• Richard L. Wirfs: Headquarters 3rd Military Railway Service
• Charles Niday: 3rd Military Railway Service

• Cecil E. Bolin: Headquarters 703rd Railway Grand Division

• Edmund V. Bolger: Headquarters 704th Railway Grand Division

• Estanislado Padilla: Headquarters Company 707th Railway Grand Division

• Beulah B. Adkins: Headquarters Company 709th Railway Grand Division
• Homer J. Drumm: Headquarters Company 709th Railway Grand Division

• Douglas F. Bunch: 710th Railway Grand Division

• Emmett R. Cheney: Headquarters 711th Railway Operating Battalion
• Thurlee H. Gourley: 711th Railway Operating Battalion
• Leslie Paul Hornyak: 711th Railway Operating Battalion
• George William Pelton: 711th Railway Operating Battalion

• Raymond W. Buxton: 712th Railway Operating Battalion
• Howard L. Cochran: 712th Railway Operating Battalion
• Frank J. Simon: 712th Railway Operating Battalion

• Oscar B. Burnett: 713th Railway Operating Battalion
• Elmer Leroy Gourley: 713th Railway Operating Battalion

• Edwin M. Drake: 714th Railway Operating Battalion
• Oral P. Perry: 714th Railway Operating Battalion
• Richard J. Perry: 714th Railway Operating Battalion
• Clyde Watkins: 714th Railway Operating Battalion
• Lyle Stevison Wilcox: 714th Railway Operating Battalion

• Lawrence R. Blomstrom: 715th Railway Operating Battalion
• Joseph J. Cahill: 715th Railway Operating Battalion
• Douglas T. Cain: 715th Railway Operating Battalion
• Sidney A. Graham: 715th Railway Operating Battalion
• John Clark Hepburn: 715th Railway Operating Battalion

• Robert W. Cover: 716th Railway Operating Battalion
• Antonio M. Lopez: 716th Railway Operating Battalion
• Charlie G. Ritch: 716th Railway Operating Battalion

• William L. Broadwater: 717th Railway Operating Battalion
• Earl Willard Carr: Headquarters Company 717th Railway Operating Battalion

• Eugene B. Bogutske: 718th Railway Operating Battalion
• Carl Cottle: 718th Railway Operating Battalion
• Arthur C. Hubbard: 718th Railway Operating Battalion
• Angus Alexander McDonald: 718th Railway Operating Battalion

• Emil Alvary: 719th Railway Operating Battalion
• Andrew Daniel Burke: 719th Railway Operating Battalion
• Chester L. Coe: 719th Railway Operating Battalion
• Marvin E. Eakins: 719th Railway Operating Battalion
• Eugene F. Ohler: 719th Railway Operating Battalion
• John Alfred Olsen: 719th Railway Operating Battalion

• Harry Chamberlain: 721st–748th Railway Operating Battalion

• Cebron Leonard Holton: 721st Railway Operating Battalion

• John W. Dumsday: 722nd Railway Operating Battalion
• Larther Lester Medlin: 722nd Railway Operating Battalion

• Charles Linton Jackson: 724th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion
• Thaddeus Wiater: 724th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion

 See the application cards for this group here

Richard writes ... 

1) I’ve attached the link to a British Army MRS book 'Railway Reconstruction In Italy 1943 - 1946' that a fellow Italian MRS enthusiast, Mr. Alessandro Tuzza, posted on his Italian website. The link to his website is: https://www.trenidicarta.it/reconstruction/contents.html

  2) The book was written and published by the British Royal Engineers in 1946. The majority of the book details the operations of the British Army Railway Construction Units and Operating Railway Units during the entire Italian campaign, but it does include numerous mentions of the US Army MRS Operating Units and Construction Engineer Units that aided the British. 

The website does not include the entire book, unfortunately, and it does have several useful sections missing, but the posted material is both useful and informative, and includes several photos and maps. The listed sections are marked in the normal blue link text on the Introduction Page. 

I suggest you add the link to your website since it will aid USA researchers of the MRS and educate them about the extensive role the British Army MRS and Construction Units played during the Italian campaign.

 

U. S. Army.
	701 Railway Grand Division.
	703 Railway Grand Division.
	704 Railway Grand Division.
	774 Railway Grand Division.
	'A' Company, 713 Railway Operating Bn. [Battalion]
	'A' Company, 715 Railway Operating Bn. [Battalion]
	'A' Company, 719 Railway Operating Bn. [Battalion]
	'A' Company, 727 Railway Operating Bn. [Battalion]
	'A' Company, 759 Railway Operating Bn. [Battalion]
	753rd Railway Shop Battalion

 Jerome Croyet shared these - he's working on a book and would like to talk to anyone with additional information on 713th ROB . Email me if you can help 

 

Thanks so much to Rodney Farcht daughter, Sue for these newsletters. I will try to extract names mentioned in some of these newsletters using AI

1. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1955 December
2. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1956 May
3. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1961 September
4. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1962 December
5. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1964 March
6. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1969 December
7. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1970 December
8. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1970 June
9. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1970 March
10. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1971 March
11. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1971 November
12. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1972 June
13. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1972 March
14. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1972 November
15. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1973 December
16. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1973 March
17. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1973 September
18. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1974 December
19. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1974 June
20. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1974 September
21. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1975 September
22. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1976 June
23. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1976 March
24. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1976 September
25. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1978 December
26. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1978 September
27. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1979 March
28. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1980 December
29. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1980 June
30. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1980 March
31. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1980 September
32. 713th ROB News Bulletin 1990 June

Thanks so much to Rodney Farcht daughter, Sue for these newsletters. I will try to extract names mentioned in some of these newsletters using AI

  

 Here is a list of all names and addresses mentioned in the document: 

  Thelmo & Rose Actis – 3700 Harris Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93313
    Delores Baldy (Mrs. Leo) – 208 No. 4th St., Box 432, Delano, MN 55328
    William & Doris Bittorf – R.D. 2 Box 630, Hazelton, PA 18201
    Nan Smith – Daughter of the Bittorf’s, along with Cora, Eva & Matthew Smith (grandchildren)
    Charles & Marjorie Boyles – 1708 So. Williams Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57105
    Harvey & Ann Bradley – 917 Neches, Tyler, TX 75701
    Bert (Mrs. Fred) Brown – 4447 Park Lawn Dr., Des Moines, IA 50321
    Willard & Shirley Carey – 904 E. Crestview Ct., Crown Point, IN 46307
    Louis & Ruth Cerveny – 523 Cragmoor, Savannah, IL 61074
    Norris & Ruth Christopher – 828 Northborough Ln., Lincoln, NE 68505
    Wilfred & Gladys Collins – 36 Litchfield Ave., Babylon, NY 11702
    Solly & Wanda Foss – 3612 Pioneer Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001
    Bob & Helen Bell French – 413 West 8th St., Julesburg, CO 80737
    Burdell & Marie Froh – 7094 Pinehurst, Spring Hill, FL 34606
    Steve Froh – Son of the Froh’s
    J.B. & Doris Garrett – 1607 Yorkstown, Ennis, TX 75119
    Robert & Marge Gates – 323 13th Ave., Camanche, IA 52730
    Charles & Anna Gerety – 425 Hillcrest Dr., Holton, KS 66406
    Sue (Mrs. Del) Griebel – 3221 75th St., Kenosha, WI 53142
    Marguerite (Mrs. Al) Healy – 3221 75th St., Kenosha, WI 53142
    Joe Hagan – 8630 Mora Ln., St. Louis, MO 63147
    Charles & Agnes Herinckx – Rt. 3, Box 500, Cornelius, OR 97113
    Charles & Wanda Herrin – 2118 No. A St., Wellington, KS 67152
    Stan & Ruth Holzhauser – Box 36, Portland, MO 65067
    Arnold Johnson – 305 57th St., Albuquerque, NM 87105 (his daughter, son, daughter-in-law)
    Jerry & Louella Kec – 904 Cromwell, Westchester, IL 60154
    Frank & Ann Kiuth – 916 W. Hunter, Nevada, MO 64772
    George & Mary Kuntz – 3 Sandy Ln., Newton, KS 67114
    Fuller P. & Sybil Lyon – P.O. Box 142, Plum Branch, SC 29845
    Bill Mallett – Rt. 2, Box 119, Daingerfield, TX 75638
    Lee & Eleanor Matson – 1928 Havana St. S.W., Grand Rapids, MI 49509
    Fred & Betty Neiswanger – 3536 Monterey No., Kansas City, MO 64117
    Guy & Francis O'Frenzo – 1405 Fowler Dr., Columbus, OH 43224
    Art & Mary Verardo – Albuquerque, NM (friends of the O’Frenzo’s)
    James O’Neil – 3740 S.W. Plaza Dr., Apt. 103, Topeka, KS 66609
    Mickie Wallace – Friend of Jim O’Neil
    Raymond & Eleanor Peer – 118 N. Walnut, Gardner, KS 66030
    Clayton & Kathern Pilling – 1220 Columbus Circle, Newton, KS 67114
    Les & Ginny Potter – Rt. 5, Emporia, KS 66801
    A.C. & Betty Ricketts – 5119 Ledgestone Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76132
    Jack Ross – 646 5th St., Wyandotte, MI 48192
    Jean (Mrs. Art) Rowen – 702 Palmway, Needles, CA 92363
    Irene Lyon – Friend of Jean Rowen’s
    Melvin & Pat Sayre – 18921 Patton Dr., Castro Valley, CA 94546
    Gene & Charlene Shire – 421 LaSalle Dr., Clovis, NM 88101
    Dave & Denise Gendreau – Clovis (Daughter and son-in-law of Shire’s)
    Jeffé Gendreau – Granddaughter of the Shire’s
    Gene Shire – Son of the Shire’s, along with friend Bobbie of Fort Worth
    Bernice Ellege – Albuquerque, friend of the Shire’s
    John & Bette Deane Slayman – 1740 Oak Dr., Osawatomie, KS 66064

 Thanks so much to Rodney Farcht daughter Sue for this information

Rodney E. Farcht

Rodney E. Farcht, 61, of 123 Hamilton Ave., died at 2:25 p.m. Monday at Memorial Osteopathic Hospital.

He was the husband of Catherine Labenberger Farcht.

Mr. Farcht was born in York and was a son of the late George and Fannie Welsh Farcht.

He was a retired locomotive engineer with 40 years of service with ConRail and its predecessor, Penn Central Railroad.

Mr. Farcht was an Army veteran of World War II and was a member of the 713th Railway Operating Battalion in Europe.

He was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ and its Church School.

Other memberships include Zeredatha Lodge 451, Tall Cedars of Lebanon No. 30; Consistory of Harrisburg; 13th Ward Political Club; 12th Ward Independent Democratic Club; Hawks Gunning Club; American Legion, Red Lion; and Union Transportation Union No. 1722.

Survivors include:

Two children — Mrs. Susan W. Houck, 3281 Alta Vista Road, Dover, and David W. Farcht, 1740 Devers Road.

Five grandchildren.

Two brothers and a sister — Robert W. Farcht, J. Donald Farcht and Mrs. Betty Gerberick, all of York.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Trinity United Church of Christ with his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Benjamin T. Griffin, officiating. Burial will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery.

Masonic services will be conducted by Lodge 451 at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Workinger Funeral Home, 849 E. Market St., which is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Organ Fund of Trinity Church, 32 W. Market St.

 

 

713th Railway Operating Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia 

At the outbreak of World War II the Army needed experts who could handle certain missions without extensive additional training. Most of the early Army railroad units were therefore composed of men who worked for specific Railroad companies. The 713th Railway Operating Battalion was formed on March 12, 1942, and consisted entirely of men who worked for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. Their job was to clear, repair, and build military railways as well as operate the trains. 

The 713th, known as the “Santa Fe Battalion”, formed at Camp Clovis, New Mexico, and after initial military training was sent to Camp Dix, New Jersey, on January 21, 1943. The unit was first sent to North Africa where in seven months they transported 500,000 tons of cargo in 47,255 rail cars. The 713th went from North Africa to Italy and then on to Southern France. They ended the war in 1945 serving in Western Germany.

 713th Rail Battalion Holds Annual Reunion

The annual reunion of the 713th Railway Operating Battalion is being held in the Commodore Perry Hotel today. About 100 are expected to attend the reunion which will be highlighted with a dinner and dance tomorrow night.

 

3rd TMRS , 713th, 734th ROB, Luzan Pass, 770th ROB

Great new book ! The Military Railroad Journey of Chicago & Northwestern Locomotive Engineer Frank Pelletier 1942 To 1945 And Beyond 

There aren’t many, if any, personal histories of combined railroad military training and railroad operations in wartime told by the person who lived the experiences between 1942 and 1945 on the Chicago & Northwestern, the Santa Fe and the White Pass & Yukon Railroads. 

This book does just that and more via the thoughtful and witty pen and photos Frank Pelletier left us. It is a collation and presentation of his historic original diaries, letters, photos and even an original poem by a multitalented railroad engineer, held, preserved and now presented by his nephew. 

More here and purchase the book: https://www.ironhorseimage.org/

Thanks so much to Richard Stone for sending this ! He says "an article for your use that describes the operation of the 713th US Army Railroad Operating Battalion in Italy during the 1943 - 1944 period. The original article was printed in the 1944 edition of the USA magazine 'Railway Age’" 

 

His obit April 2010 Duluth MN
Edward J. "Ed" Pufall Sr., 93, of West Sixth St., passed away Sunday, April 11, 2010, in Bayshore Health Center with his family at his side. He was born on March 10, 1917, to Joseph and Mary (Stefinski) Pufall in Ashland. Ed was a graduate of DePadua High School in Ashland. He worked for a local meat market and then hired on with the railroad. He met his future wife in Ashland while she was employed as a registered nurse in Bayfield. He married Ardith L. Katon on Sept 30, 1942, in Clovis, N.M., where he had completed basic training. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a sergeant with Company C, 713th Engineers in Africa, Central Europe, Italy, France and Germany. When he returned from the service in June 1945, he and Ardith moved to Duluth. He worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Great Northern and finally the Burlington Northern Railroad, retiring as a yardmaster in 1978. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church, VFW Post 137, American Legion Post 71, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the United Transportation Union and the Yardmasters Union. He and Ardith enjoyed fishing, gardening, Twins baseball and traveling around the country visiting their children.

Thanks to Paul for sharing this slide show that he created for the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) as part of their continuing education program.
He is concentrating on the contributions of the Southern Pacific Lines and the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway contributions, those units are the: 705th & 710th RGDs, the 713th & 716th ROBs and the 754th & 758th RSBs.
Email me if you'd like to share anything with Paul:  militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com

MRS in WWII slide show by Nancy on Scribd

Other Units mentioned: 740th Railway Operating Battalion, 719th Railway Operating Battalion, 725thRailway Operating Battalion, 714th Railway Operating Battalion,725th Railway Operating Battalion,726th Railway Operating Battalion, 712th Railway Operating Battalion, 730th Railway Operating Battalion

Military Railway Service Journal Nov 1956 by Nancy on Scribd