270th FA Bn.  ETO. WWII

Question

i have been doing some fact finding about the 270th for the last few months and am wondering if anyone on here has info about this unit? This was my Grandfathers unit during the war and I would like to learn a little more about it.

Also can someone tell me where this info is from? I have done so much digging/finding that I now know I did not keep my information in an orderly fashion. Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

Thanks. Brian

Lowell Silverman · Accepted Answer

You've come up with a remarkable collection of documents. To create a complete roster like you want to do is not impossible, but will take considerable resources in both time and, unless you go to the National Personnel Records Center yourself by appointment, money. I compiled a roster for my grandfather's unit, focusing on the overseas time. I started with having a private company in St. Louis digitize some rosters from 1942 and 1943. As has been pointed out, the Army destroyed most of its rosters from 1944 and 1945. However, there is a workaround: the morning reports. They are exceptions based, so they won't mention a solider unless something changed. However, using the December 1943 roster as a starting point, if you obtain the morning reports from all batteries in the battalion, you will be able to follow soldiers as they come and go. I think you'll also find that there are many more names than you expected, because men transferred in and out. In three years of overseas service, my grandfather's unit had about twice as many people serve in total as the T/O&E authorized for any one time. Turnover in combat units would presumably be even higher. Maybe Fold3 will eventually digitize all WWII morning reports, as they allegedly hope to do. Otherwise, you're talking about many days of work at NPRC (if you can even get an appointment) or thousands of dollars for a private company to digitize everything for you.

Bill O&#39;Brien · Answer

Brian:

My father was in the 270th FAB, Battery "C" on the survey team. I've been slogging through the unit history and would appreciate getting access to the AARs that you have. Are they something you could email to me?

One item I would point out to you that you may not already have seen; the 270th FA Btn was attached to the 144th FA Gp for most of the month of August, 1944, so from the time that they were activated for combat on 5-Aug-1944 through the Falaise Gap and supporting the 79th ID Seine River crossing at Mantes-Gassicourt. The California Military Museum has a few good pieces of the history of the 144th FA Gp and, by connection, the 270th. You can find them at the link http://www.militarymuseum.org/HistoryWWII.html . I found the personal memoir by Charles Seneteney particularly interesting, especially for the month that the 270th was attached.

I've also found reading the histories of the units the 270th was supporting to be good for providing background and context into their movements.

Best of luck to you, feel free to reach out with any questions or comments.

Bill O'Brien

Miranda Mullen · Answer

Bert A. Mullen and Buck Mullen are the same person.&#160; He's my husband's grandfather.&#160; He's in the group photo above.&#160; You've done a great job researching.&#160; I appreciate your effort.&#160;

Brian Nicely · Answer

A big hole in my research is information about the liaison aircraft assigned to the 270th. I see in the AARs that at least 1ea L4 "Grasshopper" plane was used for observer duties. It crashed on 1 Jan '45 killing both the pilot and the observer. LTs Anspach and Emberts. The crash is not listed in any Missing Aircrew Reports (MACR) since they were not missing, I do not know the tail number of the A/C so that makes things a little harder. I have yet to find a database that listed the crash. The tables of equipment and person authorizations I got from NARA doesn't have the A/C or its mechanics listed. I assume I have copies of authorization documents from early in the war and the A/C was added later on as they identified the need for aerial observation. Any idea on where to look? 
 
 Finding the SN to the aircraft or the 240mm howitzers assigned to the unit would be awesome. Both have eluded me thus far.

Jason, National Archives · Answer

Dear Brian Nicely, &#160; Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! We checked the records and verified that the S-2 Report is included with the records of the 270th Field Artillery Battalion in the World War II Operations Reports, 1940 - 1948 series that we recommended to you in our original response .&#160; Specifically, it is in the file &ldquo;FABN-270-0.3 (8762) After Action Report - 270th Field Artillery Bn. Jan - Mar. 45&#8221; in box 16118. If you have not yet done so already, we suggest that you email RDT2 at archives2reference@nara.gov &#160; to request more information about the available records for these units and to inquire about your options for either ordering copies of these records or visiting the National Archives at College Park to view them in person. &#160; You may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we balance mission-critical work and the safety of our staff during the pandemic. Please check NARA&#8217;s web page about COVID-19 updates for the latest information. &#160; We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! &#160;

Rebecca Collier · Answer

Dear Mr. Nicely,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

In case you haven’t already requested them, copies of most of the monthly rosters from November 1912 - 1943 and 1947 - 1959 for Army units are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis, MO. For access to these records, please write to the National Archives at St. Louis, ATTN: RL-SL, P.O. Box 38757, St. Louis, MO 63138-0757 or via email at stl.archives@nara.gov. Rosters for units serving in World War II from 1944 - 1946 were destroyed in accordance with Army disposition authorities.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

Rebecca Collier · Answer

Dear Mr. Nicely,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

The document included in your post is a copy of an index card from the series titled Index to World War II Operations Reports, 1940 - 1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1905-1981 (Record Group 407). The card lists the records of the 270th Field Artillery Battalion that are available in the series titled World War II Operations Reports, 1940 - 1948 also in RG 407. For access to and copies of these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

We also searched the unit records in the Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338) but were unable to locate additional records of the 270th.

We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

Brian Nicely 
 Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 
 
 The chronological index to the Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR) does not show an L-4 missing on 1 January 1945. The crash may have been recorded as an accident. World War II Army Air Force and Air Force accident reports up to 1955 are in the custody of the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), 600 Chennault Circle, Building 1405, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-6424. 
 
 We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! 
 
 Sincerely, 
 
 Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) 
 
 [23-39730-REC]

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

Brian Nicely 
 Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 
 
 An additional source is the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center , 950 Soldiers Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013. 
 
 We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at Archives II, please email us at archives2reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further. 
 We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! 
 
 Sincerely, 
 
 Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) 
 [23-53680-REC]

270th FA Bn. ETO. WWII

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