This website serves as a tribute to my grandfather who served as a Forward Observer in B Battery of the 733rd Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theater through World War II. Information about the Battalion is sparse, so I have created this website to gather everything I find into one place for family and for others who might be conducting similar research. If you have any family memories or information to contribute regarding the 733rd, I would very much like to hear from you (please post a message on the forum).
Based on memoirs and other research, I have created a detailed interactive map of where the 733rd Field Artillery Battalion spent their time in Europe. It ties all of my research together in a very visual way. When I created the map, I didn’t realize I would be creating this website, so the map follows my grandfather (who was part of the ‘B Battery’). Aside from a three month period during the Battle of the Bulge, the Battalion was mostly together. During the final German offensive, ‘B Battery’ split off and went to the Battle of the Bulge while the rest of the Battalion stayed behind and continued to take part in the Lorraine Campaign (holding the Siegfried Line). I’m always looking for more information, so please visit the blog page if you have any additional details to offer about the journey.
Click map to view interactive journey of the 733rd.
There is a memorial cannon dedicated to the 733rd Field Artillery Battalion. The memorial is located in Waterbury, Connecticut (at Thomaston Avenue and Commons Court). Many of the men who served in the 733rd came from Waterbury.
I discovered the memorial on the Memorial Day Foundation website.
I think I got all of the bugs out of the forum, so I put it online today.
To participate in the forum discussions…
-click ‘FORUM’ above
-click ‘Login’ (now in the grey bar at the top of the page)
-click ‘Register’ if you haven’t registered already, otherwise login with your user name and password
Be sure to register with a valid email address, because you will need to confirm your email address to be able to use the website!
See you on the forum!
I have been in contact with several new (!) connections to the 733rd over the past few weeks and I am excited to get the website updated with photos and other information that I’ve gathered. I’ll publish it as time allows.
I’m currently working on the back-end of the site to make it so people can communicate together here rather than just through me (via email). This way everyone will be able to benefit from these amazing connections!
The next two or three weeks should bring good things. Stay tuned…
Published May 2015, this detailed interview of Earl Brooks gives us an oral history of his time in the service. Some of it is difficult to hear, so I have also included the transcription here. The interview is over an hour long, but because of the audio quality I found reading it to be the better option and it only took about 20 minutes. There are some good stories included. Enjoy!
Here is the original website where I found this interview.
After a number of attempts over the past few months, I was finally able to reach a relative of Bill Goldstein. Bill was part of A Battery and was instrumental in getting veterans of the 733rd together for reunions in Connecticut for many years. I had been hoping to reach him for some time.
I was able to contact Bill’s wife, who let me know the unfortunate news that he had passed away in recent weeks. My deepest sympathies go out to his wife and family.
Following is Bill Goldstein’s obituary:
WATERBURY- Mr. William M. Goldstein, 91, of Waterbury, President of Ideal Jewelers, Inc., passed away Thursday morning Mar. 19, 2015 in the VITAS Unit at St. Mary’s Hospital. He was the husband of Jacqueline (Greenberg) Goldstein.
Bill was born in Waterbury, June 16, 1923, a son of the late Louis and Bella (Gendelman) Goldstein and educated in the local school system and a graduate of Crosby High School. He was a U. S. Army veteran of the World War II, having served as a Tech.5, with Battery A, 733rd Field Artillery Battalion. He served in the Battles and Campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe and was the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal, the American Theater Campaign Ribbon, The European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon and The Victory Medal, and was also the recipient of Conn Wartime Service Medal, the Battle of Verdun Medal, and the Federation of French War Veterans-Legion of Honor Medal. In his earlier years, he had his own band, “The Billy G. Quartet”
Following his return to Waterbury he joined the business Ideal Jewelers, Inc., which he continued to work at for over 70 years. He was a member of Beth El Synagogue of Woodbury and the Kiwanis Club of Waterbury, the Ridgewood Country Club and was active with the Waterbury Celebrity Golf Tournament for many years.
He leaves in addition to his wife of 50 years, Jacqueline, his children, Andrew Goldstein of Harwinton, Lance Goldstein of New Hartford, N.Y., and Jane Brownstein of Waterbury; 5 grandchildren, Kate Goldstein, Emily Goldstein, Kayli Brownstein, Cassandra Brownstein, and Liam Brownstein.
See more here.
Yesterday we made two new friends who had connections to the 733rd FA B. Bill McGrath was a friend of Ambrose (center) and my grandfather during the war. Amby’s son Bruce was able to locate Roz, one of ten children of Bill McGrath. Roz and her sister Judy met us at Ambrose’s home, where we all shared stories and had a wonderful time. The photo they are holding is of B Battery, which Bill was part of. My grandfather is in both this photo and a similar one for Headquarters Battery. We had never seen this photo before. We look forward to meeting together again to share more stories and memories!
