (leather jacket), and one older (black shirt), one family photo from 1919 (smallest child)