Book, Aly Daly et ses 140 voleurs, 596th Airborne Engineer Co., 1st ABTF

A superb book, by Loïc Jankowiak – Aly Daly and His 140 Thieves

History of the 596th Airborne Engineer Company during World War II: Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany.

Bilingual text: French / English.

224 pages, illustrated.

Format: 21.7 × 1.9 × 30.2 cm.

In the winter of 1998, veteran Ernie Kosan wrote in Wings, the newsletter of the 596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company, that he was awaiting information and photographs to write the history of his unit. Only a handful of veterans responded to his appeal. He wrote: “I cannot make much progress on the history without some memories, recollections, stories, experiences, and observations from those who lived our history – YOU! So please, think back on those three years and write down your thoughts and memories of those days that were part of the most significant period of the 20th century – and you were there!” His appeal went largely unanswered and did not lead to the writing of the unit’s history. The 596th Airborne Engineer Company (most commonly known as the 596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company) was an integral part of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team. After the unit was deactivated on 1 March 1945 in Auxerre and its members were absorbed into the 13th Airborne Division and later the 82nd Airborne Division, those who had accumulated sufficient points were able to return home by the end of 1945. After two years of wartime service together, as in many other units, strong bonds of friendship had formed among most of the engineers. Back home, some remained in contact, while others were called to different duties.

The 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment had also been disbanded, bringing an end to its newspaper, The Thunderbolt. However, in the 1960s the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team Association was created, reviving the publication as a periodical covering news of the soldiers and their families. This initiative allowed many veterans of the unit to reconnect after so many years.

In 1980, the veterans of the 596th Airborne Engineer Company took another step by creating a quarterly newsletter titled Wings, published by Charles E. Pugh and sent to all former members of the company. It featured photographs and wartime stories, but even more so images of reunions and news about their work, families, and civilian lives. Over the next three decades, the veterans worked tirelessly to reestablish contact with every member of their company.

In 2007, the newsletter eventually ceased publication, followed by The Thunderbolt (online edition) in 2016. The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team Association was also dissolved in 2015. Thanks to all these initiatives, many stories and photographs were preserved over the years. The veterans did their utmost to gather all issues of both publications, thus helping to safeguard the history of their unit.

Several photographs and stories drawn from these sources were used in the preparation of this book. As mentioned earlier, veteran Ernie Kosan had unsuccessfully attempted to publish a book on the history of his company. In 1985, the 517th PRCT Association published a book that included a brief history of the company and a few veterans’ anecdotes. Only the unit commander, Robert Dalrymple, had an overall view of the company’s experiences and had written a short summary entitled A precis of the training and combat experience of the 596 Para. Engr. Co. This summary highlighted the unit’s logistical challenges as well as its ingenuity and resourcefulness on the battlefield, but it was not enough.

While writing my very first book, The 517’s Gang, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the last (perhaps even the very last) surviving members of this company, Kaare Allan Johnson. Allan Johnson (no one called him Kaare) recounted his entire life to me over nearly two and a half hours, from his youth and enlistment, through engineer training, to combat in Europe, and much more.

From 2004 to 2019, he repeatedly returned to Europe to pay tribute to his fallen comrades. As I reread that interview, reviewed the research I had conducted in parallel on the entire company, examined the photographs I had gathered over the years, and consulted reports, histories, and more, it became clear that a book devoted solely to this one company had to be written. This unique volume sheds light on the daring exploits, sacrifices, and moments of camaraderie shared by these courageous men.

You will discover rare photographs that bear witness to their daily life at the front, as well as moving personal accounts that will carry you to the heart of the action. Do not expect tales of chivalrous warfare, extravagant romances, or glorified battles; this book is simply a faithful reflection of what this singular American airborne engineer company experienced during the war.