14th Chemical Maintenance Company, 1944 History Overview

This page focuses on the 14th's second full year of service and is part of what is believed to be the first attempt at a comprehensive history of the unit. It is very much a work in progress. The center column of this page lists what the company was doing and where it was located. The column on the right will feature quotes from primary and secondary sources that are intended to give insights into what the times, and the soldiers' lives, were like.

Contributions of information and photos for this history are both encouraged and welcomed. To learn how, visit the Help Needed page. All who provide information and/or photos that are used on this site will be credited by name on the Contributors page. Together we can create a tribute to the men of the 14th, who helped the U.S. 1st Army defeat the forces of fascism in Western Europe and preserve the freedoms currently enjoyed in the United States and Western Europe.

Abbreviations: Bn=Battalion; Capt=rank of Captain; CMC=Chemical Maintenance Company; CML=Chemical; Comdr=Commander; CWS=Chemical Weapons Service; EM=Enlisted Man or Men; fillers=replacements; Hq=Headquarters; hrs=hours; Pfc=rank of Private First Class; S/Sgt=Staff Sergeant; Trans=Transferred; 1st Lt=rank of First Lieutenant; and 2nd Lt=rank of Second Lieutenant.

Sources: Fourteenth Chemical Maintenance Company Historical Record, 1942-1945, U.S. Army report covering period 30 July 1942 to 31 August 1945 (author unknown, not dated); and other items as noted.

Months	Synopsis of 14th's Service	Quotes
January 1944	New Year in England. Camped near Thatcham, Berkshire, England. Strength: 4 Officers, 119 EM. Officers Roster with Titular Functions Capt. Donald S. Angell, Commanding Officer. 1st Lt. Authur C. Schoenwaldt, Jr., Executive Officer. 1st Lt. Robert Marmorstein, Repair Platoon Comdr. 2nd Lt. Walter Kovacs, Salvage Platoon Comdr. 22 - Received 2 fillers from 10th Replacement Depot. During month gained 0 Officers and 2 EM, lost no Officers or EM.
February 1944	Change of Station. Located at Camp Columbia "A" near Thatcham, Berkshire, England. Strength: 4 Officers, 119 EM. 16 - Relieved of duty and trans. to 92nd CML. Bn. 1st Lt. Robert Marmorstein Appointed Repair Platoon Cmdr 2nd Lt. Walter Kovacs Appointed Personnel Officer, Mess Officer, and Postal Officer 2nd Lt Arthur C. Schoenewaldt, Jr. 23 - Trans. by truck convoy to Camp Brockley, Somerset (near Bristol), England. During month gained 0 Officers and 0 EM, lost 1 Officer and 5 EM.
March 1944	New Duty Assignments. Located at Camp Brockley, Somerset, England. Strength: 3 Officers, 114 EM. 03 - Appointed Post Exchange Officer 2nd Lt Walter Kovacs No Officers or EM gained or lost during month.
April 1944	Departure Alert. Located at Camp Brockley, Somerset, England. Strength: 3 Officers, 114 EM. 01 - Appointed 1st Lt. 2nd Lt Walter Kovacs 14 - Co. received 5 fillers from Hq, FFRD. 15 - Co. placed on alert for departure. 20 - Assigned from Casual Detachment No. 44, FFRD 4 2nd Lt Martin F. Wintje 22 - Appointed Salvage Platoon Cmdr, Personnel Officer, Mess Officer, and Postal Officer 2nd Lt Martin F. Wintje One Officer and 6 EM gained, no Officers or EM lost during month.
May 1944	No Changes. Located at Camp Brockley, Somerset, England. Strength: 4 Officers, 120 EM. No Officers or EM gained or lost during month.
June 1944	Omaha Beach. Located at Camp Brockley, Somerset, England. Strength: 4 Officers, 120 EM. 06 - D-Day (Allied invasion of Normandy, France). 15 - Advance party of 2 Officers and 15 EM depart Camp Brockley by truck convoy. Rest of Co. transported by railroad train from Camp Brockley to Marshalling Area "L" at Saltern Park (near Plymouth), England where advance party located. 17-26 - Co. on board S.S. Jim Bridger in harbor and on the English Channel. 26 - Advance party of 2 officers and 9 EM arrive at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France at 2030 hrs and bivouac in Transit Vehicle Area No. 4. 27 - Rest of Co. arrive Omaha Beach 1420 hrs and bivouac in Transit Vehicle Area No. 4 with advance party. 28 - Co. moved by motor convoy to Mosles, Basse-Normandie, France. No Officers or EM gained and 1 EM lost during month.	"People of Western Europe: a landing was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of a concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe...the hour of your liberation is approaching..." --U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, radio address, 06 Jun 44. The Steam Ship (S.S.) Jim Bridger was a standard Liberty ship (Hull No. 610) built in by the Oregon Ship Building Corp., Portland, Oregon. Its keel was laid 22 Nov 42, it was launched 17 Dec 42, and delivered to the government on 25 Dec 42, just 2 months after construction began. For more information, visit the Liberty Ships Project by Peter Thompson, University of Houston.
July 1944	Forward. Located at Mosles, France. Strength: 4 Officers, 119 EM. 08 - Moved by truck convoy to Saint Marouet (6 mi SW of Trevieres), France, arriving 1300 hrs (1:00 pm). 23 - Pfc. Jodice *"absent sick seriously ill in hospital"* 25 - Beginning of Operation Cobra (Allied breakout from Normandy). One Officer and 4 EM gained and 2 EM lost during month.	"We lost our first man today, Jodice. He went to hospital and was then sent to Rep. [Replacement] Center for one night. That night the Germans bombed the Rep. Center and killed 90 men. I hope this is the last one. They did not find all of him. Just his dog tags." --S/Sgt Herbert Landers, personal diary, 28 Jul 44.
August 1944	Three Relocations. Located at Saint Marouet, France. Strength: 5 Officers, 121 EM. 05 - Trans. by motor convoy to 1/4 mi. south of Moffet (St. Jean, 5 mi SE of St. Lo), France. 16 - Trans. by motor convoy to La Berrardiere (3 mi N of Vire), France. 25 - Located at St. Lapa, 15 mi from Chartres, France. Allies liberate Paris, France. 26 - Trans. by motor convoy to 2 1/2 mi. north west of La Loupe, (due West of Chartres) France. One Officer and no EM gained, 2 Officers and 5 EM lost during month.	"Moved today to a new area SE of St. Lo. St. Lo in a solid mess. We found lots of dead men, both Germans and Yanks." --S/Sgt Herbert Landers, personal diary, 05 Aug 44.
September 1944	Twice Relocated. Located 2 1/2 mi. north west of La Loupe, France. Strength: 4 Officers, 116 EM. 05 - Trans. by motor convoy through Paris, Soissons, and Laon to 2 mi. east of La Capelle, Aisne, France. 22 - Trans. by motor convoy to 1 mi. south of Bruyers (10 mi outside of Liege), Belgium. No Officers or EM gained or lost during month.
October 1944	Moved Again. Located 1 mi. south of Bruyers (10 mi outside of Liege), Belgium. Strength: 4 Officers, 116 EM. 16 - Trans. by motor convoy to Ensival (Verviers), Belgium. 21 - Aachen, Germany captured. No Officers or EM gained and only 1 EM lost during month.	"Tonight we stood in our area and watched the bombing and burning of the first major German city that the American 1st army has taken. We could not hear the explosions but we could see the flash when the bombs and artillery fell on the city. The sky was red all night." --S/Sgt Herbert Landers, personal diary, 12 Oct 44.
November 1944	Stationed at Ensival (Verviers), Belgium. Strength: 4 Officers, 114 EM. No Officers or EM gained and 1 Officer and 1 EM lost during month.	*"Today a flying bomb hit close to our school building* *and the explosion broke out the windows. No one hurt."* --S/Sgt Herbert Landers, personal diary, 26 Nov 44, Verviers, Belgium.
December 1944	Good Conduct Medals. Located at Ensival (Verviers), Belgium. Strength: 4 Officers, 115 EM. 14 -- 22 EM awarded the Good Conduct Medal. 16 -- Germans launch surprise attack in the Ardennes Forest (Battle of the Bulge begins). One Officer and 11 EM gained and no Officers or EM lost during month.	"We were awoken this morning at 3:45 am and alerted. The Germans made a breakthrough at Malmedy and were dropping paratroopers close to our area. Company was pretty nervous." --S/Sgt Herbert Landers, personal diary, 17 Dec 44. *"Today at the ration dump we could hear the shooting at the spearhead and see the American planes straffing and bombing the German columns."* --S/Sgt Herbert Landers, personal diary, 23 Dec 44.

This page Copyright by Our Fathers' Footsteps All Rights Reserved. Created July 30, 2001. Last updated March 8, 2009.
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	Unit History 1944 14th Chemical Maintenance Company 1942-1945 U. S. Army Chemical Corps World War II
14th Soldiers and German Tank Near St. Lo, France 1944 Source: T/5 David O. Meeker, Jr.