Researching Grandfather's Unit

Way to keep after it, MedicP3. There's no "Easy Button" to push when it comes to researching WWII service. I hope you will keep us informed as you continue your research.

 

Thank y'all for your support in this. It HAS been a long time, but, like you said Graybeard, persistence pays off.

Now, for my next leg of this adventure...

I'm fairly certain that the pictures posted here show that he was in the 44th ID, 114th IR when it was in Fort Lewis, Washington. I've tried searching this forum and online, but there's not as much out there about the 114th (44th ID) as there was about the 331st (83rd ID).

I've learned that in January in 1942, the 114th was in Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, then was moved to Fort Lewis, Washington. I'm trying to find out how he got from enlisting in Indiana to being assigned to the 44th ID, 114th IR (if that is indeed where he was).

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to go about finding personnel, training, transfer, etc., records from different forts/camps? Did they keep "morning report" type records?

As always, thanks in advance for everyone's help and support!

 

If you want to know where he was and when throughout his service, I would recommend contacting a researcher to get copies of the Morning Reports for the units he was in. It's not free, but it will answer a lot of questions for you. If you have the time and ability to travel, you could go to St. Louis and search through the MR's yourself. If you need any advice or recommendations, let me know.

As to his being from Indiana and ending up in the 114th, that was not unusual during the War. My great uncles were from Minnesota. One was sent to a tank destroyer unit in Ft. Lewis, WA. The other ended up in the 129th Infantry (an Illinois NG Regiment) which was detached from the 33rd ID and attached to the 37th Infantry Division (an Ohio NG Division).

 

Update:

Further research revealed that he was assigned to the 331st on 20 July 44 from the 48th Repl Bn per SO 4O Hq 48th Rpl Bn APO 350 US Army dtd 19 July 44.!

The initial morning report on 1 Aug. 44 (the report in which I initially found him) was his promotion (appointment) to PFC.

And the search goes on........

 

I would not expect to find any personnel records for the 48th Replacement Bn, at least not with respect to transient personnel. For most folks tracking a soldier who was a replacement, that is the end of the paper trail. However, you do have the photos which indicate he was likely in the 114th Infantry at some point. If you want to take it further, checking the rosters and MRs of the 114th prior to 20 July 1944 might be worth checking out.

 

Also, I found a document on Fold3.com that puts the 48th Replacement Battalion at Chef du Pont, France from 29 June 1944 to 2 August 1944.

 

Again, I want to thank all of you for your generosity and help in this matter.

FYI...A new book just came out called "Soldiers' Stories: A collection of WWII Memoirs." It is a collection of more than 140 stories of soldiers who served in WWII as told either by them or their families. It was compiled by the children of Myron Miller of K Company, 331st Regiment, 83rd "Thunderbolt" Division. (Sound familiar? It's the same unit that my grandfather was in!!) Myron Miller and George Young (my grandfather) both joined K/331st on the same day! George's story is the first story in the book. It is available in paperback and hardback on Amazon and Barnes And Noble.

Note: This is not an advertisement, but a recommendation. I do not receive any compensation for this in any way other than the satisfaction that the history of these brave souls will not be lost to antiquity!

 

Gentlemen

Just reading this thread as I live In Brittany and when I was in St Malo a couple of years ago I went to the 'Fort' so I am attaching a photo I took there which may be of interest

View attachment 25551

TD