In World War I, under General "Black Jack" Pershing , the Army Engineers of the American Expeditionary Force included many specialty Engineer units. The Engineers recruited men with all types of skills from teamsters, track men, construction engineers, woodsmen, sawmill operators, machinists and just about every civilian occupation associated with construction and maintenance of any type.
Because railroads were so critical for the movement of men and materials, Regiments of Army railroad troops were sent to improve the French ports and harbors and expand the rail system. Many French railways were of narrow gage and had to be changed to standard gage to accommodate the American locomotives and cars being sent overseas. Mechanics were needed to repair steam locomotives. Massive warehouse complexes and rail yards had to be built to store the flood of materials America was sending to France.
One such unit was the 17th Engineers (Railway) stationed in and around St. Nazaire and Nantes , France. This web site has been written to tell part of that story. My great uncle, Frank Anderson, was a member of that unit and this page is dedicated to him and his fellow Engineer soldiers.
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