Portrait of Robert Morris Jenkins
A World War II Service Record

Robert Morris Jenkins

Staff Sergeant · Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation)
Army · Service no. 35 356 417
Service Number
35 356 417
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Final Unit
Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation)
Theater
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
This timeline reconstructs Robert's World War II service from his enlistment record and the Morning Reports, orders and unit records held by the National Archives, searched by service number. Each entry cites its source; items marked Newly discovered were recovered from the records.

Map of Service

Route reconstructed from confirmed locations.

Map of Robert Morris Jenkins's documented WWII service route

Service stops

  1. Port Suez, EgyptCompany B landed Feb 1, 1943
  2. Camp Huckstep, EgyptCompany B station near Cairo, Feb-Jun 1943
  3. Temimi & Martuba, LibyaCompany B stations, June 1943
  4. Bizerte, TunisiaCompany B boarded a landing ship, Oct 26, 1943
  5. Bagnoli (Naples), ItalyCompany B landed Oct 29, 1943
  6. Terlizzi & Molfetta, ItalyCompany B, Nov 1943-Dec 1944
  7. Brindisi, Italydetached service, Dec 1943

Route notes

  • 1 → 2Company B, Feb 1, 1943; connecting line is schematic
  • 2 → 3Company B convoy, Jun 6-9, 1943; connecting line is schematic
  • 4 → 5Company B landing ship, Oct 26-29, 1943; connecting line is schematic
  • 5 → 6Company B convoy via Potenza, Nov 3-4, 1943; connecting line is schematic
First time here?

How to read this service timeline

This page brings together records created for different purposes. The labels below tell you what kind of evidence supports each entry; open either guide when a record or military term is unfamiliar.

Confirmed — Service record

A personal military record supports the entry.

Confirmed — Unit record

A record created by his unit names him or documents the unit’s activity.

Context

Helpful background, clearly separated from personal evidence.

Newly discovered

Information recovered during this research, rather than supplied at the start.

How to read a Morning Report

Morning Reports were daily administrative records prepared by individual Army and Army Air Forces units. They generally recorded changes—such as arrivals, transfers, promotions, illness, or return to duty—not a complete list of everyone present.

MORNING REPORT · SAMPLE
1Organization
Company A, 123rd Infantry
2Station or location
Camp Example, Virginia
3Date
14 September 1944
4Section
Personnel changes
5Pvt Smith, John A., 35123456
6asgd fr Hq Co per SO 187, Hq 123d Inf
In plain English Private John A. Smith, identified by Army Serial Number 35123456, was assigned to Company A from Headquarters Company under Special Orders No. 187.
  1. 1Organization: the company, hospital, squadron, or other unit filing the report.
  2. 2Station or location: where that unit reported from on that date.
  3. 3Report date: the date of the report, which may differ from the effective date of a change.
  4. 4Section: the part of the form containing personnel changes or the unit’s record of events.
  5. 5Soldier entry: usually rank, name, and Army Serial Number.
  6. 6Change and authority: what happened and the order authorizing it.
asgd
assigned
atchd
attached
trfd
transferred
fr
from
aptd
appointed
EM
enlisted men
SO
Special Orders
GO
General Orders
orgn
organization
sta
station
Common military and research terms
Army Serial Number (ASN)
The unique service number used to distinguish one soldier from others with similar names.
Discharge or separation paper
The document issued when a service member left active service. For many WWII Army enlisted soldiers, this is WD AGO Form 53-55. It summarizes service but is not a day-by-day history.
Morning Report
An Army unit’s daily administrative report. It usually lists people whose status changed, not every person in the unit.
Unit record
A document created by a military organization. It may name the soldier directly or provide context about his unit; the timeline states which applies.
OMPF or “201 file”
The service member’s Official Military Personnel File. Many Army and Air Force files were damaged or destroyed in the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire.
Unit and final unit
A unit is the organization in which someone served. The final unit is the organization shown at separation; it may not be the only unit in the service history.
Rank or grade
The service member’s level in the military hierarchy. A timeline may show changes in rank over time.
MOS
Military Occupational Specialty—the Army’s classification for a soldier’s primary military job.
Assigned and attached
Assigned means formally placed in a unit. Attached usually means serving with a unit temporarily while belonging administratively elsewhere.
Special Orders and General Orders
Official directives used to authorize personnel actions, awards, organizational changes, and other decisions.
Campaign credit
Official recognition for service connected with a named campaign. It does not, by itself, describe a service member’s individual actions.
Station or location
The place from which a unit filed a report. It does not automatically prove that every member was physically present there.
Source citation
The note beneath a timeline entry identifying the record or records that support it.

Service Timeline

20 min
Confirmed — Record
May 22, 1914

Born in Madison County, Indiana

Robert Morris Jenkins was born on May 22, 1914, in Pendleton, a town in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana. His parents were William O. Jenkins and Ora (Flowers) Jenkins.
Source: Social Security application (SS-5), 1936, NARA Numerical Identification Files; Find A Grave memorial #99470783; VA BIRLS death file
Confirmed — Record
October 16, 1940

Registered for the draft

Robert signed up for the draft in Indianapolis on October 16, 1940, the day men aged 21 to 35 across the country registered under the new peacetime draft. He was 26. He named his wife, Mrs. Mary Belle Jenkins, as the person who would always know his address, and he listed his employer as Inland Container Corporation at 700 West Morris Street. The registrar, Blanche R. Kercher, described him as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 185 pounds, with blue eyes, blond hair and a light complexion. He gave his home address as 4822 Sangster Avenue in Indianapolis. It also carries Order No. 991, the number his local board put on his 1942 induction order.
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Front of the card, signed "Robert M Jenkins."
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The registrar's description of Robert, October 16, 1940.
Source: Draft Registration Card (D.S.S. Form 1), serial number 751, Local Board No. 14, Marion County, Indiana, October 16, 1940; National Archives at St. Louis, Records of the Selective Service System (Record Group 147); image via Fold3, WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1940–1947
Confirmed — Record
1941–1942

Married and working in Indianapolis

Before the war, Robert and his wife, Mary B., lived at 4822 Norwaldo Avenue in Indianapolis. The 1941 city directory lists Robert as a machine operator and Mary as a comptometer operator, using an early calculating machine, at Kroger's. By 1942 Robert was working as a drill press operator.
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1941: "Robt M (Mary B) mach opr h4822 Norwaldo av." Higher in the same column: "Mary B Mrs compt opr Kroger's h4822 Norwaldo." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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1942: "Robt M (Mary B) drill prs opr h4822 N[orwaldo av]." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1941 (Internet Archive, leaf 643); Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1942 (Internet Archive, leaf 659)
Confirmed — Service record
May 22, 1942

Ordered to report for induction

Robert's local draft board in Indianapolis mailed him Order No. 991. It instructed him to report to the Motor Armory at 2015 South Pennsylvania Street at 8:00 a.m. on June 6, 1942. From there, he would be taken to an Army induction station to formally enter military service.
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Order to Report for Induction, mailed May 22, 1942. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Order to Report for Induction (D.S.S. Form 150), Local Board No. 14, Marion County, Indiana; family papers, page 1
Confirmed — Service record
June 6, 1942

Entered the Army at Indianapolis

Robert entered the Army in Indianapolis on June 6, 1942, after being selected through the draft. The Army assigned him serial number 35 356 417. Its record describes him as married, with three years of high school and experience in a semiskilled machine-shop trade. That same day, he asked his draft board for a few days to close his household and dispose of his furniture.
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Robert's sworn request to Local Board No. 14, June 6, 1942. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: WWII Army Enlistment Records, serial number 35356417 (National Archives); sworn statement to Local Board No. 14, June 6, 1942, family papers, page 3
Context
August 14, 1942

Company B is activated at Will Rogers Field

The Army activated Company B of the 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation, at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, on August 14, 1942. Companies formed the smaller parts of a battalion. Signal construction units built telephone, telegraph and teletype lines for Army Air Forces communications. In October, Army Air Forces headquarters listed the 435th for service in the Middle East with the Ninth Air Force.
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Company B's record of events: activated August 14, 1942, Will Rogers Field.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3406 (September 1942). Headquarters, Army Air Forces memorandum, October 16, 1942 (Henry H. Arnold papers, microfilm reel 28122). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3406.
Confirmed — Unit record
September 5–19, 1942

A brief assignment to the 401st Signal Company

The earliest unit records that appear to name Robert place Private Jenkins with the 401st Signal Company (Aviation) at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, from September 5, 1942. These handwritten entries give his surname without his Army serial number. The same group of nine privates, including Jenkins, appears in the transfer records of the 401st and Company B of the 435th Signal Battalion later that month.
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September 7, 1942: Pvt. Jenkins named among the privates assigned to the 401st Signal Company. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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The same entry continued: assigned to the company under Special Order 217, as of September 5, 1942.
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September 19, 1942: Jenkins and eight other privates transferred out of the 401st Signal Company. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 401st Signal Company (Aviation) — NARA Roll 2608, images 2261, 2262 and 2266 (September 1942). National Archives catalog: NAID 440128214, images 2261, 2262, 2266.
Confirmed — Unit record
September 18, 1942

Joined Company B at Will Rogers Field

On September 18, Company B of the 435th Signal Battalion at Will Rogers Field began housing and feeding nine privates, including a man listed as Jenkins. The entry appears to refer to Robert, based on the group of men recorded with him and his later Company B records. The Army described the arrangement as "attached for rations and quarters."
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September 18, 1942: Pvt. Jenkins among the privates attached to Company B. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3401 (September 1942). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3401.
Confirmed — Service record
October 1, 1942

Promoted to Technician Fifth Grade

Robert's appointment certificate, dated October 1, 1942, names him and his Army serial number and appoints him Technician Fifth Grade at Will Rogers Field. This was an enlisted rank for soldiers with technical skills. A Company B entry dated October 11 also lists Jenkins among four privates appointed to that grade and assigned to drill new recruits.
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Appointment as Technician Fifth Grade, October 1, 1942. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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October 11, 1942: Jenkins among the new T/5s drilling recruits. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Appointment certificate (W.D., A.G.O. Form 58), Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, October 1, 1942, family papers, page 2; Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3416 (October 1942). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3416.
Context
December 19–21, 1942

Boarded the transport Mariposa

Company B began its overseas journey on December 19, 1942, traveling by train from Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, to Newport News, Virginia. The company boarded the Army transport ship Mariposa at 10:45 a.m. on December 20 and was at sea the next day. Robert's Company B records suggest that he traveled with the unit; this movement report records the company's journey rather than listing its passengers.
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Company B's record of events, December 1942.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3448 (December 1942). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3448.
Confirmed — Unit record
January 4–30, 1943

A long voyage toward the Middle East

The Mariposa took Company B on a long route around the Atlantic and into the Red Sea. The ship anchored at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 4, but the men remained aboard. It stopped at Aden, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, on January 24 and reached Massawa, Eritrea, two days later. The ship left Massawa early on January 30.
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January 1–8, 1943: at sea; Rio de Janeiro. The ship's name is blacked out.
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January 9–26, 1943: Aden and Massawa.
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January 30, 1943: left Massawa.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3462–3464 (January 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, images 3462, 3463, 3464.
Context
February 1, 1943

Landed in Egypt

Company B landed at Port Suez, Egypt, at 11:30 a.m. on February 1, 1943, after about six weeks aboard ship. By late afternoon, the company had reached Darb el Hagg, an Army depot and camp near Heliopolis, outside Cairo. The company's February reports also name Technician Jenkins, linking Robert's service to this Egyptian station.
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February 1, 1943: disembarked at Port Suez; arrived Darb el Hagg.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3478 (February 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3478.
Confirmed — Unit record
February 1, 1943

Promoted to Technician Fourth Grade

Company B recorded a promotion for Technician Jenkins from Fifth Grade to Fourth Grade, effective February 1, 1943, alongside four other men. This entry appears to refer to Robert: the surname, unit and progression through the technician grades connect it to his appointment certificate and later records. Fourth Grade was a higher enlisted technical rank.
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February 4, 1943: Jenkins among the new T/4s. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3469 (February 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3469.
Confirmed — Unit record
February 27 – March 4, 1943

Five days in the station hospital

Company B recorded Technician Jenkins entering the local Army hospital at 6:45 a.m. on February 27, 1943, and returning to duty at 10:00 a.m. on March 4. The surname, grade and unit suggest that these entries refer to Robert. The reports do not give the reason for his admission.
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February 27, 1943. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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March 4, 1943. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3476 and 3483 (February–March 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, images 3476, 3483.
Confirmed — Unit record
June 6–26, 1943

By convoy into Libya

In May 1943, the Army renamed the company's Egyptian base Camp Russell B. Huckstep. On June 6, Company B began a four-day road journey west into Libya. Its convoy covered more than 600 miles through El Imayid, Matruh and Bug Bug before reaching Temimi on June 9. On June 26, the unit moved another 35 miles to Martuba.
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May 18, 1943: the camp renamed Camp Russell B. Huckstep.
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June 6–9, 1943: the convoy from Egypt to Temimi, Libya.
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June 26, 1943: on to Martuba, Libya.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Battalion (Construction), Aviation — NARA Roll 2560, image 3527, 3543–3544 (May–June 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, images 3527, 3543, 3544.
Confirmed — Unit record
July – August 1943

Camps across eastern Libya

During July and August 1943, Company B split into two platoons, smaller groups that could work in different places. The 1st Platoon moved from Martuba to Wadi el Kuf on July 5. The 2nd Platoon and the company's command staff moved to Tocra on July 12 and then to Lamluda on August 2. On August 29, both platoons traveled by convoy to Kilo 20 near Bengasi, Libya.
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July 1943: the platoons at Wadi el Kuf and Tocra.
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August 1943: Wadi el Kuf and Lamluda; the move to Kilo 20, Bengasi.
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August 29–31, 1943: at Kilo 20, Bengasi.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 2560/0513, image 3558, 1544–1545 (July–August 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 439909794, image 3558; NAID 445012000, images 1544, 1545.
Context
1943

The Bengasi–Tobruk line

An official Army history describes the 435th Battalion's assignment to build an eight-wire telephone line on poles from Bengasi to Tobruk. The line would carry communications for the British Eighth Army and the U.S. Ninth Air Force. This explains the battalion's work in Libya; Robert's records do not identify his own construction tasks or platoon.
Source: The Signal Corps: The Test (U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1957), p. 458
Context
August 30, 1943

The battalion changed Air Force commands

An Army index filed with the 435th Battalion's records refers to an August 30, 1943, order transferring Ninth Air Force units from the Middle East command to the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa. The index documents the battalion's connection to this command change. Company B's own reports place it at Bizerte, Tunisia, by late October.
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The index sheet filed under the 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation).
Source: Adjutant General's Office index sheet, AG 370.5, August 31, 1943, in "322 Battalions, Signal, through Signal by number 556th" (NAID 663471736, image 2323)
Confirmed — Unit record
October 13–14, 1943

A one-day assignment with another signal company

At 3:00 p.m. on October 13, 1943, Robert joined the 1060th Signal Company on a temporary attachment for duty, meals and lodging. The company released him at 6:00 p.m. the following day. Its report used Army Post Office number 786. An Army postal listing associates that code with Sousse, Tunisia, during this period; the mailing code suggests the location rather than proving Robert's precise whereabouts.
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October 13, 1943: attached, identified by his serial number. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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October 14, 1943: released from the attachment. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 1060th Signal Company, 323rd Group — NARA Roll 0656, image 170 and 172 (October 1943). APO location: Army numerical listing of APOs, p. 171. National Archives catalog: NAID 454600581, images 170, 172.
Confirmed — Unit record
October 26 – November 4, 1943

Across the Mediterranean to Italy

Company B left North Africa for Italy on October 26, 1943. The men boarded a landing ship at Bizerte, Tunisia, and spent two days at sea before coming ashore at Bagnoli, near Naples, on October 29. After several days in a temporary staging camp, they traveled by truck convoy—99 miles to Potenza on November 3, then another 120 miles to Terlizzi on November 4. Terlizzi became the company's main base for the next eleven months.
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Company B's report for October 26, 1943.
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Its record of events: boarded a landing ship at Bizerte.
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Company B's report for October 29, 1943.
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Its record of events: came ashore at Bagnoli, Italy.
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Company B's report for November 3, 1943.
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Its record of events: convoy to Potenza.
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Company B's report for November 4, 1943.
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Its record of events: convoy to Terlizzi.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0642/0592, image 417–418, 423–424, 2488–2491 (October–November 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 454547022, images 417, 418, 423, 424; NAID 456912376, images 2488, 2489, 2490, 2491.
Confirmed — Unit record
November 1, 1943

Promoted to Staff Sergeant

Robert was promoted from Technician Fourth Grade to Staff Sergeant on November 1, 1943. Staff sergeant was a noncommissioned-officer rank, placing him in a more senior enlisted leadership role. Company B recorded the promotion the following day.
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November 2, 1943: promotion to Staff Sergeant. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0592, image 2485 (November 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 456912376, image 2485.
Confirmed — Unit record
December 6–13, 1943

A week supporting a bomb group at Brindisi

On December 6, 1943, Company B sent Staff Sergeant Jenkins and several other men to Brindisi, Italy, for one week of temporary duty away from their regular unit. There they worked with the 60th Service Squadron of the 98th Bomb Group, an Army Air Forces organization. They returned to Company B at noon on December 13.
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December 6, 1943: Jenkins listed in the group (page 1). The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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December 6, 1943: the group's orders to Brindisi (page 2).
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December 13, 1943: Jenkins listed in the returning group (page 1). The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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December 13, 1943: return to duty (page 2).
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0669, image 2305–2306 and 2313–2314 (December 1943). Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units of World War II (1961), pp. 168-169, 392-393. National Archives catalog: NAID 459858700, images 2305, 2306, 2313, 2314.
Confirmed — Unit record
December 27–28, 1943

One day ill at Terlizzi

Robert and five other Company B men were excused from duty because of illness at 7:00 a.m. on December 27, 1943. The Army recorded them as "sick in quarters," meaning they remained at camp rather than entering a hospital. Robert returned to duty the next morning.
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December 27, 1943. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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December 28, 1943. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0669, image 2328 and 2329 (December 1943). National Archives catalog: NAID 459858700, images 2328, 2329.
Confirmed — Unit record
February 10–11, 1944

Another brief illness

Robert was excused from duty because of illness at 7:00 a.m. on February 10, 1944. He remained at camp instead of entering a hospital and returned to duty the following morning.
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February 10, 1944. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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February 11, 1944. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0464, image 2450 and 2451 (February 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 464042552, images 2450, 2451.
Confirmed — Unit record
March 26, 1944

Admitted to the 26th General Hospital

Robert entered the 26th General Hospital on March 26, 1944. Its admission register identifies him by name and Army serial number and records a problem with a disc in his lower back. On March 29, the Army moved him onto the hospital's patient roster, called the Detachment of Patients. Company B formally removed him from its active roster two days later while he continued receiving care.
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March 26, 1944: Company B sends him to the hospital. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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The 26th General Hospital's admission register, entry 13118. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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Hospital Special Order 85, March 29, 1944. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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March 31, 1944: Company B records the transfer. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 26th General Hospital and Company B — NARA Roll 0529/0566, image 1320, 1353, 3241 and 3246 (March 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 466534766, images 3241, 3246; NAID 466399385, images 1320, 1353.
Context
1944

The 26th General Hospital at Bari

The 26th General Hospital was a large Army medical center at Bari, Italy. It opened there in December 1943 with 1,000 beds and later expanded to 1,500. Smaller Army Air Forces hospitals around Foggia sent patients there when they needed longer treatment.
Source: Charles M. Wiltse, Medical Service in the Mediterranean and Minor Theaters (U.S. Army in World War II, 1965), pp. 333, 497, 499; U.S. Army medical history, Chapter IX
Confirmed — Unit record
May 4–6, 1944

Back to Company B at Terlizzi

After more than five weeks under hospital care, Robert was released for duty on May 4, 1944. He rejoined Company B at Terlizzi, Italy, at 6:00 a.m. on May 6.
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The hospital's dispositions register for May 4, 1944, entry 13118. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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Hospital Special Order 121. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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May 6, 1944: rejoined Company B at Terlizzi. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 26th General Hospital and Company B — NARA Roll 0548/0586, image 3348, 3350 and 2066 (May 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 474467450, images 3348, 3350; NAID 474598340, image 2066.
Confirmed — Unit record
May 20, 1944

Temporary duty with the 49th Bomb Wing

A May 20, 1944, Army order placed Robert and a group of Company B men on temporary duty with the Headquarters Squadron of the 49th Bomb Wing. They remained assigned to Company B while serving away from it. The order does not specify Robert's daily duties.
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Special Order 41, with his name and serial number. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 435th Signal Construction Battalion — NARA Roll 0586, image 2083 (May 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 474598340, image 2083.
Context
1944

The 49th Bomb Wing

The 49th Bomb Wing coordinated three heavy-bomber groups: the 451st, 461st and 484th. It moved to Italy between February and April 1944 and served under the Fifteenth Air Force. This was the headquarters organization that Robert supported during his temporary assignments.
Source: Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units of World War II (1961), pp. 168-169, 392-393
Confirmed — Service record
June 14, 1944

Ordered by air to Naples

The 49th Bomb Wing ordered Robert and eight other officers and enlisted men to fly by military aircraft to Naples on or about June 14, 1944. The order identifies him as Staff Sergeant Robert Jenkins and gives his Army serial number, 35 356 417.
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Operations Order No. 3, June 14, 1944. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Headquarters 49th Bomb Wing (H), APO 520, Operations Order No. 3, June 14, 1944, family papers, page 4
Confirmed — Unit record
June 28, 1944

Returned to Company B

An Army order dated June 28, 1944, ended Robert's temporary duty with the 49th Bomb Wing and directed him and the other men in his group to report to their Company B commanding officer.
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Special Order 53, with his name and serial number. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 435th Signal Construction Battalion — NARA Roll 0533, image 876 (June 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 478027215, image 876.
Confirmed — Unit record
July 26, 1944

Back to the 49th Bomb Wing at Della Madonna

At 1:00 p.m. on July 26, 1944, Robert left Terlizzi with 41 other Company B men for another period of temporary duty with the 49th Bomb Wing at Della Madonna, Italy. An Army order names Staff Sergeant Robert M. Jenkins among the men in this group.
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July 26, 1944: 42 men to the 49th Bomb Wing.
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Special Order 69, with his name. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0737, image 2635–2636 (July 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 481391118, images 2635, 2636.
Confirmed — Unit record
August 6, 1944

Back to Terlizzi

Robert and two other men finished their temporary duty with the 49th Bomb Wing and rejoined Company B at Terlizzi at 10:00 a.m. on August 6, 1944.
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August 6, 1944: rejoined the company. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0481, image 3236 (August 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 565952806, image 3236.
Confirmed — Unit record
August 7–14, 1944

One week of leave

The day after returning to Company B, Robert began a one-week furlough—a period of authorized leave from duty. He left with nine other men at 7:00 a.m. on August 7, 1944. All ten returned at midnight on August 14.
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August 7, 1944: the furlough group (page 1). The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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August 7, 1944: the furlough entry (page 2).
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August 14, 1944: back from furlough. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0481, image 3237–3238 and 3247 (August 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 565952806, images 3237, 3238, 3247.
Confirmed — Unit record
August 15, 1944

Back to the 49th Bomb Wing

Only seven hours after returning from leave, Robert left Company B again. At 7:00 a.m. on August 15, 1944, he and three other men traveled to Della Madonna for another period of temporary duty with the 49th Bomb Wing.
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Special Order 82. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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August 15, 1944: left the company for the Bomb Wing. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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A second copy of Special Order 82. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0481, image 3249, 3250 and 3252 (August 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 565952806, images 3249, 3250, 3252.
Confirmed — Unit record
October 6, 1944

Company B moves to Molfetta

While Robert was still working away from the company with the 49th Bomb Wing, Company B changed its home base. Its convoy left Terlizzi at 8:00 a.m. on October 6, 1944, and reached a new campsite at Molfetta, Italy, eight miles away, two hours later.
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Company B's report for October 6, 1944, now headed Molfetta.
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Its record of events: the move from Terlizzi.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0444, image 946–947 (October 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 572437256, images 946, 947.
Confirmed — Unit record
October 25–31, 1944

One week of temporary duty in Rome

An Army report dated October 25, 1944, records Robert and two other men on temporary duty in Rome under an order dated October 24. They had been attached to the 49th Bomb Wing for meals. An October 31 entry records their return from the Rome duty. The reports do not describe the work they performed there.
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October 25, 1944: to Rome. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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October 31, 1944: back from Rome. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0444, image 985 and 997 (October 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 572437256, images 985, 997.
Confirmed — Unit record
November 2, 1944

Housed with the 875th Signal Company

On November 2, 1944, the Army attached Robert and Henry Szafranski to the 875th Signal Company for meals and lodging. This was an administrative arrangement while they were away from Company B; the surviving entry does not describe their daily work.
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November 2, 1944: attached to the 875th Signal Company. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B, 435th Signal Construction Battalion (Aviation) — NARA Roll 0586, image 1528 (November 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 576454459, image 1528.
Confirmed — Unit record
December 1, 1944

Back from the Wing, then to the hospital

Robert returned to Company B at Molfetta at 3:00 p.m. on December 1, 1944, ending his temporary duty with the 49th Bomb Wing. Six hours later, he entered the 26th General Hospital. The hospital register identifies him by name and Army serial number and records acute laryngitis, an inflammation of the voice box, and acute enteritis, an intestinal illness.
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December 1, 1944: back from the Wing, then to the hospital. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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The admission register, December 1, 1944. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — Company B and 26th General Hospital — NARA Roll 0554/0531, image 1864 and 244 (December 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 578980530, image 1864; NAID 578904602, image 244.
Confirmed — Unit record
December 29–31, 1944

Moved onto the hospital's patient roster

Robert was still under hospital care at the end of December. On December 29, the Army transferred him to the 26th General Hospital's Detachment of Patients—the administrative unit that carried hospitalized soldiers on its roster. Company B formally removed him from its own roster on December 31. He kept his rank of staff sergeant.
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Hospital Special Order 360. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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December 31, 1944: Company B records the transfer. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Morning Report — 26th General Hospital and Company B — NARA Roll 0531/0554, image 589 and 1897 (December 1944). National Archives catalog: NAID 578904602, image 589; NAID 578980530, image 1897.
Confirmed — Record
1945

Listed at home as serving in the Army

The 1945 Indianapolis city directory still lists Robert and Mary B. Jenkins at their home at 4822 Norwaldo Avenue. Instead of naming Robert's civilian occupation, it prints "USA," meaning he was serving in the United States Army.
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1945: "Robt M (Mary B) USA h4822 Norwaldo av." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1945 (Internet Archive, leaf 709)
Confirmed — Service record
August 1, 1945

Released from the Army

A Department of Veterans Affairs service index records August 1, 1945, as Robert's release date. His last documented Army rank was Staff Sergeant, the rank he held when he transferred to the hospital's patient unit in December 1944. The index supplies the service endpoint but does not identify his separation station or rank on the release date.
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December 29, 1944: Robert transfers to the patient unit in the grade of Staff Sergeant. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: VA BIRLS public database, birls_full_2022.csv, local record 8283321 (matching name, birth date and death date); hospital Special Order 360, December 29, 1944, NARA Roll 0531, image 589. National Archives catalog: NAID 578904602, image 589.
Confirmed — Record
1949–1981

Back to work in Indianapolis

After the war, Robert returned to civilian life in Indianapolis. In 1949 he was a salesman for the Carnation Milk Company and again lived with Marybelle at 4822 Norwaldo Avenue. By 1952 he operated Jenkins Gulf Service, a filling station at 4602 College Avenue. City directories connect him with the station through 1972. By then the couple lived at 3745 East 55th Street, and in 1981 Robert was working as a salesman for Hoosier Penn Oil.
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1949: "Robt M (Mary B) slsmn Carnation Milk Co h4822 Norwaldo av." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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1952: "Robt M (Marybelle; Jenkins Gulf Serv) h4822 Norwaldo av." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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1952: "Gulf Service (Robt M Jenkins) 4602 College av." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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1972: "Robt M (Marybelle) (Jenkins Gulf Sta) h3745 E 55th St." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
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1981: "Robt M & Marybelle; slsmn Hoosier Pen Oil h3745 E 55th St." The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1949 (Internet Archive, leaf 412); Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1952 (Internet Archive, leaf 429); Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1972 (Internet Archive, leaf 560); Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1981 (Internet Archive, leaf 508)
Confirmed — Record
April 7, 1950

At home with Marybelle and Patricia

On April 7, 1950, a census taker recorded Robert, Marybelle and their three-year-old daughter, Patricia A., at 4822 Norwaldo Avenue in Indianapolis. Robert was 35 and worked as a self-employed gas-station manager. The census provides a view of the family after his Army service.
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Robert, Marybelle and Patricia appear on lines 8–10. The yellow is ours — it marks his name and service number on the sheet.
Source: 1950 U.S. Census, Indiana, Marion County, Indianapolis, ED 98-691, sheet 16, lines 8–10 (National Archives)
Confirmed — Record
January 9, 2000

Robert Morris Jenkins passes away

Robert died in Anderson, Indiana, on January 9, 2000, at age 85. His grave at Brookside Cemetery in Lapel shares a family stone with his wife, Marybelle Jenkins (1919–1994). His bronze military marker honors his World War II Army service and bears the rank Staff Sergeant.
Source: Find a Grave memorial 99470783, military marker and family stone photographs; NARA Numerical Identification Files, death record; Anderson Public Library obituary index