Carroll H. Dunn
Thus, it was much easier to keep track of exactly what the division was doing than if
the unit had been part of a smaller organization.
Q ..
Did you expect to return to command?
A ..
Theoretically? I was classified as "seriously wounded." Under normal circumstances I
might well not have returned. But there was a request from the division commander to
the hospital that I
as early as possible. I actually was returned as an exception to
theater
based on this personal request of the division commander.
Q ..
Who was he?
A ..
Leland S. Hobbs.
Q ..
Was there a particular reason why he requested you?
A
So far as I know, he and others on the division staff had assumed that I would be
coming back upon recovery and release
the hospital. For that reason the command
of the battalion had passed temporarily to the executive officer [Major
M.
who served as the battalion commander during my absence.
Across France, 1944
Q.
At what point did you rejoin the battalion?
A
I rejoined the battalion just after the American forces had captured Aachen and during
the action to enlarge the penetration into Germany through the Siegfried Line. The
division was then located about miles north of Aachen on the boundary between
Germany and Holland.
Q ..
Earlier, in addition to the mine activity that was an ongoing concern as far as the
advance up to this point and beyond, you mentioned bridging and the type of bridging
that you used. Were there any problems with bridging during your advance; problems
with supplies or problems with the bridges that you were required to construct?
A.
No, I don't remember any to this point, but we had some interesting bridge problems
a little later. During the Battle of the Bulge, we went south to the
Belgium,
area. After that was over, we returned to the original location northeast of Aachen and
prepared to cross a small stream called the Roer River as a part of the general attack
toward the Rhine. There were some interesting problems here. The Germans had
opened the discharge gates
an upstream dam, which flooded the Roer in this area.
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