897th and 3562nd Ordnance HAM Companies, 1941-1945

897th Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company
3562nd Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company
1st Army, V Corps, European Theater of Operations

Belgium, 1944: the war rages on, the weather is lousy, and your truck's frame is bent. Who ya gonna call? The 897th, that's who! They performed difficult repairs under adverse conditions.

Welcome to this WWII history site commemorating the 897th and 3562nd Ordnance HAM Companies, maintained by the son of 897th veteran Julian Gocek. I love to hear from veterans and their families, current service people, and history buffs. With the passing of my father at age 97 in 2015, I doubt any 897th vets are still with us. Best wishes to all the families.

The site is laid out to be mobile-friendly, but with over 250 original wartime photos from the Gocek, Hammond, and Chenevey families, and others, watch your data usage. Just keep scrolling! Contact info at the bottom.

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This day in history: Tuesday, November 21, 1944: Stavelot, Belgium.November is marked by the constant recurrence of two annoyances - rain, and robot (buzz) bombs. As a result, several Welsh military from the British Army occupy the attic of the hotel and use specialized tracking equipment to determine the flight path and destination of the buzz bombs. The nature of shop work changes from 4th echelon rebuild to the processing of pool vehicles and delivery to the using units. With the coming of cold weather, and to shelter the personnel and equipment against the elements, flat tops are constructed using canvas and timber from the nearby forests. During the month, passes to Paris are made available and after a drawing, two fortunate enlisted men are the first in the company to go to town in over five months. Buzz bombs became more frequent, and, unofficially it is believed that Silas Howerton shoots down one of these V-1 robots while on guard duty one night.

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