WWII Antwerp Dock Pass

A veteran of the 280th Port Company, David Cohen, sent me a scan of himself and the dock pass that he carried with him in the port of Antwerp during the war.

239th Port Company, 494th Port Battalion roster

In my continuing research in to WWII port battalions I requested the National Archives' historic report of the Army's African-American 494th Port Battalion. Among the papers was an October 1944 list of men receiving the Good Conduct Medal. The list offers a near-complete roster of the men in the battalion. I'm reproducing the names of the 239th Port Company in the hopes that family members find their dad or grandfather. I want connect people with the remarkable service of the WWII port companies. This battalion took part in the Normandy Invasion at Omaha Beach. You can read about the experience of one veteran here.

Herman Hanson (or Herman Hansen) • William C. Goodman • Andrew E. Jones • Ormister L. Smith • Johnnie R. Whitaker • Earl D. Boho • Caleb Carey • Richard Day • Moses Jones • Lloyd  Scott • William H. White • Loring Fountain • Herbert Benson • Leo I. Bridgewater • Gilmer Ecoles • Willie C. Grant • Earnest Gunthorp • Samuel B. Johnson • Marvin Kingcade • Nathan McKinnon • J. C. Smith • Robert Perry • Paul Watkins • Jesse J. Alexander • Arthur M. Burgo • Sylvester Cheeks • Frederick D. Crowe • John F. Davis • Benjamin Dover • Andrew J. Failey • George D. Hardy • John Robinson • Rueben Jackson, Jr. • Walter M. Ormond • James J. Treadwell • Walter T. White • Van O. Bonnitto • John E. Cobbs • Jimmie Jones • William D. Roberts • Earnest Shannon • William Cotton • Feliz S. Ball • George Bivens • Robert H. Coram • Solomon Gibbs • James T. Greene • William E. Hicks • Kenneth H. King • William S. Liddlie • Rex W. Merritt • Gordon S. Stewart • Warren B. Thomas • Ollie Williams • James Anderson • Joseph Butler • Thadus N. Craddock • George M. Daniels • Jean O. Dixon • Thomas A. Dyer • William Friday • Ollie Holt • Barney Hunter • James Kelly • George E. Majors • Eugene Moore • William Paul • James F. Sims • Chalres B. Smith • John H. Taylor • Robert E. Warren • Robert Cain • Leo F. Carrington • Robert J. Cheeks • Herbert Durham • Edward L. Gilmore • Abraham Green • Willie D. Hall • Clarence Harley • Walter E. Heard • Jim H. Hopkins • Albert Jacobs • Neal Lemmons • Lee T. Norman • Edward Roper • Wesley Smith • Joe A. Williamson • Quincy Wroght • David Jenkins • Melton Lumpkins • William McGill • Alvin R. Nance • Dolly L. Sal*** • Charles E. Smith • Charles E. Sullivan • Charles Walker • Love Williams • Clifford Carter • Vickers Chambers • Lewis Davin • *alton Eady • Shadrack Gill • *. C. Grigaby • Oscar Manna • Edward Harrington • Aaron Hensley • Atwood Humdy • James A. Jeters • Joseph W. Murph • Albert A. Potter • James Smalls • James M. Taylor • Leroy Wilson

1945 Groenplaats Exposition, Antwerp, Belgium

P-47 Thunderbolt from my grandfather's album.

In a 2009 post I shared some photos from the 1945 Groenplaats Exposition held in Antwerp after the war. This was a display of Allied military equipment and captured German rockets. I found a GI's photo album on eBay. He served in the 268th Port Company in Antwerp at the same time as my grandfather's 304th Port Company. He also visited the Groenplaats Expostion, taking photos of many of the same vehicles and artillery pieces as my grandfather:

The same P-47.

British Spitfire.

Horsa glider.

Captured German V-2 Rocket.

M-8 Armored car.

Sherman Firefly, a British variation of the M4 Sherman tank.

Anti-aircraft artillery with radar trailer.

AA gun with interesting pavilion in the background.