Post by connie on Jul 20, 2011 10:43:46 GMT -5
Here's a link to a 2007 post on another site by Warner's grandchild. The replies include some useful history:
www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=4400
His name and info are also found in the division roster
A reply from Carl at the above site tells some of the story of C Company of the 81st Combat Engineers:
"C-Company of the 81st Combat Engineer Battalion was stationed in and around the town of Heckhalenfeld on December 16th, 1944.
This was in the 424th Infantry Regiment sector of the Schnee Eifel, the most southern part defended by the 106th Infantry Division.
On the second day of fighting, 81/C moved northwest, towards Elcherath. There they bivouaced for the night as the town was deserted.
Although they didn't know it at the time, they were the only unit of the 106th that was not surrounded. On the 18th, a artillery barrage bombed the town and the Germans were prepared to advance north from Winterspelt towards Steinebruck on the St Vith road. MG fire was heard in the north and the Engineers knew where to go (Rendesvous at Bracht) . They moved west and entered the deserted town of Hemmeres. In this village, 81/C found vehicles of 424/SV that were abandoned. Service Company had pulled out the day before and was forced to leave it's vehicles behind. 1st Lieutenant Maier, at the time the acting Company Commander, decided that they should save the trucks. This was offcourse very practical as they didn't have to walk the two miles to Bracht then. While enemy fire was falling nearby, the Engineers of C-Company tried to ford the stream with three of the trucks. The first two got bogged down in the mud, but the third one got through!
The truck that made it had a winch and cable so the smart engineers pulled out the two other trucks and by 8:30 AM they had all reached it to Bracht. They proudly returned the trucks back to 424/SV."
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I'm attaching a link to a Google map showing these four locations in order:
A. Heckhalenfeld, Germany- 81st C location on 16th Dec.
B. Elcherath, Germany- location on the 17th
C. Hemmeres, Germany- picked up abandoned 424th SV Co vehicles
D. Bracht- destination; delivered recovered vehicles
Please let me know if this link does not work:
www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/engforum/index.php?showtopic=4400
His name and info are also found in the division roster
A reply from Carl at the above site tells some of the story of C Company of the 81st Combat Engineers:
"C-Company of the 81st Combat Engineer Battalion was stationed in and around the town of Heckhalenfeld on December 16th, 1944.
This was in the 424th Infantry Regiment sector of the Schnee Eifel, the most southern part defended by the 106th Infantry Division.
On the second day of fighting, 81/C moved northwest, towards Elcherath. There they bivouaced for the night as the town was deserted.
Although they didn't know it at the time, they were the only unit of the 106th that was not surrounded. On the 18th, a artillery barrage bombed the town and the Germans were prepared to advance north from Winterspelt towards Steinebruck on the St Vith road. MG fire was heard in the north and the Engineers knew where to go (Rendesvous at Bracht) . They moved west and entered the deserted town of Hemmeres. In this village, 81/C found vehicles of 424/SV that were abandoned. Service Company had pulled out the day before and was forced to leave it's vehicles behind. 1st Lieutenant Maier, at the time the acting Company Commander, decided that they should save the trucks. This was offcourse very practical as they didn't have to walk the two miles to Bracht then. While enemy fire was falling nearby, the Engineers of C-Company tried to ford the stream with three of the trucks. The first two got bogged down in the mud, but the third one got through!
The truck that made it had a winch and cable so the smart engineers pulled out the two other trucks and by 8:30 AM they had all reached it to Bracht. They proudly returned the trucks back to 424/SV."
---------------------------
I'm attaching a link to a Google map showing these four locations in order:
A. Heckhalenfeld, Germany- 81st C location on 16th Dec.
B. Elcherath, Germany- location on the 17th
C. Hemmeres, Germany- picked up abandoned 424th SV Co vehicles
D. Bracht- destination; delivered recovered vehicles
Please let me know if this link does not work: