Hi Magistr I very much doubt it, but, if you care to broaden the nature of your enquiry, then perhaps someone on this site might be able to help. I speak as one who sailed on the troop ship S.S.Frankonia to Algiers in April 1943 and was subsequently able to find penty of images and details about the ship on the internet. Cheers Ron
Here is the information I know, hopefully someone can help me out with it. He was with the 85th Infantry Division, 338th Infantry Regiment in Italy/Germany. The 85th was in Casablanca but I cannot confirm this is where he was in North Africa (I know he was in North Africa) because the only information I have that he was with the 338th was that his combat infantry badge was awarded on 8 Sep 44 by the 338th. The 85th sailed on 2 Jan 44 but my grandfathers dates of sailings are as follows Going Date of Departure: 25 Apr 44 Destination: M.T.O Date of Arrival: 4 May 44 Returning Date of Departure: 25 Oct 45 Destination: U.S.A Date of Arrival: 6 Nov 45 Ron, could you possibly know why his division sailed before he did? The division entered combat on 10 Apr 44, could this have meant he was a replacement pulled from his previous division to strengthen the 85th? (I learned this from my other post, http://www.ww2f.com/military-servic...research/21168-help-finding-his-division.html Mainly I'm trying to see where in North Africa he was, and possibly if even more in depth what regiments/divisions were on the same boat as him. More importantly just to know his destination and find pictures of the ship. Thanks!
So this bugs me, according to 1944 Troop Ship Crossings - January to June no troop ships sailed on 25 Apr 44 or arrived on 4 May 44. Could this have been a typo on his discharge papers?
Magistr Firstly I'm delighted that Jeff has most helfully proven me wrong and I can see that, as usual, the internet is likely to come up trumps. Secondly I have to admit I didn't realise we were talking about US troops so I am probably not going to be of any help myself. However, with regards to why his Div seemed to have arrived earlier than he did, this sort of thing seemed to happen all the time with all units, US or British. If you take my own circumstances as an example. I was sent overseas in April 1943 as part of a draft of 400 Driver/Wireless Operators. When we reached Algiers we hung around in various reinforcement depots being sorted out and therefore did not join our final regiments until after the campaign had actually finished ! I also have recollections of chaps being wounded, spending a month or so in hospital and then not rejoining their original unit but being transferred to whatever unit needed re-inforcing...that would have really pxxxxxd me off Regards Ron
Magistr, I was hoping for you, but had my doubts. When my grandfather got home form the war, he wrote down information about his service, including the names of the ships he sailed. Several years ago, I found a website, similar to the one I posted for you, that listed troopship crossings. As you may have already guessed, it info didn't match what my grandfather had recalled and kept. It had his ship in the Atlantic when he was on it in the Pacific. The other didn't show the correct port in the US. He landed in Seattle o the way back, the page showed in making port in Long Beach or Los Angeles, I can't remember which now. It's not over, though, let's keep looking. Ron, I know youve said your grandchildren don't really care much about your service, but one day, one day, they will and they will thankful you took the time to preserve what you did.
It's unfortunate that so many records from back then are filled with inacurracies. Thank you though for sticking with me and helping me look for this information I agree with that statement, I wish every day my grandfather didn't pass away 9 months before I was born. I would have loved to learn about his life and about the war. Just make sure you don't make it hard to find out all about you Ron. My grandfather left no records of his service except some pictures and his discharge papers. Years it's been taking me to come to some answers finally.
Thats actually the website I used and came up with the dates not recorded or mis recorded. It was linked from the first website you linked me to in post #3. What division is your patch?
US 31st Infantry Division, The Dixie Division. A National Guard outfit with one regiment, the 167th Infantry, from the great state of Alabama. It is now an armored brigade.
I had a look around for this ship in the forum, has anyone got information about it. From what I have read on my fathers record he embarked on it at Port Moresby 24/03/44 and disembarked at Sydney 02/04/44. The following is from a post in Ships Nostalgia forum CHARON (2) was built in 1936 by Caledon Ship Building & Engineering Co. at Dundee with a tonnage of 3703 grt, a length of 336 ft, a beam of 51 ft 2 in and a service speed of 12 knots. Sister of the Gorgon she was built for the Ocean Steam Ship Co. and West Australian Steam Navigation's Co's joint operation between Singapore and Western Australian ports. She was only ordered when the Australian Steam Navigation Co. lost the Minderoo in 1935. In 1936 she became fully owned by the Ocean Steam Ship Co. when the West Australian Stem Navigation Co. pulled out of the trade due to fierce competition. During 1943 she played a very important wartime role when she kept the Australian base at Milne Bay supplied. She made 30 round trips between Sydney and New Guinea without any damage whatsoever. This class of ship had specially strengthened bottoms which enabled them to call at ports where they were required to settle on the mud at low tide. She was sold to Malayan Ship breakers Ltd of Singapore in 1964 for demolition but before she actually faced the torch in August 1965 she was sold several times at one time being renamed Seng Kong No.1.
