Research on the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion
The importance of research
This is actually the foundation of everything that we as a re-enactment group, within the re-enactment association Mars, have built. The sources for these investigations are quite diverse, of course the official archives and American associations, but also the stories of veterans provide valuable information. And then of course there are the written sources, books and of course the internet. The most evocative are often the photos of the unit and of the soldiers, if you look carefully, you can also get a lot of information from them.
The results of the research consist mainly of:
– data about the unit itself (17th Armored Engineer Battalion) and its historical background
– data on the organization of the unit with associated armament and equipment– data on combat actions at specific locations
– details of the persons who served at the unit
– information about the fallen of the unit
Re-enactment
Because the re-enactment within our association is based on a well-justified and authentic representation of the 17th Engineers, it must first be known what uniforms and equipment were worn by our unit. From research we have a number of original photos, and overviews of the equipment and armament by function, rank or specialization in the depiction. Then it is also important to know that certain uniforms, equipment and weapons can only be worn in certain months in the war that is depicted, during the war, for example, other uniforms and footwear are provided. The more information that is released from the research, the more accurately we can re-enact historically justified.
Research
This page describes what the research entails and why it is so important. It is also good to realize that research never stops and that there is always, in whatever way, a reason or track to do further research. This will be tracked and processed on this site.
A chronological historical overview of the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion during the Second World War, from July 1940 to May 1945, has been drawn up from all available information. This includes the original photos that are now available.
Remembrance
Much of the result of this research has been processed under the theme Remembrance. In order to be able to compile the Roll of Honor, reasonably extensive research has been done, also by contacting next of kin. With this we have also been able to add a photo of various fallen.