875th Ordinance (Heavy Automotive Maintenance)Why do I find zero info on my Dad's journey in the US

I am desperately seeking information on my beloved Father while he was in the US Army. A few years ago I requested a copy of his DD214 and any other records available that I could use to trace his journey through WW2. Unfortuntely, due to the fire all they stated they had to send me was the copy of his Army Discharge. Through the info supplied on this, I have discovered he was in the 875th Ord HAM Co I have spent an insurmountable amount of hours going to various websites trying to trace the steps he might have taken while serving the Campaigns of Northern France, Normandy, and Rhineland. In my searches I find little or no references to 875th Ord except in obituaries of WW2 vets that simply state "he served with the 875th Ord HAM Co" , which of course has no learning value for me. I'd so love to be able to find some rosters, etc. that have his name, date, and location on them.....but I don't have the slightest idea of how or where to begin so I'm praying you can help me. Below I have entered all the information from his discharge paper that will help you to help me.

Name: Charles Vashlishan
Serial Number: 33-136-075
Grade: M/Sgt
Arm or Service: ORD
Organization: 875th Ord HAM Co
Date of Departure: 19 Nov 45
Place of separation: Unit B Sep Ctr 45 IGMR Pa
Date of Birth: 4 Feb 17
Civilian Occupation and No: Truck Driver, Heavy 7-36.250
Date of Induction: 28 Jan 42
Date of Entry Into Active Service: 28 Jan 42
Place of Entry Into Service: Ft Meade Md
Military Occupation: Master Mechanic 342
Military Qualifications and Date: M-1 Rifle 30 Cal EXP 43
Battles and Campaigns: GO 33 & 40 WD 45 Normandy No France Rhineland
Decorations and Citations: Good Conduct Medal American Thr Ser Med EAME Th
Ser Med w/3 Bronze Stars Victory Medal
Wounds Received In Action: None
Date Of Departure Destination Date Of Arrival
30 Sep 43 ETO 10 Oct 43
3 Nov 45 USA 14 Nov 45

Other info on the paper is very explanatory pay data.

I have come to understand through my own personal research that as the war progressed and the US had the need to 'grow' more troops and very rapidly, the Army more or less 'created' Ordnances that technically had no 'home' such as an infantry, etc. that they were directly attached to....they were basically 'branches' that were sent where and when needed....but these troops, their locations and dates STILL needed to be trackable and accountable for.....but I keep running into brick walls. I sincerely hope someone can help shed some light on this for me. Thank you so very much and Bless you.

 

Lainie, I would first offer our appreciation for your father's service and ask that you would accept it on his behalf. I know that our members will do what we can to help you out. Please be patient, though, as it sometimes takes a little time. I will say that you received more information than many do when they are told the records were destroyed in the fire.

 

Was there any UK service? Locations...I can do general uk searches of locations and unit bases etc if so
.

 

Thank you so very much for your kindness. I will continue to persue! I'd like to think I'm a giver, but not a giver-upper.

 

Not that I'm aware of....by that I mean I never heard him mention being in England. He spoke of being in France alot, and some of the very few photo's he sent home to his sweetheart (my Mom), she wrote "France 1943" on them....but that kind of makes me scratch my head too because someone else very knowledgable on WW2 told me allied forces didn't enter France until 1944. I knew he got overseas via ship, however I didn't know until within the past few days he came via the RMS Aquitania which took the men to Gourock, Scotland.....I don't ever recall hearing him say he was ever in Scotland for so much as a second. I'm baffled......I feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew....you know....like trying to find Waldo.

 

Yes, I did find a very short piece online pertaining to that. I believe it stated the 512th had been redesignated as the 875th and the date....but that was about all it said. Thank you so much for contributing your knowledge to my endeavor.....it's truly apprecited.

 

Thank you so much for your help....I genuinely appreciate it. I contacted the NARA probably 3 years ago or so requesting a copy of his records. They sent me back a copy of his discharge paper and stated that was all they had to send me as anything else was destroyed in the fire. I know he wasn't doing any front line combat (thank God in Heaven), but he couldn't have been far, far away from it either.....when I was about 11 or 12 and he had enough beers that got him talking to us kids about his war days. Now being just kid, and a girl at that....hearing the Army stories was yawn city to me, so I listened only with one ear.....but I distinctly remember him saying (for some reason I can reacall it word for word), "Me and my buddies that I was with...we were tired, we hadn't slept in about 2 or 3 days...soaked to the bone...we stunk to high Heaven...hungry...and it was so damn dark you couldn't see your hand if you held it right up to your face, and then you'd start hearing shells going off and the sky would get so damn bright I'd be able to read the name Lucky Strike on my pack of cigarettes next to my leg. Me and my buddies would be sittin on the ground leaning up against some trees....we'd close our eyes for just a few seconds at a time.....you didn't dare let yourself fall asleep for even a minute for fear the damn German's would walk up on ya". I know he used to talk about tanks alot...mechanically working on them..."we'd fix the damn thing and it would go a few hundred yards and have to fix the son of a b**** again....and we'd do that for miles and miles". I'm just baffled finding little to no info on this unit. These men had to be 'trackable' and accounted for, right? If they excelled in their war time duty enough to deserve a medium level citation for it, you'd think there would be more information about them.

 

I've already tried the picture thing. He sent very, very few home.....my Pop up until he begn suffering real bad with lung cancer could fix anything that had an engine on it, and make it purr like a sweet little kitten...but put something like a camera in his hand and he'd tell ya in a hertbeat, "why...I don't know how to work this damn thing"! I've even tried blowing the pictures up....no luck...they were either taken from such a distance that nothing can be made out, or his rm was situated in a way that his shirt sleeve was bunched up. In a few he has a coat on and it's basically a head shot....if you go to my Facebook page (Elaine Vashlishan-Peavey) you'll see a pic of my handsome Pop while in the Army rather than my pic.

 

Thank you.....it's nice to know there's kindhearted people like you and the others trying to shed some light for 'us, the searchers'. Where's Hatboro, Pa. at? My Pop was from Tobyhanna up in the Pocono Mountains, and my older brother, sister and myself were all born in Scranton....but in 1952 Pop got job with General Motors in Linden, NJ and the commute from Pennsylvania to Jersey everyday got pretty rough on the wallet for a man with a wife and 3 little kids, so he moved us to Jersey the end of 1953.

 

Whooo-hooo!! Hail-to-the-yah!!!!! I found some more informtion that might be helpful! I found a photo that I was able to discover a patch in....the patch was either for (couldn't be exactly precise on which one it was): Army Service Forces OD
Army Service Forces

I also came across some training schools he completed courtesy of the United States Army in preparation for being sent overseas...maybe they'll be of some help. They are as follows:
1) Hydra-Matic Transmission as conducted by Detroit Transmission Division
in cooperation with U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. (certificate dated 1-9-43)
Detroit, Michigan
2) M-6 Armoured Car as conducted by Chevrolet Motor Division in cooperation
with U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. (certificate dated 1-23-43 Flint, Mi)
3) Chasis course of instruction on GMC 6x6 Military Trucks conducted by
General Motors Truck and Coach in cooperation with the U.S. Army
Ordnance Dept. (Certificated dated 2-6-43 Detroit, Michigan)
4*) The White Motor Company Ordnance Training School. The training courses
were for two different training courses; Chasis Section (my Pop), and the
other was for Engine and Electrical Section. The bottom of the certificate
reads "The above named men completed the Automotive Mechanics Specialist
Training Course on the Tank Destroyer, Half-Trac and Scout Car at the
White Motor Company's Factory, Cleveland, Ohio (dated 2-27-43)
Re: #4* - I'd love to find out how to attach and post this one as it contains the names of all 47 men that attended this training school, which of the two sections they were trained in, their name and rank at the time of attendance, and what Army fort/camp they were associated with at the time (Ethan Allen,Blanding,Lewis,etc.). Perhaps it would be helpful to others doing research too on their loved ones.

Thank you so very much for your help.
Elaine

 

You could either scan it or take a photo of it with a digital camera. Then read this thread: Inserting pictures in a post

If you still need assistance, let us know. We're here to help.

You should post the photo with the patch, too. We've got some folks who are pretty good at patches and insignia.

 

On 31 May 1944 875 Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company (Auto) was located in the town of Halstead in Essex county.
On 30 June 1944 875 Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company (Auto) was located in the town of Gillingham in Dorset county.

I don't see them listed in the UK in August 1944 so they may have moved to the continent by then.

 

I know this thread is several years old, but hoping you'll see this.... Researching my husband's family. HIs grandfather served in another Ordinance HAM unit, in the Pacific, during WWII. I'm having difficulty finding much about his unit. Would love to know where you found this training information, so I can check them, as well. Thank you! Phoebe