Operation Borneo

The Engineer Special Brigades operated in the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations for a little over three years during the World War II conflict with the Japanese. First to arrive was the 2nd Brigade who reached New Guinea in the spring of 1943; then came the 3rd Brigade in January 1944; and the 4th Brigade arrived in March 1944.  These three brigades made a total of one hundred and forty eight landings during their tour of duty in the Southwest Pacific. Since the 2nd Brigade had a longer tour of combat duty they made a total of eighty six landings; the 3rd Brigade made sixty landings total and the 4th Brigade was credited with two landings.

These three brigades and their attached units earned the Presidential Unit Citation three times; and the Meritorious Unit Plaque five times.  Individual amphibious engineers were awarded a Medal of Honor, three Distinguished Service Crosses, sixty nine Silver Stars and more than twelve hundred fifty other combat medals such as the Bronze Star, Soldier's Medal and the Purple Heart.

The landing craft of these three brigades transported as many as four million passengers, placed on shore three million tons of cargo and traveled more than seven million miles during their time in combat.  They assembled more than twenty five hundred landing craft.  The gunners of the brigades shot down more than fifty Japanese aircraft and a hundred and fifty enemy boats were captured or destroyed.  Over one hundred fifty amphibious engineers had been killed in battle by the end of the war.

The 593rd Engineer Boat & Shore Regiments activation was at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts, located on Cape Cod, during the period 6-12 August 1942. This was the time when companies and battalions were being staffed.  Incoming troops were given special training and indoctrination programs on amphibious warfare procedures were in the process of being developed.

Colonel Oliver Van den Berg assumed command of the new regiment on 27 August 1942.  Officers were assigned from the Amphibious Engineer Command.  Enlisted personnel consisted primarily of cadres from Camp Forest, Tennessee; the 186th Field Artillery personnel from Pine Camp, New York; and recruits from Camp Croft, South Carolina; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Camp Lee, Virginia; Fort Lewis, Washington; Camp Crowder, Missouri; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort McClellan, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Fort Williams, Maine. A large percentage of enlisted men arriving at the amphibious brigade came through the Special Engineer Amphibian Command recruiting program and many reported without having received basic training.

At Camp Edwards the amphibious personnel were fortunate that exceptional training facilities were provided.  The personnel were sent to training schools such as Higgins Boats, Gray Marine and Hall Scott engines, propeller repair, navigation, signal, caterpillar tractor, stevedore, radar, rocket and to the Marine Amphibious Training Center.

On 28 October 1942, the regiment moved, by train, from Camp Edwards to Camp Carrabelle, Florida, and arrived there on 2 November 1942.  Soon after arriving, the name of the camp was changed to Camp Gordon Johnston.

In Florida the boat companies practiced every day in the training of the landing craft operation crews, maintenance procedures for boat engines and hulls and in the development of beachhead assaults.  Mock amphibious landings were made using the troops of the 28th and 38th Infantry Divisions.  It was here during one of these mock landings that the men became aware of the dangers associated with amphibious warfare.  On March 1, 1943, the regiment engaged in a practice amphibious beach assault training maneuvers when a hurricane caught the landing craft offshore:  loaded with solders and equipment.  In an attempt to carry out the planned assault landings in the heavy seas and high winds, fourteen soldiers from the infantry units were drowned when they attempted to