96th_Engineer_Battalion_(United_States)

96th Engineer Battalion (United States)

96th Engineer Battalion (United States)

Military unit

The 96th Engineer Battalion was a military engineer unit in the United States Army. The battalion, which was composed mainly of African-American troops, served during World War II and was also known as the 96th Engineer General Service Regiment.

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History

The 96th Engineer Battalion was activated as the 9th Engineer Battalion (Separate) at Fort Bragg on 1 June 1941. It embarked at New York on 4 March 1942 and arrived in Australia on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, on 9 April 1942.[1]

Troops from US 96th Engineers were stationed at a base on Townsville's western outskirts known as Kelso. This was the site for a large-scale siege lasting eight hours known as the Townsville mutiny, which was sparked by racial taunts and violence. The soldiers took to the machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons and fired into tents where their white American counterparts were drinking, killing one, severely injuring dozens and expending 700 rounds.[2]

After this they were stationed at Port Moresby on 28 April.[1] On 29 July 1942 it was redesignated the 96th Engineer General Service Regiment, and moved to the Philippines on 22 April 1945, where it was inactivated on 15 February 1946.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    Stanton 1984, p. 570.
  2. [2]
    Bavas, Josh (10 February 2012). "Townsville WW2 Mutiny Uncovered by Queensland Historian". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  3. [3]
    Stanton 1984, p. 542.

References
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