GALLOWAY -- Tyra Oscar Galloway, 85, passed away on April 4, 2008. He was born in Corona, NM on January 11, 1923, to W. M. and Essie Galloway. The family moved briefly to Gran Quivira and then, in 1928, to Belen, where he became a lifetime resident.
Oscar began his career with the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1941 after graduating from Belen High School. In 1944 during World War II, Oscar served in the U. S. Armed Forces as a member of the 746 Operating Railway Battalion stationed in Germany. He returned to his position with the AT&SF Railway and, after 41 years, retired as Train Yard Foreman in 1982. He is survived by his loving and dedicated wife, Freeda, of 66 years; daughter, Nancy and husband, Bryan Lunsford; sons, Lynden Galloway and Myron Galloway; his loving grandchildren, Vance and Travis Lunsford, Kristyn, Jeffrey, Charlene, and Evan Galloway; one brother, Floyd Galloway, of Bridgeport, TX, and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death are his parents; his brothers, Bill and Mac; and sisters, Virgie Jones and Lavon McKinley. Oscar was a senior member of the First Assembly of God Church in Belen, serving as Sunday School Superintendent, member of the building committee, Deacon and a musician with the Music Department. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. The family thanks the nurses and staff of the Kaseman Presbyterian Hospice for their professionalism and gentleness in caring for our loved one.
Donations may be made to the Kaseman Presbyterian Hospice, 8300 Constitution N.E, Albuquerque, NM 87110. Services will be held Monday, April 7, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, 19398 N. Hwy 314, Belen, NM. Interment will be immediately following at Sandia Memory Gardens, 9500 San Pedro Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM. Daniels Family Funeral Services 7601 Wyoming Blvd, NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 (505) 821-0010 www.danielsfuneral.com Published on: Sun April 06, 2008
Just found your wonderful web site on military railways.
My dad William Alexander Sheaffer pvt was a member of Co D 746th R.O.B. 1944-45.
Hopefully he shows up in your records as I’m working, belatedly, on a family history to pass on. I was nine years old when he shipped out on a troop ship in 1944.
Bottom photo with the “sour puss” captions”these little fishies cost me 50 beans” and his stripes for fishing without permission.
Obit: William A Sheaffer, Co D 746th Railway Operating Battalion, was born in Mt Union, Pa, in 1910. He became a brakeman on the Pennsylvania RR at Conway Yards, Pennsylvania in 1941.
In 1944, at age 34, married with two children, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was trained as a railway operating specialist attaining the rank of T5. He shipped out to the European Theater of Operations later that year. After serving in Europe thru the Rhineland Campaign 1944-45, he mustered out after the war ended. He returned to work at the PRR and retired as a freight conductor in 1973. Upon retiring he and his wife relocated to Newbury Park, California. Enroute to California they attended a reunion of the 746th R.O.B. in Aurora, Illinois.
He died in the V.A. Hospital in Los Angeles, in February 1982, while awaiting open heart surgery for a heart valve replacement. He was survived by his wife Gwendolyn M Sheaffer, sons William Alexander, Jr, Robert Charles and daughter Suzanne Ruth Sheaffer.
A memorial service was held at the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Lodge, in Thousand Oaks, Ca, where he had been the lodge chaplain.
Thanks to Robert E. Whitfield's grandson Joseph for sharing all this great info about his dad's service in the 746th. We think he was in Company A as he was in signals.
Film is from my grandfather who was in the 746th ROB.
The description below was transcribed from his notepad:
Roll #2- Buchy France, French Train, French Funeral Richemont.
Feb 10, 1945 Bomb craters west of Criton. German grave and tank (Stug 3 assault gun) on Criton.
View of front yard of Chat. (chateau?). Signal and BB gangs on m.c. Don Berger on poles Myers on pole.
Roll #3 Feb 15, 1945 Buchy Junction
Feb 16 Otto cutting my hair.
Feb 18 Village of Cailly.
Feb 19 French train at Criton
Feb 21 Buchy Junction
Feb 24, 1945 German fighters and bomber planes on box cars at Gournay (en-Bray).
March 9 1945 Chow line.
March 10, 1945 L’Eglise Saint-Ouen Church Rouen also Cathedral.
March 18, 1945 Buchy Junction V Bomb (V-1 rocket) launching ramp.
March 18, 1945-Buchy Junction. V-1 bomb (rocket)
launching ramp
April 4-Rouen river front
April 5-Buchy Junction. Mine on branch line to
Saint-Saens.
April 7-Trip to Paris
No date-Taken on trip from Buchy to Bonn Germany.
No date-Trip to Bonn and around Bonn in Bad Godesburg
Germany
Only a few dates listed for this final film.
Some words are illegible and more research/context is needed.
Below are the transcribed notes from his notepad:
View from Kassel Germany from steps of K.S. (?) Generals Gray’s Gull (not sure what that is referring to).
Kassel hums (?) (Illegible) by A.P.
Last 25 feet taken 6/17/45 from Die Herkules-Bhan.
First half taken at Garmisch, Germany Aug 6, 1945.
The Riviera France.
First half taken at Riviera.
About the last 15ft taken of dolls dancing at the city hall in Munich.
ABMC manages 24 overseas military cemeteries, and 25
memorials, monuments, and markers. The cemeteries and memorials honor those who
served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Search for names from
the honor rolls. Information presented includes service information, dates of birth
and death, and notes which relate to the circumstances of death, status, and
awards received. http://www.fold3.com/title_853/
Joe C Spencer
Full Name: Joe C Spencer
Death: Buried: Buried at: Plot A Row 15 Grave 41
Lorraine American Cemetery St. Avold, France
Death: 25-Nov-45
Death Date: 25 Nov 1945
Memorial Cemetery: Lorraine American Cemetery Memorial
Country: St. Avold, France Memorial Location: Plot A Row 15 Grave 41
Residence: State: Kansas World War II
Private First Class, U.S. Army Service Number:37728511
Regiment: 746th Railway Operating Battalion
Harry L King Full Name:Harry L King 1 Death: Buried: Buried at: Plot A Row 12 Grave 31<BR>Netherlands American Cemetery<BR>Margraten, Netherlands 1 Death: 20-Apr-45 1 Death Date: 20 Apr 1945 1 Memorial Cemetery: Netherlands American Cemetery 1 Memorial Country: Margraten, Netherlands 1 Memorial Location: Plot A Row 12 Grave 31 1 Residence:State: Maine 1 World War II 1 Rank:Corporal, U.S. Army 1 Service Number:6137235 1 Regiment:746th Railway Operating Battalion 1
Robert L Bourne Full Name: Robert L Bourne 1 Death: Buried: Buried at: Plot D Row 40 Grave 25<BR>Lorraine American Cemetery<BR>St. Avold, France 1 Death: 26-Jul-45 1 Death Date: 26 Jul 1945 1 Memorial Cemetery: Lorraine American Cemetery 1 Memorial Country: St. Avold, France 1 Memorial Location: Plot D Row 40 Grave 25 1 Residence:State: Kentucky 1 World War II 1 Rank:Technician Fifth Class, U.S. Army 1 Service Number:35811262 1 Regiment:746th Railway Operating Battalion 1
Herbert W Rowland Full Name:Herbert W Rowland 1 Death:Buried: Buried at: Plot D Row 25 Grave 44<BR>Lorraine American Cemetery<BR>St. Avold, France 1 Death: 4-Nov-45 1 Death Date: 04 Nov 1945 1 Memorial Cemetery: Lorraine American Cemetery 1 Memorial Country: St. Avold, France 1 Memorial Location: Plot D Row 25 Grave 44 1 Residence:State: Iowa 1 World War II 1 Rank:Private First Class, U.S. Army 1 Service Number:37692186 1 Regiment:746th Railway Operating Battalion 1
Vincent A Lipira Full Name:Vincent A Lipira 1 Death: Buried: Buried at: Plot B Row 5 Grave 31<BR>Luxembourg American Cemetery<BR>Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 1 Death: 21-Apr-45 1 Death Date: 21 Apr 1945 1 Memorial Cemetery: Luxembourg American Cemetery 1 Memorial Country: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 1 Memorial Location: Plot B Row 5 Grave 31 1 Residence:State: New York 1 World War II 1 Rank:Private, U.S. Army 1 Service Number:42119485 1 Regiment:746th Railway Operating Battalion 1
James R Black Full Name:James R Black 1 Death:Buried: Missing in Action or Buried at Sea<BR>Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery<BR>Manila, Philippines 1 Death: 9-Sep-46 1 Death Date: 09 Sep 1946 1 Memorial Cemetery: Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery 1 Memorial Country: Manila, Philippines 1 Memorial Location: Missing in Action or Buried at Sea 1 Residence:State: Missouri 1 World War II 1 Rank:Private First Class, U.S. Army 1 Service Number:37413044 1 Regiment:749th Railway Operating Battalion 1
Benjamin Henry LaManna, Jr. from the 746th Railway Operation Battalion, served in the European Theater of Operations in Belgium, France and Germany and fought at the battle of the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.
He is survived by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
If you have any materials connected to these great Army Railway units please share them here with the families of the soldiers. If you are a collector or memorabilia dealer PLEASE share copies or scans of items BEFORE you sell these priceless materials to private collectors . I will hold the copies until after they sell. It means so much to the families of the guy's that actually served in these units.
Contact me : Nancy militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com
The Liberation Line: The Untold Story of How American Engineering and Ingenuity Won World War II
