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400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII

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skinsfan
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400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII

This is a long shot, because I'm not sure if this unit had any connection with the AAF, but I'm looking for ANY information, advice, links, etc...on the 400th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion in Normandy and Northern France during 1944-45. This unit appears to have been associated with the 5th Army in Africa and Italy. After that, I'm not sure. My uncle's Army records indicate he was in this unit at the end of the war, and served in Normandy and Northern France campaigns. He was at Ft. Meade prior to joining this unit. I assume the unit was transferred from 5th Army to another unit during invasion of France???
 
Any comments or pointers would be greatly appreciated.
 
Vince in Maryland
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Italy, North Africa

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    Guest
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    RE: 400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII (permalink)
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    Vince,...I think you are looking for Anti Aircraft Artillery info.That would be Army related and not Air Force.You may be in for the long haul,there is a guy on "Google" looking for 400th AAA Bat.info also with no luck.  
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    Philgrin
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    RE: 400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII (permalink)
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    The 440th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Semimobile) was formed from the 200th Coast Artillery Battalion at Camp Pickett, Virginia on 19 March 1943. Initially the unit was a Separate Coast Artillery Battalion (Antiaircraft Artillery) and was redesignated the 400th on 12 December 1943 while in Italy.

    The unit left the US from Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation in Virginia on 8 June 1943 and arrived in North Africa on 22 June 1943. It moved to Italy on 21 September 1943 and on to Corsica on 26 March 1944. It went onto France on 11 November 1944. From the 16 December 1944 Continental Station List it was at Marseilles on that date and from the list dated 2 May 1945 it was at Port de Bouc. Records indicate that the unit was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on 15 November 1945.

    Phil
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    skinsfan
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    RE: 400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII (permalink)
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    Thanks for the response Yunch. That's what I figured, but since some of these units seem to have been associated with AAF facilities, I thought I'd give it a try. I also noticed that on at least one of my uncle's personnel records, it mentions the AAF. I'll keep looking. Frankly, I'm not even sure he was in this unit when he arrived in the ETO. I only know that's the unit he was with when he was shipped out. Some pages are missing from his records, starting after he arrives at the 10th Relocation Depot in England.
     
    Vince
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    skinsfan
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    RE: 400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII (permalink)
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    Hi Phil,
     
    Thanks for the detailed information. But I want to be sure we are talking about the same unit. In your first sentence you mention the 440th, then later the 400th. I'm interested in the latter. Is this the correct unit?
     
    Might I ask you what your source is? I'd like to be able to cite the original source, or possibly try to locate it myself at some point. Is there a unit history? I know there was a book written about this unit's activities in North Africa and Italy, but it does not cover the campaign in Northern France/Belgium.
     
    Vince
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    bernies
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    RE: 400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII (permalink)
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    Since Phil hasn't responded, I think I can assure you that the "440" is a typo.  The unit in question started out as the 2d Battalion/ 513th Artillery Regiment (Antiaircraft Artillery), Coast Artillery Corps, carried the number 200 for a couple of months in 1943 and has had the number 400 ever since (except for 1949 to 1952) -- at least until 1959, anyway.

    Bernie Shearon
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    skinsfan
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    RE: 400th AAA AW Btn in France WWII (permalink)
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    Thanks Bernies. Actually Phil contacted me by email to correct the error. He's been very helpful.
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