I just found out this was the job my great uncle had while in Hq Co. I was hoping someone here could give me more details of what he did. I was under the impression that being in Hq Co, he would have a different kind of duty. He was killed during the closing of the Falaise Gap for any of the new folks that haven't read my old posts. Thanks Krystal
Well, it would depend on if he was in the Ammunition and Pioneer Platoon or if he was an ammo bearer for the Anti-Tank Platoon. TO&E for an HQ Company of an Infantry Battalion: http://www.militaryresearch.org/7-16 26Feb44.pdf According to this, there were 21 ammunition bearers in the A & P platoon and 9 serving the AT guns. From The United States Infantry Battalion mid 1943 to 1945 According to John Hooper, a member of an A & P Platoon, His recollection of D-Day can be found here: D-Day - Normandie 1944 : Men of D-Day You can listen to an interview with John Wilson Rogers, he served in Europe and the Philippines and was a member of Ammunition & Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 343rd Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Division. It can be found here: Joseph Wilson Rogers collection: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress
A Headquarters Company is also often designated H&HC Co., Headquarters and Headquarters Company or H&S Co, or Headquarters and Service Company. They provide command, control and support to the line companies in an infantry battalion, or larger formation. Ammo Bearer could mean that he was assigned to the S-4 section providing ammunition supply to the line units but, it is much more common for the term to be used for a member of a crew served weapons crew. A crew served weapon normally has a gunner, assistant gunner and any number of ammo bearers/security men. The HHC Co. in a US Army Battalion had an Ammunition and Pioneer platoon, with a specific position "Ammo Bearer" and they also had an anti-tank platoon that rated ammo bearers, so named (crew served weapon as I described earlier). The Company also rated six .30 cal. browning machine guns so it could have been there. Here's a PDF showing the different jobs and personnel for a 1943-1945 infantry battalion. Hope this helps. http://www.militaryresearch.org/7-96 12Jul44.pdf
Is there a way to find this info out? I found out by scanning his morning report that listed him as KIA that day and emailing it to a young man living in Normandy in the very town the 90th Div liberated-Chambois. He knew the codes listed next to each man KIA and knew if some were ammo bearers or riflemen etc. Unfortunatly he never stated what kind of ammo he would have moved. Thank you for the info Takao
