Hq Battery 407th AAA Gun Bn

Hello, I am doing some stuff with my grandfathers DD2-14 (Box 6)and I am trying to find out information about this unit. He is still living but it is really hard to get him to talk about it. The last time I tried to ask details, he got really upset and started crying, so I backed off and haven't brought it up since. He says he started out in the 45th Inf dev for a short time but then moved to the third armoured, but none of the DD2-14 supports any of it. Any information any one can give will be greatly appriciated... Please keep in mind I have never been in the military, and I am a horrible speller haha

 

We would need to see either a copy of his 214 or have you post up the details to give you anything concrete on your request.

 

Hello welcome on the forum. Here are to links with possibly useful information.

Have you seen these sites ?

The Military Order of World Wars - Google Book Search


http://www.hist.unt.edu/web_resources_mil/anti_aircraft_bib.pdf

 

ok here goes.

Box 3 PFC
Box 4 CAC(AA)
Box 5 AUS
Box 7 3 jan 46
Box 8 Camp Chaffee Arkansas
Box 30 Telephone Switchborad Operator 650 (says he has never operated a switchboard in his life)
Box 31 Marksman Rifle 1 Jan 44
Box 32 Normandy Northern France Rhineland
Box 33 WW II VictoryRibbon Good conduct medal American Theater Ribbon EAME Theater Ribbon and three bronze service stars

I hope this helps thank you guys so much...

 

Ok
He was a Private First Class when discharged. His branch of service was Coastal Artillery Corps (Antiaircraft). A word of explaination here is that the coast artillery for some odd reason known only to the US Army was tasked with air defense prior to and during WW 2.
In box 5 it shows his status as Army of the United States meaning he was drafted and not a "regular" and neither a reservist, volunteer, or National Guardsman.
Box 7 shows his discharge date
Box 30 shows his official MOS as 650. This doesn't mean he actually did this just that officially that was what he was supposed to be trained to do.
The last three show his awards and campaigns.
Now, it is possible, and actually very likely that he was pulled from some antiaircraft unit in late 1944 (October to December) or early 1945 and used as an infantry replacement. This was very, very common in the ETO during this period as casualties had mounted and there was a very bad shortage of infantry and a massive excess of antiaircraft units in theater.
Given the three bronze stars this is probably the case. What you give here doesn't say what unit he might have been sent to but you indicate the 45th ID and 3rd Armored. This is entirely possible. Armored infantry battalions were some of the most cronically understrength units in the ETO much of the time due to their constant use in offensive operations.

 

Thank you very much Mr. Gardner. Your info and his match up perfectly. It is hard to get any info out of him, but the little I have did not match with his discharge papers at all, so I got really confused. Thank you so much again for your information and time.

 

I believe this unit went ashore on UTAH on June 20th 1944, so I wouldn't be surprised if it participated at the Falaise Gap battle

 

Your sources seems correct, there is just a 3 day difference with mine (sources in the links provides earlier) . This confirms the Battle of Normandy scenario and the move to Gemrany

 

Thank all of you very much. The info you have and What I have been able to get out of him match up perfectly. I think he started out with this Unit, and then got stipped off and sent to the Third Armored. He has told me several times that he was at the Battle of the Bulge, and that he would still follow Gen. Patton into hell even today.

 

You could then follow a line from Normandy to the Loire River, then Reims, the Ardennes and the Rhine area in Germany.

 

My uncle was in the 407th. I was just talking with him the other day about his tour of duty. I came across your post as I was looking for a book. He has a book called "The Buzz Bomb Kings" by Robert J. Katz. This book is all about the 407th and has pictures of everyone. I tried searching online for the book but had no luck. I am going to see if my mom can make a photo copy of it as I cant find it. If she can, I can post one out to you.

 

I know this is an old post, but I though I would mention that I noticed the guidon for the 407th HQ battery is currently for sale on Ebay. Here is the link incase anybody is interested:

WWII 407 Field Artillery HQ Headquarters Guidon flag - eBay (item 110341718278 end time Jan-27-09 18:30:31 PST)

 

My father in Law, SGt Ewald Hessinger was C Battery 407th AAA Gun BN (SM) during the war . This painting was made for him by a german pow on a wood lid from a k ration box. The ship depicted is the one that brought the 407th to europe. The 94 below the buzz bomb were the confirmed buzz bomb "kills" of Charlie battery.The 407th had 200 confirmed kills total. out of 100 or so men in Battery C, 74 were from new haven ct my FIL's home town View attachment 17292

 

Here he is in a late war photo SGT E Hessinger Battery C 407th AAA Gun BN (SM) His uniform still fits him! At 88 Dad is still active only retiring from his own business just a couple of years ago. We spent time with him today and he is doing well. The patch is 9th AAF. He said that it was strange but they were a part of that outfit. not seen on the other shoulder is the patch of the First Army View attachment 17293

 

he said that their guns were 90mm. 4 Batterys A B C and D with 4 guns per Battery and each gun emplacement was seperated by about a mile or so.........