Thanks to Katie for reading "Liberation Line" and for sharing this info and photos about her grandfather, Raymond M. Penhollow
Katie writes ...
Hello! My name is Katie Briggs and I live in the US in the state of Ohio. I finished reading your book "The Liberation Line," recently and I felt the urge to reach out to you. My grandfather, Raymond M. Penhollow was a Tech Sgt. in the 740th Railway Battalion Company A, serving in World War II. My grandfather was a second-generation railway man. My understanding is that he operated heavy equipment in the war. He was my favorite person as I grew up and yet, he was a bit of a mystery.
As many veterans of his generation felt, he left the war in Europe and didn't see the need to relive it. He wasn't a hero he felt, because he made it home. My Dad only knew bits and pieces of my grandfather's experience that my grandfather shared. My grandfather came home from the war in 1945 and proceeded to work on the Nickel Plate Railroad which is now Norfolk and Southern. My grandpa was a signalman's assistant and a volunteer fireman. It's easy to see why I loved him so much.
Reading your book was illuminating. The facts and statements you shared from John Livingstone's history of the 740th Railway Battalion were so interesting. I now know when my grandfather landed at Utah Beach and some of where he had served. I have sat and reread passages to my husband about the details shared specific to the 740th, and we both are in awe of what my twenty-year-old grandfather experienced.
As I said, he came back home and worked the railroad. He married the girl from down the street, had three children, and had eight grandchildren, of which I am proudly one. He passed away in 2000. I plan on sharing your book with my cousins if they are interested. He was such a wonderful grandfather.
I would really like to find out more about his unit. I want to ask if there are any suggestions you might have for researching this topic. I found your book because I was searching for railroad battalion information on Google. If you could provide some insight into my search, I would greatly appreciate it. Please find attached 2 pictures of my grandfather taken from the war. The motorbike was supposedly confiscated from a German soldier.
Thank you for writing this book, it was fascinating. Please take care and again, thank you.
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