853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion

The 853rd was destined for the Assam Region of India, and in the 10 Feb 1944 edition of the CBI Roundup newsletter, this picture of 2 GIs with a 20-foot long, 300 pound python in Assam must have given folks some pause.

What is the "Table of Remembrance?" Well, in modern military ceremonies, dining facilities, and museums, you will see a POW/MIA table that sits in reverence for those US military heroes missing in action or who were taken captive and who have not returned. In honor of this ceremony, I re-worked the script to honor those members of the HMT Rohna who perished in the Mediterranean Sea on 26 Nov 1943. For many months they were listed as MIA, and some for up to a year later, with many still 'bodies unrecovered' and listed on the "Tablet of the Missing" at the American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia. 62% of the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion died in that N**i attack. Along with the hundreds of others who also died, we will always remember.

I just returned from the 29th HMT Rohna Reunion in Columbus, Georgia, commemorating the 81st Anniversary of the sinking of that ship and re-dedicating the memorial at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery. With upwards of 62% of the 853rd meeting their fate on that ship, it is always dear to me to represent the battalion well at these reunions. This year, I brought a small museum and spent some time doing research from the documents others brought. Many thanks to Rob Shaw for bringing some great files! Even had a chance to present a historical presentation and put on the mess dress for the final night banquet.

Excited to be heading to Georgia tomorrow for the annual HMT Rohna Reunion. As I have every year I have been present, I will present an informative program, set up the traveling "please touch" museum, and hosting our annual banquet. While it's not an 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion specific event, our unit was the largest, and most heavily impacted of all units aboard the ship, and all families and friends of the battalion are absolutely welcome to attend; many will be present this year. If you are one of the attendees, please come by and say hello! Also, if you post any pictures, please tag this page in your posts. And, if you missed this year...stay tuned for the announcement of our 2025 location.

Photo: US Army photo: 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion & HMT Rohna survivors return to New York City on USS Greeley, 1945.

🇺🇸 Today is the 80th Anniversary of Operation OVERLORD, also known as D-Day. After a 24-hr delay due to adverse weather over the English Channel, Gen Dwight Eisenhower made the call to commence on June 5th. Just after midnight on June 6th, paratroopers began dropping behind enemy lines. They did their best to scuttle bridges, blow up transport lines, and make it more challenging for the N**is to be resupplied. All the while, the amphibious landing took place with more than 7,000 ships and landing craft. Throughout the day, wave after wave of allied troops took to the beach where many made their final resting place. All said, over 133,000 allied troops participated in the invasion of Normandy, with 10,300 casualties. Less than a year later, victory in Europe was secured.

Thank you to our WWII heroes, that numbered more than 16 million in total, those who lost their lives, those who came back wounded, and all who secured liberty with a world on the brink. They were indeed the greatest generation and will forever have our undying respect.

Photo: US Army photo, Gen Dwight Eisenhower talks to members of the 101st Airborne Division on June 5, 1944 as they prepared to depart for France.

PERSONNEL: Ulys Jackson, M.D.
Rank: Major (O-4)
MOS: Battalion Surgeon, Medical Detachment Commander
SN: UNK
Company: HQ&S
Info: AFHRA, History of Boone County, Arkansas
Photo: Uncredited

A truly fascinating man. Dr. Jackson was born as a twin with his sister Eula on 5 Aug 1905, graduated from the Univ of Arkansas Medical School in 1933, joined his father's medical practice for a few years, and worked for the state health department from 1938 to 1942. But when doctors were in such high demand to serve in WWII, he reported for duty as a Captain in the US Army Medical Corps in July 1943. In August, he was assigned to the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion. He survived the sinking of the HMT Rohna and went on to serve in India through the conclusion of the war, ultimately earning the rank of Major.

On 1 Jan 1946 he returned to his home state and opened a medical practice. But, the town needed a hospital. He and his wife worked tirelessly over a 4-year period to have one constructed and in 1950, in the hospital he helped get built, he took on the role of Chief of Staff. Additionally, he worked as an anesthesiologist from 1951 to 1972. He continued to practice medicine until his retirement in 1979. Dr. Jackson died in 1984 at the age of 79.

Not an 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion moment, but let's give a shout out to the brave Marines who raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi this day in 1945. The battle of Iwo Jima was brutal from the very beginning. Only five days later, this photograph of the second flag to be raised on the island was taken, earning a Pulitzer Prize. Fighting continued for more than 30 additional days. We applaud such heroism and may this image never be lost to history.

After completing initial battalion formation and training at Dyersburg, the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion traveled to Brookley Field, Alabama where they continued their training. Upon arrival at Brookley Field, the battalion received a letter from the Commanding Officer, Dyersburg Army Air Base, commending it on the work it had done, the discipline and behavior of the men, and the condition in which it left the battalion area.

Initial work at Brookely, and Bates, Fields consisted of setting up bivouac areas, warehouse construction, camouflage, road construction, and more just to make the place functional. While it seemed tedious, it was exceptionally done and in rapid time, to where the battalion received a commendation from Brigadier General Mollison, Commanding General Mobile Air Service Command, for the construction which it had accomplished and the spirit of the men!

Photo: US Army Photo of Brookley Field, AL c. 1943

Some of the men of Company A in the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion while stationed at Dyersburg Army Air Base, TN. With more than 200 men in a company, this is only one of the platoons of about 35 men.

Trying to expand the reach for this film. This battalion has a very personal relationship with that ship and this film does a great job to tell the story in a unique way. If you haven't seen it, it's worth the watch!
HMT Rohna
Rohna Classified

Rohna Classified 2,000 US soldiers boarded a British transport ship on Thanksgiving Day 1943 for their first day of war. The following day a radio-guided missile sank the ship in what remains the greatest loss of life at sea in the history of US war. The attack was classified and forgotten along with the 1157 soldie...

ALL IN THE FAMILY. The "Vox Prop" newspaper was the official newspaper of Dyersburg Army Air Base. As the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion trained there, they sometimes made the news! In this case, in the first edition (Vol 1, Issue 1 on 5 Mar 1943) Lt Savio ("C" Company) takes a photo with his uncle...a PVT in a different engineer unit! Why was PVT del Dosso there, you ask? Well....

It was Lt Col Frolich's foresight that had a number of recent graduates from engineering schools at Ft. Belvoir, Holabird School, and Grand Junction, come teach his men things like diesel mechanics and Heavy Engineer Equipment. The task of developing unit NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) was a constant topic of discussion. PVT del Dosso was one such instructor!

Today, we'll use our time to honor a man who really deserves a ton of credit and who lived a great life of 91 years: Charles Osgood.

Longtime CBS Radio host Charles Osgood passed away today at the age of 91. It was on his radio program, "The Osgood Files," that Americans first heard a broadcast about the sinking of the HMT Rohna, a troopship on which hundreds of young men of the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion perished in 1943. His famous tag-line is still repeated at reunions and in films more than 30 years later: "It's not that we forgot, it's that we never knew." This grim reminder of the 50-year classification of the sinking of the Rohna underpins our mission here! And we serve to bring answers to the questions so many still have. RIP, Mr. Osgood.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/charles-osgood-former-cbs-news-host-dead-91
HMT Rohna Rohna Classified

Charles Osgood, former CBS News host, dead at 91 Charles Osgood, former longtime host of "CBS Sunday Morning" and radio so "The Osgood File," passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91.

This is a great WWII cartoon. The 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion spent a little time at Chabua Airfield, Assam, India in August 1945, but spent most of the time headquartered at Chakulia Airfield.

PT, PT, Good for you, Good for me! Yes, calisthenics were a daily routine. I can personally attest that 'daily PT' is not a thing any more...at least in the Air Force units I have been a part of. But, in WWII, during basic training at Jefferson Barracks, there was a lot of PT, and even at Dyersburg, the men continued to exercise and remained "fit to fight." Hmmm...could this early physical conditioning be a contributing factor to why so many WWII veterans live well into their 90s? I'd venture to say it must be. Time to go do some push-ups!

Photo: US Army photo: WWII Bootcamp Calisthenics

You have probably seen this before, but this was the official emblem of the Engineer Aviation Battalions in WWII. Each unit had its own, but this one was universal to the "Aviation Engineers."

When the men of the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion boarded the liberty ships in Newport News, they didn't know where they were eventually headed; but the China-Burma-India (or CBI) Theater was the destination. If you can find the elephant in the middle of the map (between India and Burma) this will give you an approximation on the locations where they served, building runways to support B-29 operations flying over "the Hump" (term for the Himalayas) into China.



Image: Likely from an edition of the Ex-CBI Roundup newsletter, but not certain.

The men of the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion traveled to North Africa on transports known as "Liberty Ships." In this case, HQ&S & A Companies were on the SS Lambert Cadwalader while B and C Companies were on the SS James W. Nesmith. It took two days to board and prepare for departure. On Oct 5, 1943, these ships, along with a convoy of others, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, through the Strait of Gibraltar, and through the Mediterranean Sea, to the port of Oran, Algeria. They arrived on the 22nd of October.

What were Liberty Ships? Essentially, they were small cargo ships converted to carry American troops later in the war. Originally, they were designed as prisoner transports with the capacity to carry 308 prisoners, later raised to 504. They put 5-tier bunks in the cargo holds and added facilities for food, water, environmental controls, and sanitation. To provide an essential minimum of protection in the event of an emergency, additional lifeboats, life rafts and lifejackets were provided; people were generally not accommodated below the waterline and two emergency escapes were installed from each compartment.

Whey they requisitioned them for American troop transport, the US took the capacity down to 350 soldiers; mainly by reducing the bunk height from 5 to 3. It was not the most luxurious of accommodations, but it got the job done. There were still a few ships that carried more than 500 soldiers...and the 853rd were the lucky recipients of two of these vessels.



Picture: US Government photo of the Liberty Ship: SS Patrick Henry

Hey enthusiasts! The 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion was an unsung hero in the China-Burma-India theater of operations. Want to learn more of her history? Follow our page!

WWII & Military History Rohna Classified HMT Rohna

Taxes! Taxes! So...what are these plastic and aluminum Tax Token things? Well, from 1935 until 1962, 12 states had their own sales tax tokens created as a means to collect sales tax on an item and give the customer a token that they could cash in with a following purchase instead. Pictured below are tokens in various styles from Mississippi and Alabama contained in my grandparents' personal items.

How did they work? Merchants had to pay sales tax to the state on the total amount of sales made by the merchant during each day's sales. You can imagine that if the sales tax rate is 3% and a child buys a 10c piece of candy there is no way to collect the three-tenths of one cent. If you rounded down that meant that the merchant could not collect anything for the tax. If you rounded up the state was gaining 7 tenths of a cent on every 10 cent sale. You can see that if the merchant sold 100 pieces of candy he was loosing 30 cents a day in tax revenues to the state, so the token was born. This allowed the merchant to take 11 cents for the first piece of candy and give change back in mills. The next time you wanted to buy a 10c candy you could present the merchant with the 10c and a token and complete the transaction. This allowed the merchant to collect the sales tax on each transaction.

State issued sales tax tokens vary widely. Copper, brass, paper, cardboard, fiber, aluminum, zinc, plastic and even wood were used. Many were colored. The language ranged from Arizona's practical: "to make change for correct sales tax," to blunt in Louisiana: "Public Welfare Tax Token" and Oklahoma: "For Old Age Assistance." Perhaps my favorite is Missouri's second generation Milk-Cap token. "helping to pay for old age pensions, support of public schools, care of poor insane and tubercular patients in state hospitals and relief of needy unemployed in the state of Missouri."



Photo: From the SGT Louis R. Markiewitz Signature Collection
Article/Reference: www.taxtoken.org

When in India, the 853rd split the battalion to various airfields, and even sectioned off more men in details when situations required. This letter of commendation to Lt Robert Shaw, Commanding Officer of "C" Co., is indicative of the excellent work the men did throughout their years in India, specifically in the field of runway construction and repair!

On 6 Dec 1944, Lt Shaw and 5 enlisted men headed to Bangalore Airfield. They were joined by 14 more enlisted men on the 8th, 17 more enlisted men on the 15th, and 18 more enlisted men on the 21st. By Christmas of 1944, 90 men under Lt Shaw's command were in place at Bangalore with a critical task ahead of them. According to the Southern India Burma command, estimates stated 4-5 months to do the job they were being tasked to accomplish. In true 853rd fashion, they brought the right team, requested more when it was required, and incorporated the use of local engineers and laborers to do it in half that time, and the work was exemplary. Not only was the 5,000-ft runway repaired, but the repairs were done at night so it was still usable for missions during the day.



Photo: US Army Photo of the B-29 Superfortress taking off from Chakulia Air Base, Assam, India
Document: Letter of Commendation from Col Melville Johnson, Commanding officer, Southern India Air Depot, 2 Mar 1945

The Battalion Takes Shape! The first contingents of enlisted men that were to be the body of the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion arrived in February 1943. Approximately 390 men arrived on the afternoon of the 21st, and 190 more on the 23rd, from Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. The majority of the men were basics and had just completed four weeks of basic training at Jefferson Barracks with no Engineer training included. The men were assigned to respective companies immediately and were indoctrinated into an Engineer Battalion by being put to work at once!



Photo: US Army photo of the train station at Jefferson Barracks

PERSONNEL: Harry L. Kitch
Rank: Second Lieutenant (O-1)
MOS: Engineer Officer
SN: O-1107521
Company: A

Info: aad.archives.gov
Photo: Ancestry.com

This is the swimming pool at Dyersburg Army Air Base back in 1943. However, before the 853rd arrived there was no pool! About half way through their 8-month tenure in Tennessee the battalion was tasked with building the swimming pool at the Officers Club. My grandfather was part of that construction crew and he said that even though they built it, they weren't allowed to swim in it...(it was at the Officers Club!). So, to remedy that, the battalion leadership decided to 'train' at the pool and while it was technically not relaxing or simply swimming for fun...at least they got to use it!


Photo: US Army Photo; Dyersburg Army Air Base Museum, Halls, TN.

A "Hand-Painted Barracks Sign!" This picture was sent to me by a man named Tim Bivens, who works for the Dyersburg Army Air Base Museum in Halls, TN. When I met with him a few years ago, he said, "There was a man who lived north of me who's dad was in the unit. He had lots of stuff but would not share much. His dad was a painter and he still had a small sign with 853rd painted on it his dad had painted. Maybe went over a door or something? The son has since died and I have no idea what happened to all that stuff." As sad as the story ended, the picture is a great remembrance of the artistry and creativity of those Aviation Engineers!

Of note, there was a SGT Edward J. Randall, originally from Casper, Wyoming and a painter in civilian life, part of the 853rd's "C" Company, whose Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 144 - Painter, and who was an original member of the battalion at Dyersburg, is a likely candidate for the sign's painter. Our 'battalion roster' has three other "Painters" on it, but all 3 were part of the 442d Replacement Company and did not join the battalion until after the sinking of the Rohna. This is not to say that this sign was definitely painted by SGT Randall....but it also doesn't mean that it wasn't!

Photo: Courtesy of Mr. Tim Bivens

After the survivors from the Rohna sinking had been accounted for, and replacements had partially arrived, the 853rd headed to Bizerte on a train called a "40 & 8" meaning each car could carry either 40 men or 8 horses. These cars were introduced in the 1870s by France and were regularly used for troop movement in North Africa and Europe. When the 853rd arrived in Bizerte they did various jobs, including working on the movie, "The Way Ahead," a British war propaganda film starring David Niven. When Christmas came, they were still in North Africa, not arriving to the CBI theater until January 1944.

This picture is of a CBI Christmas Card from 23 December 1943. It is unlikely that any men sent this card home in 1943, unless they were already in India, which some of the replacements were. But, they very well could have sent these home in 1944. Either way, the artistry on these Christmas Cards is simply amazing.


Picture: 40/8 with British troops in France, 1939 (shown here for visual aid purposes)

The 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion was not just building runways in India, but also responsible for training "British Other Ranks" or B.O.R. of the 400th Scorpion Squadron under the command of Major Hickman of the Royal Tank Regiment.

On October 23, 1944, at Kalaikunda Airfield, India, where "A" Company was headquartered, the 853rd prepared to instruct 25 BORs on the operation of the D-7 bulldozer, motorized graders, 8-cu-yd carryall scrapers and the maintenance of diesel motors. The goal was to instruct the students well enough for them to be able to perform earthworking duties on airfields.

On October 26, 1944 the Heavy Equipment School received their first batch of 25 students from Bombay. These students were considered 'the pick of the litter' and were either tank drivers or mechanics and quite technically inclined to do well at this school.

Capt Savio, the Battalion S-4, was given the responsibility of conducting this school for the British operators. Skilled heavy equipment operators were selected from H&S Company to be instructors and for a period of two weeks, classes were held from 0600-1730hrs every day.

In the first week of November, the British students were put to work in practical situations where concrete operations were required. They split into two shifts, observed by US instructors, in conjunction with earth moving. This was considered to be one of the best practical applications the students received and on November 20th, the first class was completed. The BORs proved to be very good students and paid strict attention to all instructions given. Major Hickman said it was "practical experience that usually is lacking in most schools."

On November 27th, a second tranche of 45 BORs arrived in Kalaikunda to attend the Heavy Equipment School. Maj Hickman requested that this contingent be given an additional week of training since they are not as skilled technically as the previous group was, being comprised mostly of gunners or radio operators and not familiar with heavy equipment operation. The training was intense and battled weather along with earthwork practical application. On December 19th, the class concluded and the British students departed Kalaikunda for their follow-on work at Bangalore. During the two classes, 70 students were trained (some on more than one piece of equipment) at the Heavy Equipment School and went on to serve as engineers with the Royal Tank Regiment.

The "Ruptured Duck" was the commonly used term for the emblem on this diamond-shaped patch indicating an honorably discharged veteran from WWII. The significance of this patch, worn on the right breast above the pocket on jackets and shirts, was to indicate that the soldier was honorably discharged, but to also allow the discharged veteran to wear their uniform in civilian employment for a period of 3 months and let the employers know it was allowed...and the soldier wasn't AWOL. After three months, it was expected that the soldier had made some money to purchase civilian clothes and should not be wearing their uniform to work any more. This emblem was for all services and was embroidered on various colored backgrounds to match the uniform on which it would be worn. There was even a guide book produced for each discharged veteran explaining the ruptured duck.


Photo1: Ruptured Duck patch on OD Green
Photo 2: Louis and Nauwausau Markiewitz, pictured in Sept 1945; notice the ruptured duck patch on the uniform.
Photo 3: Ruptured Duck patch on Khaki
Photo 4: Ruptured Duck lapel pin
Not pictured: USN Ruptured Duck patch on navy blue

The Army Good Conduct Medal (AGCM) was established by Executive Order 8809, 28 June 1941, for members of the Army and Army Air Corps (later Army Air Forces). The Good Conduct Medal was awarded to enlisted members for exemplary service during a period of 1 year during war time and 3 years during peacetime. Additional awards were displayed by "knots" on the ribbon. Service records and discharge paperwork will indicate how many awards were earned by each member during their time in service. A General Order was crafted for the issuance of each citation with each member of a company listed by name.

This is a screen capture of the General Order authorizing the Good Conduct Medal to enlisted members of the 853rd's Company A. This is the first award for some and a subsequent award for others. It is not indicated on the forms which award it is; that would be contained in their service record.

Officers of the 853rd's, "C" Company! Read to the bottom and I'll identify them for you. But, I'll start with the fact that my grandfather was an enlisted man. He was a Corporal at Dyersburg and ended up a Sergeant when he discharged 2.5 years later. But, he revered two of these men (Lt Robert Shaw and Capt "Dutch" Beard - pictured here as a 1LT, his "C" Company leadership team) and to see them the same height as the rest is ridiculous! To SGT Markiewitz, these men were 10-feet tall and bulletproof. While he may have stated their height incorrectly, the rest was accurate. Every one of these officers survived the sinking of the HMT Rohna and went on to serve in India.

Pictured (L-R):
Top Row: 1LT Charles F. Beard (C. Co/CC), 2LT William H. Salzillo , 2LT William C. Davis
Bottom Row: 1LT Wayne L. Savio, 1LT James P. Stewart, 2LT Robert B. Shaw
* Photo taken at Dyersburg Army Air Base, mid-1943

"Sweetheart Pillowcases" were common items to send to loved ones from those serving in WWII. This display shows one such pillowcase from Dyersburg Army Air Base, where the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion formed and did most of its formative training.