Missouri to Ejpovice.Grandad's European Tour 1944-45.

Hello everyone this is my first post here, my name is jeffrey dunlap and I live in kansas city MO. I have been teaching my 7 year old son about his great grandfather and his part in ww2, we have been going through tons of his photos and there are a few that I do not understand what they are??? Is there a place here where I can post them and maybe get some feedback about them? Thanks in advance for your help, Jeffrey

 

Post them here, we'd love to see them and comment on them for you.

 

Absolutely!! Please post away! We'll do our best to help you with them. It will be as educational for us as for your son!! Welcome by the way!

 

welcome & enjoy Jeff, and post away. Glad to see another little un is being taught and hopefully will keep alive memories of those dark days.

 

Thanks guys very much! I will start scanning all the pics into the computer and will post them soon. Should I start a new thread or post under this one? Also what info would be helpful to know when I start posting the pics? I know some of the basic info like where he was and what group he was with.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to help my son and I. He keps asking so many questions and my answers have run out! He is most curious as to why he has pictures of a nazi building, and why if he drove a tank is there pictures of him on a horse. According to my 7 year old" if the bad guys are shooting at me, I would rather be in my tank than on a horse!"

Thanks again, Jeffrey

 

" if the bad guys are shooting at me, I would rather be in my tank than on a horse!"

Thanks again, Jeffrey

Welcome Jeffrey.

I've seen it attributed to someone converting from horses to motorised - "at least horses don't burst into flames when they're hit !"

Many Cavalrymen in pre-war armies were sorry to give up their chargers.

 

Welcome to the forums. Here would be a good place to start with posting the pictures.

 

Welcome to WW2talk Jeffery. I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures.

cheers
marcus

 

OK, here are some of the pics that I scanned. I would like to know what kind of tank it was that he is on in two of the pics. I do know that the other two guys in one of the pics with him never made it home. Also the card says that at one time he was assigned to the 14th cav, what was that? The service award of merit book says that he was in company A, does that mean anything? and finally the pictures of the nazi buildings and flags, what in the world was that and why would he of been there? There are 24 pics total so I might have to post twice. Thanks again, Jeffrey

 

here are the others, sorry they are flipped upside down, I have no idea how that happened!! will try to fix and re post them.

 

Hello Jeffrey. Well the tank is easy. Probably the best known and most widely used armoured vehicle on the allied side. It is a Sherman. Specifically an M4A1(76mm). It has a cast hull and is fitted with a large turret containing a 76mm High velocity gun. It was in all likelyhood also fitted with 'wet stowage' where the ammunition was stored in liquid filled armoured bins to help prevent explosions if the tank was hit by the enemy. The safest option for the Sherman.

The 14th Cavalry were an armoured Regiment in WW2. If you do a Google search for '14th Cav in WW2' it should bring up lots of information. Where they served, veterans associations etc.

I'll look forward to seeing the rest of your pictures they are very interesting.

Bod

 

These 3 images seem to be related





and seem to show the opening/commissioning of a new factory complex on 1st May 1938. The Reichswerke AG Hermann Göring was a Nazi organised steel company. A form of nationalised industry bringing the iron works into state control. There is little chance of your fourbear attending this event, is there? I can only think that he came by them as some kind of war booty.

 

Thanks for putting them up Jeffery. We just love this stuff!

 

WOW WOW WOW Thank you all so very much !!!!! This is just awesome. I didnt even think about him getting the pictures off someone else! I do have 2 guns that he brought back and their certificates saying that they were taken from them enemy so that should of clued me into the fact that the nazi pics were not from my grandfather! What other kinds of pictues would be interesting for you all to see??? There are tons left!!! Also there are many phone numbers for some French and German women that have to be 90 years old now, but looked really good when he took their pictures!!!!! Thanks again so much, Jeffrey

 

Any and everything.

Adam, if he as a lot, what are the chances of volume posting them in the gallery?

 

I do not think that this is correct.

The 14th Cavalry were an armoured Regiment in WW2


The 14th Cav referred to in the Form 203 in post 10 was the 14th Cavalry Regiment (Horse), part of the 2nd Cavalry Division. It was at Fort Riley on the date mentioned on the card. The 2nd Cav and it's subordinate units disbanded 15 Jul 1942 and personnel and equipment were transferred to the 14th Armored Division (AD).

The 14th Cavalry Group was activated 12 Jul 43 at Fort Lewis, Washington, nearly two years after the card was filled out.

I also looked at the Award of Merit to the 130th Armored Ordinance Maintenance Battalion, which was also in post 10. The 130th was part of the 8th Armored Division, which was part of the US 3rd Army during the period referenced by the award. They participated in the Roer and Rhine River crossings and the reduction of the Ruhr Pocket.

Do you know what unit your Grandfather was in while in Europe? Was he in the 130th AOM Battalion of the 8th AD?

Edit...If the soldier in the portrait in post 10 is your grandfather, he is wearing an 8th AD patch on his left shoulder.

 

Here is a web page on the 133rd Armored Ordinance Maintenance Battion. It will give some idea of what he may have been involved with.

133rd Ordnance Battalion History

Owen, looking at the 8th AD divisional history, they were were in Tidworth, Wiltshire from 1 Dec 44 to 4 Jan 45. Is that near you?

 

Great photos Jeffrey.

Love the photos of the guys in suits wearing the high boots! (Bodston Post #14 Photo 2)

Those (3) may possibly be professional propaganda photos as they seem excellent quality for the time.