Unclear WW2 Separation Record

Question

I have my grandfather's "Separation Qualification Record" as well as his record and report of separation. The separation qualification record says that he "Served with the 9th Infantry in the European Theater of Operations from August 1944 to June 1945, and with the 740th Engineer Base Equipment company from July 1945 to December 1945 in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations." The unit that is listed on his report of separation is the 740th Engineer Base Equipment company. Because of these circumstances, I'm having trouble determining what unit he served with in the European theater. I don't know if "9th Infantry" refers to the 9th Infantry Division; another possible option is that he was with the 9th infantry regiment of the 2nd infantry division. There might be other possibilities as well, I'm not sure. I have a newspaper scrap that says he was "a 2nd Division infantryman" and that he received his wounds in Brest, France. However, his report of separation says that he was injured in Belgium. So I'm not sure whether to trust the newspaper article. I'd like to try to find out why he has a Distinguished Unit Badge and get an idea of his possible path in Europe, but I'm stuck at the moment without knowing even his division. Any help would be greatly appreciated. His name is Lester Butler Dean.

Jo Shipley · Answer

The U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 indicates Lester B. Dean was injured in Oct. 1944 several days after the end of the Battle for Brest on September 19, and the departure of the 2nd Division on September 26 from Brest.

From Breakout and Pursuit , Chapter XXX, The Battle for Brest, Martin Blumenson: The 2d Division had advanced approximately eight miles at a cost of 2,314 casualties. It had expended more than 1,750,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, 218,000 rounds of heavy caliber, had requested 97 air missions--fulfilled by 705 fighter-bombers, which dropped 360 tons of bombs. The VIII Corps turned over the captured fortress of Brest and the prisoners to the Brittany Base Section of the Communications Zone on the evening of 19 September, and the combat troops moved into assembly areas to rest, receive winter clothing, and repair armament and transport. ...on 26 September the VIII Corps headquarters and the 2d and 8th Divisions began to move by rail and motor to Belgium and Luxembourg....

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Name 
 Lester B Dean

Race 
 White, includes Mexican (White)

Rank 
 Enlisted Man

Admission Age 
 30

Birth Date 
 abt 1914

Admission Date 
 Oct 1944

Discharge Date 
 Oct 1944

Military Branch 
 Infantry, General or Unspecified

Diagnosis 
 
 First Location: Inguinal region and groin; 
 Causative Agent: Artillery Shell, Fragments, Afoot or unspecified

Type of Injury 
 Casualty, battle

Injured in Line of Duty 
 In line of duty

Type of Discharge 
 Duty

Length of Service 
 0 Year(s), 9, 10 OR 11 MONTHS Month(s)

Service Number 
 38606656

From the 2nd Infantry Division History: 
 In September 1943 the division received their staging orders and moved to the Camp Shanks staging area at Orangeburg, New York on 3 October 1943, where they got their Port Call orders. On 8 October 1943 the division officially sailed from the New York Port of Embarkation, and started arriving in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 17 October 1943. They then moved over to England, where they trained and staged for forward movement to France. 
 
 World War II With the onset of World War II, the division moved to Ireland and Wales in October 1943, as part of the buildup for operation Overload, the Normandy invasion. There it spent ten months undergoing extensive training. On 7 June 1944, D-Day + 1, the Division landed on Omaha Beach. Attacking across the Aure River, the Division liberated Trevieres, 10 June 1944, and proceeded to assault and secure Hill 192, the key enemy strongpoint on the road to St. Lo. With the hill taken on 11 July 1944, the Division went on the defensive until 26 July 1944. Exploiting the St. Lo break-through, the 2nd Division advanced across the Vire to take Tinchebray on 15 August 1944. After fierce, 39-day battle, the 2nd Division, fighting in the streets and alleyways, finally took their objective as the vital port city of Brest, which was liberated on 18 September 1944. The Division took a brief rest 19 to 26 September 1944 before moving to defensive positions at St. Vith, Belgium on 29 September 1944. The Division entered Germany on 3 October 1944, and the Division was ordered, on 11 December 1944, to attack and seize the Roer River dams. Having pierced the dreaded Siegfried Line, the Division was advancing when Nazi Field Marshal Gerd Von Rundstedt unleashed a powerful German offensive in the Ardennes. Throughout the Battle of the Bulge the 2nd Infantry Division held fast, preventing the enemy from seizing key roads leading to the cities of Liege and Antwerp. In February 1945, the Division attacked, recapturing lost ground, and seized Gemund, on 4 March 1945. Reaching the Rhine 9 March 1945, the Division advanced south to take Breisig, 10-11 March 1945, and to guard the Remagen bridge, 12- 20 March 1945. The Division crossed the Rhine 21 March 1945 and advanced to Hadamar and Limburg an der Lahn, relieving elements of the 9th Armored Division, 28 March 1945. Advancing rapidly in the wake of the 9th Armored, the 2nd Infantry Division crossed the Weser at Veckerhagen, 6 - 7 April 1945 captured Gottingen 8 April 1945, and established a bridgehead across the Saale, 14 April 1945, seizing Merseburg on 15 April 1945. On 18 April 1945 the Division took Leipzig, mopped up in the area, and outposted the Mulde River; elements which had crossed the river were withdrawn 24 April 1945. Relieved on the Mulde, the 2nd moved 200 miles, 1 &ndash; 3 May 1945, to positions along the German-Czech border near Schonsee and Waldmunchen, where the Warrior Division relieved the 97th and 99th divisions. The division crossed over to Czechoslovakia on 4 May 1945, and attacked in the general direction of Pilsen, attacking that city on Victory in Europe (VE) Day. 
 The 2nd Infantry Division returned to the New York Port of Embarkation on 20 July 1945, and arrived at Camp Swift at Bastrop, Texas on 22 July 1945. They started a training schedule to prepare them to participate in the scheduled invasion of Japan, but they were still at Camp Swift on Victory in Japan (VJ) Day.

As your uncle joined the Army in November 1943, his ASR ( Adjusted Service Rating) score would have been too low for him to return to the US and be demobilized at the end of the conflict in Europe. ASR points were awarded as follows:

Points were awarded according to the following formula: 
 - One point for each month in service in the Army 
 - One additional point for each month in service overseas 
 - Five points for each campaign 
 - Five points for a medal for merit or valor (Silver Star for example) 
 - Five points for a purple heart (awarded to all soldiers who were wounded in action) 
 - Twelve points for each dependent child up to three dependent children

Below is an excerpt from the May 11, 1945, Stars and Stripes edition with the ASR card calculation. It also states that Engineer Units would be the first to leave Europe for the Pacific Theatre of Operations. Combat troops would go to the PTO via the United States while service forces including construction and aviation engineer units were redeployed directly to the PTO. The 740th Engineer Base Equipment company was stationed in Manila. If you have your uncle's discharge papers, box 36 on Form AGO 53-55 will state the dates when your uncle was stationed overseas. His ASR score will be to the right of the thumbprint.

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

mandydini11 
 Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 
 To verify your grandfather&rsquo;s units you will need to research Morning Reports and rosters. 
 We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Morning Reports, ca. 1912 - 1946 for Army units during WWI and WWII. See also Access to Morning Reports and Unit Rosters | National Archives . For more information about these records, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) via email at stl.archives@nara.gov . 
 We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! 
 Sincerely, 
 Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) 
 [24-30945-REC]

Unclear WW2 Separation Record

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