Help with info on my grandfather

I dont know much about what he did besides that he at one point was at Camp Hulen, Texas from what his Military Driver's License states. I don't have it on hand at the moment, but I will post whatever else is on it later. His name is Herbert Edmunds of Framingham, MA. I think he said once a while ago he was one of the crewmembers onboard a M16 Halftrack. Thanks in advance guys

I am sorry also in advance if there is a lack of info, like I said I know very little at the moment...

 

Thanks for that link! I will post more when I can tonight

 

Okay the edit post thing is screwing up, so I have to make a new post I guess, but I have the card with me and will post the following info on it, it was issued on July 30 1941 signed by a issuing officer named Karl F. Wihtol Captain of the 211th Ca (AA), it lists the organization as being 211 C.A. (AA) Bty. E stationed at Camp Hulen, Texas and states he is authorized to operate U.S.A No. W-325007

 

Here is the NARA Enlistment Record for Herbert C. Edmunds:

View attachment 17253

 

According to (who else...) the 211th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Massachusetts National Guard Regiment that was inducted into federal service on 16 September 1940 -- that is, among the very first to be called up.

A CA Regiment (AA) consisted of three battalions, one each of Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Guns, AAA Automatic Weapons, and AAA Searchlights, numbered respectively 1st, 2d and 3d Battalion.

On 10 September 1943 the regiment was reorganized into the 772d AAA Guns Bn, 747th AAA Automatic Weapons Bn and 324th Searchlight Bn.

Battery E should put him in the 2d Battalion and then 747th, which seems to match the M16 halftrack crewmen.

I wonder how many other men volunteered on the day the unit was inducted into federal service.

 

Thank You! One question on the NARA page, what does film reel mean?

 

I suspect the "film reel" refers to a coding for a microfilm reel. I think the original records were on an early form of punch card then "microfilmed" as a long term, compact storage technique. For the online records they probably developed a technique to optically "read" the microfilm but errors may occur -- much like OCR errors. Having the reference back to the original film reel would allow them to check information by viewing the microfilm.

OR I could click the "FILM REEL NUMBER" link at the NARA site (pretty much what I said)"

"NARA Notes: This field was not part of the original punchcard. This field was added to identify the film reel number of the microfilmed punchcard."

 

Okay thank you, that makes sense.

 

You are welcome.

I noticed the 747th AAA Automatic Weapons Bn did not go overseas. A rather odd result for a unit that was called up first.

Do you know if your grandfather stayed with them to the end of the war?