CONCLUSION
There is little to add to the story of the 315th Engineer Battalion. On 9 May, the official "V-E
Day", the entire battalion assembled in Zwiesel then on the l4th it moved back to Weiden where it was
to renovate the Metzerkaserne.
The next day the first contingent of "high-point" men left for the US and home. Thus began the
slow, then rapid, disintegration of the battalion under the redeployment plan.
Russians, (liberated PW's) had moved from the Weiden cage into the barracks of the Kaserne and
now the cage was filled with the fallen Wehrmacht – after much haggling and many delays the Russians
were moved out and the 315th fell to the task of completely renovating this German military post. Using
German PW laborers the brick buildings were scrubbed from top to bottom. Tons of rubbish, loot and
trash were hauled to the dump and burned. Hundreds of window panes were replaced, roof tiles installed
and then the inside walls were completely repainted. Utilities were repaired, new furniture was brought
in and elaborate company kitchens were arranged in the basements of the barracks. A fine motor park
was paved with brick and a complete theater installation was constructed in an armory-type building.
The Kaserne was rapidly becoming a first-class garrison post.
In June the major work was completed and the 315th together with division headquarters, the
Reconnaissance Troop and the Signal Company moved into the Kaserne – the finest installation that the
battalion occupied during its three and a half year history.
There were routine road repairs in the division zone and there were construction projects at the
Weiden and Flossenberg PW cages but most of the work was taken over by civilians and PW's under
engineer guard and supervision. At the Kaserne, PW's and civilians took over many of the housekeeping
duties for the troops.
There were retreat parades in the quadrangle, award presentation ceremonies, calisthenics at
reveille and considerable unauthorized fraternizing "after fours".
For one special ceremony, the battalion, at "present arms" lined the street into town while
General Patton rode into the Kaserne to review the troops and deliver a victory message.
But this garrison life was not to last long. In late June the trickle of redeployment became a
stream and in July and August it became a torrent. All of the "old men" of the 315th were transferred to
units scheduled for early return to the states and "low point" men from all over the third army area
arrived to take their places.
Within a few months there was almost a complete turn-over in personnel and although the 315th
remained in Weiden until November, its history to those who knew it best, ended in August and
September 1945.
With other units of the 90th the battalion was shipped to the states and deactivated in December
1945, and in 1947 a completely new version of the engineer battalion was activated as a reserve unit in
San Antonio, Texas.
No written history can possibly describe the invincible spirit of the men who fought and labored
in the ranks of the T-O Engineer Battalion. This brief history may have described some of their deeds, it
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