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Thanks Ac, some great thought and effort there, I love that and I am looking forward to reading mor posts from you on this pretty subject!!
Cheers, to you Matt!! It gets me fired up for that Operation Husky game about to begin!!
Tom
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Thanks Tom
I do not have many stories involving the men who became pathfinders. I know that six of the riflemen of second squad second platoon "volunteered" to be the security team for the 3d Battalion plane (Chalk 9). They were stick 3 for the serial of three planes destined for DZ "D". They were led by their assistant platoon leader John J Windish Jr.
Pvt Jack L. BROWN
Pfc George E. KENFIELD
Pvt George R. MC MILLAN
Pvt David D. MORGAN
Pfc William C. WEBER Jr
Pfc John EDWARDS
I only know what happened to John Windish after landing and if I recall correctly McMillan land near Ste. Come-du-Mont where he was soon captured. Here is a response I got on the Trigger Time forum from someone who had met John Windish's wife:
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Her husband talked alot about his Normandy experience. As they approached the drop zone the C-47 came under fire and started to take evasive action. Close to this time Windish's security detail jumped. After Windish removed his chute he clicked his cricket but heard no reply. It was the loneliest feeling he ever had. Turns out because of the planes evasive action the stick was spread out all over the place. Windish spent about a week avoiding the Germans but was finaly cornered in a fire fight. He was wounded in the heal . The shot came over his head, down the length of his back and hit the back of his heal. He realized that the jig was up and surrendered. The Germans took him to a French hospital where they worked on his heal. During this time one of the French nurses took a liking to him and would bring him extra rations in her bra. Soon the Break Out occured and the Germans started to evacuate all the American POW's. The French nurse hid Windish in a wheeled laundry basket and took him to the laundry room. It was there that American troops liberated him. Windish never went back to his unit.
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Of the six men in the team, Jack Brown, David Morgan, and George McMillan were captured and George Kenfield was killed. George McMillan escaped and made it back to the company before Market Garden. John Edwards was promoted to Corporal to replace their assistant Squad leader.
l to r: James Brown Jr, Bill Weber (PF Security), Chuck Abeyta, Jack Brown (PF Security)
I addition to the casualties already listed I/506 lost almost half a dozen others killed and fifteen others captured:
Killed:
T/5 Leslie Riley
T/5 James Millican- Killed by a treeburst sometime on d-day soon after talking with Elmer Gilbertson
Cpl. Stanley Zebrosky (He is the Cpl that Edwards replaced) -killed in an ambush when he and Cecil Hutt of G/506th were walking toward the wooden bridges together and were ambushed. Hutt was wounded and captured and Zebrosky was KIA.
PFC John Houk -a Pathfinder on Chalk 9 (not security)- another pathfinder witnessed him landing on the roof of a church NEAR Ste Come du Mont. He was never seen after this.
Other POWs:
CPT MC KNIGHT, JOHN T.
SGT NASH, ROBERT E. - see photo below
TEC4 BEYRLE, JOSEPH R. - Captured after accidentally jumping in on top of a German outpost
PFC CHRISTENSEN, NIELS M.- Captured after landing on the Pointe.
PFC COOK, JAMES P.
PFC HARRINGTON, WILLIAM E.-Seventh Rifleman in second squad second platoon
PFC TUCKER, LAMBERT R. - escaped with Joe first time but captured after they split up
PVT CORCORAN, EDWARD J.
PVT DORER, RICHARD F.
PVT DANNER, RUSSEL H.
PVT FARRIS, ALBERT E.
PVT HOFFMAN, RAYMOND D.
CPL SIMSON, JOHN H.
PVT RAINWATER, BERNIE B.
PFC SHEERAN, JAMES - escaped with Bernie in time to return for Holland, Joe Beyrle helped them out of the train through a grate in the roof they filed through
Sgt. Robert Nash
Over all I/506 lost almost 50% of its men in Normandy