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On July 15, 1944 the 557th departed by train from Ft Jackson SC for Fort Slocum NY, the port of embarkation. The 557th boarded the Queen Mary, (The Grey Ghost) on 23 July, 1944 and arrived in record time unesscorted in the UK six days later. From Glassgow, the 557th was taken by train to Camp Blackshaw Moore UK.
The soldiers recieved enthusiastic greetings from the citizens of the UK, recieving baked goods on the ride to Blackshaw Moore. The most noted observation from the soldiers was that daylight extended in England untill 10:30-11:00 PM which initially was difficult to get used to...
View Map 1, Transport from New York to Camp Blackshaw UK, July 23-29, 1944 in a larger map
The early part of August was devoted to preperations for crossing the English Channelto France with every effort made to insure that the guns, transport equipment, mounts, and Anti-Aircraft Guns were in ready order.
Combat: 1 August 1944-8 May 1945
August, 1944
The 557th departed from Camp Blackshaw Moor for Southampton UK, on the 13 th of August, 1944 and soon after travelled via LST to Utah Beach (on the 15th of August, 1944).The next day the Battalion arrived at St. Germaine de Varville, France. On the 20th of August the unit arrivedat Ste. Mare Eglise where A Battery, B Battery, and C Battery were assigned the missions of protecting aircraft landing and take-off strips.
View Map 2, Blackshaw Moor to Utah Beach, August 15-16, 1944 in a larger map September-October, 1944
October-November, 1944
November-December, 1944
On the 20th of December , the S-3 and D Battery departed the Siegfried Linewith the 326 Field Artillery for Marche, Belgium when the German Army broke throughin what was to be called the Battle of the Bulge, known officially as the German Penetration into Belgium, the remainder of the 557th moved with the 84th Infantry -its mission was to hold the Marche-Hutton Lineas part of the 1st US Army. Excerpt from the Story of the 557th, Clyde D. Boden, Jr.16 May, 1959
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