This will be a condensation of information obtained from Operations Reports issued by the First Beach Battalion, Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet in August of 1943. 

Operations Plan No. 1 dated August 15, 1943 labeled Operation BUTTRESS states that a reinforced Company of the First Beach Battalion will operate in the BUTTRESS Operation in conjunction with a Shore Party of the Royal Engineers in support of the landing of a Reinforced Division of the British Army.

Company "B" reinforced as outlined below for BUTTRESS Operation.  Total of officer and enlisted personnel, including Company and Battalion Headquarters detachments; 21 officers, 224 enlisted men. 

1. Company "B" Platoon 4 reinforced by two (2) Line Officers and twenty seven (27” enlisted men from Hydrographic and Boat Repair Sections of Company "A" Platoon 1. 
   

2. Company "B" Platoon 5 reinforced by two (2) Line Officers and twenty seven (27) enlisted men from Hydrographic and Boat Repair Sections and two (2) enlisted men from Communication Section of Company "A" Platoon 2
   

3. Company "B" Platoon 6 reinforced by two (2) Line Officers and twenty seven (27) enlisted men from Hydrographic and Boat Repair Sections and two (2) enlisted men from Communications Section of Company "A" Platoon 3.  
   

4. Company "B" Headquarters not reinforced.  Total two (2) Line Officers five (5) enlisted men.
   

5. Battalion Headquarters, less two (2) enlisted men, reinforced by one (1) Line Officer (Communications) from Company "A" Headquarters.

Operation AVALANCHE was the code name given for the final plan to invade Salerno Italy.

The following tables were compiled from de-classified data obtained from the US Navy and includes information about 243 of our shipmates. The entire battalion should be listed here, but so far we have been able to find only a partial list.

A searchable database is in the works, but in the interim, here is the information I've learned. Stay tuned. Soon there will be multiple ways to view the data.

You can download the original Excel Spreadsheet on which I organized the data,

click here to download for Excel for Office 2000.

<==  OR ==>

click here to download for Excel for Office 95.

<==  OR ==>

click here to view the assignment list sorted by TRANSPORT. It is a fairly large table. Please be patient.

<==  OR  ==>

click here to view the assignment list sorted by Last Name. It is a fairly large table. Please be patient.

Tim White
Revised  October 21, 2008