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877th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion (AbnEAB)
Photos | Men | ForumThe 877th Airborne Battalion arrived in the United Kingdom in March 1944, and on Omaha Beach on D + 30. They built A-15 at Maupertus, which was the first field on the continent to base medium B-26 bombers and Black Widow night fighters. The 877th was engaged in construction and maintenance of 66 fields in France and Germany.
Aviation Engineers in Mobile Warfare
Company C Group Photo
This photo shows the members of Company C of the 877th AbnEAB. I am unsure where or when it was taken but my guess is England. You can click on it to see a larger version but be warned it is large and will take a while to load. If you can identify any of the men in this photo please . I am indebted to George Keane for scanning the original photo.
Selected Chronology
This is a synopsis of major events in the history of the 877th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 January 1943 | 877th Airborne Engineer Battalion activated at Westover Field, MA; Maj Gerard Forney commanding. The initial cadre comes from the 924th Provisional Airborne Regiment (Avn). |
| 2 April 1943 | 877th Airborne Engineer Battalion redesignated 877th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion. |
| 3 May 1943 | Maj Robert L. Webb becomes CO. |
| 10 May 1943 | Maj Winston C. Fowler becomes CO. |
| 2 July 1943 | Lt Col Val Price becomes CO. |
| 22 July 1943 | Maj Robert E. Smotherman becomes CO. |
| 1 September 1943 | Battalion leaves Westover Field for Grenada Army Airfield, MS for training. |
| 11 February 1944 | Left Mississippi for Camp Shanks, NY in preparation for overseas move. |
| 27 February 1944 | Set sail for England on the troop ship Mauritania. |
| 3 March 1944 | Maj Smotherman promoted to Lt Col. |
| 6 March 1944 | Battalion arrives at Liverpool, England. |
| 7 March 1944 | Battalion encamps at Cokethorpe Park, Oxfordshire. |
| 13 April 1944 | Battalion heads to Kent and suffers terrible loss. One truck in the convoy crashes with two British recon vehicles. In the resulting fire seven men die. Battalion encamps at Bruern Abbey. |
| 8 July 1944 | 1st echelon of Battalion lands on Omaha Beach, Normandy. By 10 July, the entire Battalion arrives at A-23 in Cherbourg. |
| 11 July 1944 | Battalion moves to A-15 (Maupertus). |
| 18 July 1944 | The Battalion’s heavy equipment arrives. |
| 8 August 1944 | The Battalion begins maintenance of A-8 (Picauville), A-10 (Carentan), A-14 (Cretteville), A-15 (Maupertus), A-23 (Querqueville) and A-24 (Biniville) airfields. |
| 31 August 1944 | Battalion ordered to prepare for airborne movement at A-15. |
| 4 September 1944 | Battalion ordered to A-23. |
| 11 September 1944 | Battalion flies to Birch, England to prepare to Operation MARKET-GARDEN. |
| 19 September 1944 | The Battalion will not be used for airborne operations in Holland so Lt Col Smotherman leaves Birch for the Continent. |
| 30 September 1944 | The Battalion returns to the Continent; HQ to A-43 (St. Marceau), Co A to A-45 (Lonray), Co B to A-44 (Peray) and Co C to A-35 (Le Mans) to take up maintenance efforts. |
| 3 Novermber 1944 | HQ moves to A-41 (Dreux), Co A to A-39 (Chateaudun), Co B to A-24 (Biniville) and Co C to A-50 (Orleans/Bricy). |
| January 1945 | During the 1944-1945 winter, the Battalion qualifies as glider troops. |
| April 1945 | Battalion adds A-40 (Chartres), A-48 (Bretigny), A-55 (Melun) and A-58 (Coulommiers) to list of maintenance airfields. |
| 3 May 1945 | Battalion begins maintenance at A-47 (Orly). |
| 15 May 1945 | Lt Col Smotherman and the advance party leave for Germany; first Guttersloh and then Lippstadt. |
| July 1945 | Battalion is reorganized after losing two companies. |
| By the end of the war, the Battalion is spread across the Continent and is maintaining fields in France, Belgium and Germany. |
Links
- Reminiscences of World War II By Forrest J. Mitchell, III
