Soldier News continued - 1945

Four Local Prisoners In Germany Released

Bainbridge News & Republican, May 31, 1945

 

People of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY] are overjoyed to hear of the release of the four local boys who have been held as prisoners in Germany and hope that these lads will return to their families in the States soon.  they are T/Sgt. Edward L. Peckham, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.J. Peckham, R.D.3, Bainbridge; 1st Lieut. Donald L. Patchen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earle Benedict, of R.D.3, Bainbridge; Pfc. Ernest E. Meade, son of Mrs. Ruth Meade, Bainbridge; and Pfc. Socrates Nellis, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Rexford Silvey, of R.D.3, Bainbridge.

 

The first boy to report of his release was Private First Class Nellis, infantryman, who was captured on Dec. 18, 1944 in Belgium by the Germans and taken to a prison camp near the Baltic Sea.  His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Silvey, received an Ex-prisoner of War card from him on May 18.

 

Next came word of the release of Pfc. Ernest E. Meade in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Meade, which she received last Friday morning.  Private First Class Meade was a member of the 101 Airborne Infantry.  He went into Normandy on D-Day and was seriously wounded June 14 in France.  After spending several months in the hospital, he returned to his outfit and, on Sept. 25, he was reported missing in action in Holland.  No further word was heard from him until Dec. 14 when he was reported a prisoner; although he had been a prisoner since shortly after he was reported missing.

 

First Lieut. Donald L. Patchen, who was a Mustang Fighter pilot, the only fighter pilot from Bainbridge was reported missing on May 19, 1944, according to word received by his parents around the first of June.  He later was reported a prisoner.  Lieutenant Patchen, who holds the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, has returned to his outfit in England, according to a letter received from him last week by his parents.

 

The first service man from Bainbridge to be taken prisoner and the last to be released was T/Sgt. Edward L. Peckham, Technical Sergeant Peckham, who was an aerial engineer on a B-17 stationed in England, was shot down on his first mission over German territory on June 26, 1943.  He was reported missing in action on July 5, 1943.  Edward lived with a French family for seven weeks, and while on his way to the Spanish border attempting to escape back to England, he was captured.  He was confined to a civilian prison for seven weeks and then moved to an army prison camp.  He was reported a prisoner on Oct. 31 1943.  After spending almost two years in the German camp B-17, all the allied prisoners were forced to leave the camp on Apr. 8, 1945, when the Russian forces were within 40 miles of the camp, according to a letter received by his parents, Saturday morning.  He stated further that they were forced to march 200 miles in 18 days and were at the German-Austrian border when released by the Americans on May 3.  He expects to return to the States not later than June 15.

 

Earnest Meade Liberated April 30 in Munich

Bainbridge News & Republican, May 31, 1945

 

Mrs. Ruth Meade, of Front street [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., New York], received the following letter Friday morning from her son, Pfc. Ernest E. Meade, who has been a prisoner in Germany since September, 1944, telling of his liberation at Munich on Apr. 30.

 

May 6, 1945

Hello Folks:

You can stop your worrying about me right now, for today I am a free man, no longer in German hands, thank the good Lord.  Mother, you'll never know just how happy I was the day I saw an American tank and infantry roll into town, Munchen, (Munich), where I have been working the past five months.  It was the 30th of April, a date that I will never forget.  I am in good health--hope everyone at home is well too.

 

Mother it will not be long before I will be on my way home to the good old United States.  My life here in Germany, while a P.O.W. has been a hard one.  My guards were hard on me.  Some treated me like a dog--how they worked us--how they treated us.  If it were not for the American Red Cross, I think I would have died last winter.

 

Did you ever get any of my personal belongings from my outfit?  I do hope you got my Purple Heart that was sent to you before I left the airport for Holland. 

 

Mother, it about broke my heart because I didn't hear from home once during my seven months of P.O.W. life.  I wrote to you and Dad every Sunday morning.  Well mother, I must say goodnight.  Give my love to all of family for me.  You can expect your some home anytime now.

Son, Ernest. 

 

Cpl. Henry Soules Found in Germany

Bainbridge News & Republican, May 31, 1945

 

Cpl. Henry Soules, who has been reported missing in Germany since March 1, 1945, states in a letter of May 14 to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Soules, that he was found by the Allies.  Corporal Soules, of the 26th Infantry, 1st Division, was all right and hoped to be home soon, according to his letter received by his parents Sunday.

 

Pfc. Kenneth Wright Killed in Action

Bainbridge News & Republican, May 24, 1945

 

Word has been received by Mrs. Grace Wright, of Wells Bridge [Otsego Co., NY] that her husband, Pfc. Kenneth Wright, was killed in Germany on April 17.  Private Wright, who was with the 3rd Army, entered service June 8, 1943, and received his training at Fort Bliss, Tex., Camp Cooke, Calif., Ontario Air Field and Camp McCoy, Wis.  He went overseas in November, 1944.  Private Wright married Miss Grace Jackson, of Wells Bridge on July 18, 1941.  Besides his wife, a daughter, Sharon, survives, as do his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bart Wright, of Otego, and a sister, Mrs. Frank Polley, of Oneonta.

 

Cpl. Richard Bump Home After Two Years in Pacific

Bainbridge News & Republican, May 24, 1945

 

Cpl. Richard Bump, son of Harvey Bump, USMC, who has been in the Pacific area for two years, is spending a 30-day leave with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Bump, and Charles Marble, and his father, Harvey Bump, and his sisters, Shirley and Marilyn, in Guilford, and sister, Emily, in Norwich.  Cpl. Bump enlisted in January, 1943, and received his basic training at Parris Island, S.C., and from there went to Camp Lejeune, New River, N.C.  He left for overseas in April, 1943.  Cpl. Bump was stationed on Guam for a time and was all through the Bougainville campaign.  He was one of 14 lost behind Jap lines.  They were lost for 14 hours.  The Marines were cut off from their comrades by heavy Jap installations during fierce fighting along the Pira Trail.  They had to travel four miles in a semicircular path before they again made contact with their own front lines.  "It was an arduous trek," he says.  "We were forced to duck snipers, machine gun nests and heavy mortar fire."  En route they picked up two other Marines badly wounded and carried them to safety.  "During fierce fighting at Iwo Jima, Cpl. Bump ducked into a fox hole occupied by two Japs.  He shot one of them, but the other hit him with the butt of his gun, and Cpl. Bump was taken to the hospital.  At the end of his leave Cpl. Bump will go to Bennett Field, New York City, for reassignment. 

 

Louis Scanlon Promoted on Okinawa

Bainbridge News & Republican, May 31, 1945

 

 

1st Lt. Louis W. Scanlon

 

2nd Lieut. Louis W. Scanlon, son of John Scanlon, of Bainbridge [Chenango Co., NY], who is serving with the 27th Division, has been promoted to First Lieutenant.