2X Named M42 Jump Uniform Sets; Would appreciate Some Help!

[Kadet]

OK...this has been a research odyssey! Right after the holidays, I purchased two named M42 sets. These both came from the same seller and were found in a house clearance in Chicago, Ill. One set is definitively named, and also has laundry tags from Camp Mackall on both jacket and pants. The tags have the man's last name. The jacket and pants also have the initials WJC and his laundry # in them. The second set is heavily used, soiled and appears to have blood stains on it. It has several laundry marks in it. Both sets have 1LT bars. The first set has sewn, cloth bars made from paracord, or something similar. The second set had metal pin ons. I feel that both sets probably came from the same man, the owner of the set with laundry tags. After a ton of digging, and some help from a researcher, I have definitively IDd the set with the laundry tags. It undoubtedly belonged to:

 

1LT Willia//m J. C//ullen O-1305395 This info lines up perfectly

 

I know Cullen was from Chicago, was an infantry officer, ended the war as an instructor at the ABN Center at Fort Bragg, and was a paratrooper based on his jump pay.

 

I also know that he enlisted in 1941 under the enlisted ASN of 36001745

 

I would REALLy like to nail down where he served prior to his 1945 duty at Fort Bragg. I think these sets have a real story to tell!

 

I've exhausted the airborne rosters that I have at my disposal, but my resources are meager

 

Another clue may reside in the numbers on the laundry tags. These same numbers are stamped in the jacket and pants, so must have been personalized in some way. They both begin w/ the designation 1H...could this be a unit reference?

 

Anyway, would really appreciate some help from the airborne guys on here. I've invested hours of research in these sets, and so has a well known researcher. I'd like to bring it home so to speak!

 

This is the set w/ the laundry tags

[Kadet]

2

[Kadet]

3

[Kadet]

4

[Kadet]

This is set # 2. Very heavily soiled and stained

[Kadet]

I'm fairly sure this is him

 

 

William J. Cullen

Obituary

William J. Cullen, WWII Army Veteran, son of the late Edward and Mary, nee Meyer; brother of the late Edward and Margaret Tafel; cousin to many. Longtime house ware buyer for Marshall Field and Company. Visitation Friday, 8:15 a.m. until time of funeral 10:15 a.m. at Modell Funeral Home, 5725 S. Pulaski Rd. to St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Mass 11 a.m. Interment St. Mary Cemetery.

Published in Chicago Tribune on May 3, 2012

[doyler]

Kadet

great work.Some funeral homes have on line webb sites with full obituaries.I would check there if you haven't already.Maybe it will lis more information.

[Dave]

Did you try to get his death certificate from Cook County to locate his NOK? Might be able to help with info...

[Kadet]

Thanks, and good suggestions. I've never tried to get a death certificate...will they release these to just anyone?

 

At the end of the day though, this man enlisted in 1941 and was a paratrooper early enough to have owned two M42 sets. He ended the war a 1LT in the US training other paratroopers in the Fall 1945 time frame. He was released from the Army around Xmas 1945. To me, this seems logical for a man that had returned from the ETO, and I can't help but think that he appears somewhere in the GOs or rosters of one of the airborne combat units, either as an officer or under his enlisted ASN. He was ultimately an infantry officer, so was most likely assigned to one of the PIRs....

[Dave]

Unfortunately, I just checked and he had to have died over 20 years ago. They have a pay site that allows you to download a .pdf of the original death certificate. It was very helpful for finding the NOK for some of the guys in my book...

[Kadet]

Well, I found another bit of info:

 

He attended OCS at Fort Benning in 1942. He was in:

 

Infantry Officer Candidate Course #134, 6th Company, 2nd Student Training Regiment

 

He appears to have graduated December 23rd 1942

[Kadet]

I think I finally solved this. Cullen was almost certainly assigned to the 542nd PIR/PIB.

 

Do any rosters exist for this unit?

[Kadet]

..I was recently able to make a deal for the rest of this man's uniform group. I had seen it at the SOS, but it was NFS.

 

A third named M42 set, jump boots, overseas cap w/ early wool parachute infantry patch and shirts. The M42 jacket has the pockets and belt sewn down, and identical cloth 1LT bars. The boots have his last name written on the tongue...

 

 

This guy is a virtual ghost. His record was destroyed, so all I have to work with are his final pay records. His unit at discharge was the Airborne Training Detachment at Fort Bragg. Previously, this unit had been the 542nd PIB, and before that the 542nd PIR. The 542nd has an interesting history, despite the fact that it never went overseas. They also did experimental parachute/airborne work and demonstrations, which tracks with a key I found in one pocket w/ a cardboard tag that read "FADO". FADO was the BOQ at Wright Field during WWII. There is more to the story with him though, because he ended the war with more points than someone who never left CONUS (he had no dependents). He was a very early paratrooper as well. My theory is that he was one of the guys that served in Panama. This is one of the hardest research projects I've had, made more difficult because his M42s have multiple ASNs stamped in them....I'm glad he saved all of his uniforms though!

[Kadet]

Here is his info:

 

He enlisted 1/21/41

 

He was commissioned 12/24/42

 

He was separated 12/24/45

 

The annotation on his discharge authorization lists 4 yrs and 3 months.

 

However, his ASR score is listed as 55. This is 4 points more than he would have had if he never left CONUS. I think the 55 may reflect his point total as an officer, in which case he had some overseas time in some capacity. I have another document like this to a paratrooper officer with prior enlisted time, and his point total is listed as E80, which I take to mean 80 points with enlisted service.

[Kadet]

I was pretty excited to find this in a large lot being sold on Ebay that belonged to the president of the 542nd association. Bottom photo, left hand name.

[Kadet]

I also think he is the one standing in the back of the lower left group picture without a helmet on. Two of the M42 jackets once had name tapes on them....

[Tom Kibler]

You nailed it Andy! Well done!

[jdamaso111]

Is there a roster in this book? I have a uniform to a trooper in the 542nd PIB last name starts with an R.

[Kadet]

To answer your question, there are some original photos and uniform items that belonged to the man who became the 542nd Association president. There are also two huge remembrance scrap books that appear to have been compiled for reunions. They have a number of association rosters in them. Its a pretty unique compilation of items to a unit that is very poorly documented...

[Kadet]

Well, after months....I believe this is a match. I think he is actually wearing the second M42 set w/ the metal insignia in this picture. You can just make out the 1LT bar shining in the picture...

[jean-michel]

Hello kadet,

Do you think,Cullen weared the second M42?