Sleepless in Florida!
What news!
Christoph, what you sent is Amazing!!!!! WOW!
I will work on its precise translation! I have someone here who can help me - in addition to Google translate.
This is all so incredible - AWESOME!!! YOU and LARRY are off the Planet! Actually you 2 could figure out anything and put order to it all!
More,
Jean
All of your work above on the battling and capturing of territory is fantastic Larry!
My research got me to the 97th Division, 303rd Regiment. It was B Company that actually fought its way up to the Abbey but have not yet been able to find records on what they found when they got there. And separate from the group of Allied prisoners that were moved to Waldbrol what about everyone else? Where did they go? or did they?.
More later.. Must go... THANK YOU BOTH Again and Again!!!
Jean
See, Jean is so overwhelmed that she forgot to mention we also figured out Robert`s story with 138th Inf, Missouri National Guard, the ASTP program & finaly with Co A, 23rd Armored Inf Bn, 7th Armored Div, when wounded & captured Oct 29 near Liesel, Holland and died 3 Jan `45 at the abby.
You are right - overwhelmed and so appreciative! I was thinking of how to explain all of this. It was such a complicated situation to ever try to solve - but Larry to the rescue!!! It is possible that in the end finding my Dad's debriefing papers - when I find them - will be easier to achieve than what Larry did here.
It all started 2 weeks ago when Robert's family called me and thanked me for basically bringing Robert back to life. The family read to me what was on Robert's tombstone after their visit to see him the day before. Well as it turns out the information was not correct - yes, his name was and those basic born and died dates were correct - but the Division and Regiment were not.
Well Larry to the rescue! - and what a mammoth effort! And what a Challenge! But apparently nothing stops Larry and he dug in and then dug in some more - ultimately to reveal Robert's complex route and final place of being wounded and captured.
Larry can best explain all the details of the searches - it is truly overwhelming!
I wish I had the authority to issue Stars - Larry and Christoph would already have quite a few!
Now you do need to know that it was touch and go whether Larry would live through all of this - he even had a funeral he had to attend - but he delayed it! And only Larry can tell you more....
Jean
"And only Larry can tell you more...."
I will never tell.....i have been sworn to secrecy under penalty of anddur funeral by the Secret Order of the Joyful Bunny.
Oh my gosh - I am hysterical with laughter.
And I wanted to tell everyone they really should have a line into my computer because Larry has done it again - What fabulous Guidry info just came in. Apparently the wife one of Guidry's brothers, James, passed away fairly recently. Maybe their children will have Guidry clues. I will be following up on this as soon as I can.
I hope you have good news out of the Secret Order of the Joyful Bunny, Larry - We can not let anything dare happen to you!!!
Jean
Why haven't we found this earlier? The Joyful bunny was not with us.
I just found Guidry on this list
http://www.conscript...8-MIS-X-03.html but I am shure I have checked t maybe last year conerning escapes from Siegburg but found nothing about him, only your father on the same list.
And another very interesting site from France:
http://francecrashes...s_presents.html
If you click on "acceuil", then "Recherche par équipage", enter "Guidry" and then click on the "3099" in the result, you'll get a page about Guidry's Crash, and another one here
http://www.b17-franc...g/recherche.htm (enter 368 in the text box to find Guidry's plane).
Now it seems so easy to find...
Christoph
Christoph, you are right - the Joyful bunny had not visited the proper sites. Waiting for important news today.
These are fascinating sites you sent!
In the past, I do not think you could ever of had a chance to find Guidry because I was not sure of his name. And I was not sure of the spelling as I would pronounce how Mom and Dad referred to him - the best I could think was Geedree but even that looks like Gee and it was not a hard G. Guidry spelling would in my initial research, if I found it, have been overlooked by me.
As I tried researching the name Geedree in Louisiana, I got told it was a very common Louisiana name. One reason for that I can now see - Larry sent info that included Guidry's Mom and Dad and all of the brothers and sisters that he had - just that family was huge!
The crash site information is fabulous! So great for research even in the particular case of the POW's that while non Siegburg folks have fascinating stories including Carl R. Carlson whose wife I got referred to. I found him on the list. As always, Thank You very much!
I do not think our Guidry is part of those French sites - he appears to be Infantry based on the entry in your first site. However with the size of his family and probably Uncles etc. could be a family member - even a close one.
That conscript site shows capture in October. Fascinating because of Dad in October too!
As always THANK YOU! It is wonderful that while I have to work on some non War related things in addition to Mom - that Larry just came in like a Bomb! It is incredible!!! Crazy good fortune!!! My Dad would be so happy!!!
More,
Jean
Info on Guidry:
Edwin Joseph Guidry,
b. 23 Jun 1918, (prob), Convent, St. James, Louisiana
d. 21 Jan 1987 - Reserve, St. John The Baptist, Louisiana
father: Edwin J Guidry,; mother: Eva Graugnard
ASN 38308310
rank: S/Sgt
Unit: 377th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion ( 377th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) )
377th trained with 4th Inf Div in england, March -June `44
377th was officially attached to 4th Infantry Div. 14 Jun 44-22 Mar 45 ; 23-27 Mar 45 ; 6 Apr-9 May 45
Enlistment Record:
http://aad.archives....g=1&rid=7295105
GUDIRY, EDWIN J ( Name misspelled in enlistment record, NPRC records might be filed under this name spelling
POW Record:
Links & Information on MIS-X, Escape & Evasion Reports
http://www.conscript-heroes.com/Art38-MIS-X-03.html
#2851 S/Sgt Edwin J Guidry Jnr 4 Div, 377 AAA AW Bn MIA Oct 44 - escaped hospital at Siegburg Mar 45
#2912 Cpl Jean H Dasburg 4 Div, 22 Infantry Regt, Med Det MIA Oct 44 - escaped hospital at Siegburg Mar 45
http://research.arch...cription/305270
National Archives, College Park, MD.:
Records Hierarchy
Record Group 498:Records of Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, United States Army (World War II), 1942 - 1947
Series: Escape and Evasion Reports, 1942 - 1945
This series consists of Escape and Evasion Report Files. Reports typically include a brief questionnaire concerning the use of escape and evasion (E&E) training and equipment; an interrogation form with unit designation, target information (if applicable), number of missions flown (if applicable), date considered missing in action, date returned to U.S. or allied control, country of escape or evasion, and a listing of crew members (or other service personnel) with official disposition; a verification of the identity and trustworthiness of escapee or evader; a certificate safeguarding prisoner of war and/or escape and evasion information; an outline of topics to be covered in the narrative; and a typed or handwritten narrative that documents the escape and evasion experience of the escapee or evader.