Cokethorpe Airfield ??

On 1 March, 1944, the Battalion was relieved from attachment to Eastern Base Section and was assigned to the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe. On 3 March the unit was assigned to the Ninth Air Force. The Battalion was further assigned to Engineer Headquarters, Ninth Air Force, effective 3 March, and was attached to the 926th Engineer Aviation Regiment effective 1 March.

Construction having been completed at North Witham, on 10 March the Battalion command post was moved to Cokethorpe Park, near Witney, Oxfordshire, England. Before commencement of preparatory training for participation in operations on the Continent, a tent camp was set up and hardcore vehicle hardstandings and approaches were constructed.

On 20 March, a projected eight weeks' training program was launched which covered basic, combat, and construction subjects as well as automotive maintenance, waterproofing, and loading of equipment. This was supplemented by officers' schools in Engineer Reconnaissance, Security, Chemical Warfare, Military Sanitation, Waterproofing, Bomb Reconnaissance, Machine Guns, and Communications and enlisted men's schools in Waterproofing, Bridges, Machine Guns, Radio, Cryptography, and Chemical Warfare. An officer was exchanged with a British Airfield Construction Group for four days to observe organization, operation, and training. On 5 April the Battalion was relieved from attachment to the 926th Engineer Aviation Regiment and was attached to the 922nd Engineer Aviation Regiment.

Commencing on 25 April a detachment of thirteen officers and two hundred twenty-seven enlisted men from the Battalion participated in a four-day, amphibious exercise, BOOMERANG, at Southampton, Hampshire, England, during which time vehicles and heavy equipment were waterproofed, loaded, and unloaded from Landing Crafts, Tank.

During the month of May, eight 37mm. anti-tank crews fired a moving-target, 1,000 yard range with very satisfactory results. All four companies fired on the range for qualification with the US Rifle, cal .30, M1, the US Carbine, cal .30, MI, and the US Pistol, cal .45. Gun crews of cal .50 anti-aircraft machine guns received special training in aircraft recognition.

Attention was also given to training in construction with the various types of runway surfacing materials. A field problem was carried out which involved the reconnaissance and construction of a Re-Fueling and Re-Arming Strip under tactical conditions. Each of the line companies spent sixteen hours during a forty-eight hour problem which involved the laying of BRC (British Reinforced Concrete Mesh) on a Re-Fueling and Re-Arming Strip. Company Reconnaissance Teams attended schools under IX Engineer Command during the course of which they reconnoitered two Re-Fueling and Re-Arming Strip sites.

At Christchurch, Hampshire, England, from 24 March to 8 April, Company A took up BRC fabric from a P-47 landing strip, filled and compacted the base, sodded the base, and re-laid the BRC fabric. They also built a shooting-in-butt and bomb storage revetments.

From 27 to 29 March, at Windrush Airdrome, Oxfordshire, a platoon from Company C laid a sample taxiway strip of BRC to determine truck and trailer capacities.

Commencing on 18 April Company C proceeded to Winkton Airdrome, Hampshire, to effect repairs on three landing strips. The work included taking up BRC fabric, improving the grade, trucking PSP to the site, and demonstrating laying procedure to a Canadian construction unit. This work also continued in May at Lymington and Christchurch.

On 23 May the Battalion was relieved from attachment to the 922nd Engineer Aviation Regiment and was attached to the 926th Engineer Aviation Regiment.

Life at Cokethorpe Park was uninteresting and unpleasant; waiting for the "invasion" of the Continent became more unbearable with each passing day; and the feeling was widespread that it would be better for a man to be in combat than to endure the unending waiting and dull existence of the Aviation Engineers.

There were no fires allowed in the tents; "Double British Summer Time" shortly crept up on them and they had to fall out in the cold an hour earlier.

Equipment operators waterproofed their vehicles, de-waterproofed them, re-waterproofed them again during the pre-invasion days.

The men went to Witney and other towns in the vicinity until higher headquarters finally suspended all passes due to approaching operations. Athletic competition among the companies was held each weekend for a while sewed as an outlet for energy and emotions. Everyone learned to eat fried chicken with the feathers still on it; and Major Spears, Battalion Executive Officer, was transferred out of the Battalion to Hq, Adv Sec. Com Z.

On 28 April the Battalion was alerted for concentration; this, however, involved no change in station since the unit had been at its point of concentration since arrival at Cokethorpe Park.

On 7 June, immediately following the first landings on the Continent, the Battalion received alert orders which required that the organization be prepared by 9 June to move to the Marshalling Area on six hours' notice.

On 20 June orders were received to move to the Marshalling Area. These orders as well as two later ones were immediately cancelled. On 25 June the final movement orders were actually received; and according to custom, the company commanders assembled their units and announced: "Well, men, this is it.. !'