208th Engineer Combat Battalion

An incredible illustrated overview of the 208th Engineer Combat Battalion during World War II, across two sheets.

This tremendous pair of maps chronicles the combat experience of the 208th Engineer Combat Battalion (E.C.B.) in the European Theater during World War II. Geographic accuracy and political outlines are largely omitted in lieu of dozens of illustrated vignettes that highlight the wartime experiences of the unit across the campaign.

The first sheet, drawn by Dick Beltran, covers the period between the 208’s landing on the beaches of Normandy to its crossing into Germany near Aachen. Various cartoons make light of serious situations like taking prisoners of war, working under enemy bombardment, and the exodus of French refugees. Lighthearted elements include Axis leaders consulting a Magic 8 Ball (upper left) and the welcome of women and wine on the outskirts of Paris. A somber title cartouche summarizes the training of the battalion and shows a single soldier carrying a spade (a tool of choice for the engineers).

This figure contrasts sharply with that depicted on the second sheet, drawn by Sergeant Michael Tuozzo. He can be seen waving the ‘V’ for Victory sign, corpses of Nazis swaying on gallows in the background. This map picks up where the first left off, and shows the 208th’s trek across Germany to Beilefeld on V-E Day. Again, a mix of the solemn and the silly can be seen in the various vignettes, with a particular emphasis on the operations of the unit during combat (AA, bridge construction, custodial duties, etc.). On the verso of each sheet is printed a copy of The Fighting Dozer. It provides further information on the unit history, composition of personnel, and various accomplishments during the war.