270th Field Artillery Battalion

3rd and Final

PVT John Panks III (C Btry Field Survey Instrumentation)
John Parker
PVT Donald J. Parks (A Btry)
PFC John Parker (C Btry, Survey Team)
PVT John Parker (HQ Btry)
PVT John B. Parker Jr. (HQ Btry)
CPL Roger A. Parsels (A Btry Clerk)
PVT Wildon Passman (C Btry)
S/SGT Aylmer Patterson (C Btry)
PVT Frank H. Patterson (A Btry)
PVT Robert Patton (C Btry)
PVT Lee R.Pearson (HQ Btry)
PVT Joe Perez (B Btry)
PVT Leonel Perez (C Btry)
CPT Fred B. Perry (A Btry CDR)
Alvis E. Peters (A Btry)
1SG Donald Peterson (B Btry)
PFC Arthur J. Petri (HQ Btry Medic)
2LT August Walter Pfluger (B Btry)
PVT Linder L.R. Phillips (B Btry)
Gilberto Pineda ( C Btry)
PVT Gilberto G. Pineda (B Btry)
PVT Lewis A. Pool (HQ Btry)
PVT Aaron D. Porter (HQ Btry)
PVT Gerald L. Porter (B Btry)
PVT Daniel Porterfield (B Btry)
PVT Lawrence R. Potts (A Btry Machine Gunner)
PVT Glen R. Powe (HQ Btry)
PVT Robert L. Presser (HQ and A Btry)
PVT Leo L. Provenzano (HQ Btry)
PVT Duane D. Purvis (HQ Btry)
PVT Joe A. Pyle “AKA Muscles” (A Btry)
SSG Edward J. Raetz (A Bytry Survey Section Chief Battlefield Commissioned to 2nd Lt 17 Feb ’45)
PVT Regino Ramirez ( A Btry Gun Crew)
PVT Manuel E. Ramirez (HQ Btry)
PVT Oscar R. Ramos (ABtry)
PVT Jack Rankin (C Btry)
CPT Robert Ray ( Bn S2 and A Btry CDR)
PVT Therman Reich (C Btry)
PVT Clarence V.J. Renegar (HQ Btry)
PVT Amilio Reyes (A Btry Discharged before deployment to ETO)
PVT Johnny Richardson (HQ Btry)
PVT Marshall Rivers (HQ Btry)
PVT Hewitt Roberie (C Btry)
TEC5 Archie Roberts (HQ Btry Survey Section)
PVT Ervin A. Roberts (B Btry)
PVT Harold Roberts (HQ Btry)
PVT Miles Roberts (HQ Btry)
1SG James Robertson (1SG C Btry)
PVT Eligio F. Rodriguez (B Btry)
PVT John G. Rodriguez (B Btry)
PVT Jose “Joe” Rodriguez (A Btry)
PVT Nick Rodriguez Jr (HQ Btry)
PVT Simon Rodriguez (A Btry)
PVT Carl Rogers (C Btry)
PVT Victor H. Rogers (ABtry)
1LT Iver Roslund (Asst Bn S2)
2LT James G. Rothrock Jr. (A and C Btry)
1LT Charles Rothaermel (C Btry XO)
TEC5 Francis J. Roussell (HQ Btry)
PVT Antonio G. Ruiz (A Btry)
PVT Amando L. Saenz (B Btry)
Guadalupe Saenz (A Btry)
PFC Armengol Saenz (HQ Btry Medic)
1SG Walter Sahr (C Btry 1SG)
PVT Santos F. Saldana (ABtry)
PVT Sam S. Saladino (HQ Btry)
PVT Tom C. Samples (B Btry)
PVT Domingo Sanchez (A Btry)
PVT Johnnie R. Sanchez (B Btry)
PVT Robert S. Sanders (A Btry)
PVT Otis E. Saunders (HQ Btry)
PVT John Swaney (C Btry)
PVT Leroy Savoie (ABtry)
PVT William L. Schooley (B Btry)
PVT Joseph A. Schnidt (B Btry)
PVT Don H. Schmieder (HQ Btry)
PVT Raymond Sears (C Btry)
PVT William Self (C Btry)
PVT Ramon Sena (C Btry)
PVT Maurice Sevars (C Btry)
PVT Robert W. Sheegog (ABtry)
PVT Bennie M. Sherrell (HQ Btry)
Robert W. Sides (A Btry)
SSG John Siepieranski (B Btry Motor Sgt and WIA Aug ’44 enemy aircraft starting)
Israel Silva
PVT Leon T. Simmons (HQ Btry)
PVT Carvin Simpson (C Btry)
PVT William I. Simpson (HQ Btry)
PFC James Sims (HQ Btry Medic)
1LT Paul Sinclair (Aerial Observer)
SSG Ivan J. Slaughter (A Btry)
CPL Irby Earl Slaughter (HQ Btry and A Btry Communications)
PFC Calvin Smith (HQ Btry)
PVT Elliot S. Smith (B Btry)
TEC5 James A. Smith (B Btry WIA?)
TEC5 Wayne “Elliot” Smith (WIA Aug ’44 enemy aircraft strafing)
PVT Robert H. Smith (A Btry)
Toby Smith
PVT William H. Smith (HQ Btry)
Billy C. Snodgrass (Ammo Bearer B Btry)
PVT Argus Snow (C Brty)
CPT Thomas Snyder (B Btry CDR)
Willie E. Sofka (A Btry)
Paul S. Soileaul (A Btry)
Ernest J. Sonnier (A Btry)
PVT Billy Spencer (A Btry)
SSG Lawrence A. Sperberg (HQ Btry)
CPL Leslie Spradlin (C Btry, Survey Team)
Paul St. Clair (HQ Btry)
PVT Lowell Stamps (A Btry)
PVT Lawless A. Stally (A Btry)
PVT Milton J. Stephens (B Btry)
PFC Gerhard Steppke (WIA Jan ’45)
SSG William K. Steward (HQ Btry)
Jeff Stewart (Field Survey Instrumentation)
TEC5 Franklin N. Stranahan (HQ Btry)
PVT Carl E Stone (HQ Btry)
PVT Joseph Stoute (C Btry)
PVT Jeff Stuart (C Btry)
Riley W. Stuckey Jr. (A Btry)
PVT Billie Suggs (C Btry)
TEC4 Van E. Sumney (HQ Btry)
PVT Robert Sutter (A Btry)
PVT Charles R. Tackett (B Btry)
PVT Theodore B. Talley (B Btry)
PVT Jim Taylor (A Btry)
PVT Earnie E. Tedford (A Btry)
PVT Leon “Lee” Testa (A Btry)
PVT Lester J. Thibodaux (B Btry)
PVT Andrew D. Thompson (B Btry)
PVT Cecil V. Thompson (B Btry)
Jack A. Thompson (A Btry)
PVT Joseph W. Thompson (A Btry)
PVT Dioncio Tijerina (B Btry)
SSG Elmer H. Totsch (A Btry, wrote the book “240” about his time in the 270th.)
Dillard R. Tucker (A Btry)
PVT Lewis W. Tynes (HQ Btry)
SSG William Uhl (A Btry Supply Sgt)
PVT Carlos D. Valadez (A Btry)
SGT Albert M. Vanadef Velde (A Btry)
PVT Albino Q. Varela (HQ Btry)
PVT Alex Vicknair (C Btry)
PVT Manual Vidaurri (C Btry)
1SG Vic Vilbikeitie (A Battery 1SG)
SGT Robert C. Vaughn (B Btry)
PVT Maurice Venable (C Btry)
PVT Willard J. Venable (HQ Btry)
PVT Louis Vernon (C Btry)
PVT Alisandro Villareal (A Btry)
PVT Israel Villarreal (A Btry)
PVT Daniel C. Voit (B Btry)
PVT Frank R. Volesco (B Btry)
PVT Clarence Vlater (B Btry)
PVT James L. Waggoner (HQ Btry)
________ Ward
TEC 4 Adam E. Wadzinski (A Btry Cook)
PVT Floyd Waldon (A Btry)
PVT Floyd G. Waldrop (HQ Btry)
1LT Carl A. Walker (A Btry Aerial Observer / Liaison Pilot)
PVT Harvey O. Walker (A Btry)
PVT Jack C. Wallace (HQ Btry)
CPL Harry E. Wallace (A Btry)
SGT Robert T. Wallace (B Btry)
PVT Louie M. Waller (B Btry)
PVT Benjamin F. Walling (HQ Btry)
PVT Charlie Ward (A Btry)
TEC5 Jack Wasserman (HQ Btry)
PVT Billy J. Watkins (HQ Btry)
PVT Guy Watson (A Btry)
PVT Willard Watts (A Btry)
PVT Charles C. Webster (HQ Btry)
Robert “Barry” Weigert ( Medic Bronze Star and 2ea Purple Hearts)
PVT Ralph W. Wendt (A Btry)
PVT Arnold C. West (B Btry)
PVT Melvin H. West (B Btry)
PVT Eugene P. White (HQ Btry)
PVT George H. White (B Btry)
PVT Charles Whiteside (C Btry)
PVT Ted Williams (A Btry)
CPL Lester Williams (HQ Btry Medic)
PVT James M. Williamson (A Btry)
PVT Wayne Willingham (C Btry)
PVT Alton D. Willmann (HQ Btry)
PVT Charles S. Wilson (HQ Btry)
PVT John C. Wilson (HQ Btry)
PVT Henry J. Wilson (B Btry)
2LT Richard Wilson (Liaison Pilot)
PVT Charles A. Winborne (B Btry)
PVT Jewel Wise (C Btry)
SSG Leo J. Wisenski (HQ Btry)
PVT Samuel F. Witt (B Btry)
PVT Chris M. Woodard (B BTry)
SSG Alex Woitowitz (HQ Bty Medic)
John Woolard (A Btry)
John “Jack” Wolf ( C Btry)
SSG Jerome Wolney (C Btry)
John E. Woloszyn (A Btry)
PVT Lee H.Womack (A Btry)
PVT Bing F. Wong (HQ Btry)
PVT Paul Wood (C Btry)
PVT Phillip Wood (C Btry)
PVT John R. Woolard (A Btry)
PVT Tommy L. Wright (A Btry)
PVT Jose Ybarra (C Btry)
PVT Margarito R. Ybarra (A Btry)
PVT Burton Young (A Btry)
SGT Frank J. Zaleski (HQ Btry Medic and designed an improved Pharmacy chest)
PVT Trinidad Zepeda (C Btry)
PVT Richard Zule (A Btry)

 

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful good fortune to link up with LTC Gabriels (The Bn CDR throughout the units existence) Grandson also named James Gabriel, and also a Colonel in the military (USAF). He has been extremely helpful with furthering the research of the battalion and provided me with an amazing 100+ page manuscript written by Bert Ballengee (a member of HQ Btry FDC) that i did not know existed. The manuscript, written in 1993, is an awesome first person account of Bert's experiences with the unit before, during and after the war.

I was able to provide a few tidbits of information about the unit to him in exchange.

Thanks Jim for communicating with me and sharing. Much appreciated.

 

received a few photos of a 240mm howitzer on display at the FA museum at Fort Sill. Photo credit goes to Jim Gabriel.

 

a couple more photos

 

Got this from a gentlemen on the NARA forum page in regards to some of the pilots assigned to the unit. Cool info that puts a bit of “personality” to the story.

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1Lt LaVerne Emberts attended Field Artillery Pilot Course P-34-I [the class was large so it was divided into 2 sections, I and II] at Ft. Sill OK that began on 14 Jun 1943 and graduated on 24 Jul 1943. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Army Liaison Pilot badge and entitled to draw flight pay ( which was 50% of his base pay). His grade in the last portion of the course- Stage 3- was 72/100. While he was in training he was involved in a "Class C" aircraft accident. I'm not sure of the details of that accident, but it was not serious.



1Lt Cyrille John LaBlanc also attended the same class and was in the same section "I" as Emberts. LaBlanc graduated with a 70/100 grade in Stage 3.



Unfortunately, the page of the class lists for Lt Carl Walker is missing. He graduated from Artillery OCS Class 54-43 on 4 March 1943. Since he was already at Sill, he likely attended a Pilots course sometime in March 1943 and would have graduated in late April or early May 1943.



Artillery Liaison pilots were pilots not Aerial Observers. Observers were volunteers from the ranks - NCOs or officers-who knew artillery business so they could adapt to assisting the pilot to adjust artillery from the air. But training Aerial Observers became a real challenge so before the end of the war, the Army had begun to train soldiers as Aerial Observers. There were no wings for Observers in Army Artillery.



Morris P. Barker left the 270th FA not for Liaison pilot training in the Army but for the Cadet program of the USAAF intending to become a pilot. However, by the time he got to Miami to begin training, the program was suspended. So he trained as a gunner and flew on a B-24 which led to his shootdown.



He was a POW in Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16. You can look him up at the Texas Air and Space Museum. The write-up of his time in the 270th mentions a couple of names of his friends in the unit.

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Below is something I am interested in also. I would like to find some actual accountability documents for the Bn. Something like it’s Property Book or similiar documents

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I would be interested to know if you have ever found any information that identifies the tail numbers of the two Piper L-4 aircraft that were assigned to the 270th?.



The planes were also known as "Cubs" or "Grasshoppers". Aircraft were tracked by their military serial numbers which appeared on the tails of the aircraft. The first number was the year in the decade the aircraft was made followed by numerals corresponding to the number of aircraft within the quantity of the number of aircraft ordered on a contract. Of course, when a plane was lost, it was replaced by another but there were only two assigned to the BN.



For example, 43-29832 was the Army tailnumber but it appeared on the aircraft as "329832". There were no hyphens used, just the normal letter/number spacing.

 

I have searched for additional information about the fatal crash of one of the L4 Grasshopper airplanes to no avail. LT Anspach and LT Emberts were fatalities on 1/2 Jan ‘45 somewhere over Germany. Anyone have suggestions where to look, I am all ears. I have a request for information in to the Air Force Heritage Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, but COVID has them months behind

 

I'll check & see if I can find out anything. Here is the obituary for Lt. Emberts.

 

thanks @Tipnring. Here is what I found on LT Anspach

 

For a fatal crash, this particular one is not well documented. At least not by 2022 standards.
I know when it happened, where it happened, who it happened to, and why it happened, but there is still a good story to find / learn about in regards to it.

 

Been trying to locate more information in regards to the aircraft involved. It was an L4 Grasshopper Cub Observation plane. From what I have found, there may be 48 painted on it for “ground recognition”. 48 was the number to represent 90th Inf Div which the 270th supported

 

Thank you. As a newbie researcher, I find myself contradicting myself sometimes after I read more about a particular incident/event. It gets hard to figure out fact from fiction, but it’s fun to find new info.

 

For the record, finding a photo of an L4 with a “48” painted on it, is as elusive as finding info about the crash.

 

Way back when I was a young FA Forward Observer, there was a small chance to go to Aerial Observer school where they would teach young enlisted observers the basics of flying in case the pilot was rendered incapacitated. I think I could handle a simple A/C like one of these, but any more complicated and we are going to crash. LOL.

they killed the program before I could get a foot in the door. Looks like it would be funner than humping a ruck everywhere.

 

Is it a true statement that each FA Battalion was authorized 2ea liaison planes? If so, I did not see them on the copy of the Table of Authorization (We call it a TOE now adays) I have. I see where Pilots and A/C mechanics are on the manning authorization documents, but didn't see the airplanes on the equipment document.

 

Thoughts on where I could find this Special S-2 report?

 

WWII Army unit operational documents are at NARA in College Park, arranged by unit. When they're in a good mood (but not always), they will send a few pages for free - especially when you can provide enough detail for them to go right to the doc being sought (as is the case here).

By mid-43, the Army had replaced the Table of Organization and the Table of Equipment with the T/O&E. Stanton, the standard basic source for WWII Army organization, shows two spotter planes for each arty battalion for each of the dozen or so different battalion types. A Jul 43 infantry division T/O&E I have shows 10 total. Not enough detail to be sure, but would guess the two extra are for div arty hq.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I searched the AAD at NARA, but didn’t see anything. Guess it’s time for an email to the Archivist there.