PlaqueSignal Corps Units in the Normandy CampaignASF

June 6 to July 24, 1944

Dull though it seems on paper, the work of the long tail of non-combatants behind the Allied fist was vital to the success of the operation.

Richard Overy, Why the Allies Won, W. W. Norton & Company;1996, page 146,


One hundred and six Signal Units, 19 divisional and 89 non-divisional from the First and Third U.S. Armies, Army Air Force, and Army Service Forces with Normandy Campaign Participation Credit have been identified as of the date of the last modification of this page.

Signal Units who provided significant support and service for the Normandy Campaign are listed in  a separate section. They do not have Normandy Campaign Participation Credit because they served in England outside of the geographic boundaries of the Normandy Campaign.

This list was compiled to help search for the unit in which my later Felix A. Cizewski's served.

After I identified Felix's unit (
Co. C, 3110th Signal Service Battalion) from company morning reports, I kept the list and continue to maintain. A list of Signal Units in the Normandy Campaign is not appear to be readily available.
This preserves and shares the service and memory of the men and women who served in non-division units in the Signal Corps such as my late father. This also assists families researching their relatives' history.


Signal Units in the initial Normandy landings and divisional units in the Normandy Campaign were found in various readily accessible sources. The non-divisional units were found primarily in
Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Register (UCCPR), July, 1961 (DA PAM 672-1).  

Veterans, their families, and unit historians have contacted me with additions and corrections which I welcome and for which I am very grateful.

"Signal Corps troops for the invasion constituted, all in all, the largest gathering of signalmen yet assembled for combat. FUSA's (First United States Army) Signal Corps men alone totaled 13,420 men, including three joint assault signal companies (JASCO's) , the recently devised units containing both Army and Navy communicators. Besides these troops, the FUSA list included 11 division signal companies, 2 of them airborne and 2 serving with armored divisions; 3 signal battalions; a signal operations battalion and a signal operations company; 3 construction battalions and 2 separate construction companies; a photographic company; a repair company; a depot company; a radio intelligence company; a pigeon company; and a number of smaller detachments, some American and some British. Among these were traffic analysis units, an air liaison squadron, a signal intelligence supply unit, and an enemy equipment intelligence service (EEIS) detachment. In addition, the troop list included three companies designated as signal service companies that actually were special units to perform signal intelligence functions at corps level."

The 13,420 First U.S. Army signalman were in at least 33 signal units. Of these, about 18 units landed in the initial assault.

From CHAPTER III: The Signal Corps in the ETO to Mid-1944, The Signal Corps: The Outcome

Arrowhead
Normandy assault landing credit
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Distinguished Unit Citation Ribbon
Distinguished Unit Citation


Units
Notes

Non-divisional Units
Arrowhead 2d Signal Battalion Elements of the 2d Signal Battalion were in the initial assault landing. Company C landed on D+10. Source: Sgt. Robert Davis, Co. C.

3rd Signal Center Detachment or Team

6th Signal Center Liaison Team History and Roster of the 6th Signal Center Liaison Team on Google Docs.

12th Army Group Signal Section + Rhineland & Central Europe. Occupation of Germany 5 May to 20 July 1945

17th Signal Operations Battalion Constituted 1 November 1942, activated 30 November 1942 at Camp Crowder, Missouri;
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

26th Signal Construction Battalion

29th Signal Construction Battalion Constituted on 20 March, 1942 & activated on 10 April, 1942 at Camp Gordon, GA; arrived in France on D+11.

32d Signal Construction Battalion Organized 20 March 1943 as the 32d Signal Construction Company at Chicago, Illinois; Activated at Camp Crowder, Missouri on 25 March 1943 as the 32d Signal Construction Battalion; shipped to Europe on 27 February 1944; landed at Normandy on 8 June 1944;19 May 1945 shipped to Okinawa.and deactivated.

Unit History

33d Signal Construction Battalion Trained at Camp McCain, Mississippi; departure U.S. 9 February 1944 on the British Ship Andes; debarked at Liverpool, England; landed at Utah Beach, Cherbourg Peninsula, on July 7, 8, and 9, 1944,

34th Signal Light Construction Battalion
Arrowhead 35th Signal Construction Battalion + Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland

36th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion Formed  25 May 1943 at Camp Crowder, MO, activated 1 March 1944.
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
Constructed a 1,600 foot open-wire span over the Rhine River in eleven days, one of the world's largest open wire spans.

38th Signal Construction Battalion
Landed on Omaha Beach on July 19, 1944.

40th Signal Construction Battalion
African American. Constituted  31 July 1942, activated 21 September 1942 Camp Campbell, Kentucky, departed for England 12 January 1944,  arrived in France 30 days after the initial D-Day landings, performed cable construction.
Arrowhead
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch
50th Signal Battalion
Formed at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in 1940.

The battalion was in support of the VII Corps, under the command of Lieutenant General J. Lawton Collins, First US Army.

The battalion participated in preinvasion exercises (notably Exercise Tiger) and the landing on Utah Beach, then the isolation of the Cotentin Peninsula and the capture the port of  Cherbourg. The battalion ended the war in Leipzig,Germany before VE day.

Source: Bill Thornton, veteran of the 50th Signal Battalion
Arrowhead 56th Signal Battalion Photo album of training in England and service in Europe

59th Signal Battalion

69th Signal Battalion
The 69th Signal Battalion originated at Camp McCain, Mississippi..On 13 August 1942, it was constituted and then activated on 15 December 1942, as an affiliate unit sponsored by the Ohio Bell Telephone Company. On 19 July 1944, the unit landed on Utah Beach and joined the recently activated XX Corps of Lieutenant General George S. Patton's Third US Army, as the Corps Signal Battalion.

As part of XX Corps, the battalion advanced across Central Europe through France to the heart of Germany and then southward to Austria, a distance of over 750 miles in 281 days. This pace resulted in an average of one command post displacement every three days. Though often forced to fight as infantry, the battalion accomplished its mission of providing Corps Headquarters with communications support.

After VE Day, the battalion continued to serve XX Corps in its occupation role in Bavaria. The battalion returned to inactive status on 20 April 1946.

92d Signal Battalion XV Corps: Arrived in Ireland January 9, 1944

106th Signal Inspection and Maintenance Team Renamed the 3159th Signal Service Battalion, Inspection and Maintenance Team No. 4.(Sources: UCCPR,
UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II: UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN NORTHERN IRELAND ,and 3159th veterans' obituaries.)
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 113th Signal Radio Intelligence Company (SRIC) ** Northern France, Rhineland Central Europe, Occupation of Germany
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 118th Signal Radio Intelligence Company (SRIC) **
 

Activated May 9, 1942, Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, TN, in Great Britain, January 29, 1944, landed on Utah Beach July 15, 1944
Third Army (Patton)
Arrowhead
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch
165th Signal Photographic Company Aleutian Islands (General Assignment Unit No. *), Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Occupation of Germany
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch
Distinguished Unit Citation Ribbon

166th Signal Photographic Company Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. Occupation of Germany
Arrowhead 175th Signal Repair Company
Source: Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Register
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 179th Signal Repair Company Activated May 15, 1942.

+ Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Meritorious Unit Commendation for Service from September 1, 1944 to March 1, 1945.
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 208th Signal Depot Company
Arrowhead
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch
215th Signal Depot Company D-Day,  Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace (Battle of the Bulge), and Central Europe Campaigns and Occupation of Germamy.

Meritorious Unit Commendation

Detachment 2 and Storage and Issue Section Detachment No. 3 French Croix de Guerre for D-Day.

216th Signal Depot Company

+ Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Constituted 11 May 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 216th Signal Depot Company

Activated 25 January 1943 at the Lexington Signal Depot, Avon, Kentucky


221st Signal Depot Company

+ Northern France; Rhineland

Constituted 3 November 1941 in the Regular Army as the 221st Signal Depot Company

Activated 14 August 1943 at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey

Members:

Shirley C. Bordes


240th Signal Battalion

246th Signal Operations Company + Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. Occupation of Germany.

A detachment of the 246th Signal was attached to the Provision Engineer Special Brigade (ESB) for the landing at Normandy.

The Operation Neptune Operations Plans (undated) lists the 246th as having 297 personnel and 72 vehicles.

Then to the 17th Signal Operations Battalion, 1st Army

And then to the 301st Signal Operations Battalion, 3rd Army

Source: Alan Moeller, Major, Signal Corps (Retired) and DA PAM 672-1
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch 255th Signal Construction Company
+ Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.Occupation of Germany, 2 May to 31 October 1945

268th Signal Heavy Construction Company
Activated on 1 September 1943 at Camp Crowder, MO.
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe. Northern France, and Rhineland.

270th Signal Heavy Construction Company
+ Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

Activated 1 September 1943 at Camp Crowder, Missouri

Reorganized and re-designated 15 February 1944 as the 270th Signal Heavy Construction Company

Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 282d Signal Pigeon Company + Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe.

Advance party landed on Omaha Beach on June 12, 1944 (D-Day plus 6) and the rest of the company arrived July 9, 1944.

Constituted 11 May 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 282d Signal Pigeon Company

Activated 28 October 1942 at Camp Crowder, Missouri

Organic to First Army headquarters.

Source:  John Alosi, son of a late veteran of the company.
Arrowhead 286th Joint Assault Signal Company For the Normandy Invasion, the 286th JASCO worked under the 1st ESB (Utah Beach), the 294th JASCO was attached to the 5th ESB (Omaha Beach), while the 293d JASCO operated under the 6th ESB (Omaha Beach)
Arrowhead
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch
293d Joint Assault Signal Company
Arrowhead 294th Joint Assault Signal Company

297th Signal Installation Company + Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe and Occupation of Germamy
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 298th Signal Installation Company
+ Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe.

302d Signal Battalion 12th Army Group

303d Signal Operations Battalion


321th Signal Company

324th Signal Company Activated at Camp Pinedale, California on 10 January 1943

332d Signal Company, Wing


324th Signal Company, Wing + Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

334th Signal Company, Wing

+ Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe

Constituted 6 January 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 334th Signal Company, Wing

Activated 10 January 1943 at Pinedale, California


392d Signal Company, Air Force

+ Northern France; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Constituted 23 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 392d Signal Company, Aviation

Activated 1 August 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida

Re-designated 16 January 1944 as the 392d Signal Company, Air Force

Reorganized and re designated 26 August 1944 as the 1709th Signal Service Battalion


394th Signal Company Landed about June 12, 1944. Attached to the 9th Air Force

Source: 394th veteran Jess Hollins
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 395th Signal Company
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 433d Signal Construction Battalion + Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 438th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion
+ Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

447th Signal Construction Battalion, Aviation + Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

Constituted 10 August 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 447th Signal Construction Battalion, Aviation

Activated 29 August 1942 at Dale Mabry Field, Florida

Reorganized and re designated 5 October 1944 as the 447th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion

448th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion

459th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion +Northern France and Central Europe

461th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion
Arrowhead
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch
555th Signal Air Warning Battalion Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Register does not list Normandy Assault Landing Credit.

563d Signal Air Warning Battalion + Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 564th Signal Air Warning Battalion + Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

Thanks to James Ravesloot son of Corporal Harold J. Ravesloot, 2nd Reporting  Platoon, C Company, for pointing out the 564th's Meritorious Unit Commendation.for service from August 28, 1944 to April 1, 1945 and for sharing PHOTOS
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 566th Signal Air Warning Battalion + Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France & Rhineland. MUC Company C only.

577th Signal Depot Company
+ Northern France & Rhineland.

579th Signal Depot Company + Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

581st Signal Depot Company + Northern France & Rhineland.

582d Signal Depot Company + Northern France.
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch Squads, 583d Signal Depot Company
+  Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace (Battle of the Bulge) and Central Europe and Occupation of Germany. Two Meritorious Unit Commendations for WWII and immediate post WWII service.
Source for Normandy Campaign Information: The 583rd Signal Depot Company Goes To War
and Glenn Peach son of a 583d veteran.

593rd Signal Company Activated in June 1941 at Fort Ord, California. + Northern France and Rhineland.
Meritorious
                Unit Commendation
816th Signal Port Service Company
+ Northern France.

819th Signal Port Service Company + Northern France.
MUC
877th Signal Company Depot Aviation
+Northern France, Rhineland, and Occupation of Germany May 2 to July 4, 1945.

900th Signal Depot Company (Aviation)
+ Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe
Occupation of Germany May 2 to October 31, 1945
Arrowhead* 926th Signal Battalion *
* Assault landing credit for 1st Platoon, Co. C.
On D-day, 926th Signal Battalion radio operators communicated  from  landing ships with the 8th and 9th Air Force headquarters in England and landed on D-day+2.
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France & Rhineland.

980th Signal Service Company ***
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch 990th Signal Port Company
+ Northern France.
Meritorious Unit
                Commendation Patch Arrowhead* 999th Signal Service Company * On June 6, 1944, one officer and ten enlisted men of the 999th on detached to service with the 286th Joint Assault Signal Company landed on Utah Beach. The assault landing arrowhead is for that detachment.
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

1028th Signal Company
+ Northern France, & Rhineland. Signal unit for the 371st Fighter Group. In Normandy they were operating at the Advanced Landing Group (ALG) A-6 airfield,  Beuzeville-au-Plain,La Londe from June 15 to September 18, 1944.

1053d Signal Company, Service Group
+ Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

1071st Signal Company + Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

1091th Signal Company, Service Group + Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

1106th Signal Company, Service Group + Northern France.

1109th Signal Company, Service Group + Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.

1147th Signal Company + Northern France, & Rhineland.

1709th Signal Service Battalion (Aviation)
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France.
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch 3104th Signal Service Battalion *
Activated Feb.1, 1944, Ft. Monmouth, NJ.
* Ardennes-Alsace Co. C only; * Rhineland Co. A only; + Northern France; Occupation of Germay
Meritorious
                        Unit Commendation Patch Company C, 3110th Signal Service Battalion *
Felix A. Cizewski was in C Company
Constituted 4 December 1943; activated 27 Dec 43 at Ft Monmouth, NJ
* Normandy: Co. C only. Felix A. Cizewski's company
+ Northern France & Central Europe
Communication Zone (COMZ), European Theater of Operation.

3111th Signal Service Battalion Activated on 1 February 1944 at Eastern Signal Corps School., Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

3112th Signal Service Battalion Constituted on 26 January 1944, activated on 1 February 1944 at Eastern Signal Corps School, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace (Battle of the Bulge), and Rhineland Campaigns. They served in the Occupation of Germany from 20 May to 30 November 1945.

3132d Signal Service Company
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
Trained separately at the Army Experimental Station in Pine Camp, New York, where it pioneered in the development of "sonic deception" techniques.

3159th Signal Service Battalion,
Inspection and Maintenance Team No. 4
.
See the 106th Signal Inspection and Maintenance Team above.
Arrowhead 3250th Signal Service Company (RI) *** Men trained at Camp Crowder, Missouri and sent to Britain were formed into the 3250th, 3251st, 325d, and 3253d Signal Service Companies.

Organized 1 April 1944 & constituted 12 April 1944 in England;  Normandy with arrowhead, the only SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) unit to be awarded assault landing credit for the Normandy.

Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland. V Corps (3rd Army - Patton, 12th Army Group)

Inactivated 13 March 1946 in France.

History Scroll down to Annex 2. From 204th MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BATTALION, the 3250th's successor unit:

Interview with 3250th veteran Morton Kernis

WWII History
:
Pages 9 to 11 in PDF edition: The Origination and Evolution of RadioTraffic Analysis:World War II, Cryptologic Quarterly, National Security Agency

Broken Link: History of the 3250th (http://www.asa-alpiners.com/3250signalservice.htm)

Indicates company strength was about 116 men. Suffered 21 casualties which equaled 18% of the unit
Meritorious Unit Commendation Patch 3251st Signal Service Company (RI) *** Constituted and activated in England;
Landed on Utah Beach on D+4.
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
VII Corps (1st Army, 12th Army Group)

3252d Signal Service Company (RI) *** Activated in England on 1 April 1944; the daughter of a 3252d veteran reports he recalls they landed on a Normandy beach on June 8.
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
XIX Corps (1st or 9th Army, 12th Army Group)

3253d Signal Service Company (RI) *** Constituted 12 April 1944; activated 25 April 1944 in England;
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
XV Corps (3rd Army - Patton, 12th Army Group until 29 Sept., then 7th Army)

3254th Signal Service Company (RI) ***
+ Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Northern France, & Rhineland.
VIII Corps (Patton).

3264th Signal Service Company *
* Normandy: Photo Detachment. No. 51 only
+ Central Europe, Northern France,
* Assault landing credit, Wesel, Germany, 26 Mar 45, Photo Detachment. No. 62 only.
Total Non-Divisional Units 94

Divisional Units

Arrowhead 1st Signal Company, 1st Infantry Division

2d Signal Company, 2d Infantry Division.
Arrowhead 4th Signal Company, 4th Infantry Division Comanche Nation code talkers of the 4th Signal Company

5th Signal Company, 5th Infantry Division.


8th Signal Company, 8th Infantry Division.


9th Signal Company, 9th Infantry Division.

28th Signal Company, 28th Infantry Division.
Arrowhead 29th Signal Company 29th Infantry Division

30th Signal Company, 30th Infantry Division.


35th Signal Company,35th Infantry Division.


79th Signal Company, 79th Infantry Division.
Arrowhead 82d Airborne Signal Company 82d Airborne Division

83rd Signal Company, 83d Infantry Division.
Arrowhead 90th Signal Company  90th Infantry Division
Arrowhead 101st Airborne Signal Company, 101st Airborne Division

142d Armored Signal Company, 2d Armored Division.

143d Armored Sig Co, 3d Armored Division.

144th Armored Signal Co 4th Armored Division.

146th Armored Signal Co, 6th Armored Division.
Total Divisional Units 19
Total All Signal Units 113

Signal Corps Units with Normandy Campaign Related Service Without Normandy Campaign Participation Credit



NOTES

** Signal Radio Intelligence Companies:
Signal Radio Intelligence Company (SRICs) were attached to the various US Armies.

***
Signal Service Companies (RI)s: Signal Service Companies (SSCs) Radio Intelligence (RI) were attached to various Corps within the Armies.

Signal Corps Technical Information Letter No. 37, December, 1944: Includes reports on Signal Corps units service on D-Day, Normandy Campaign, and Army Service Forces Com Z in Paris

  All material not in the public domain © 2010 - 2024 Leonard H. Cizewski

Last Major Update: July 21, 2024
Minor Revision or Correction: June 18, 2023
Last Reviewed: February 7, 2018
Posted: 2010

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