Unit History: Established December 21, 1941, at Camp Roberts, California, as a Heavy Self-Propelled unit. Personnel were drawn from the 30th, 40th, 74th, 75th and 76th Field Artillery Battalions. On Apr. 18, 1944, while stationed at Fort Ord, CA, the unit was redesignated as the 826th Amphibious Tractor Battalion. They sailed from the San Francisco Port of Embarkation on Aug. 16, 1944, and landed in New Guinea on Sep. 4, 1944. Proceeded to Leyte, Philippines, arriving on Oct. 20, 1944, and then to Lingayen Gulf, Philippines, on Jan. 9, 1945. The unit returned to the U.S., landing at the San Francisco port, on Dec. 23, 1945. Deactivated at Camp Stoneman, CA, on Dec. 24, 1945.
Combat Equipment: N/A
Commanding Officers: Lt. Col. John M. Sanderson (Original CO); Lt. Col. Thurston T. Houghton (8/21/42)
Code Name/s: Unknown
Campaign Credits: Bismarck Archipelago……..Dec. 15, 1943 to Nov. 27, 1944
Leyte………………………….Oct. 17, 1944 to Jul. 1, 1945
Luzon…………………………Jan. 9, to Jul. 4, 1945
Southern Philippines……….Feb. 27, to July 4, 1945
Awards: None
Location August 1945: Luzon, Philippines
Additional Information/Materials:
The following documents are all from the period after the unit’s designation as an Amphibious Tractor Battalion.
1.) Water Buffalo – A newsletter printed by the unit. This issue contains a short history and a chronology of their movements and activities along with casualties and awards. Courtesy of the Tank Destroyer Association by L. L. Gill, TDA Historian.
2.) Unit Journals – from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas.
Feb. 7-26, 1945………………6 Pages
March 1-31, 1945…………..10 Pages
April 1-30, 1945……………..8 Pages
May 1-31, 1945……………..10 Pages
June 1-30, 1945…………….10 Pages
3.) Company Reports – from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas.
Co. A, Patrol Rpt., March 6-19, 1945…………………27 Pages
Co. A, Periodic Rpt., April 10-12, 1945…………………2 Pages
Co. A, Periodic Rpt., May 9-June 1, 1945…………….12 Pages (Various pages missing)
Co. A, Periodic Rpt., June 1-9, 1945…………………..8 Pages
Co. A Fwd Echelon, Ops Rpt, June 10-18, 1945…….5 Pages
Co. B, Periodic Rpt., Feb. 5-27, 1945………………..19 Pages
Co. B, Orders of the Guard, Feb. 10, 1945………….1 Page
Co. B, Periodic Rpt., April 11-12, 1945……………….1 Page
Co. B, Periodic Rpt., May 5-30, 1945………………….8 Pages (Various pages missing)
Co. B, Periodic Rpt., June 5-15, 1945…………………5 Pages (Various pages missing)
4.) Miscellaneous Unit Reports – from the Combined Arms Research Library of the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Dec. 1, 1944…………………9 Pages (Signal Operating Instructions, some areas difficult to read)
Dec. 19, 1944………………19 Pages (Field Order #2, includes one map overlay and four sketches)
1945……………………………6 Pages (Luzon Campaign, General Orders – Citations, some areas difficult to read)
Jan.-June 1945………………9 Pages (Casualty Reports, many areas impossible to read)
Jan. 9-June 30, 1945………5 Pages (Operation Reports)
Jan. 9-June 30, 1945………5 Pages (S-2 Reports)
5.) Miscellaneous Documents – from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, Abilene, Kansas.
General Orders #42, Unit Activation, Dec. 10, 1941…………..1 Page
Movement Orders, April 3, 1945…………………………………..2 Pages
Various Documents, 1942-1945………………………………….16 Pages (Includes awards and officer roster)
826ers Ex-Dogface Society Certificate – Courtesy of the Tank Destroyer Association by L. L. Gill, TDA Historian.
6.) Partial Roster – A list of about 160 men that served in the 826th, probably collected after the war in conjunction with a reunion.
7.) 1981 Reunion Photo – No ID’s for any of the men. Taken at an unknown location. Courtesy of the Tank Destroyer Association by L. L. Gill, TDA Historian.
8.) HQ Company Photo – A group photo of Headquarters Company taken prior to their conversion to an Amphibious Tractor Battalion. The officers are sitting in the front row but none are identified.
9.) Photo Gallery