Tim,
Here are some interesting things I found that might help.
There is a good list of bibliographical resources at:
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Papua/USA-P-Papua-Biblio.html
Go to this site and enter your father's unit name and number to see
what you can get from the Army historians:
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/USAMHI/UnitHistories.html
Search around on this page for Unit Histories:
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_history_unit_histories.php3
You should be able to find considerable historical information on you
dad's unit right down to a list of those who were in the unit and
during what periods. I've done this for my relatives in the Civil War
where records were not very well kept by comparison. Since WWI
military units have kept accurate and very detailed information so the
information you seek is certainly available somewhere.
Other sites to look at:
http://www.armyhistory.org/
Finally, contact the good folks at Carlisle for help. It's their job
to find stuff for you...
http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/
Cheers!!
Jim - 68 Midget in Dodge City
On 7/29/06, Timothy H. Collins <thcollin@mtu.edu> wrote:
> I suspect one or more of the folks in the Spridget group are WW2 history
> buffs. I'm looking for help.
>
> My father passed away in 1965 at age 46 when I was in my early-teens.
> Recently an uncle wrote a 4 page history about my dad for my younger
> brother and me. That just got me more interested in my dad's history. I
> know he was in the army during WW2 - I have his discharge papers. He was in
> Battery A- 744th C.A. (AA). I think he was in the first group of GI's that
> went overseas on the Queen Mary and I think he might have been at the
> battle of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea. The web history of that battle is
> strongly oriented toward the Australians part in the battle. The battle was
> significant because it showed that the Japanese could be beaten - there was
> some doubt up to that point. My dad's unit was harassed by "Washing Machine
> Charlie" a Jap pilot who ran his engines out of sync to frighten the
> troupes - as if dropping bombs on them wasn't enough!
>
> I'd be interested in leaning of a document that tells of the locations and
> engagements of the 744 during WW2. Anyone know of a good source. I have
> requested my dad's service records from the outfit in St Louis MO, but I
> suspect that won't be much different than his discharge papers.
>
> Pls reply to me directly - this request is enough non LBC clutter. Thanks!
>
> Tim Collins
> Midland, MI
> 1966 AH Sprite
|