1269th Engineer Combat Battalion (United States)  The 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion was an engineer combat battalion that served in the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. It saw action in France and Germany, serving notably with the Army's T-Force intelligence assault force in the capture of German atomic weapons facilities and personnel as part of Operation Big. The 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas on 30 March 1944. A senior cadre was organized under the command of Major Willard White. In April a core unit of 18-year-old ASTP volunteers and Army Air Corps trainees arrived for five months of combat engineer basic training. Many of that group were promoted to round out NCO cadre vacancies, after which replacements were brought in to fill the unit to T/O strength. The battalion moved by train to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, arriving 18 October 1944. The battalion departed New York POE on 27 October and crossed the Atlantic unescorted aboard the converted luxury liner SS "Mariposa", docking in Marseille, France on 6 November 1944. The unit marched to a staging area near Aix-en-Provence for three weeks of advanced training, mainly in demolitions, while waiting for equipment and vehicles. While there it was attached to the U.S. Seventh Army of the U.S. Sixth Army Group in the European Theater of Operations. On 29 November the battalion motor convoyed to Nice, France. From 30 November 1944 to 23 March 1945 it was attached to the 44th AAA Brigade, in support of the famed Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and later the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment on combat duty in the Maritime Alps, on the southern Maginot Line above Nice and Menton. While there the 3rd platoon of Company A built a timber trestle bridge under fire, naming it in honor of Pfc. George I. Bernay, the first among the unit to be killed in action (7 December 1944). Company A line platoons were located at Peira Cava, St. Martin Vesubie, and La Bollene—engaged in minefield work, demolitions, bridge building, road work, patrol activities and other combat engineer assignments, confronting the enemy-held forts Mille Fourches and La Forca, on the Alpine heights of l'Authion above the Turini forest. HQ units were in Nice and St. Martin-du-Var.