Po Valley Campaign

169th Engineer Battalion

Po Valley Campaign

169th Engineers where a major asset to the success of the Allied Forces in the Po Valley campaign. The 169th Engineer Battalion like many of the other engineer battalions where busy building bridges destroyed by the retreating enemy forces fleeing north. Like any and most Engineer units throughout history and in future operations, there is never one sole mission statement. As a motto while stationed with the 47th Engineer Company said, “Engineers! We Do It All!” I always believed that to be a fact in our realm of operations regardless of where we are or what we are doing.

The 169th Engineer Battalion was commanded by LTC Doman. The fight through Po Valley for the 169th kept them extremely busy. They of course tended to all basic engineer missions such as clearing minefields and tank obstacles, destroying bunkers, clearing roadways, building or repairing bridges, building camps(both for enemy prisoners and fellow soldiers), building and repairing roads, and of course fighting as infantry when needed.

Between 16 September and the end of October, the 169th opened and maintained ninety four miles of road. 10 percent of those roads where nothing but mud before being taken over. They used over ninety one hundred cubic yards of crushed gravel which came from ten rock quarries they had themselves established and maintained in the process of building and repairing the roads. Six semi-permanent timber bridges were built, totaling 254 feet in length and three Bailey bridges that totaled 560ft.

In the months of September and October they also built a temporary prisoner of war enclosure south of the Arno River. That included the building of doors, windows, latrines and the laying of concertina wire to secure the perimeters. Water points were also established to produce thousands of gallons to support not only the engineers but other units as well. During these times the battalion headquarters had moved a total of...