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106th
Signal Group |
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| Group History | |||||||||||||||||
| If you have more information on the history or organization of the 106th Sig Gp, please contact me. | |||||||||||||||||
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| 246th Signal Company | |||||||||||||||||
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| 257th Signal Company | |||||||||||||||||
(Source: Email from Lawrence C. Collins, A Co, 62nd Sig Bn and 257th Sig Co, 1962) |
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| I reported to Co. A of the 62nd Signal Battalion in October 1962. I was assigned as Communications Platoon Officer. The C.O. was Nicholas Mineo, now retired and living in Carlisle, Pa. The company was quartered in Quonset huts at a sub post of Harbord Barracks called "Maison Fort". The 69th also had a radio-carrier company located at Vassincourt, near Bar-le -Duc in Northern France and an aviation company located somewhere in central France. As I recall Orleans was the headquarters of USA COMZ and we were about 10 miles south of there. I was transferred to Camp des Loges to be C/O of the newly formed 257th Sig. Co. when the 69th rotated back to the states. I recall the vehicles and conex containers of gear were sent to Ft. Eustis but most of the personnel were dispersed to other units in USAREUR. Would like to hear from old SigC people. Lawrence C. Collins |
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| 293rd Signal Company | |||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Richard Dodson, 293rd Sig Co and 106th Sig Gp) | |||||||||||||||||
| I was a Platoon Leader with and later the Executive Officer
of the 293rd Signal Company at Kaserne Lariboisiere in
Fontainebleau. When we left France and moved to Germany,
I was reassigned to the 106th Signal Group at Patch Barracks.
As a matter of fact, I was the OIC of the Communication Control
Center that monitored/controlled the switch over of all Long-Haul
Communications supporting HQ EUCOM at Camp Des Loge (near
Paris), then Patch Barracks at Vaihingen, Germany. I later served as Assistant S-3 for the 106th Signal Group and it was my job to test all of the Communications supporting HQ EUCOM whenever it deployed to the field. I can remember making Secure calls to units throughout Europe and CONUS, including the Pentagon, “Cheyenne Mt., CO,” as well as Non-Secure calls on the AUTOVON system. One those exercises was conducted at Pruem (actually Prüm), Germany. If interested, I still keep in regular contact with the individual who was the Company Commander of the 293rd Signal Company, after it moved to Prüm. He also served with the 246th at Druex AFB, then was Co-OIC of the Communication Control Center at Patch Barracks during the switch-over of the Long-Haul Communications from Camp Des Loge to Patch Barracks. |
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(Source: Email from Bob Gaudio) |
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I came across your 5th Signal Command web site, and discovered a little bit of the history of my old Army unit, the 293rd Signal Company, part of the 106th Signal Group. I was a Tech Controller with the 293rd from March 1965 to June 1967, and was among those "booted" out of France in March 67. I was TDY a few times to the 257th, 246th Signal Companies, and the NATO segment outside of Paris and have copies of those orders. I do have copies of most of my orders, pay slips and other paper momentos (unit rosters) of that period of time. Here is a little background about my service with the 293rd Signal Company. The 293rd, along with the 246th and 257th Signal Company's were all part of the 106th Signal Group. The 257th operated the fixed communications center (minus microwave radio) at (HQ) USEUCOM, Camp Des Loges, France, and the 293rd along with the 246th served as mobile/fixed communications backup for the 257th. From time-to-time, the 293rd and 246th would participate in "field problems", by diverting existing land line telephone and teletype communications circuits, that terminated at the 257th Com Center, from strategic French PTT (the telephone company) central offices, and extended the circuits, via microwave radio to a remote temporary communications center. The 293rd provided the microwave radio, multiplex and technical control components, and the 246th provided the cryptographic and communications center components. All of the equipment was housed in 2½-ton and 5-ton tractor trailer combination vehicles. Portable gas powered electric generators, and mess facilities were all part of the package. The 293rd was based in Fontainebleau, France at the Caserne Lariboisiere, which was a old 4-floor French military barracks. Single Enlisted Men lived in the barracks, and married personal lived off post on the economy. One of the EM periodic duties was to be an "alert driver", which was to drive an assigned route, to alert those personnel living off post to assemble at the post for what ever reason. I believe we had a 4 hour ready to roll commitment. The 246th was based at Druex, France AFB, and had similar off hour duties. Our relations with the local French was OK, from a 19 year olds point of view. Downtown Fontainebleau was within easy walking distance, and Paris was a 1 hour train ride. Some people had vehicles, and never had problems getting around, etc. During the month of February 1967, the 293rd was ordered a permanent change of station to Pruem, Germany. Some of the unit was sent to Stuttgart, Germany. I'm not sure where the 246th went to, or what happened to the personnel from the 257th. Prior to my rotation back to the U.S. in June 1967, we didn't perform any "field problems" so I'm not sure what the new mission was after being asked to leave France. |
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(Source: Email from Randy Shields, 293rd Sig Co, 1965-66 and 257th Sig Co, 1966-67) |
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Served as a Tech. Controller with the 293rd Signal Company in France from Nov. 1965 through Nov. 1966, then assigned to 257th to set up forward communications at Patch Barracks until discharge Sept. 1967. I worked the temp. Tech. Control trailer and helped in the construction of the Tech. Control Facilites in the basement of one of the buildings at Patch Barracks. Field call sign for field unit PBK. Now work as a Senior Communication Engineer for American Electric Power. Randy Shields |
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| (Source: Email from Earl Carter, 293rd Sig Co, 1966-67) | |||||||||||||||||
| I was a member of the 293rd Signal Company in Fontainebleau, France from Feb 2, 1966 through July 15, 1967. I was a 31M20 Radio Relay and Carrier Attendant and worked with VHF/UHF radio equipment. I worked very little with the carrier equipment. During my time in Fontainebleau I spent time in school in Lenggries, Germany, TDY in Orleans at Maison Fort, and TD in Verdun. Six operators and Sgt William Baker took radio trucks to Verdun and set up to take over communication links previously served by microwave equipment, which had been moved to Germany. We went there about Dec 1, 1966 and on Mar 15, 1967, went to Prüm, Germany, where the 293rd had already relocated. Once we left Fontainebleau in Dec we never went back. I was a draftee in the Army so I only spent 2 years active duty, but enjoyed it. I got to see a part of the world that I would have probably only seen in pictures. Since I had an electronic background before my Army days I have spent the better part of my working years with the Sperry Corporation, which later became UNISYS, as a computer technician, and the Raytheon Company. I have pictures that I took of the post in Fontainebleau if you would be interested in them. They being color photos from the 1960’s have faded a bit but are still pretty good. I still keep in touch with a friend in Coshocton, Ohio who was in the 293rd at the same time. |
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