40 Bailey bridge in SHEVENHUTTE, GERMANY. The main difference lies in the divisional structure. December 30, 1944: The Battalion was relieved of the defensive position at 1800 hours by a re-enforced Co. of Infantry of the 75th Inf. 40. This bridge remained in use until 1955. In March of 1943, fourteen young men from Saybrook enlisted in the army and left by bus for Fort Devens. We would like to share just a few words about another of Deep Rivers WWII veterans. less Co "B" plus Co "C" of the 294th Engr. After a successful landing there, where he picked up some shrapnel, Tunisia was next. July 5, 1944: Co. "B" repaired damaged bridge at BAUPTE under artillery fire. This often includes map coordinates which can be translated using Google Earth to pinpoint the G.P.S. Our expertise enables us to reconstruct the service history of your individual WWII veteran and to give you a glimpse of the experiences that he or she had during the war-even if their military service records were lost in the fire. Raleigh's castle was in ruins and on a large lake and that is where we did our training, building and blowing up static and floating bridges and working with mines. Advertisement. The Bn. Keywords : January 31, to February 4, 1945: Rest, recreation, and some training constituted the activities of the Battalion for this period. Later that year on 18 December 1944, the Black Lions were ordered to move from the Saar River, where the unit was building a bridge, to the Ardennes, commonly called the Battle of the Bulge. Then it was dispatched to France for a time. ANTHEE, BELGIUM.11 54. 86. July 28, 1944: Bn. January 22, 1945: Co "C" (with the 4th Cav.) Co "C" removed the Infantry support bridge at HUNDHAUSEN. His very first mission turned out to be a memorable one. His unit was suddenly pulled and sent to take Patton's place in the line after the general was summoned to the Bulge. (C) Group. They paid mightily for that shot. C.P. His training continued on board ship in the Pacific. Can't wait to hear more about your time spent in training and your work with the engineers. July 21, 1944: Bn. As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unit records. Upon arriving to the front, the 249th was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division, already engaged and in defensive positions along the southeast corner of the Bulge. Four German fighters pounced on the B-24 and it was engulfed in flame and going down. Forums World War II WWII ENGINEERS . The main thrust of the effort was to use assault boats to get troops from 5th Infantry Division across and later to construct a more stable pontoon bridge. An Engineer Combat Battalion (ECB) was a designation for a battalion -strength combat engineer unit in the U.S. Army, most prevalent during World War II. Two fold-out maps from the unit history are stored separately in an oversize box. I get so tired of hearing some complain day in and day out about how it's too hot or too cold, or how they had to drive 15 miles to pick up a wife's prescription, or You get the drift. was across the river without tanks and anti-tank guns and it was being counterattacked by SS troops using flame-throwing tanks. August 15, 1944: Bn. August 30, 1944: Bn. Regt. Our mission was to provide close Engineer support to 78th Infantry Div. The truck accidentally back up over some mines and about 90 mines exploded. proceded [sic] on to the vicinity of MAYENNE arriving late in the afternoon. The Battalion advance C.P. The 294th landed in Normandy on D+ (June 7, 1944). I came back from Germany to get married on August 4, 1945. The Captain said that in 25 years at sea he had never seen such a storm. All traffic was moving North to Battice. Then an 88 round went right through the number four wing tank. August 1, 1944: Bn. November 21, 1944: The rains came! 129. As they approached the beach, the ship hit two mines and sank. I would try Richard Horrell of WWII Connections. I have a lot more to tell. July 15, 1944: Co "C" began construction of Bailey Bridge at BIEHOU at 2000 hours; work was discontinued at 2330 hours due to artillery fire. 127. . Google Map of Major Ops of the 298th All the villages there had been evacuated and were ultimately destroyed by gunfire. 8. A defense was set up by Co's B, A, & C: the Bn. It was disgusting down below in the Queen Mary so Newton Riess went up on deck to escape the smell. 1. July 6, 1944: Battalion placed in direct support of the 4th Inf. 1. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. P.S. was set up in the village of ANTHEE. The 294th built the second bridge across the Rhine River, and Carroll recalled that as the American army moved into Germany, all the cities they came across were piles of rubble. HURTGEN FOREST, GERMANY99 Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this down. Shipped out to England to prepare for the Normandy invasion, the eighteen year old got "scared as Hell" when he was briefed on the German defenses. October 31, to November 7, 1944: Bn. They traveled from Liverpool to Berlin, a total of 1800 miles in 623 days. This was not surprising since we were constantly working with explosives. 53. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-1985 (Record Group 407) that may include records of the 111th Engineer Combat Battalion, 36th Infantry Division during WWII. was shelled by artillery from across the RHINE RIVER - T/5 Malone was killed, Capt. The unit was assigned to V Corps, First U.S. Army. ArmyAir Force/A.A.F.Marine CorpsNavyCoast GuardMerchant Marine, If Army Air Forces was your veteran as of 0800 hours. When he went off to college and heard the news about Pearl Harbor, he and his friends began to wonder. Please see my link on where to go for help. It was completed on V.E. Division now driving in the direction of PERIERS - St LO Highway. The other officers that were supplied to the unit were second lieutenants from the 1943 class of West Point. Those do give us a better feel for the area and the time period. On his first raid in North Africa, reconnaissance platoon leader John Souther captured a hundred Germans with no losses to his own unit. 51. moved at 1630 hours and reached the destination at 2030 hours. 93. Chow detail going to Post #1 was ambushed by a 6 man patrol; the enemy patrol withdrew after a short fire fight. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 February 13, 1945: Co "B" constructed a C1. To some of these thousand men, it was going to be the beginning of a new, big adventure. In May 1945, when the war ended in Europe, the battalion was moved to Plattling, Germany where they built a camp for displaced refugees. Joe Izzillo- 4907 Europa Drive, Naples FL 34105- (239) 262-2778. All Listings. January 11, 1945: Co "B" repaired the timber trestle bridge in PETIT-HAN by replacing the flooring and decayed nailing strips. March 15, 1945: Reconnaissance was made in the afternoon of sites on the RHEIN RIVER in the vicinity of REMAGEN for launching Naval Landing Craft; sites were picked. November 10, 1944: The Battalion was relieved of attachment to the 3rd Armored Division and attached to the 4th Infantry Division. God has been good to me and I thank Him every day for sparing me into old age. They weren't sleeping. 76. Holtum, Netherlands. As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unit records. We. 61. We did all of our training with mines and bridges on the property formerly owned by Sir Walter Raleigh, and now owned by the Digby family. I am now a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol of the United States Air Force Auxiliary. in the crossing of the SIEG RIVER and the reduction of the RHUR POCKET. 112. Welcome sir. Heavy rains and the overflowing ROTGEN DAM caused failure of timber trestle bridges at ROTT, MULARTSHUTTE, and VICHT. was relieved by 246 Engr. moved again to the vicinity of MILLEY arriving at 2330 hours. Many of them do not realize how lucky they are to have what they have and that INCLUDES full use of all five of their senses. While there, there was a German air raid and two planes were shot down. TOTAL 266. of 9th Infantry Division made an attack thru Post #5 at 1100 hours; the Infantry met strong resistance 300 yards in front of Post #5; Post #5 was relieved at 1630 hrs. RootsWeb is funded and supported by Rufus Dalton was at the Maginot Line bouncing mortar shells off an old citadel. As a photo-recon pilot, he was dispatched as soon as the attacks ended to search for the enemy fleet. 3RD ARMORED DIVISION was attached to the 3rd Armored Division and was given the mission of organizing, occupying, and defending at all cost a road block on the high ground just west of GRAND MENIL, BELGIUM. I know Colin will be tickled pink to read this. The Battalion was assigned to the FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY and attached to the U.S. VII ARMY CORPS. Division; a heavy snow was falling at the time of the relief; the Battalion moved back to PONTHOZ, BELGIUM. relieved Company "A" as of 1800 hours. Section, and two squads of Co "C" resulting in their passing a point where they should have turned - at this point Co "A" took the lead and Co "C" joined the rear of the Bn. April 6, 1945: Co "B" constructed Steel Treadway Bridge at DREISEL, GERMANY across the SIEG RIVER. 132. This was a Pile Bent Bridge with 3-story trestle bents on the piles, 55 feet high. I am writing my memoirs and I already have over 200 pages. 106. 11. March 7, 1945: The Battalion C.P. Then, we went to Tennessee maneuvers for a couple of months. 234th Engineer Combat Battalion liberated Holtum. On order, deploy worldwide to provide prime electrical power and electrical systems expertise in support of military operations and the National Response Framework.[1]. KaRonda Fleming, Public Affairs Office, TF SAFE improves electrical safety in Iraq by Joan Kibler, Training prepares 249th for six-month Iraq duty by Julie LeDoux, Fort Belvoir Eagle, Soldiers Power Up Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan by SSG Michael Carden. 67. The Deep River boys were Ernie Calamari, George Ressler, Bill Ackerman, Waldon Hartson, Charlie Euston, George Watrous, Harvey Brooks, Doug Carlson, Ray Swain, and Victor Carlson. moved from PLOMION to the vicinity of MARIEMBOURG, BELGIUM. continues to support the 9th Inf. The Battalions mission was general engineer work in the VII Corps sector in the area around STOLBURG, KORNELIMUNSTER, BREINIG. Let me repeat how exciting it is to hear from someone who was part of the 294th. Division for the drive to close the famous "FALAISE GAP". B-24 flight engineer Bill Toombs was over Germany when bad went to worse. Shortly after, the battalion participated in two maneuvers in Louisiana, known as the "Louisiana Maneuvers"; there the battalion and its soldiers learned valuable lessons for war. Understand what your WWII veteran experienced while assigned to specific infantry units, ships or squadrons. The 296th received campaign credit for Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Normandy, Northern France, and the Rhineland, Contains the following type(s) of material: unit histories, photographs, Wartime journey to Berlin : the 296th Engineer Combat Battalion, The ArchiveGrid website uses HTTP Co "A" started construction of 150' T/D Bailey Bridge across the SIEG RIVER at WISSEN, GERMANY. They were sent to Fort Devens, then assigned to the 296th Combat Engineer Battalion, and shipped to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for basic training over a period of seven months. He has over 5000 books in his WWII repetoire and may have further info on the 294th. Part 1 of 5. 18. 62. 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION attached to 3rd Armored Division in preparation for St LO breakthrough. Robert James was propped up against a bulkhead, going in and out of consciousness. Several prisoners were captured in the vicinity. Commenced landing on UTAH and OMAHA Beaches in NORMANDY on June 9, 1944 and moved into an assembly area in the vicinity of St MARIE-DU-MONT. Captured several prisoners. Part 1 of 2. was attached to 9th Infantry Division as of 1200 hours. No one from shore was ever allowed on ships from one particular country. Division assembly area in the vicinity of LE DESERT. In Germany, Carroll's unit liberated a forced labor camp, and he remembered that the prisoners were horribly emaciated. August 24-25, 1944: Bn. moved to the vicinity of PHILIPVILLE - an Advance C.P. Access WWII personnel records showing your veterans enlistment, draft, honorable discharge, serial numbers, promotions, military training, ranks, military duties and enlistment photographs. 83. Battalion moved into bivouac west of QUETTEHOU. 91. RootsWeb is funded and supported by It was the highest bridge constructed by the first army Engineer Combat Battalion in the E.T.O. Frances R. Fulton, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey, the Bn. October 13, 1944: The enemy penetrated our lines between Post #9 and the Infantry on our right during the afternoon - one Co. of the 47th Infantry Regt. You are a great artist. We could not launch the life boats because of the high seas and the Coast Guard told us later that if we sank they would have tried to rescue as many as they could. October 23, 1944: Co "A" relieved from attachment to 297 Engr. He was grateful when someone gave him some morphine to ease the pain from multiple shrapnel wounds. 26. After a nerve-wracking mission to bomb Tokyo and a typhoon, B.E. moved 100 miles on the night of August 24 - 25th to the vicinity of LA LUPE, arriving at 0830 hours on the morning of August 25th. They had a little too much fun and ran into some MP's who had a grudge against their unit. 1st insignia of 90th Light Div. 115. went in direct support of the 5th Armd. Thomas W. Silva, Lt. Ray L. Whiteturkey and 42 men from H&S Co. and Co. "C". Joseph Waz enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1942 at the age of 29. October 6, 1944: 47th Enfantry [sic] Regt. In the interim my dear, I would be happy to provide you with your own page, as I have done for so many of my other vet friends on the main site. 47. Co "C" constructed Class 40 D/S Bailey Bridge at AUBENTON. City|Area. moved through the breached enemy lines with the 3rd Armd. I understand that this was done because placing a hospital near explosives was a violation of the Geneva Convention. The 296th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated by the U.S. Army on 3 March 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. as of 1300 hours. moved to BRISCOL, BELGIUM where the vehicles were parked. LA VICTOIRE, FRANCE.9 The Bn. 5. 45. Normandy: 6-7 June 1944 Assault Landing. This bridge remained in use until 1955. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Co "B" 294th Engr. ", Robert G. Sherrard Jr. collection 1930-1931, 1943-1957, 1967, circa 1986- 2003, Leonard R. Boyd collection, 1916-1946 (bulk 1918-1929), 1262nd Engineer Combat Battalion collection, 1944-1946, undated, World War, 1939-1945 -- Engineering and construction, World War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons, American, World War, 1939-1945 -- Regimental histories, Robinson, Edward G.,. 35. However, I strongly suggest that you contact the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they have a file on his unit. December 11, 1944: Bn. It was an emotional moment. It didn't blow up the plane, but they lost all the fuel for that engine, so now they had two engines out. Have you already requested personnel records from the archives? Co "C" withdrew from position #11 and filled foxholes and emplacements of the position. Power Surge, 249th Engineer Battalion Responds to Electrocutions in Iraq by LTC Paul B. Olsen, P.E. moved to 3rd Armd. November 8 is Election Day and the Trustees of the Deep River Historical Society hope you all go out and VOTE. On 24 December 1944, Brigadier General Harlan Harkness, the assistant division commander, ordered the battalion to advance and secure the towns of Arsdorf and Bigonville to the north of the 26th Infantry Division, near the area of operations of the 4th Armored Division, in order to relieve the occupied towns so the division could advance and attack the enemy line. June 13, 1944: Battalion moved to the vicinity of St MERE-EGLISE and given the mission of providing general support to the 4th Infantry Division. 94. 103. Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. gave him permission to go see him. March 17, 1945: Co "A" attached to 4th Cav. He came in as a replacement to a tank destroyer battalion. 125. September 5, 1944: Co "C" started construction of Class 40 Timber Trestle Bridge under Bailey Bridge at MARIEMBOURG. 74. Later, they were divorced and she had a series of lovers and, at one time, became America's ambassador to France. 109. in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.). My guess is he was in another unit prior to his service in the 257th. Temperatures were minus 20 degrees. On June 4th 1944, the 297 th Engineer Battalion left the city of Bournemouth, England to reach its marshalling camp. Bn. Bill Elias' WWII Story: 258th Engineer Combat Battalion. 49. April 8, 1945: Co "A" completed the Bailey Bridge in WISSEN, GERMANY at 2030 hours. In October 1943, the battalion left Boston for England and spent months in England training. A brisk fire fight ensued until daylight. By October, all of 296th was in Belgium. Near the end of the war, the food supply in Holland had been disrupted and there was widespread hunger. Hide map. 1 talking about this. Yours will be another great story for people to see. Bn. moved to a new bivouac in the woods North of ANTHEE. During the action at Post #3, the enemy infiltered [sic] around Post #4 in strength of approximately two squads. It receives no town or state funding. I do not know how current the info is, but it's worth trying first: Unfortunately I do not have anymore info at the present time. The Battalion arrived at WEYMOUTH, DORSET, ENGLAND on the morning of February 1, 1944, where it entrucked for a short trip to SUTTON POYNTZ and CHALET CAMPS. Explore military combat reports and casualty records tounderstand the battlefield experiences and sacrifices of your WWII veteran and their military unit. DERSCHLAG, GERMANY.10 This tradgedy took place in the grounds that housed the 228th American Hospital in Sherborne, Dorset, UK. [2], The 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) provides oversight on all coalition operating base power projects in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom).[3][4][5][6][7]. This incident was also kept secret until many years after the war when a local resident told of seeing hundreds of bodies being buried on the beach. The Battalion C.P. 1 talking about this. When he heard the sound of Canadian tanks, he knew that liberation was finally at hand. An uneventful Christmas Eve for the 298th Engr. 89. I like how you also gave us further background with the "asides", such as the history of the Digby family. 59. 55. Organized by type of material, then chronologically, The collection contains a unit history and photographs regarding the 296th Engineer Combat Battalion of the United States (U.S.) Army during World War II. At 1500 hours the 1st Bn. 21. Heat, insects, and mud were constant companions during basic training. Active: August 1941 - May 1943 July 1943 - April 1945: Country Nazi Germany Branch: Army returned to Battalion. Dedicated to the men who proudly served their country during World War II by serving in the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion. Growing up in Baltimore, Harry Kone used to hang around the docks watching the cargo ships unload. Co "B" operated LCVP ferry service, Co "C" operated Heavy Ponton Rafts. VIC. December 10, 1944: Co "C" completed the Timber Trestle Bridge at MULARTSHUTTE. Bn. Well I for one will be one of the first in line to read and buy your memoirs. Co "B" was given the mission of cleaning the streets and Co "C" was given the mission of removing the railroad and building the road. Bn. The division was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on 27 November 1945. Co "B" attached to the 297th Engr. moved to a new bivouac in BELLEAU WOODS in the vicinity of CHATEAU-THIERRY. The unit was discharged on December 19, 1945, from Fort Devens, MA. May 26, 2010 at 2:13 pm. The photographs, taken from January-December 1944, cover training, road and bridge work, the Marigny Drive, soldier life, and Germans, The 296th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated by the U.S. Army on 3 March 1943 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Company "C" had just finished an exercise with mine laying and then picked up the anti-tank mines and placed them alongside a truck to be taken to a safe area until the next exercise. In October through November 1944, the soldiers were specially trained on using the Bailey bridge in Trier, France. The mission of both companies was to occupy pillboxes in the Siegfried line to prevent the Germans from entering them. At 2330 hours the Battalion bivouac area was bombed by several bombers using anti-personnel bombs. Unfortunately, because of my profound deafness, I am not permitted to fly. of a sector of the front line in the Hurtgen Forest. One engine was shot out. Part 1 of 2. in clearing rubble from the streets of CARENTAN. As a young airman I hitchiked many times over that road to see my wife in the 1950s. February 26, 1945: The Battalion moved to GURZENICH. Often the military records will show the duties a WWII veteran held during the war. After a close call with a booby trap, he was injured when a tank shell landed right under his jeep. Co "B" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge at KLUPPLEBURG, GERMANY. August 9, 1944: Co "B" Constructed 120' Class 40 Heavy Ponton Trestle bridge at St FRAIMBAULT across the MAYENNE River. 133. March 1, 1945: Co "A" started construction of a large box CULVERT just west of DUREN. July 17, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac at TRIBEHOU. The 294th Combat Engineers were training at the same time at Camp Gordon. 75. On 16 July 1965, the 299th Engineer Battalion was alerted for movement overseas to the Republic of Vietnam. The truck disappeared and 29 men were torn apart and their bodies were scattered through the trees. April 10, 1945: Co "B" removed the Steel Treadway Bridge at DRIESEL and constructed it again at WISSEN; construction was completed at 0530 hours April 11, 1945. . March 28, 1945: The Battalion moved to ALTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY with the mission of cleaning rubble from the streets to permit two way traffic, and to remove a railroad through town and construct a roadway for wheeled traffic on the railroad embankment. Co "C" still defending road blocks with 297th Engr. Somehow I found this site and yes my Dad who was in the 294th had told me that story many times. RONCEY, FRANCE.4 In loving memory of my grandfather who served with Co. A in this unit, I would like to bring together friends and. The Battalion detrucked and marched into position, arriving at 2300 hours. June 23, 1944: Battalion given the Infantry mission of clearing the North East corner of the Cotentin penisula [sic] of scattered enemy troops - liberated the French towns of QUETTEHOU and St VAAST LA HOUGE. Companies cleared abaties from roads in the vicinity of EUPEN and MONSCHU. The battalion met little resistance across the river and quickly began constructing the bridge. The 249th sailed from the United States to England in May 1944, after equipping and preparing for combat, the Unit landed on Utah Beach in August 1944 under the 1137th Engineer Combat Group commanded by Colonel George A. Morris. In November 1945, the 249th Engineers were sent on their final orders to Camp Lucky Strike, near Marseilles, France and then redeployed back to the United States. on April 28, 2010. Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters had dropped over 200 sand bags, with approximately 125 sandbags breaking the surface of the water. He sure did on Guadalcanal but he hopes some later generation will find a way to avoid war. The men of the 299th Combat Engineer Battalion were "First on Omaha Beach" with overwhelming casualties on D-Day. 138. With a commandeered ambulance full of casualties, he threaded his way through the ordeal thanks to luck and guile. Formatting (inconsistent in original) such as capitalization, underlining, punctuation, use of quotes, etc. The 296th landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy 20 days after D-Day. July 2, 1944: Battalion moved to new bivouac in vicinity of Ste MERE-EGLISE. Stan said their first job was repairing the main supply route from Utah Beach. 9th Infantry Division made an attack to restore Post #4; the surrounded platoon was found still in position and in good shape. For Air Corps flight crews we can determine the exact flights that your individual Air Corps veteran took part in. Bn. 3:33 | At the end of the war, combat engineer Bob Darino went from sampling delicious cherry pies in German farm country to experiencing the horrifying spectacle of concentration camps. The 257th was also credited the Ardennes-Alsace campaign (9 Dec 1944-25 Jan 1945) and the Rhineland (22 Feb - 21 Mar 1945) campaign. Russel, T/5 Stiedel and Pfc. At 1130 hours the Commanding officer of Co "B" with two Platoons of Co "A" and one Platoon of light tanks made an attack to contact the surrounded platoon. Co "A" constructed a Class #40 D/S Bailey Bridge over the timber trestle bridge in VICHT. Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans. 249th Engineer Battalion Soldiers and IMA Provide Emergency Backup Power to Hawaii Wastewater Treatment Plant, by Sergeant First Class Christopher P. Woolley and Major Paul B. Olsen, P.E., 249th Engineers Respond to California Wildfires, by SSG Scott Yeager, "249th Engineer Battalion lineage and honors information as of 1 March 2004", Official U.S. Army Prime Power School website, Description of the Coat of Arms and Distinctive Unit Insignia, Bridge to the Past: 249th Engineer Battalion from Combat to Prime Power by COL John K. Addison, Retired, Prime-Power Considerations for Engineer Planners, by Captain Geoff Van Epps, Reflections on Building Great Engineers, COL Paul B. Olsen, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=249th_Engineer_Battalion_(United_States)&oldid=1091887312, Engineer battalions of the United States Army, Military units and formations established in 1943, Military units and formations in Virginia, Articles with dead external links from June 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Heavy Maintenance Section Fort Belvoir, Virginia, D Company (USAR) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers support to presidentially declared disasters, Constituted 25 February 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion, Redesignated 23 March 1948 as the 442d Engineer Construction Battalion and allotted to the Organized, Activated 8 April 1948 with headquarters at, (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve), Redesignated 25 June 1952 as the 249th Engineer Construction Battalion, Redesignated 9 December 1954 as the 249th Engineer Battalion; concurrently withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted to the, Activated 16 November 1994 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.