IX Engineer Command

My father was in the 852 Engineering Division of the 9th Engineering Battalion. If anyone has information on the 852nd, I sure would like to learn about it. However, I will keep track of this site to see what the other units did.

Good luck

Louie,
My Uncle served in the 852nd. I beileve training started at Gieger Field (now airport) in the state of Washington in 1942. Please e-mail me, dougrl3@aol.com

Hi Louie. I just wanted to make sure we have the right unit designator. There is a 9th Engineer Battalion which during WWII was part of the 9th Armored Division. Their distinctive insignia is here ...



The 852nd Engineer Aviation Battalion was part ofthe IX Engineer Command during WWII. I am guessing the it is this unit with which your father served.

I'm also going to move this post to the 852nd EAB forum.

David

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http://www.ixengineercommand.com
http://www.macgruffus.com

I got confused between units and came across this:

Harrington Airfield in Northamptonshire, England. A class A airfield mainly built by the 852nd and 826th 'Engineer Battalions'. q.v. URL at bottom of post.

I presume these are the AEBs rather than 9th Armoured, since they built an airfield.

jim. http://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/CarpetbaggerMuseumHomePage.htm

Absolutely Jim. The 826th and 852nd EAB built this field (Station 179). A good friend recently sent a document showing these fields in England. I've been focused on the units in the IX Engineer Command but this was when they were connected to the Mighty Eighth Air Force in England.



David

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http://www.ixengineercommand.com
http://www.macgruffus.com

My girlfriend's father was in the 852 AEB stationed at Harrington, which is 12 miles from where I live. I went out there at the weekend to get pictures of the area as it is now. Pity the museum doesn't open it's doors until April.
I'v managed to find out a lot from various web sites and have compiled a small booklet for him including some old wartime pictures of the airfield.

Hi ddwarf. I'd love to see the photos if you ever get the chance.

As another bit of information ... I have located a film at our National Archives that shows the 852nd EAB in England preparing for France. It's a short 7 minute silent film but shows many of the men of the 852nd. Thanks for Gary Semmel who sponsored the film conversion, we can make it available to others for a small fee plus shipping. I'm not sure it would work on a DVD player in the UK but it would work on your PC. You can see a preview here ... http://ixengineercommand.com/video/852nd.rm. Let me know if you are interested.

Another source of information are the monthly periodic reports. The Air Force Historical Research Agency has microfilm copies of these and our next big project is acquiring copies of them. The cost to convert them is not small so the project will take a while as we find sponsors for these. Keep an eye on the 852nd EAB page (http://ixengineercommand.com/units/852nd.php). Any news will be there.

I have added your girlfriend's father to the unit roster.

David

_________________
http://www.ixengineercommand.com
http://www.macgruffus.com

I am finally getting back to this site. Yes, my father was in the 852nd EAB. I have some photographs that were taken during his time in WWII and was wondering how to place these on this web site. If you could provide me with your email address, I could send them to you so that you could post them. My father's name is Louie Caparelli, so please add him to the list of people that were in the 852nd. I could also ask him if he could provide names of others that were in his unit at the time.

Thank you.
Louie Jr.

Welcome back Louie. I have emailed you separately about the photos.

I have added your father to the 852nd EAB roster ... http://ixengineercommand.com/listmen.php?unit=30#C

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

David

_________________
http://www.ixengineercommand.com
http://www.macgruffus.com