A Combat Engineer with Patton's Army: The Fight Across Europe with the 80th "Blue Ridge" Division in World War II

by Lois Lembo, Leon Reed

Overview

“An engaging and often frightening story” of a member of the 305th Engineering Battalion of the 80th Infantry Division (Andrew Z. Adkins III, coauthor of You Can’t Get Much Closer Than This).

A Combat Engineer with Patton’sArmy is the untold story of Frank Lembo, one of George Patton’s men who helped move the American command in the battle of Argentan in the Normandy Campaign, in the high-speed pursuit of the German Wehrmacht eastward across France, and in the brutal battles waged during the Battle of the Bulge and during the final combats along the borders of the collapsing Reich.

Throughout his time in Europe, Lembo maintained a running commentary of his experiences with Betty Craig, his fiancée and future wife. This extensive correspondence provides a unique eyewitness view of the life and work of a combat engineer under wartime conditions. As a squad (and later platoon) leader, Frank and his comrades cleared mines, conducted reconnaissance behind enemy lines, built bridges, and performed other tasks necessary to support the movement of the 317th, 318th, and 319th Infantry Regiments of the Blue Ridge Division—Patton’s workhorses, if not his glamour boys.

Frank’s letters go beyond his direct combat experiences to include the camaraderie among the GIs, living conditions, weather, and the hijinks that helped keep the constant threat of death at bay. His letters also worked to reassure Betty with hopeful dreams for their future together.

Including dozens of previously unpublished photographs, A Combat Engineer with Patton’s Army offers the rare perspective of what day-to-day warfare at the ground-level looked like in the European Theater through the eyes of one of the men spearheading the advance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611214048
Publisher:	Savas Beatie
Publication date:	07/01/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	289
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Lois Lembo is the daughter of 80th division veteran Frank Lembo and a retired defense consultant who specialized in wargames and technology analysis. Leon Reed was a congressional aide and U.S. History teacher. They live in Gettysburg and have three children and four grandchildren.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Chapter 1 Joining the U.S. Army 1

Chapter 2 The Trip to England and France: July 1-Aug. 6, 1944 12

Chapter 3 Normandy and the Falaise Pocket: Aug. 6-26, 1944 18

Chapter 4 The Race Across France: Aug. 27-Sept. 4, 1944 37

Chapter 5 First Assault on the Moselle: Sept. 5-6, 1944 50

Chapter 6 The Final Moselle Bridgehead: Sept. 6-12, 1944 59

Chapter 7 The Fight for the Hills: Sept. 13-30, 1944 67

Chapter 8 The Silver Star at the Seille: Oct. 1-Nov. 9, 1944 78

Chapter 9 To the German Border: Nov. 9-Dec. 17, 1944 101

Chapter 10 The Battle of the Bulge: Dec. 18-31, 1944 122

Chapter 11 Closing up the Bulge: Jan. 1-31, 1945 140

Chapter 12 The Sauer Crossing: Feb. 1-17, 1945 156

Chapter 13 Entry into Germany: Feb. 18-28, 1945 177

Chapter 14 Across the Rhine: March 1-31, 1945 189

Chapter 15 Into the Heart of Germany: April 1-20, 1945 200

Chapter 16 Nuremburg to the Danube Valley: April 21-May 3, 1945 215

Chapter 17 Austria to War's End: May 4-9, 1945 223

Chapter 18 Peace Settles In: May 9-June 10, 1945 228

Epilogue 239

Appendix 1 Frank T. Lembo Service Record 244

Appendix 2 Company B, 305th Engineers Locations 245

Appendix 3 Divisional Casualties 249

Appendix 4 Mail and the GI in World War II 253

Appendix 5 Engineer Roles and Missions 258

Bibliography 262

Acknowledgments 269

Index 271

Editorial Reviews

"...highly recommended as an example of how one battalion supported the U.S. Army’s war in Europe and of one soldier’s service to his country."

Army History Magazine

As youngsters, we grew up with dads who fought in WWII, dads who rarely talked about the war and many who came back after ‘just doing their job.’ We didn’t know what they went through, either physically or emotionally and it wasn’t until later years when they started talking about ‘the war.’ Now, it’s our turn, the Baby Boomer generation, to help share their stories. Lois Lembo and Leon Reed help bring the close encounter experiences of Lois’s dad, Frank Lembo, a member of the 305th Engineering Battalion of the 80th Infantry Division, in an engaging and often frightening story. This is a must read for any and all WWII enthusiasts.

Andrew Z. Adkins III

Frank had enough gumption to put in writing his experiences. It’s a great asset to our history. The letters he wrote his fiancé are a priceless record and his daughter did a great job of filling in the story. As an 80th Division infantryman, I can verify that the experiences of Frank were of the highest traditions of our unit. Frank was a ‘Can do American G.I.’

Staff Sergeant Bob Burrows

Combining a personal narrative with an operational history . . . certainly recommended.

The Journal of America's Military Past