This is the continuation of a story begun on our July 2015 Home Page. To go to an archived version of that page, click here: August 2015 Home Page Archive. To return to this month's actual Home Page, click on the Signal Corps orange Home Page menu item in the upper left corner of this page.

continuing...

As the war drew to a close, in April, the Company focused on maintenance of its equipment. Readers will recall that Captain Beck had been nearly court-martialed because of the bad job his men had been doing with regard to vehicle maintenance. As a result of that experience, not only did he see to it that his men focused on vehicle and equipment maintenance, but he did so himself. He wrote that on 12 June, 1945:

“Today I donned coveralls and spent the day in my motor shop with my mechanics. Having the responsibility for so many vehicles kind of makes me feel uneasy when I am not an automotive engineer. It is a good thing that I have such a good Motor Officer—Mr. St.CIN.”

In addition to maintenance duty, the unit continued to perform its usual communications support duties. Over the first two days of May, the 103rd Signal Company undertook the installation and commissioning of a new Division communications network, to support the final Allied drive into the heart of Austria, and then on to Italy.

One of the tasks they undertook in relation to this new network was the provisioning of communication systems to support the junction with the Fifth Army, at Brenner Pass. This involved linking earlier communication networks they had built in the early part of the war (in November and December, 1944) through the rugged snow-covered Vosges, then down and across the Rhine River plain, and on into and through the Siegfried Line, and from there across the Rhine River itself and on through Southern Germany and Austria, to where they were now. This they then linked with the networks coming out of Italy.

Commanders in the 103 I.D.’s Headquarters took note of the achievements of the 103rd Signal Company, commenting that the fact that a major portion of this communication network was constructed, operated, and maintained through some of the roughest terrain in Continental Europe, under advancing combat conditions, was a credit to the “ingenuity, initiative, and aggressiveness of the entire Signal Company personnel.”

Among the systems the 103rd Division’s Signal Company installed were automatic private branch exchanges, to serve Innsbruck’s needs. To support phone connections, commercial wire and cable was policed up from the city and surrounding areas, and utilized to the fullest extent, in order to conserve field wire. Additionally, to enable these systems local workers were recruited, taught cable splicing, and then sent into the field under the Company’s supervision to rehabilitate the “tall cables in the Innsbruck area,” cables that had been damaged during the war.

A radio code school was also set up by the Company, constructed from captured German equipment and other improvised materials. This school served the purpose of providing field refresher training for 20 of the Company’s men, who would then go on to become operators in various support units, where as well as processing coded cables, they would train their own replacements before returning to the Company.

During all of this time the communication networks the Company set up experienced an exceptionally heavy traffic load. Part of this was due to the massive number of Allied units that found themselves camping in the immediate vicinity of Innsbruck. On average, the traffic load exceeded 4,000 calls every twenty-four hour period. The local commercial exchange, whose operation was overseen by the 103rd Signal Company, consisted of approximately 4,500 working lines, and was just as busy. However, because Headquarters could not assure that it wasn’t being used for clandestine purposes, the Seventh Army ordered that it be shut down on 21 May 1945. Only those lines essential to the functions of the City and local military detachments were left in operation.

Work or no work, center in every man’s mind was when the “next shoe would fall.” That is, while the post-war period found the men of the 103rd experiencing everything from boredom to make-work, real work, and more, what occupied everyone’s mind was what role the War in the Pacific was going to have on their lives. It was at about this time, in early May, 1945, that plans for the movement of troops from Europe to the Pacific were announced.

As the orders were explained, men with sufficient service (measured in points) would be transferred into veteran units, and discharged. This meant that members of the 103rd Infantry Division and other units that had been engaged in combat for less than a year would more likely than not be sent to the Pacific, to fight the Japanese. Considering that the 103rd Signal Company served the 103rd I.D., and had marched and fought alongside of it for its whole time in Europe, and that the 103rd I.D. had only about 210 days of combat duty to its credit, the only conclusion that could be drawn from this was that the men of the 103rd Signal Company would be assigned to units that would move back through the United States, have a few days of rest at home, and then be shipped on to Japan.

The first group of Signal men to leave Innsbruck were assigned to the Signal Company of the 5th Infantry Division. For some unknown reason, these men were part of a "fast track back through the United States and then to the Pacific war" group that was moving out before the idea of packing up and moving out had even settled into the minds of most of the other units. When their plight was learned, every other Signals unit stopped to take notice, watching closely to see how the process worked.

One of the Signaleers from the 103rd, a man named Evans, reported that...

“About the end of June, I said goodbye to the 103rd ‘Cactus’ Infantry Division and to Innsbruck and headed east, eventually arriving at Vilschaffen, a town close to the Czechoslovakian border on the Danube River.

“I along with other[s]... [were] assigned to the 5th Infantry Division Signal Company. We had a few more days to enjoy the beautiful scenery, during which we liberated a couple of outboard motor boats and spent a lot of time boating up and down the Danube.

“We were just marking time while other G.I.s from other units were reassigned to the 5th Division. We took the Cactus shoulder patches off of our uniforms and replaced them with the Red Diamond of the 5th Infantry Division. 

“Eventually, the rosters (of the 5th division) were full, we had been through innumerable inspections, and we were ready for the trip back to the U.S. …”

Unbeknownst to Evans, what was happening was that Headquarter companies were counting each man’s points, and reassigning them to units where other men with similar numbers of points were serving. In this way, a reconstructed unit could be sent, newly complemented but still intact, to that place where it could best serve in the war on Japan. While rumors were rampant, and reassignments painful, the truth was that there was a plan, and it was working. In the case of the men of the 103rd Signal Company, those with low numbers found themselves being transferred to the 45th Signal Company, a sure sign that the 45th was on its way to fight in Japan. Those with higher numbers stayed in the 103rd, a rather comforting sign that the 103rd was heading back to the States, rather than Japan.

Captain Beck himself found that he was going to be transferred to the 45th Signal Company of the "Thunderbird" Division. There he would be assigned command of the 45th Signal Company. To keep him company, nearly every man with less than 85 points went with him, again showing that what was left of the 103rd would likely end up going back to the States for good, as their point count was too high for reassignment to the Pacific War.

By 3 July 1945, all of the officers and men who were to be transferred out of the 103rd Signal Company, had left. For those that stayed behind, the reality was bittersweet. They were happy that they were heading back to the States, but sad that their combat buddies had left them, and were now moving on to their next fight. For those that had transferred out to the 45th, the only solace they had was the fact that for all practical purposes the 45th was in reality the 103rd, but with a different arm patch.

What Captain Beck was to learn however was that it was not as simple as that. The fact of the matter was that redeployment in the European Theatre of Operations worked on the basis of units being brought in from all parts of Europe to one of the many assembly area camps, where they would then be processed either for return to the US or direct shipment to what was called the CBI (China, Burma, India combat area).

Initially Captain Beck was sent to the Camp St. Louis processing area. Once he arrived there however, he was catalogued and categorized and moved on again to a staging area closer to the port of embarkation (POE). There too he found himself undergoing further processing, after which he was sent on to a final staging area where he was told he would wait for his passage to his next assignment area.

Since nearly everyone was shipping out by ship, and the final staging area was where the ships loaded, the time spent in this final staging area was usually just a few days. With the ships sitting in port, waiting for the men, once all of the business of organizing the outward passage was completed, and the manifest secured, it didn't take long to load the ship... thus usually within a few short days of a man's arrival at the POE he found himself on his ship, watching the shore slowly slip away... enroute to his next assignment.

Around about the 7th of August, 1945, while all of the foregoing was happening to Captain Beck, news began to circulate around the staging areas he was passing through that something big was up.

Students of history know that on August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people. Tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Not surprisingly, it took two days for this information to reach Captain Beck. On 9 August the news finally arrived, in sufficient depth and context so that he knew what had happened. He was so excited by the news that he immediately wrote his wife.

“Today was the day that we all have been spending long discussions on the merits of this atomic bomb that was launched against Japan. Wow! what a bomb! It is very fortunate that the development of this massive destructive power was by the United States and not some foreign country. Just think of what that bomb can do in conquering the world.”

One can only imagine what this incredible news meant to the tens of thousands of men awaiting, alongside Captain Beck and his fellow Officers, for shipment to the Pacific Theatre of War. As rumors flew around the camps and staging areas, everyone tried as they could to find some solid news. By 11 August, 1945, Captain Beck had found out more about the story, and was beginning to reflect on what the bombing of Japan with this new fangled thing might mean for him.

First he wrote that his primary source of news was Stars and Stripes, which he said he not only read, but reread over and over again, savoring every word. He said radio news reached him occasionally too, but only sporadically. Even so, he said that he absorbed everything he could find about the war in Japan, and the effort the U.S. was making to bring it to an end. Deep thinker that he was, he paused in yet another letter home to speak of his hopes for the future:

“My wishes and plans of the future are the same as any American G.I. I want a world to live, which is secure and safe for my wife and I to raise our little family. I want a fair chance to make a living—and my abilities and ambition will take care of the rest. I want to return, permanently, soon so that I can get started and not to be too old to grow up with my children.”

Reading his personal letters of then, from today's perspective, it is obvious that one couldn't ask for a better example of a U.S. Army Signal Corps Officer than Captain Beck. When Signal OCS produced this graduate, it produced a winner.

His story is incredible... a full tour of combat duty, fighting his way across Europe, in command of 300 Signaleers, had left this man not bitter, but hopeful. Not full of rancor for what had befallen him, but full of appreciation for the wonders of life, and the beauty of what was yet to come. Without  doubt, Captain Beck is an example of the oft stated phrase that is applied to World War II veterans: “he was a member of America’s greatest generation.” In reading his writing, one can see the greatness of both Captain Beck, and that of his generation, shine through.

By 2 September, VJ Day, the war with Japan was over. At the time this news reached them the men of the 45th were waiting to ship out for Japan. Camped at the Le Havre docks and waiting to be assigned a ship, the tension they had been feeling eased a bit. All low numbered men, where before they knew they were headed for combat duty, now they were sure that they would end up performing occupation duties. Finally, for them, the fighting was over. No attacks on the fortifications of Japan, no jungle combat… just occupation duty. God was good. A little slow, but good.

The next morning, a foggy day, the men loaded themselves onto the Madawaska Victory, and after throwing off a few lines the vessel pulled out past scuttled hulls, and headed for Wales.

The passage was planned to take 7 days. As they progressed the weather was calm, and there were no storms. About the time they were off the Plymouth Lighthouse, to the south of England, the ship’s public address system blared out a call for everyone to listen up. “Attention on deck," it beckoned "there has been a change of orders.” And just like that, in an instant, the men found that they would now be proceeding to Boston instead of Wales, England.

They were going home... immediately.

As fast as the announcement was over, celebrations broke out across the ship. Hats were tossed in the air and overboard, as were gas masks and anything else the men could get their hands on. Everyone was euphoric, as they were almost certain that when they disembarked in Boston they would find out that as low as their "point system" scores were, they would still be high enough to warrant a full discharge... hopefully right away. After all, the war in Japan was over... they were no longer needed.

Regardless of whether this quasi-truth, quasi-wish turned out to be the fact or not, every man formerly a member of the 103rd Signal Company celebrated, saying that their trip back was proving to be a much more enjoyable trip than the one going over.

By 11 September the ship was standing off of Cape Cod, in a pea soup. Foggy though it was, eventually the U.S. mainland appeared, and a cheer went out. Yet the cheer was not as loud as that which proceeded when a few minutes later the men noticed that a boat load of WACs had approached the vessel. Strangely, as full as it was, the boat did not capsize as everyone clambered to the port side to cheer the women on.

Within a short while, the vessel docked in Boston Harbor, the men were unloaded, and everyone moved off to Camp Miles Standish. “There, the fastest all-night processing imaginable had us on board appropriate trains to all parts of the USA.” Heading for Separation Centers, the men were going home. There they would be given 30 days of rest. For some, their time in the Army would end there. For others, after their leave, they would move on to a new unit, where they would report to finish out their enlistment.

Most of the men of the now 45th Signal Company (essentially, the new version of the 103rd Signal Company) were told to report to Camp Bowie, Texas, after their 30 days at home. By early to mid November, 1945, those assigned to Camp Bowie had gathered there.

What they found surprised them. The 45th was being deactivated.

On 21 November, the 45th Signal Company ceased to exist. A few men, lifers mostly, moved on to yet another assignment; most however packed their duffel bags and headed for home. One of the men noted years after that day that on his last day on base, as he was heading for the bus stop, he walked with his “duffel bag, etc across the main entrance courtyard of Camp Bowie, with its tall flagpole and large, waving American flag…”

At that point he noticed that an “impressive color-guard marched out for the retreat ceremony and the lowering of the colors.”

“I was there alone in that broad expanse, except for the active participants in the ceremony, when the bugle [sounded] 'To the Colors'.

"Standing there in my uniform, saluting for the last time on my last day of active service, I experienced those highly emotional feelings millions of other service men have felt before and since.

“We were honored to serve with so many others. I and the other men of the 103rd Infantry Division and its Signal Company will never forget the times, the places, and OUR MEN.”

With such simple words, this Signaleer of the 103rd Signal Company expressed what so many former Signaleers have felt down through the ages... at the end of every war, at the end of every enlistment, on a soldier's last day in uniform: love of country, love of service, love of the Signal Corps, and love of those we served with.

 

 

f          e

 

 

 

103rd Signal Company Battle Stars

The 103rd Signal Company engaged in the following 34 battles from the time they went "on the line" until the surrender of German forces on Victory in Europe (V-E) Day (11 Nov 44 - 8 May 44).

Taintrux Valley, France	Saulcy, France	Steige, France	Ville, France	Maisongoutte, France
Dambach-la-Ville, France	Selestat, France	Mertzwiller, France	Climbach, France	Rott, France
Bobenthal, Germany	Sarreguemines, France	Sessenheim, France	Schillersdorf, France	Moder River, France
Neider Schlettenbach, France	Reisdorf, Germany	Klingenmunster, Germany	Kircheim, Germany	Nurtingen, Germany
Munsingen, Germany	Bohringen, Germany	Turkheim, Germany	Schongau, Germany	Partenkirchen, Germany
Klaus, Germany	Landsberg, Germany	Scharnitz, Austria	Leithen, Austria	Zirl, Austria
Innsbruck, Austria	Brenner Pass, Austria

 

103rd Signal Company Campaigns

For its role in the European Theater of Operations, the 103rd Signal Company was credited with participation in three campaigns. In military terms, this means that the Division and Regimental colors are authorized campaign streamers to be affixed, and soldiers of the Division are entitled to three campaign stars mounted on their individual European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal and ribbon.

The three campaigns, the War Department General Order, and the date authorized are as follows:  

Rhineland (WDGO 118, 12 Dec 1945) (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45)  

Ardennes-Alsace (WDGO 63, 20 Sep 1948) (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45)  

Central Europe (WDGO 116, 11 Dec 1945) (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)

 

 

 

            

Additional Information

The following background information for Captain Beck is quoted from Evans, Pierce; Papa's War, Limited Publication 1995:

“Throughout his civilian life, before and after military service, Bernie Beck worked in the field of sales promotion advertising. He was an accomplished commercial artist and calligrapher. After his discharge from active service, he held executive positions in national advertising agencies and organized his own firms under the names Bernard Beck Associates.

“Beck eventually retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel. His military awards included the Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal, the Emergency Service Medal, the Purple Heart and Service Ribbon with two battle stars.

“Beck was married to Roslyn Nasser until he died. They had two children, Paul Beck, an Electronics Engineer and Andy Beck, an Architect. Bernard Beck died of a smoking-related heart attack at the young age of 65 in 1985.”

 

Reference Sources

Various backround material taken from Fighting in the Val de oder; Lise M. Pommois, Association Les Amis de la Libération de Pfaffenhoffen; C. Delbecq, 1989 - Alsace (France).  

Many of the comments and quotes in this series, and especially in this article, were taken from the excellent book entitled 103d Infantry Division Signal Company Remembrances; 1918 – 1945, by William F. Barclay. Some portions of the text in this article are a literal rewrite of a few parahraphs of that book. The text of the book is currently in the process of being placed online, and is available in partial form at this link. Of note, text and pictures are being added to the online version by the son of Captain Beck. We have depended heavily in our quoting the writings of Captain Beck, and in using his observations to add color to this story, on information contained in this book, which information most certainly must have come from Captain Beck's son Andy Beck. Our expressed gratitude for his having provided it for inclusion in the 103d Infantry Division Signal Company Remembrances; 1918 – 1945, and for the chance to quote from it here.

In addition to the above, generally, quotations shown, unless otherwise identified, were excerpted and extracted from 103d Infantry Division Signal Company Remembrances; 1918 – 1945, by William F. Barclay. However, because of the extensive use of what we believe was Barclay's book as source material for other deep web sources, from which we in turn extracted data for use here, we can not say with certainty that the material used here originally came from Barclay's book. Notwithstanding this, the nature of the quotations and stories appearing in such deep web sources leads us to believe that it was originally sourced from Mr. Barclay's book, and accordingly we wish to provide credit here.

Pictures from various online sources. When shown without identification, no identifying source was able to be found. 

The Patriot Files; dedicated to the preservation of military history; www.patriotfiles.com.

Generally, map graphics and references courtesy www.103rdcactus.com.

Papa's War, Evans, Pierce; Limited Publication, 1995; various online sources.

Report After Action: The Story of the 103rd Infantry Division; Mueller, Ralph; Turk, Jerry; Printing Office, Innsbruck, Austria.

Index of /Sexton/103rd; deep web sourcing.

103D Infantry Division Signal Company History, online as a Pierce-Evans.org project.

103rd Infantry Division, Wartime Press.

Miscellaneous fact checking: The Patriot Files; an online resource dedicated to the preservation of military history.

PPhoto of German soldiers surrendering outside of Dachau reproduced courtesy of Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority. 

 

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This page originally posted 1 August 2015