Which AAA Unit?

Hi, everyone! I've just started digging into my grandfather's time in the service and have found this thread invaluable. He was enlisted in November 1941 and served with the 209th CA and later, the 72nd AAA Gun Battalion, Battery C. I've looked through the annual Mike2065 so kindly provided (Thank you!) but didn't see him, so maybe he missed the cutoff. His name was Paul Spell, and he arrived in the UK on May 18, 1942 and is credited with the Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. He worked at the phone company before enlisting and was tasked as a field wire NCO (641). My mother recalls him saying he went to the Battle of the Bulge to restore communication lines, which is not reflected in his separation paperwork. Would it have made sense for this to have happened? Anyway, if anyone has anything they'd like to share about the 72nd AAA Gun Battalion, I'd love to see it, particularly anything from Battery C. Thank you!

 

Stanton shows the 72nd received campaign credit for Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, 16 Dec 44-25 Jan 44. Can't get any more Bulge than that. If that's not on his discharge, I think you may be able to request a correction (though that may be limited to vets themselves; not sure). Good luck.

 

Thank you so much @firstf1abn! Forgive my ignorance, but what is Stanton? Would it make sense for the 72nd to have also been involved at Anzio, or would this be credited under Rome-Arno? Thanks again for your help!

 

I know this thread is old, but if you still have the GO for the 72nd AAA, I'd love to take a look. Thanks!

 

No, Anzio was a separate campaign, covering units in the beachhead between 22 January and 24 May 1944. At the beginning of that period, the 1st Battalion, 209th Coast Artillery (AA) was assigned to the 8th AAA Group, II Corps and were not at Anzio. However, it appears they were assigned to VI Corps by 22 May 1944, but it is unclear when they arrived in the beachhead. They are entitled to credit for the campaign, according to Department of the Army General Orders No. 6., "Units Entitled to Battle Credits - Units Awarded Battle Participation Credit - Anzio Campaign, dated 1 March 1950.

"Stanton" is Shelby L. Stanton's World War II Order of Battle, which is a basic source for organizational data for the U.S. Army.