Nancy shares some amazing information from her grandfather archives
This is a history of the 56th Engineers "searchlight" they merge and broke off into various units of the 604th engineers.
56th WAS first organized on January 23rd, 1918, as the
5th Provisional Company 56th Engineers, with the
following officers: Captain James C. Herron, 1st
Lieut. John H. Gross and 2nd Leiut. Edwin H.
Watkins. On May 1st Captain Herron was relieved
from duty as C. O. and transferred to Camp Humphreys, Va., and 1st
Lieut. F. D. Myers assumed temporary command. Three weeks later
Captain E. G. Benedict was relieved from duty as Regimental Per-
sonnel Officer and assigned as C. O.
In June orders were issued from the War Department creating
the 604th Engineers and Company "G" was assigned to the 2nd Bat,
talion as Company "D" 604th Engineers. On June 22nd a detach-
ment of four officers and eighty soldiers under command of 1st Lieut.
F. D. Myers reported to the Commanding Officer, Fort Hamilton,
N. Y., for duty as Anti- Aircraft Defenses of New York City. This
detachment went into four positions in and about New York City-
operating Sperry 24-inch searchlights until August 1st. On that
date they returned to Washington Barracks, having been relieved by
similar personnel assigned from the 56th Engineers. They were then
organized to full strength of seven officers and 250 soldiers for over-
seas service, and left Washington Barracks, with Companies "E" and
"F" 604th Engineers on August 10th for Camp Stewart, Newport
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