please help

I forgot to mention earlier, welcome to the forum.

There is a 95th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, but no 695th, attached to the 5th Armored Division. There is an online history of the 95th here: http://www.5ad.org/units/95th.html

We don't know that he spent all of his overseas time in the 5th AD. After combat ceased, there was a point system used to determine when a soldier would be shipped home. Many men with a low number of points were transferred to another unit that was being filled with low point men. They were most likely to remain in Germany, either training for shipment to Japan or placed on occupation duty in Germany assisting with efforts to get the country back on it's feet and collect/prosecute/ etc. Nazi officials. Your grandfather may have been in the 2nd Armored Division during the combat phase and transferred to the 5th in preparation for shipment home. Some separation documents listed the soldier's original unit (the one they felt was "their" unit) and others list the unit they were in when they processed out of the Army. My father was transferred to another unit in July, 45, but his report lists his original unit.

Morning Reports, archived at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), were maintained by all units to track the status of each individual in the unit. Changes noted could be killed, wounded, transferred to a hospital, sick, promoted/demoted, transferred out of the unit, etc. There are researchers who specialize in determining what an individual soldier did during his military tour. This may be something to consider at a later time.

As mentioned before by "chibobber", try contacting relatives and see if they have any information. I found my father was transferred originally by the return address on a letter.

More folks should chime in here later today. Good luck!!

 

Unit web pages and/or historians may also be of some use.

 

Reading the 95th history, I just found mention of the 695th FA Bn attached to the 5th Armored, and dates shown on this page (scroll down to Attachments/Field Artillery and 4th entry from the bottom of this section): http://www.history.army.mil/documents/ETO-OB/5AD-ETO.htm
indicate 6 Feb - 9 March, 1945.

So, now I think there's a possibility he could have always been with the 695th? This AAR mentions the 695th: http://www.5ad.org/02_45.html

Stanton's Order of Battle book indicates the 695th was a non divisional unit, meaning they were sent/attached wherever needed.

Also mention of the 695th here: http://fifthfield.simmins.org/f.html

 

From the Lineage and Honors of the 112th Field Artillery:

The reference to "Distinguished Unit Badge" could be a reference to (same source):

The PUC is stated a bit more clearly in the CMH publication Field Artillery, Part 2:

 

He was a Tech-4, essentially a Sergeant in a specialty field.

 

Lou,

Did you mean to say one silver battle star for 5 campaigns in lieu of 5 bronze battle stars?
Bob

 

I would like to thank everyone for all of the help yall gave me. Because of the help I actually got to meet someone who fought with my grandfather. Thank you all couldn't have done it without yall.

 

Welcome to the forum. Keep us informed please. Maybe your fathers comrade has also a history to tell.