On 10 July 1944, the battalion began work on First United States Army Signal jobs, numbers 268 and 276, Job 268 was a new-line of two arm, twenty (SO) pin open wire, to run from First Army Test Station 99 at St. Come-du-Mont to Carentan, to link with the partially existing St. Come-du-Mont Periers line, Job 276 was a two (2) arm twenty (20) pin open wire line from First Army Test Station 99 to Chef-du-Pont and one arm ten (10) pin open wire French poles along a railroad right of way.

Company "A" did not resume work on First United States Army Signal Service job number 502 until Thursday 27 July 1944. The first part of the week was spent in repairing minor damages to the line caused by enemy shelling on the 23rd of July and in recovering spiral four cable from Lison Test to Le-Molay along railroad right of way.

On the 26th of July, First United States Army began its push South West towards Marigny and Coutances, and on Friday 29 July, Co "B" joined Company "A" on job number 502. It was on this date that the survey teams of Company Bn captured four (4} German prisoners in the Marigny area, these the first prisoners taken by the Battalion.

On this same date, Twelfth United States Army Group, under the command of Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, became tactical, operating to the rear with Third United Spates Army on the right flank along the West Coast of the Peninsula and First United States Army on the left side below Marigny.

Lieutenant General Clinton Hodges succeeded Lt. General Bradley to Command First United States Army. The 40th Signal Construction Battalion was on this date relieved from attachment to First United States Army and reverted back to its assignment to Twelfth United States Army Group. The 57th Signal Construction Company was relieved of attachment to the 40th Signal Construction Battalion.

Major Hilton D McNeal, Commanding the organization, was on this date promoted to the Grade of Lt. Colonel.

The Battalion, following the forward movement of the United States Armies, on 7 August 1944, moved South to Bouceel, France, 4 miles Northwest of Saint James, and began surveying the same day on an eleven (11) mile double arm 10 circuit lead from South of Avranches to Saint James, utilizing existing French and German poles to a great extent. This line, both in terrain and tactical situation, simulated very closely the first line built by the Battalion across the Carentan Marsh Lands. The line was across the lowland near the mouth of the Selune river below Avranches. This area was a bottleneck, being but 30 miles wide from the enemy lines to the sea. Through this narrow strip flowed all the supplies for the Third United States Army and that part of the First United States Army below the Selune river. By 8 August, the Third United States Army had driven far South of the city of Avranches and swung West through Rennes and onto Brest, cutting the Brest Peninsula. Third Army Headquarters moved that week to about 6 miles South of St. James. On our drive to the South and Southwest, the district around Avranches remained a bottle neck. The German Seventh Army still held the town of Mortain, only 30 miles East of Avranches.

On the 13th of August the 40th moved down West of St. Quen-des-Toits in the vicinity of Clennont, for the purpose of being on hand if needed. Battalion Headquarters was located in the orchard behind the ruins of St. Bernard's Monastery, built in about the 12th century. On the 14th, Company "A" laid spiral four cable from St. Quen-des-Toits to Third Array Headquarters, three miles East of St. Quin. Third Army moved again on the 15th near Le Mans, about 50 miles to the Southeast, so again the 40th packed up and started down the road after them. We were assigned a section of open wire of ten circuits, to begin just East of Laval to just beyond Vaiges, about 14 miles Southeast in the direction of Le Mans.

The City of Paris was liberated on the 25th of August, just one month after the Normandy Breakthrough, Troops and supplies were moving on to the city in a never ceasing flow. The 40th moved 20 miles Northeast to Ablis, Seine on the 27th and to Bois D'Arcy, Seine, 5 miles north west of Versailles on the 29th, the latter location as a bivouac from which to work in constructing an open wire line around the southeast of Paris, from Camp Sartory, Versailles, to La Ferte, a distance of about 45 miles. The Battalion began at the Versailles end of the line and on the 6th of September moved to the eastern terminus near La Ferte to complete the last portion of the line.

"Losses in Action: 23 July 1944: Tec 4 Lancelot A Hiley, Company "A", 40th Signal Construction Battalion, received shrapnel wound in leg from 88 MM. Shell while working on a telephone pole near Marigny, Normandy, France, resulting in loss of leg, six inches below the knee."

- taken from the Battalion record Dossier No. submitted 1945 to the First United States Army

On 24 July 1944, three (3) teams from Company B, 40th Signal Construction Battalion, were again at work on the Carentan Canal Crossing. The Submarine Cable laid previously was now being replaced by open wire on fifty (50) foot poles. The job presented many difficult problems, among which were splicing 55 and 20 foot poles to gain the necessary height and pulling the twenty (20) wires across the canal so as not to interfere with river traffic. This job was completed Thursday, 25 July. During this period the remaining eight teams of Co B recovered Spiral Four Cable from Bayeur to Formigny, and St. Mere Eglise to St. Come-du-Mont.

Battalion Headquarters, Headquarters Company, and Co "B", on Friday 28 July, moved to about Mile Southwest of St. Jean-de-Daye, but the armys' advance was so rapid Headquarters and Head quarters "Company, and Company moved Southwest on Sunday, 30 July to mile Southwest of Carentilly, The pole, line was, at this date, completed to about 2 miles South of Marigny.

The Seventh and Nineteenth Corps, First United States Army advanced so rapidly in the succeeding days that it was impossible to keep up with them with open wire. Our last job for First United States Army was the linking the New First Army command post at Canisy to the Seventh Corps with spiral four cable.

On 1 August the Third United States Army, under the command of Lieutenant General George S Patton, began operations on the Western Flank of the Carentan Peninsula in the vicinity of Coutance.

The battalion setting up lines in Normandy -Click to Enlarge

The First job for Twelfth Army Group was to link Group at St. Saveur-de-Landelin with First United States Army at Canisy. The 40th Signal Construction Battalion built half of this line, 10 circuits open wire, starting from Canisy and meeting the 459th Signal Construction Battalion about four miles west of Marigny. This job was completed on 4 August 1944. The remainder of the week was spent cleaning and surveying equipment and resting

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This bottleneck was the target for daily enemy bombing, especially the roads and railroad bridges. On Tuesday night 8 August, a heavy concentration of bombs were dropped along the road South of Pontaubault and North of St. James, along which our line was being constructed, and about 2 miles from our bivouac area. The Germans managed to knock our thirteen spans of wire and four poles. On this same night, our convoy bringing equipment from the North to cur Camp was strafed along this road, but there were no casualties. This heavy bombing was, we learned: the next day, part of a strong concentrated attack of the Germans to drive from Mortain to Avranches and cut the US Forces below Avranches off from all supplies. The Seventh Army was thrown back with heavy losses, but fighting continued over the town of Mortain.

The Battalion bivouacked in the yard and adjoining woods of a small Chateau 1 mile Northwest of the village of Argentre, which was about 2 miles north of the job. This job was started on the 16th of August and finished three days later on the 19th. On the 20th, both "A" and "B" Company worked on a one day job laying spiral four cable around Twelfth Army Group Headquarters by elements of the Fifteenth, were being destroyed in the pocket fashioned for them by the allies between Falaise and Argentan, some 50 miles to the North.