D-Day for the 58th Field Artillery Battalion ?

[Ze-Pole]

Hello
I'm looking for any information about the 58th Field artillery Battalion especially a listing with the name of the soldiers of this unit. 58th F.A.B participated on d'day assault in Normandy at OMAHA BEACH and reinforced the 29 th division.
A friend of mine owns an Ike jacket of a member of this unit and just have his name CAISON
Thanks for all !
Ze-Pole

[Ze-Pole]

I found a picture of a monument dedicated to this unit (58th armored field artillery batallion) on Omaha Beach, sector of Vierville. Nobody has more informations ?
No experts about small units on the D-Day ?

http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com/ver ... leus2.html

Ze-Pole

[Andy H]

You could try contacting

http://www.wwiihistorycenter.org/researchpage.htm

at

[email protected]

Regards

Andy H

[Ze-Pole]

Thank you for these informations !
I am afraid there are no specialists about small units on D-Day ; I proposed the same question on other forums, and nobody seem to be able to help my friend.
So, Andy H, I give your answer to my friend.
Ze-Pole

[RichTO90]

Thank you for these informations !
I am afraid there are no specialists about small units on D-Day ; I proposed the same question on other forums, and nobody seem to be able to help my friend.
So, Andy H, I give your answer to my friend.
Ze-Pole

Sorry, but its not that there are no "specialists about small units on D-Day", but rather its that your question cannot be easily answered for any unit in the American Army of any size on D-Day. To do so you must make an appointment with the St Louis National Personnel Records Center and then wade through reams of microfilm searching for the specific Company Morning Reports for this unit; all five of them (Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, A, B, C Battery, and Service Battery), from the date the unit was first formed, so that you can track all the nominative changes in personnel assignement in the unit.

The reason being that unit strengths were summarized daily, but personnel changes were only recorded by name as they occurred, so there was no daily nominative "muster roll". Otherwise the only thing that you can "know" is whether or not he was KIA, DOW, or MIA Declared Dead and buried in one of the cemetaries maintained by the American Battlefield Monuments Commission while assigned to the 58th, which he was not (but four other men were on 6 June and one on 7 June, of the 23 recorded dead of the unit).

So if you wanted information just on the "small unit" itself it is easy to answer, but asking about a specific soldier, especially when you only have his last name...?

Rich

[Ze-Pole]

OK Rich and thank you ! I understand.
I give your answer also to my friend who has got this tunic. I will ask him pictures also.
Ze-Pole

[frankieb]

My late husband, then-Lt. Vincent E. Baker, fought as a forward observer with the 58th AFABn from D-Day through VE-Day. We went to the 40th and 50th anniversaries of D-Day, and spent ten days in Belgium in 2002. Before Vincent died in March 2015, I put the story of the 58th into an ebook titled Hot Steel, which is available worldwide. Fortunatly he was able to read it.

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Steel-Armored ... B00M9AGS00

[ShaneW]

Hi Fran!

I am sorry to hear about your loss and I salute your late husband for his sacrifice. I just returned from visiting my grandfather for his 95th birthday; he was an enlisted man who served with the 58th AFA Bn from Casablanca through D+1 before being evacuated back to England with an injury sustained during the landing. He was with HQ battery and often served with Lt Johnstone as FO. I have read your book (multiple times) and it is a treasure to read--thank you for compiling it. I was wondering if you have retained any of your notes from your interviews with the men of the 58th or have compiled the after action/morning reports. I would love to read them.

I am very interested in learning with which LT he landed on Omaha. He was FO and landed with the 5th Rangers, but I haven't been able to learn more. I have read John Raaen's Intact, but know no more than that. He recalls landing with Johnstone, but I am certain he landed on Omaha Red, not at the Pointe. Are you sure Johnstone landed at the Pointe?

Also do you have a copy of History of the 58th armored field artillery battalion, the booklet that was generated for the men that has their unit citations, rosters, etc. I have Granddads book from the 81st FA Bn that he was assigned to from Sept 1944 (after he got out of the hospital) through VE day, but as he wasn't with the 58th at the end, he did not get the one for the 58th. I am very interested in learning what the blazon for the 58th was.

Thanks!
Shane

[ShaneW]

That's Omaha Dog Red, my typing did not keep up with my thoughts.

[gary-1944]

Your man could be this guy…. Lieutenant Johnson, observer of the 58th Armored Field Artillery Battalion - source: Small Unit Actions Rangers, Pointe du Hoc.

[SamHill1919]

The tunic may belong to Pop Caison. He was in the 58th along with my great uncle. My uncle’s tank was destroyed and Pop Caison loaned him some of his clothes and items to help him until new supplies could be received. Mr. Caison’s daughter abs grandchildren live near me in South Carolina.