Major James Merton Gorman 531st Engineer Shore Regiment - 1st ESB

Hey everyone, I'm trying my hardest to find some information on my great grandpa. Not having the best of luck.
I don't know what rank my grandpa was when he landed at Utah Beach. We think he was a Captain at the time. When
he got out he was a Major. If anyone can lead me into a good direction to begin, I'll take it. My family didn't really leave
me with anything, I was lucky enough to get the Colt 1911 he carried when he served and a couple of pictures but
that's all I really have left of him. Any help would be great! Thanks!

 

Welcome,

FWIW, the memoir "Storming Ashore" by Kenneth Garn lists the officers and men assigned the 3052d ECB from the 531st ESR. There is no Gorman listed. I believe these men came from the 2d Battalion 531st ESR. So you may want to concentrate on the 1st and 3d Battalions which became the 3051st ECB and 3053d ECB in August 1944. The regimental headquarters became the 1186th ECG.

It's a start...

 

I'm not sure if this will help, but the Veterans' History Project has a collection under the name of Charles Hosmer Bedingfield, Jr. who was the CO of the 3051st ECB. Among other records, it lists "Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc.)". Depending on the circumstances, it may or may not be easy to get copies of the documents.

 

Anyone searching for units of the 1st ESB might want to contact this webmaster. If he does not have what you need he probably knows how to find it.

http://www.longshoresoldiers.com/2010/07/1st-engineer-special-brigade-assigned.html

 

You should try to get his personnel file from NARA it will have all the campaigns he participated in with dates of promotion, unit transfers, etc.

 

Your great grandfather was a Capt. when he was awarded the Bronze Service Arrowhead "for having participated in the assault which secured the initial Normandy Beacheads,having then been members of the 531st Engineer Shore Regiment,1st Engineer Special Brigade."The quote is from GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 2 dated 29 May 1945.My father Cpl. Charles Meade is also on this list of about 300 Off. an EM.Dad was in the following campaigns-Algeria-French Morocco;Tunisia;Sicily;Naples-Foggia;Normandy;Northern France;Rhineland and received the EAME Theater Ribbon w/7 Bronze Stars,each representing a different campaign.Hope this is helpful.Your GG is listed as Capt. James M Gorman 0367878.

 

Thank you all dearly for the information. Sorry for the prolonged delay in my response. Thank you very much for taking the time to find information on him.

 

Wow,that 1911 is amazing.I have my fathers dog tags,canteen an khaki cap and a shoulder patch,blue background with gold embroidered eagle over Thompson over anchor that I think represents the 531st.Also his Silver star from Sicily beach landing and several other commendations.So I'm sure some of these things were with him at critical moments of the war.

 

And Dad was awarded the Silver Star for actions he took during the invasion of Sicily,July,10th 1943!Sorry, had to let my pride get the best of me!