Railway Units Personnel List (Sorted by Unit, Then Last Name)

Unit	Name	Date	Service Number
714th Railway Operating Battalion	Frank, Sherman C.	Sep 1944	35499189
714th Railway Operating Battalion	Frank, Sherman C.	Oct 1944	35499189
714th Railway Operating Battalion	Gambill, Dolphus N.	Sep 1944	35417629
714th Railway Operating Battalion	Resoff, Wallace C.	Dec 1944	399516
724th Railway Operating Battalion	Poole, Walter L.	Jul 1945	34888800
732nd Railway Operating Battalion	Piker, Elmer G.	Mar 1945	38233465
733rd Railway Operating Battalion	Beavers, Clarence R.	Apr 1944	35-894-739
733rd Railway Operating Battalion	Ford, Preston W.	Apr 1944	38-520-322
735th Railway Operating Battalion	Frazier, John E.	Aug 1945	35768924
743rd Railway Operating Battalion	Bello, Kenneth	Mar 1944	32-881-027
743rd Railway Operating Battalion	Lukasiewicz, Thomas S.	Jul 1945	36712687
764th Railway Shop Battalion	Dillon, Roland O.	Feb 1945	32857414
764th Railway Shop Battalion	Doss, Martin A.	May 1944	36764802
791st Railway Operating Battalion	Alvarez, Miguel A.	Aug 1943	39835580
791st Railway Operating Battalion	Cook, Lewis W.	May 1944	33157232

See the application cards for this group here

Edward Boland

Edwon Kite

This is an amazing biography and first hand account by Army railroader D.M.(Bing) Quimby serving with the 711th ROB during WWII in Iran. Thanks to his son, Russ Quimby and the Quimby family for sharing this amazing book with us,

Russ wrote ... Nancy, I just finished reading Christian Wolmar's "The Liberation Line" where I discovered your name and website. As a Class of 1974 West Point graduate who spent most of my working life in railroading, and as the son of a railroad engineer who was in the 711th ROB in Iran during WWII, I am gratified that you are preserving the Military Railway Service history and memories. Four of 13 chapters of my father's self published autobiography "One of the Last" by D.M. (Bing) Quimby (1995 Vantage Press) deal with his experiences in the 711th ROB in Iran. Only 200 copies were published, but I would be glad to send you a copy for reference. I think that you might find his story of some interest.

Fascinating autobiography of Bing Quimby, one of the last engineers to run a steam locomotive in the United States. A quintessential small town boy, the author describes his youth growing up in Nebraska in the 1920s, bumming his way to California in his teens (and getting into scrapes along the way), working as a fireman for the railroad, serving in the Army during World Ward II where his locomotive delivered supplies to the Russians from Iran, and then the years as an engineer of steam locomotives back home before making the transition to diesel. Illustrated with black and white photos. 232 pages. 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vantage Press; First Edition (January 1, 1995) 

Language ‏ : ‎ English Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 232 pages 

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0533111544 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0533111541 

 

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Russell Quimby son of D.M. (Bing) Quimby sent these marvelous photos of his dad's 711th ROB service in Iran. 

Donovan "Bing" Morris Quimby 1918-2015 ( age 96+) Donovan Morris Quimby died at the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home on June 23, 2015. D.M. “Bing” Quimby was born September 23, 1918 in Springview, Nebraska to Dr. Donovan Perry Quimby DDS and Ruth Ann Quimby (nee Morris). He grew up in Wakefield, NE where he graduated high school in 1937. He then attended Wayne State College for three semesters. In 1939, he moved with his parents to South Sioux City, NE where he domiciled for the next 73 years, and worked for the Chicago Burlington & Quincy and later the Burlington Northern Railroads. 

March 22, 1942 he entered the US Army and served with the 711th Railway Operating Battalion, Persian Gulf Command in Iran as a locomotive engineer attaining the rank of Technical Sergeant 4. Bing hauled lend-lease equipment to Soviet forces in Tehran for use against the Nazis in Russia. In 1997, the Russian Government awarded him a commemorative medal for his service. Prior to entering service, he met Ardyce Fern Sides of Dakota City, NE, and they were wed July 18, 1942 for the next 72+ years until his death. A day after their wedding, they did not see each other for the next 3 years. 

Bing was honorably discharged from the Army October 16,1945, and returned to Nebraska as a locomotive engineer until he retired on December 10, 1982, after 40 years of railroading. In 1995, Bing self-published his autobiography, “One of the Last,” which detailed his life in entertaining detail and the historical context of the “greatest generation.” For 50 years, Bing was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church in South Sioux City. 

He was a Mason, and also a member of American Legion Post 307, the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, the Military Railway Service Veterans of WWII, and the Persian Gulf Service Veterans of WWII. He was predeceased by his parents and younger brother, Richard E. Quimby. 

He was survived by his wife, Ardyce, and three sons; Donovan Mark Quimby, Russell G. Quimby, and Jay M. Quimby, and their wives, and his sister-in-law Lois Louise Quimby nee Duffy. Bing and Ardyce have seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. Bing is buried in Memorial Cemetery, Sioux City, IA with Ardyce, plot 300.

War time editions of N.Y. Central Railroad Headlight are a goldmine and this edition includes mentions of soldiers in these units: 

• 726th Railway Operating Battalion
• 711th Railway Operating Battalion
• 701st Railway Grand Division
• 753rd Railway Operating Battalion
• 720th Railway Operating Battalion
• 764th Railway Battalion
• 733rd Railway Operating Battalion
• 774 Railway Grand Division
• 2nd Military Railway Service

 A Tragic Truck Train accident in Palestine kills 3 members of unit on their way home from leave to visit Jerusalem.

Sam Reed has a wooden desk plaque of his grandad's,(759th Railway Operating Battalion T/Sgt. George A. Akers) who he thought had been given to him by a soldier he knew in training who later died during service. I did some snooping in old newspapers and contacted a few families of these soldiers through Ancestry. 

Sam thinks the "Bill" might be PFC William Evans - he writes ...  "he was with the 711th and was killed in action Oct 31 1944 in Carthage, Tunisia. The 711th and 759th overlapped at Camp Claiborne for nearly two months in Sept. and Oct. 1942, and they did some training at the Southern Railroad shops in Meridian MS."

Some articles from his local paper and his internment record.

other from the unit were Eric Fall:

USA Military Railway Service and Iranian State Railroad. Includes MRS-Iranian State Rwy Rules and Operations booklet. size is 4 x 7 inches, 58 pages in English and 48 pages in Arabic Script. Shows signals and light requirements. Included are 17 B/W photographs. Some dated Feb 1945. No credit noted on pics, no negatives. Includes 17--4"x5" and 2 smaller. Some are Victory ships at RR service dock, Shaws train, Ahwaz depot/trains, Ahwaz-Teheran train, RR yards, Train wrecks, Celebration of 1, 000,000 tons to Russia with Russian color guard. Steam and diesel locos.

Ned Streiff - Interview with Ned Streiff(18:55)
Audio interview

711th Railway Operating Battalion Iran article

3rd Military Railway Service (702nd Military Grand Division) 711th Railway Operating Battalion, 730th Railway Operating Battalion, 754th Railway Shop Battalion, 762th Railway Shop Battalion, 791st Railway Operating Battalion

711th Engineers repairing trains at Camp Claiborne

 


711th Engineers caboose Camp Claiborne

 

711.pdf by Nancy

Thanks Tim

Thank so much for MSaxton research into this amazing group the railway units involved in this command were:

• 3rd Military Railway Service (702nd Military Railway Grand Division)
• 711th Railway Operating Battalion
• 730th Railway Operating Battalion 
• 754th Railway Shop Battalion 
• 762nd Railway Shop Battalion
• 791st Railway Operating Battalion 

 This booklet has a list of units in the Persian Gulf Command.

What's included:

   -- The front cover and the first 2 pages

   -- All but the first page of the section by Joel Sayre, 27 pages,
      is left out for copyright reasons.

   -- The last 6 pages, on military aspects, freight tonnages, the
      list of units, and the song "Men of the Persian Gulf Command"

   -- The back cover is missing from the copy I have so I copied the jpeg file
      from the PERSIAN GULF COMMAND VETERANS ORGANIZATION World War II website
            http://pgcvowwii.homestead.com/home.html
      The organization has disbanded for reasons of age but the website has
      some good material.

Joel Sayre (1901) was a war correspondent who spent 49 weeks with the
Persian Gulf Command.  He wrote for the New Yorker and was a friend
of James Thurber.  Short biography at IMDb.

     http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0768540/bio

He published the Persian Gulf Command material in three places, basically the
same material.

1.  The New Yorker
    06 Jan 1945, Some Marvels between Khorramshahr & Kazvin, Part I
    10 Feb 1945, Persian Gulf Command, Part II
    24 Mar 1945, Persian Gulf Command, Part III, The Whirling Men
    31 Mar 1945, Persian Gulf Command, You Don't Fool Around with a Railroad, Part IV

2.  This Army publication

3.  His book. Persian Gulf Command Some Marvels on the Road to Kazvin.
    Published by Random House, New York, 1945.  Introduction by James
    Thurber.  It's easy to find a copy to buy, either an original or a
    reprint.  140 pages, 4-5/8 X 7-1/8 inches

In the Army "Green Books" series, UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II.
The Middle East Theater.  THE PERSIAN CORRIDOR AND AID TO RUSSIA.
by T. H. Vail Motter.  Available free online
http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/008/8-1/index.html