Trying to find information on a POW

[frank]

Hi everyone!

I've been doing some research on my family tree. One night I was talking to my husband's grandmother and she, in passing, mentioned when one of her cousins was brought back home from over seas after having been killed during WWII. All she could remember was that the honor guard was so still that she just itched to pinch one of them to see if they were real.

 

I did some research on ancestry.com and this is what I found on him:

 

Name: Barney G Sandretto

Residence State: Michigan

 

Report Date: 20 Feb 1943

Latest Report Date: 22 Feb 1943

 

Grade: Technician 5th Grade

Service Branch: Army

Arm or Service: Corps of Engineers

Arm or Service Code: Corps Of Engineers

Area Served: North African Theatre: Tunisia

Detaining Country: Germany

Camp: Lazarett Unstated

STATUS: Died as Prisoner of War, Not Above Cases

Report Source: Individual has been reported through sources considered official.

 

and:

 

Name: Barney G Sandretto

Gender: Male

Race: White

Religion: Catholic

 

Cemetery Name: Michigan

Disposition: According to next of kin

 

Service Branch: Army

Rank: Technician Fifth Grade

Service Number: 36125930

 

 

I'm not too sure what all the codes mean...but I did try to look some of it up and I think it means that he died by unnatural causes as a POW.

 

Does anyone have any information they can share??

[206thmpco]

Hello Mistykinz,

 

Where it says "Camp: Lazarett" - I believe "lazarett" in a German prison

or concentration camp was a hospital (or so-called hospital).

 

Can anyone else help & confirm that?

 

good luck! I hope you find more info on your family member!

 

Mary Ann

[mistykinz]

Thank you Mary Anne!

 

So, he was in a "hospital" in a concentration camp. That's the definition of IRONY. I was just looking at a website of soldiers accounts of their service during WWII.

 

One Soldier said that his plane was brought down and he was captured by the Germans. They marched him (and other POWs) to a concentration camps where they watched them kill Jews to make room for the POWs. He said they were sceduled to be killed but were rescued by the allies in 1945.

 

I am very sorry how some soldiers are treated. I want to say to all of you that I adore and appreciate you so much!!!

 

Just last week we parked behind a car at the Post Office that had bumper stickers all over it that said, "WWII Paratrooper"

When the gentleman got out of his car I wanted to jump out and give him a huge hug and a big thank you...but I lost my nerve!

 

So I'll give it to all of you Veterans now..."THANK YOU!!"

Misty

[Sgtleo]

 

 

Elderly people, the sick, and invalids who were unable to walk were told that they would be taken to a Lazarett (infirmary) where they would receive medical treatment.

 

In many of the Camps this was the place where they were shot in the back of the head so they fell into a trench that held a huge fire to consume the remains.

 

 

Sgtleo

[Walt's Daughter]

Welcome to our forum. I sure hope we can help you with your quest.

 

I am supplying some general info. These are all kinds of various links that refer to lazaretts, or have photos.

 

http://www.axpow.org/sidlovskyalbert.htm

 

http://81.191.136.233/bilder/album1/

 

===============

 

Reserve-Lazarett IX-C(a), Obermassfeld - Orthopedic Hospital

Robert is looking for information on Reserve-Lazarett IX-C(a), Obermassfeld, Thuringia, Germany - Orthopedic Hospital.

 

He has discovered information that may be of interest at the POW Camps website.

 

The hospital provided medical care to Americans, and British PoWs. Robert has been attempting to contact members of a PoW Association in England that is familiar with the hospital. The purpose is to obtain any medical records stored in archives. The American government recognizes military personnel killed or wounded by the award of the Purple Heart. However, since the huge fire occurred in St. Louis during 1973 destroying millions of military records, many military personnel have no proof of their experience.

 

A gentleman in Germany was kind enough to assist. He determined the records are not stored in the vicinity of the former hospital. He received the following response:

 

Unterlagen eines Reservelazaretts Obermaßfeld liegen uns nicht vor. Vielleicht fragen Sie mal beim Bundesarchiv Berlin oder bei der Wehrmachtsauskunftsstelle Berlin nach.

 

The translation provided by the computer:

 

Documents of a reserve infirmary waiter measure field do not exist us. Perhaps you inquire once Berlin or in the armed forces information bureau Berlin in the alliance archive.

 

Berlin is the last place to search in order to determine if they exist today. If the records are located, the discovery would affect hundreds if not thousands of veterans/family members.

 

Can anyone assist Robert with information? If so, please email him. "robersabel@aol.com"

 

=================

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=QpAgHYTPR...hmY1sua9D6GeaGc

 

http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/Docs/memoir...s_lazarett.html

 

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Medical...AHNuernberg.htm

 

http://genealogytrails.com/ill/ww2powdead.html

 

=================

 

Taken from this page:

 

http://www.rafweb.org/Help_Wanted%20300-399.htm

 

Request 371. Posted 1 Aug 2006

 

Elsbet Strohbach was searching for any reference to RAF F/ Lieutenant with first name "George" in the military hospital (Res-Lazarett) at Koenigswartha (formerly German Wehrkreis IV-Dresden) at that time 1944/45. Elsbet told, George became interned after an air crash relatively early. He survived and was interned, but he became ill in 1944 and was taken into that Res-Lazarett Koenigswartha nearby Bautzen, together with German soldiers. He was accommodated separately and went out in the park of the hospital separately.

 

Elsbet first met George in this military hospital. George and Elsbet, they were close friends at this time, but they lost sight of each other in the winter 1945. Elsbet was born in 1924 and lived in Langburkersdorf, a village nearby Neustadt (district Pirna near Dresden). She went by train to this military hospital in this time.

 

With reference to URL's at a number of addressees about POW of second war I could find any information on inmates RAF F/ Lieutenant and the first name "George", but I could not find any lists of Prisoners-of-war of this military hospital in Koenigswartha.

 

It would be nice to hear from anyone who may possibly remember or from anyone who could provide some insight into his time at military hospital Res-Lazarett Koenigswartha.

 

I would appreciate your answer.

 

Kindest regards

 

Steffen Zaunik

 

===============

 

http://www.seniornet.org/ww2/gallery/memor...stalagVII.shtml

[Walt's Daughter]

Just last week we parked behind a car at the Post Office that had bumper stickers all over it that said, "WWII Paratrooper"

When the gentleman got out of his car I wanted to jump out and give him a huge hug and a big thank you...but I lost my nerve!

 

I actually DO now. I can't tell you how many times I see a vet, stop, turn and approach. I 'm getting darn good at it!

[SonofaMP]

Hi Misty, welcome to the forum. Hope we can help you out. Do you know what engineer unit Mr Sandretto was with?

If he was captured in Tunisia around Feb 20, 1943 that would be the time of the Battle of Kaserine Pass. There were several engineer units involved.

19th Engineer Regiment

1st Engineer Bn ( 1st Infantry Div)

16th Combat Eng Bn (1st armored div)

Also several other II Corp Engineer units were in the area

 

a good possiblity here would be the 19th Engineer Reg who on 18/19 Feb acted as infantry, occupying a three-mile defensive line that stretched from the infantry position to Djebel Chambi. They were overrun the night of Feb 19/20.

 

I`ll see what else i can dig up so be sure to check back in the next few weeks.

 

Larry

[mistykinz]

Thank you all so much! I am excited at all the little bits of information.

 

Larry, I dont have any information other than what I've posted. I know there is another relative that may or may not have information, although he is in very poor health. I will write to him to see if he has any information. Thank you for your research!!!!

[SonofaMP]

There is a post on the forum by Jace entitled "Biography of Cprl. Earnest W. Warner, 19th Eng. © GP, "Ernie Warner" in WWII Engineers, In his account of the Battle of Kaserine Pass he mentions a man named Sandretto being wounded, might be the Sandretto your looking for?

 

Visit My Websitehttp://208.109.212.45/forum/index.php?showtopic=3895

 

 

Larry

[SonofaMP]

More info on Mr Sandretto

 

Barney G. Sandretto

 

 

BRANCH OF SERVICE

U.S. Army

 

 

HOMETOWN

Kearsarge, MI

 

HONORED BY

Ms. Rebecca Sandretto, Sister In Law

 

ACTIVITY DURING WWII

WAS IN THE ENGINEERS. KILLED IN ACTION AT KASSERINE PASS ON FEBRUARY 22, 1943.