This
site is dedicated to the men who served in the 1142nd Combat Engineers Headquarters Company. These men lead the 1142nd Engineer
Combat Group and this group was indispensable in keeping the
Allies advancing to victory against Nazi Germany. To them
we are greatly indebted.
History
The Headquarters Company of the 1142nd Engineers
Combat Group was activated on October 15th, 1943. Colonel
Frank Pethick, Jr was appointed as commanding officer and
the Group was stationed at Camp Crowder, MO. The 1142nd participated
in the Tennessee Maneuvers in early 1944. In June, the Group
was stationed at Camp Campbell, KY. The 1142nd sailed for
England August 29, 1944 and arrived at Liverpool, England
on September 6th, 1944. The Group was temporary attached to
the Ninth Army, XIII Corps. Arrival date at Omaha Beach to
join the war on the continent was September 26th, 1944. The
1142nd was then attached to the First Army, XIX Corps on October
8th, 1944 upon it’s entry into Belgium, near Alebeek,
to support operations against the Siegfried Line in the Siege
of Aachen, Germany. On October 22nd, 1944, the Group was assigned
to the Ninth Army and took part in the Rhineland and Central
Europe Campaigns. In February of 1945, the 1142nd bridged
the Roer River at Julich, Germany. By March 28th, the Group
had bridged the Rhine River at Rhineburg, Germany. During
the month of April 1945, the 1142nd constructed 4 bridges
across the Rhine in addition to the responsibility it was
given on several other bridges that had already been constructed
on the Rhine. In June of 1945, the group was reassigned to
the Seventh Army.
1142nd History by Nick Drahos
Nick Drahos, a member of the 1142nd, provides us a history here.
Please see the documents
page to download the detailed history of the group during
its participation in the European Theater of war. We also
have photos of the unit and profiles
of unit members.
If you would like to submit your own profiles
and pictures for the unit members page, please .
Please visit the links page
to view our collaborators and sister-sites.
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Camp Crowder, Fall 1943
Tennessee Manuevers 1943 - 1944
German bridge March 1945
Hongen March 1945
Photos courtesy of Bill Stephenson.
Courtesy of Delbert Reason |
