What does tec 5 co a 692 engr bn mean on a tombstone?

Answer 1

Tec 5 was a rank, and the 1260th Engineer Combat Battalion was the unit the soldier served with.

Tec 5 was a rank for men with technical training, like radio operators, mechanics and so on. The pay grade was the same as for a buck sergeant. The badge of rank was three chevrons (just like a buck sergeant) but with a capital "T" below.

Combat Engineers were very useful people and the work could be very dangerous. These men cleared enemy minefields, laid our own minefields, created our own protective wire entanglements and blew up those of the enemy, blew up enemy fortifications and pill boxes (often with the enemy still inside), repaired blown bridges, and so on. Frequently performing this work put them out in front of their own infantry and under enemy fire, clearing the way so the infantry could advance. The men had to be not only experts at their technical specialties but also proficient with standard infantry weapons, and ready to lay down their shovels and pick up their rifles at any moment.

Every US WWII division included among its own sub-units an Engineering Battalion. In addition to the divisions the Army created hundreds of "independent" battalions, of many types, including combat engineers. The idea was that these extra, "independent" battalions would be used to supplement the troops of the divisions, and could be moved around to work when and where needed. They were "independent" because they were not a permanent part of any larger formation. They were assigned to a higher HQ than a division, such as an army corps, or a field army, and so are sometimes referred to as "corps troops" or "army troops". Sometimes they were called "bastard battalions" - no parent unit.

Most independent battalions numbered 6-800 men, and because they were independent and not part of a bigger unit, not very many published their own history after the war, and they can be difficult to research. However there WAS a 48-page history of the 1260th Engineer Combat Battalion published, probably in Europe immediately after the war. You might find one, with patience, on eBay.

This Battalion appears to have been formed at Camp Pickett in Virginia in 1944, and to have operated in Europe first as part of the US 7th Army and then as part of the US 9th Army, ending the war in Germany. See related links below.

Answer 2

Answer Tec5 = Tech 5 is a rank Co A = Company A 692 Engr Bn = 692nd Engineer Battalion, which usually included 3 companies labeled A, B, & C.