299th Engineer Battalion Crest– Proven Pioneers
Auburn at D-Day
June 6 marks an important WWII anniversary: D-Day, the beginning of the Battle of Normandy which is considered by many to have been the start of the end of the war in Europe. Men from the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion, consisting entirely of New Yorkers, participated in the opening battle on June 6, 1944, and were some of the first American soldiers to set foot on Omaha beach.
The Battle of Normandy lasted from June to August 1944, and resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. The battle began with D-Day, when American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the coast of France. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history, and had included a large-scale deception campaign beforehand to disguise the true site of the invasion from the Germans. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated and by the next spring the Allies had defeated the Germans.
299th Engineer Combat Battalion
The 299th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated on March 3, 1943 in Camp White, Oregon. The men were all New Yorkers, and many grew up with their fellow soldiers and knew each other for years. Of these men, 63 were from Auburn, dubbed the “Auburn Boys”.
Image Gallery: Company A Group Shot, Tents at camp, Dominic Spano, Group shot (DeAngelis), Group shot (Spano, Netti, Vella, Mirabito), DeAngelis and Trinca, Spinelli gunners
Their training began at the end of March. The schedule included use and types of engineer tools, rigging, bridge construction, and basic demolition. After basic training was completed in June, they traveled to Fort Lewis, Washington for additional training in firearms and further practice in bridge and road construction. The 299th were next sent to Fort Pierce, Florida.
Training at Fort Pierce is best described by Auburnian Sam Trinca:
”Mostly it was all underwater demolition. We used to go out with the Navy way over our heads, and mind you, I didn’t even know how to swim. I was no swimmer at all. But hey, I came out of the water. Even if it was over our heads, I’d say “feet, let’s go,” and I made it. What we used to do was go underwater with so many blocks of explosives on our backs, so many pounds, 30-40 pounds of explosives…"
On April 4, 1944 Company A left Camp Kilmer and arrived at the New York Port of Embarkation, where they boarded the S.S. Exchequer which left the New York Harbor and joined a large convoy of other troop ships and destroyers. The troops were not informed of their destination until they were issued a booklet on “Life in the British Isles.”
The 299th went to Dorchester, where they were finally informed of their mission; the invasion of Normandy. They would provide eight assault teams who would cut a path through the German beach obstacles. Each troop was going to carry fifty to sixty pounds of explosives on his back, a cartridge belt, a rifle, and two Bangalor torpedoes, in all about ninety pounds of gear in addition to his own weight.
S.S. Exchequer
D-Day
The men were awakened around 3:00 in the morning on June 6, 1944, and the order came to come on deck. They climbed over a railing and down a cargo net into their assault craft, known as LCVPs. In each LCVP was a rubber raft that contained explosives and the men were lined up around them. The assault crafts formed a line, the engines began to rev, and they headed towards the Normandy coastline with the thundering booms of Navy battleships opening up behind them.
The 299th was scheduled to hit the beaches at 0633 on June 6th. Company B would assault Utah Beach and Companies A and C would assault Omaha Beach. At 0633, eight assault teams of the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion landed on Omaha Beach with the task of clearing fifty-yard gaps in the beach obstacles to allow the invasion to advance on the beach.
Normandy beach obstacles
There is no better way to describe the events that unfolded than through the words of the men themselves. Here are parts of their accounts:
By 0715 on June 6th, the 299th successfully cleared five gaps within the beach obstacles while under heavy mortar and artillery fire. The 299th suffered extremely high casualties, nearly one-third of the battalion was either killed, missing, or wounded. Among these casualties were six of the Auburn Boys: Claude D. Brown, Jr., Nicholas V. DeAngelis, Leo A. Indelicato, Thomas J. Phillips, Lawrence A. Roberts, and John R. Spinelli.
Once the beaches had been taken, the Battalion was called together, and the officers began handing out medals to individual members of the 299th. Tony DeTomaso recalled that they “didn’t want any medals, because either we all got them, or we didn’t want them. So they wound up giving us the Presidential Citation.”
Through June and July, the 299th moved through France, building and repairing bridges and roads.
In December 1944, the 299th fought in the Battle of the Bulge, engaging in bridge demolition and defending barrier lines from German attack. On Christmas Eve they were attacked by German aircraft, and afterwards moved to Spa, Belgium. By February 1945, the town of St. Vilth, Belgium had been liberated and the last German offensive was repulsed. After these events the 299th moved into Germany, where they constructed bridges necessary for the infantry to advance into the country.
Besides the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion, Cayuga County residents served in other units during the war including the First Marine Division, Fifth Company, and the 108th Infantry Regiment, which was made up of twelve companies all recruited from western New York.
Draftees marching down Genesee St. (from Cayuga County Historian’s Office)
