62nd Signal Batallion Co. A

My dad was a Cpl. in the 62nd Signal Batallion Co. A that served with Task Force 45 in Africa, Italy, Tunisa, Etc.. I was looking for any information from anyone that might help me find the travels of the unit while in the European, African, Middle Eastern Campaign. I jst found this site and really like the info I have found here. Dad passed away in 1995. He had been attending a reuinion with his unit buddies for several years before he died. Don't know if they are still around. The met in Peduca KY. for some time. Thanks for any help. Roger.

 

According to the US Army campaign credit register, the 62d Signal Battalion participated in the following campaigns:
Tunsia
Naples-Foggia (Company A only)
Rome-Arno
North Appennines
Po Valley

To my limited knowledge in this area, one signal battalion would support an army corps headquarters on an almost permanent basis. II Corps and IV Corps had similar campaigns but I have not found a close link to either. So perhaps the 62d Signals supported US Fifth Army headquarters generally.

To my understanding, Task Force 45 existed for a limited time in late 1944 / early 1945 in the Pisa area. So that provides some information about where and when.

Good Luck!!

 

I talked to my dad about his time and he told me they were in Africa, Tunisa, Sicaly, Italy, and others. I was very young at the time. As I got older I didn't talk to him much about it. Sure wish I had now. He was wrecker driver, duce and a half, with a 50cal mounted on a handmade mount on a soft top made into a hard top. He and a buddy had a close call in the caserine pas while hauling gasoline on the back of the wrecker and a trailer. They got strafed and only one can got hit. Thanks for the help.

 

Campaign credit indicates where the unit operated in its intended combat role. To "fight" in Tunisia all units passed through French Morocco and/or Algeria -- all in North Africa. Likewise, to "fight" in Italy many units passed through Sicily.

Kasserine was in Tunisia and would suggest operating with US II Corps under the British First Army.


It appears the 62d Signals was activated again in 2009 so I suspect some part of the US Army will be looking into the unit history and some of that information will get to the Internet.
http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/sc/0062scbn.htm


Vehicle operators tended to see more and remember where they were. The smallest wrecker, that I know of, was on a 4 ton chassis. The 2 1/2 ton cargo truck was the general purpose vehicle for moving unit equipment and supplies.

Keep looking, things will show up.

 

I had a picture of the truck dad drove. It was given to me by his buddy from Arizona. He was the one that told me of the air attack on them while in the Caserine Pass. I was young then and we were at a mini reuinon with him amd three other of dads friends from the unit back in 1963. I gave the picture to my sister and she has misplced it. Dad had carried a small flag with him while he was in the service. He had it with him all the time. He had written all the places on it and borught it back with him. He gave it to my cousin who took it to Vietnam with him. WHen he returned he gave it back with the places he had been while in the Air Force. It was then miss placed and never found. I remember seeing it and looking at the names of the places on it. Just wish I had taken a picture of it, at least. thanks for the info. I must correct the info on the wrecker. I was talking to my older brother who reminded me that the wrecker was a Diamond T with a Holmes Twin Boom mounted on the back. The 50cal. was mounted on the top. Some where our family has pictures of that wrecker and another one wenching a jeep and a tank up the side of a mountain over there some where. Thanks for the help. Roger.

 

For those of you interested in the unit's members I have recently discovered a 1956 Reunion Roster for the 62nd Signal Battalion Company A (see attached). It contains 100 names, all with hometowns listed, and many with complete addresses. There's a good chance this list of names will help some of us connect a few dots. Hope you find it interesting and useful...

 

My grandpa is James Dennis. He was in the 62nd Signal Battalion and from what he told me he was mostly driving a jeep. He had a story about being strafed by a German plane. He said he had no idea how he made it through that alive. He passed away in June 2012. He loved the reunions. I have a couple pictures he took. I'll post them when I can

 

Panzer 1943
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/Josh99Johns/Panzer1943_zps3363bcb8.jpg

American tanks crossing the Arno
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/Josh99Johns/UStankscrossingthearno1943_zpsc71e5dd4.jpg

German prisoners being taken out of hotel
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/Josh99Johns/Germanprisonersbeingtakenoutofhotel1943_zpsc119f156.jpg

Algiers
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/Josh99Johns/algiers1943_zps3a4547db.jpg

St. Peter's Basilica
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/Josh99Johns/StPetersBasilica1943_zps1b1f3d99.jpg

2006 Reunion
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/Josh99Johns/USArmySignalCorps62ndBattalion_zpsa6dba912.jpg

I believe all of the original pictures had a 1943 date on them. I'll work on getting a few more pictures.

 

For what it's worth, my grandpa listed on the reunion roster definitely said he was around British soldiers. He got a kick out of telling me about their tea breaks.

 

IV Corps according to the Fifth Army history.

You should email NARA and ask them if this unit submitted monthly historical reports. If you're cheap (like me), you could ask them for a particular month - just to get an idea of the content. For a service unit, that content is often going to be a travelogue of miles driven and locations. Would be interesting to see whether the battalion stayed close to corps HQ or if the companies were parcelled out to divisions. Good luck.

 

My brother found this. Bennie Bennett, from the 62nd Sig. Co A, just recently received his medals.

http://wishtv.com/2015/04/12/world-war-ii-vet-honored-receives-medals/