This is a large, 8 X 34 inch group photo of Battery B of the 328th Field Artillery Battalion.  Photo was taken at Fort Dix just prior to their embarking for North Africa on December 24, 1943.  The 85th Custer Division had spent about 3 months in Fort Dix after leaving desert training in California in October and traveling across the US.      Due to the large format, the photo was divided into 4 composites.  Some photos have little or no overlap.  Each section can be viewed up close to see faces.  Click to enlarge and photo will open in a new window. See alphabetical Roster of Battery B, below.

   Information added to the original photo

A -  Notes on front of photo added by my Dad.
                  "Battery 'B', 328th Field Artillery BN, Fort Dix, NJ"

B - Photographers Info printed on back:
                     "David Pond Willis, Post Photographer, Fort Dix, N.J."

C - Notes on back of photo added by my Dad.  He has listed the names of all those who were in his Fire Control Section.  My Dad like to use nicknames and was a bad speller but "Tuffy" was a real name.  I don't know when he wrote down these names; while at Fort Dix or after the war.  And I'm not sure if all these names are in the group photo as they may have been in another Battery or may have joined after the photo was taken.  Also, see my article "General Organization & Intelligence" at Stories from Italian Front.

Roster was compiled from a copy of the above group photo that had been signed by each member of the battery. Some names were illegible. This list was compared to the Operational Reports of the 328 FA and the names were corrected and serial numbers added. 

Roster is arranged in alphabetical order. The "Photo ID" column denotes the row and number that corresponds to their position in the group photo.  EX: S 14 refers to a soldier on the Second row and 14th from left.  Additional names were added of soldiers who were not in the photo because they joined the battery at a later date.  These names are designated with a orange ID number.  If Name has a '?' or  __?__  , this means their signature was illegible. 
                       Fr - Front Row      S- Second Row        R - Rear or 3rd Row
 

       Photo ID       Last Name     First, MI                    Rank          Serial No. & Comments
 1  F 20   Apicella  Joseph R. 
 2  F 29   Aridas  James 
 3  F 17   Armstrong  William     Capt.  Commander of B Battery
 4  S 36   Bailey,  Eugene 
 5  F 14   Bauch,  Erich         First Sgt     6260975 
 6  F 13   Baur,  Charles L.
92  S 17   Biangone, Jessie J     T/5    
94         Bishop, Thomas E.      2nd Lt.      O1184623
 7  F 31   Blais,  Leo A.                      11113618
 8  S 25   Bloomgreen,  Robert W.              33437013
 9  S 32   Borders,  William G.                33200094
10  S 39   Breedman,  Samuel 
11  F 28   Capiello,  Thomas                   32333290
93  F 10   Christiansen, Guy A.    Sgt 
12  S 18   Coffey,  John L. 
13  S 14   Cole,  Newton F.       S/Sgt 
14         Conlely,  Lonzo H.     T/5          34327143
15  S  9   Davis,  Condon 
16  F  2   Di Giacomo, Lorenzo A  PFC          32965682
17         Diangone,  Jessie J.   T/5          33685497
18  S 28   Dick,  Woodrow 
19  F 24   Dudas,  George 
20  S 24   Duffy,  John           Sgt    KIA
21  F 21   Faras,  Edward 
22  S 13   Festa,  Peter          Cpl          33314060
23  R  9   Fink,  Ray W.          T/5          35637097
24  S 16   Flynn,  Patrick J.     S/Sgt        32337963
25  S 15   Forest,  Thomas J.     Cpl          32525418
26  F  7   Garner,  Julian L.     PFC          33444346
27  R  5   Goering,  Harold J.                 37195810
28  S 22   Golightly, Joel M. 
29         Green,  Frederick E.   Pvt          6947328
30  S 12   Green,  George A. 
31  R  2   Hannes,  Alfred H.                  6274891
32  S  5   Hashinger,  Raymond J. Cpl          33337671
33  S 26   Hatcher?,  Joseph 
34  F  8   Hogan,  John L. 
35  S  4   Hoskins,  Claude 
36  F  4   Jolly,  William D.                  34303827
37  F 27   Kearby,  Arnold L.     PFC          36074866
38  F 34   Kester,  Albert        PFC          38128320
39  S 43   Kistler,  Fred A.                   6398700
40  F 18   Kitts,  Roy G.         1st Lt.
41         Koontz,  Paul R.       Pvt          35037993
42  S 33   LaRosh,  Doyle W.            KIA
43  F  1   Laughnerang, Arthur E.
44  S 41   Littlehale,  Ivan H.   Cpl          37196229
45  S 23   Lloyd,  John 
46  S  7   Lohrmeyer,  Henry J.   T/5          37203249
97  F 10   Lukatchik, Micholas              
47  F 15   Mack,  William 
48  S 30   Margo,  John 
96         Matera, Anthony C.
49  R  8   Mayer,  Thomas 
50  R  4   Mayle,  Robert J.      PFC          35741539
51  S 35   McLane,  Audrey H. 
52  S 40   Melson,  William C. 
53  R  7   Mitchell,  Robert L.
54  F 26   Morales?,  Armando      PFC           31193661
55  S  8   Morris,  Alvin L. 
56  F 32   Natoli,  Joseph        Cpl           32341685
57  S 10   Nelson,  Raymond A.    Sgt.          34303530
58  F 12   O'Brien,  Ronald 
59  F 30   Owings,  Herbert 
60  S  6   Panegar,  Preston H. 
61  S  3   Perry,  Raymond 
62  R  6   Person,  David L. 
63  F 25   Pliss_?,  Durward 
64  S  1   Pouncey,  Roy 
65  S 29   Pratley,  Thomas 
66  R 10   Quay,  Walter H.       Pvt           12214481
67  S 37   Rathgeber,  Eugene A.  Pvt           11120262
68  F 11   Rayner,  Forest E.                   38128200
69  S 38   Reynolds,  James 
70  F 16   Robinson,  Robert 
71  F  3   Ross,  Anthony L. 
72  S 19   Rupe,  Melvin W.                     35565081
73  S  2   Ryan,  John Patrick 
74         Scott,  ____?__ 
75  F  6   Scott,  Delmar N.      PFC           35499368
76  S 31   Shaw,  Robert 
77         Shier,  David S.       1st Lt        01174438
78  F  5   Simonian,  Samuel NMI                31292064
 *         Slaughter,  Ira        Sgt 
79  S 27   Smith,  David? L. 
80  F  9   Smith,  Earl R. 
81  S 42   Smith,  Edwin NMI
82  R  1   Strube,  Karl G.       T/4           37202274
83  F 19   Sullivan,  William E.  1st Lt
84         Tanzer,  Walter H.     1st Lt        O1165797
85  S 11   Thompson, Cecil H.     T/5           38137050
86         Tippett,  John         T/5           14018184
87  R  3   Treadway,  Finnis      PFC           34330358
88  F 22   Tuffy,  Vincent P.                   32340978
89  F 23   Vavrek,   John         Cpl           3326691
90  F 33   Willett,   Ira
95*        Williams, Billie       PFC  
91  S 20   Willis,  Arthur W.     PFC           36241007
 

Note:  I'm missing a listing for the last man on both the Second row and the Rear row.  Checking records for missing name.
First Sgt is the highest ranking NCO of the unit.
 * Sgt Ira Slaughter was on Duty and missed the photos.  PFC Billie Wililams had just returned to Fort Dix from Leave when he received the news that his Mother was ill.  He immediately returned home without Leave.  Upon his return to camp, he was placed on 30 days KP duty, which was forgotten as soon as they disembarked for Italy a few days later.
  74   Numbers in Orange were names added to the Roster who were not in the photo, but their names appeared in the battalion records as members of Battery B.

      Field Artillery Battalion - Consisted of three(3) Batteries and Headquarters Battery, Service Battery, Medical group under command of a Colonel.

    Battery - The group that operated and fired four(4) 105mm howitzers.  One battery consisted of about 100 men. See definition of Headquarters Battery.

   Headquarters Battery - The HQ Battery did not operate any cannon.  However they were the command staff of the entire battalion. They handled all the paper-work that dealt with logistics and promotion, as well as making decisions about where to deploy their guns.

   Fire Section - Responsible for sighting guns and controlling the placement of artillery.  Includes Forward Observer who observed enemy positions from an Observation Post or front lines.