Contains great article on 753rd

 

 

Bill writes... 

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 Katie for reading "Liberation Line" and for sharing this info and photos about her grandfather,  Raymond M. Penhollow

Katie writes ...

Hello! My name is Katie Briggs and I live in the US in the state of Ohio. I finished reading your book "The Liberation Line," recently and I felt the urge to reach out to you. My grandfather, Raymond M. Penhollow was a Tech Sgt. in the 740th Railway Battalion Company A, serving in World War II. My grandfather was a second-generation railway man. My understanding is that he operated heavy equipment in the war. He was my favorite person as I grew up and yet, he was a bit of a mystery. 

 As many veterans of his generation felt, he left the war in Europe and didn't see the need to relive it. He wasn't a hero he felt, because he made it home. My Dad only knew bits and pieces of my grandfather's experience that my grandfather shared. My grandfather came home from the war in 1945 and proceeded to work on the Nickel Plate Railroad which is now Norfolk and Southern. My grandpa was a signalman's assistant and a volunteer fireman. It's easy to see why I loved him so much.

Reading your book was illuminating. The facts and statements you shared from John Livingstone's history of the 740th Railway Battalion were so interesting. I now know when my grandfather landed at Utah Beach and some of where he had served. I have sat and reread passages to my husband about the details shared specific to the 740th, and we both are in awe of what my twenty-year-old grandfather experienced. 

As I said, he came back home and worked the railroad. He married the girl from down the street, had three children, and had eight grandchildren, of which I am proudly one. He passed away in 2000. I plan on sharing your book with my cousins if they are interested. He was such a wonderful grandfather. 

I would really like to find out more about his unit. I want to ask if there are any suggestions you might have for researching this topic. I found your book because I was searching for railroad battalion information on Google. If you could provide some insight into my search, I would greatly appreciate it. Please find attached 2 pictures of my grandfather taken from the war. The motorbike was supposedly confiscated from a German soldier. 

Thank you for writing this book, it was fascinating. Please take care and again, thank you. 

 

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.

 

714th was building the Alaska Highway at this time ! 

David writes .. I would like to share a Christmas card and photo my Great Uncle Vernon Martin sent to his mother in 1944 when he served in the 714th Railway Operating Battalion. The photo is of my Great Uncle (left) boxing with his unit friend. It is hard for me to make out the name of the other guy, but I did include the writing on the back of the photo just in case you may be able to figure it out.

Uncle Vernon's friend was Orlo Guy Leininger and he was a U.S. Army Military Policeman in Alaska between 4 June 1942 and 6 November 1945. birth: 4 June 1917 in Rockford, Mercer, Ohio to Edwin Anton and Lola May Landfair Leininger death: 10 December 1996 in Portage, Porter, Indiana burial: Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana https://indgensoc.org/orlo-guy-leininger/

 Great news for researching railway units ...

WWII Morning Reports up to 1943 are now available on the NARA website and can be located through the NARA Catalog. (More Morning Reports are being added, as I have located ones for 1944, too.) 

For those wishing to research WWI Morning Reports, I recommend using them on Fold3. Why search for the Morning Reports? 

 These organizational records can tell us where all the assigned soldiers were on a specific day, and the activities being done. They tell us when and how soldiers moved from place to place. They show when there were promotions, sick for duty and when they were sent to the hospital. 

They also show if soldiers were assigned to other organizations for temporary duty, or when they were permanently transferred to another organization. At a minimum, a soldier’s name will appear upon transferring in and transferring out of an organization. Memos may also be tucked into these reports. For those of us whose Army ancestors’ personnel files burned in the fire in 1973, without leaving enough to be restored through technical means, these records are a key part of the reconstruction process. here

Thanks to Fetty's daughter Maydean for these great photos and documents. 

This photo is my dad, Ralph Glenn Fetty on left and his life longfriend Annas W. Klingensmith at Fort Sam Houston, Texas where they met and trained together