Soldier News continued - 1944

Two Local Soldiers Wounded in France

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 6, 1944

 

 

PFC. Ernest Meade

 

The horror of war has been brought home to the people of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY] with two boys reported wounded in France, one seriously, two boys prisoners of war in Germany, and one boy still reported missing in action.

 

Seriously wounded is Pfc. Ernest Meade, son of Mrs. Ruth Meade and Clifford Meade.  In a telegram received from the War Department by Mrs. Meade Monday night it stated that Pfc. Ernest Meade had been seriously wounded in France June 14, and a letter would follow with details.  Pfc. Meade, who is a member of the Glider Infantry, had been in England for a number of months previous to the invasion.  Last Saturday, Mrs. Meade received a letter from him dated June 12, just two days before he received his injuries, in which he stated he was fine and in the best of health.

 

Also wounded during the invasion was Pfc. Bastine (Bucky) Caracciolo.  "Bucky", who was an Infantryman and who had been in England for about two years, wrote in a letter to Salvey Papallo last week, that he was hit in the leg just above the ankle, by shrapnel and was confined to a hospital in England.  He stated further that his injury was only a flesh wound, that the  bone had not been harmed. 

 

S/Sgt. Edward L. Peckham, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.J. Peckham, of Bainbridge R.D.3, has been a prisoner of war in Germany for more than a year.  The last letter received from  him was dated the latter part of March in which he wrote that he hadn't received any mail since he had been a prisoner.

 

1st Lieut. Donald J. Patchen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earle V. Benedict, of Bainbridge, R.D.3, a Mustang pilot, flying out of England, was reported missing in action May 19 and later reported a prisoner of war in Germany. 

 

Leon R. Mott, F 1/C, USN, son of Mrs. Katherine Mott, of Bainbridge, R.D. 1, who was on the ill-fated destroyer "Strong," is still reported as missing in action.

 

Other local boys who are known to be in France are:  Pfc. Earl Clark, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Clark, North Main street; Pvt. Edson H. Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fayette Smith, Bainbridge R.D.1; S/Sgt Harry Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clair Smith, Greenlawn avenue; and Lieut, Paul D. Fairbanks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Fairbanks, Greenlawn avenue. 

 

Pfc. Clark, who is in the Infantry and who was in the regular Army before the outbreak of the war, served in the Battle of Tunisia, in which he was wounded in the head by a piece of shrapnel, also he took part in the invasion of Sicily.  He had been stationed in England a few months prior to the invasion.

 

Pvt. Edson Smith, who is also an Infantryman, had been in England several months before the invasion.

 

S/Sgt. Harry Smith, who is in the Glider Infantry, was promoted from a Private First Class to a Staff Sergeant after the invasion.  He also had been in England for a number of months.

 

Lieut. Paul D. Fairbanks, who landed in England just a few days before the invasion, is also serving in France.

 Leo Green Missing in Action

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 6, 1944

 

Lt. Leo Robert Green, former member of Troop C, State Police, Sidney [Delaware Co., NY], has been reported missing in action on June 21 in the European Theatre according to a telegram received last Friday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Green, of Johnson City [Broome Co., NY].  As a pilot of a B-17 bomber, Lt. Green was stationed in England with the 8th Air Force since last January.  His wife, Mrs. Celia Green, resides in Binghamton.  [Bainbridge News & Republican, July 6, 1944]

 

Wendell Wrench with Signal Corps in England

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 13, 1944

 

 

A ninth Air Force Service Command Unit, England:  General inspection!  Two Signal Corps technicians, Corporal Wendell G. Wrench, 26, formerly of R.F.D. 1, Bainbridge, N.Y. (left) and Private Wendell P. Jones of Blanding, Utah, check a radio generator. 

 

Jack Beagle Killed in Action

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 13, 1944

 

Lt. Jack Beagle, son of Stanley Beagle, of Albany, was listed in Thursday's New York Times as killed in action in the Mediterranean Theatre.  Stanley Beagle, who lived in Bainbridge and worked at the American Separator Co. about the time of World War I, recently retired as clerk at the State Police Headquarters, Albany.

 

Daniel J. Knapp Killed in France

Bainbridge News & Republican, July 13, 1944

 

Sgt. Daniel J. Knapp, 25, formerly of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Knapp, of West Laurens [Otsego Co., NY], was killed in action June 7 in France, according to the War Department.  Sgt. Knapp, a veteran of the North African and Sicilian campaigns, was employed on a farm at Garrettsville prior to his induction in September, 1940.  He had been overseas two years.  He was born Aug. 10, 1918, in Walton [Delaware Co., NY], and resided in the vicinity of Afton and Bainbridge before moving to West Laurens.  He attended the high school at Bainbridge.  While in Bainbridge the family lived on Johnson street.  Surviving are his wife, the former Mildred VanHoesen, of Oneonta; a son, Robert Daniel; his parents; five brothers, Frank, and Harry Knapp, West Laurens; First Class Private Eugene Knapp, with the Army in Italy; Hugh Knapp, new Berlin, and Jack Knapp, 17, who left Wednesday of last week for naval service.