Departure for Europe
November 23, 1943, Virginia
Richard's battalion - totaling some 660 men - on Nov 23. 1943 boarded in Virginia after a rigorous training. Richard's battalion - totaling some 660 men - on Nov 23. 1943 boarded in Virginia after a rigorous training.
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Arriving in England
January 20 1944
Jan 20. 1944 82nd 82nd Engineer Combat Battalion arrived in Liverpool, England. It would be six months before they saw action.
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Landing at Omaha Beach
between 10th and 16th June, 1944
On June 6, 1944, D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe began. The 82 Engineer Combat
Battalion landed in stages between 10 and 16 June, 1944 on Omaha Beach in Normandy. The intention was to rapidly push on to the rest of France, but the advance was slow.
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Operation Cobra
end of July 1944, Saint-Lô
end of July 1944, seven weeks after D-Day, the front had stagnated. Operation Cobra had to break the deadlock. 82 Engineer Combat Battalion was located around Saint-Lô, near the front. Richard Wells particpated fully in Operation Cobra.
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Building bridges
August 1944, Meulan
On August 7 Richard was in Vire, where he and his comrades initially constructed an (emergency) bridge. On August 26 they arrived in the town of Meulan and constructed a bridge over the Seine. Early September the 82 Engineer Combat Battalion went on to Belgium.
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Died
September 9, 1944, Kesselt
On September 9, 1944 Richard, with three others, was given the task of finding a suitable place for a temporary bridge across the Albert Canal. The Germans had blown up all the bridges. Their jeep was shot at between Kesselt and Veldwezelt, Richard was hit and died.
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July 1943 (?)
Registration ARC
September 1943
to the UK
July 16, 1944
Landing on Utah Beach
March 15, 1945
Siegfriedlinie
May 1, 1945
Died on pleasure flight
June 19, 1945
Buried in Margraten, Block RR, Row 12 Grave 290
February 18, 1943
Air Evac. Nurse diploma
Jan. 15, 1944
Married
July 26, 1943
Body washed up
March - Augus 1943
Panama
June 1944
To Europa
November 23, 1943
Departure for Europa
January 20, 1944
Arriving in England
June 1944
Landing Omaha Beach
US enters the war
December 11, 1941
Nazi Germany declares war on the US
Turnaround WWII
Februari 2, 1943
Battle of Stalingrad: Red Army defeats Germans
Richard F. Wells
A soldier's soldier
| Date in service: | February 1, 1943 |
| Date in Europe: | November 23, 1943 |
| Start in the participation of the war: | ? |
| Army Unit: |
Battle Engineers: 82 Engineer Combat Battalion |
| Rank: | Corporal |
| Awards: | Purple Heart |
Richard enlisted in the US Army on February 1, 1943. He was assigned to 82 Engineer Combat Battalion. These troops supported their fighting comrades and if necessary could also fight in battle. Their work was also fraught with danger.
After a rigorous training, Richard's battalion of some 660 men boarded in Virginia on November 23, 1943. The intended destination was initially India, but plans changed. Via Oran in Algeria and Casablanca in Morocco the battalion was sent to England.
Richard was a Corporal and Squad
Foreman (Deputy section
leader).
Training as an
engineer
Richard
joined up on February 1, 1943 at the age of 19. He was assigned to 82nd Combat Engineer Combat Battalion.
First he received the basic training as a soldier.
Then he was trained as an engineer. At the end of August 1943 the battalion was orderd
to prepare to be shipped overseas.
Letters Richard wrote during his training to his mother and sister Doris.