Arrow Extract 2020 by Nancy on Scribd

**Thanks to Lewis for working on this if you know email me militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com and I will get you in touch with Lewis.

Do you know the numbers, names and ranks of the eighteen locomotives named in Belgium during February 1945 after 708 RGD soldiers and are there any photographs of these named locomotives?

During the WW2 USA supplied 2120 S160 locomotive The United States Army Transportation Corps S160 Class is a class of 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive designed for use in Europe during World War II for heavy freight work. They worked on railroads across the world, including Africa, Asia, all of Europe and South America.
During February 1945 eighteen S160 were named after Military personnel who lost their lives during the aerial and V1 bombardment of Liege and environs, Belgium. The locomotives were named after servicemen from 740th and 741th railway operations battalions and 755th railway shop battalion. Torret (1995) list 15 of the locomotive numbers and the names of three of the locomotives.

 Locomotive No    Name    Battalion
1    1609    ?   
2    2039    ?   
3    2052    ?   
4    2171    ?   
5    2174    Pvt J. A. Auriemma    741
6    2181    Pvt H.B.Lindsey    741
7    2182    ?   
8    2208    ?   
9    2327    ?   
10    2360    ?   
11    2582    Pvt H. J. O'Brien    741
12    2603    T/5 A.A. Van Kleeck    740
13    2615    ?   
14    2792    Pvt J. M. McGillis    755
15    2913    Pvt C J Anderson    741
16           
17             
18             


Gregory (1947) includes a photo of 2582 Pvt H. J. O’Brien being names by Major Gen. Frank S. Ross at Kinkempois Yard on 28th February 1945, also present were Lt. Col. S. Pulliam, Brig. Gen. C. Gray and Col. W. S. Carr. T/4 E. H. Welborn and T/Sgt A. R. MacDonald crewed the locomotive.
Recently I came across the photo of locomotive 2181 Pvt H. B. Lindsey on the internet and 2174 Pvt.  J. A. Auriemma.
Livingstone (1981)  list the eight 740th servicemen are the following T/4 D. R. Gnovese, T/5 J. L. Mullin, Corp S. J. Belcastro, T/5 F. Rallo, Pvt R. J. Greco, Pvt O. L. Lance, Pvt A. G. Lewis, and T/5 A. A. Van Kleeck.
Livingstone (1981) states 8 were named after servicemen from the 740th, 8 after servicemen from the 741st and one from 755th.
Ross (1945) states “On Dec. 24, a lone German plane bombed the joint billet of the 740th and 741st Railway Operating Battalions, six blocks from the Guillemins yard. Nine soldiers were killed, several injured. Three days later, a V-1 exploded in the Kinkempois yard in Liege. The 740th lost eight men this time, had twenty injured.”
Tourret (1995) states eighteen locomotives were name in February, the other references list seventeen, but are referring specifically to incidents in the 740th history.

Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation: Operational Photographs of the U.S. Army
Transportation Corps European Theater of Operations 1945, list the eighteen men dedicated:
     Rank    Name    Battalion    Died    Locomotive No.   
1    Corp    S. J. Belcastro     740    27/12/1944    2171 ?   
2    T/4    D. R. Genovese     740    27/12/1944       
3    Pvt    R. J. Greco    740    27/12/1944       
4    Pvt    A. G. Lewis     740    27/12/1944       
5    Pvt    O. L. Lance     740    27/12/1944       
6    T/5    J. L. Mullin     740    27/12/1944       
7    T/5    F.    Rallo     740    27/12/1944       
8    T/5    A. A. Van Kleech    740    27/12/1944    2603   
9    Pvt    C. J. Anderson     741    24/12/1944       
10    Pvt    C. H. Creamer     741    24/12/1944       
11    T/5    R. D. Gugger     741    24/12/1944       
12    Pvt    H. B. Linsey     741    24/12/1944    2181   
13    Pvt    M.H.  Massaro     741    24/12/1944       
14    Pvt    B.    Reiss     741    24/12/1944       
15    Pvt    E. H. Wiese     741    24/12/1944    1609 ?   
16    Pvt    J. A. Auriemma     741    12/12/1944    2174   
17    Pvt    H. J. O'Brien     741    24/12/1944    2582   
18    Pvt    J. M. McGillis     755    25/12/1944    2792   

Unfortunately the scanned image of the locomotives around edge of the dedication is illegible, does anybody have a copy of Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation: Operational Photographs of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps European Theater of Operations 1945. It shows 17 of the 17 locomotives.
               
 


References
Ross I. (1945) Combat Railroading VFW Bulletin Sept 1945 p33-35.
Gregory A. G. (1947) The saga of the 708 Railway Grand Division

Tourret R. (1995) Allied Military Locomotives of the Second World War

Livingstone J. (1981) 740th Railway Operating Battalion History

Pictorial Handbook of Military Transportation: Operational Photographs of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps European Theater of Operations August 1945, Technical Information Office
Office of the Chief of Transportation.














           

From the Norfolk and Western Historical Society : The Arrow Magazine 

N&W in the Military Railway Service : Keep em rolling in World War II May/Aug 2003 v 19 no 3-4 2003 It was published in three parts

• Part one -Aug 2003 Vol 19 no 3-4 2003 
• Part two -August 2003 Vol 19 no 3-4 2003 
• The Sequel - November Vol.21 November/December 2005

Thanks  to James for this great combo file of all three 

Leo J Summers 755th ROB [1923-2005]
He proudly served in the U.S. Army 755th Railway Shop Battalion, European Theatre, during World War II. He worked along with his father for the Norfolk and Western Railway for almost 20 years. He later worked 25 years for the U.S. Postal Service, retiring from there in 1983. Find A Grave

Thanks to his daughter Gay for sharing !

Gregory Dublar son of Clarence Dublar shared some of his documents and his obit

dublar by Nancy

755th RSB Unit Card by Nancy Cunningham

755th RSB by Nancy Cunningham

Thanks Tim

755th Carl Edward Landmesse... by Nancy