Brown, Joseph R.
Alaska Highway, Company C
Tag: 340th Engineers
Contact Creek, British Columbia
On September 24th at 5 pm, the 35th and the 340th met at Contact Creek. Colonel Lyons and Major McCarty, climbed onto bulldozers to have their picture taken. The Alaska Highway was open from Dawson Creek, B.C. to Whitehorse, YT.
Upper Liard River, British Columbia
After meeting with the 35th Regiment the 340th moved to Liard River. The 73rd Pontoon Company attached to the 340th established a six-ponton outboard motor ferry across the Upper Liard River at Watson Lake. The pile bridge was in its early stage of construction.
Lower Post, British Columbia
The 340th’s lead bulldozer broke through to the Lower Post Road on September 3rd. Lower Post, just south of Watson Lake, was a small Indian village with log cabins, sod roofs and an old Hudson Bay trading post-still operating. At Lower Post, Hoge modified his plan again. The second battalion turned around and headed back toward the oncoming 93rd, upgrading as they went. The 1st Battalion raced on east toward their historic appointment with the 35th.
Watson Lake, Yukon
The 340th arrived in Watson Lake on 1 September 1942. The 93rd was 63 miles behind them at Pine Lake. Fourteen year old Frank Watson had come with his father during the gold rush. The two of them wound up on the shores of a lake near the Upper Liard River. When his father returned home, Frank stayed to work their claims. Frank built a cabin, married a local Indian girl and lived a quiet life. In 1941 when an airfield came to the shores of the lake, it became “Watson Lake”.
Little Rancheria River, Yukon
At the end of August the 340th encamped at Upper Rancheria River, 80 miles from Nisutlin Bay. Their truck trail continued another 50 miles to Little Rancheria River where they stopped and built a bridge.
Morley Bay, Yukon
About 7 miles south of the Nisutlin Bay, smaller Morley Bay was the base camp of the 340th Engineers in mid-June. Supplies and equipment from Whitehorse steamed up Teslin Lake to Morley Bay on barges pushed by sternwheelers. The 340th started at Nisutlin Bay, built a bridge over the Morley River and moved on to Morris Lake.
Nisutlin Bay, Yukon
The 340th began building their section of the highway from Nisutlin Bay up the Morley River toward Lower Post, British Columbia. Nisutlin Bay was 7 to 10 miles north of their base camp at Morley Bay. Short of heavy equipment, the regiment made slow progress. They only completed 15 miles before General Hoge changed their mission.
340th Engineers in Teslin, Yukon
Both the 93rd and the 340th Engineers invaded this small Tlingit fishing/hunting village. They brought ‘white man’s diseases’ to the unvaccinated Tlingits—with devastating results. This small village of Tlingit Indians remained quarantined due to illness. Physicians from the 58th medical battalion arrived to vaccinate those natives who were not ill and care of those you were.
Teslin Lake, Yukon
The 340th travelled up on Teslin Lake to Morley Bay – their base camp. They arrived on 18 June joining the 1st battalion from Whitehorse who arrived several weeks earlier.