patches Posted July 25, 2017 Share #1 Posted July 25, 2017 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/07/24/purple-heart-mystery-has-storybook-ending/503624001/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share #2 Posted July 25, 2017 Can anyone find what division McNamara was in in Italy? Tried the 36th Div but nothing so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 25, 2017 Share #3 Posted July 25, 2017 I've had some of McNamara's POW mail in my collection for years, 20 at least. I know more is out there because I have seen it at stamp shows. I didn't buy all of it because I have a lot of POW mail from Stalag IIIB. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted July 25, 2017 Isn't that something KAS, thought you'd never here more about McNamara! Any idea on unit? probably was the 36th Texas. I made one error in my topic, could of sworn the article as I first read it this morning in the NY Daily News said his CIB too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 25, 2017 Share #5 Posted July 25, 2017 I never dug super deep on him. I usually try to identify the units for all the POW mail I have. I was not successful for him. He could have just as easily been in the 45th Division. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share #6 Posted July 25, 2017 I never dug super deep on him. I usually try to identify the units for all the POW mail I have. I was not successful for him. He could have just as easily been in the 45th Division. Kurt He was presumably captured at Monti Sammurco, December 9th, Sammurco along with Monti Lungo figured during the Battle of San Pietro. 36th Div's well know action there December 8-17 1943. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 25, 2017 Share #7 Posted July 25, 2017 True, I was only looking at his capture date. A lot of 45th Division soldiers were captured in Jan-Feb 1944 in Italy. His capture date is 1/22/44. The 45th Landed at Anzio 1/22/44 Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 25, 2017 Share #8 Posted July 25, 2017 Field Title Value Meaning SERIAL NUMBER 32298709 32298709 NAME MC NAMARA BERNARD J MC NAMARA BERNARD J GRADE, ALPHA SSG Staff Sergeant GRADE CODE SERVICE CODE 1 ARMY ARM OR SERVICE INF Infantry ARM OR SERVICE CODE 10 INF: INFANTRY DATE REPORT: DAY (DD) 22 22 DATE REPORT: MONTH (MM) 01 01 DATE REPORT: YEAR (Y) 4 1944 RACIAL GROUP CODE STATE OF RESIDENCE 23 New York TYPE OF ORGANIZATION PARENT UNIT NUMBER PARENT UNIT TYPE AREA 98 North African Theatre: Italy LATEST REPORT DATE: DAY (DD) 08 08 LATEST REPORT DATE: MONTH (MM) 05 05 LATEST REPORT DATE: YEAR (Y) 5 1945 SOURCE OF REPORT 1 Individual has been reported through sources considered official. STATUS 8 Returned to Military Control, Liberated or Repatriated DETAINING POWER 1 GERMANY CAMP 004 Stalag 3B Furstenberg Brandenburg, Prussia (Also KDOS [uSA] #1-5; ARB BTNS 225-255) 52-14 REP POW TRANSPORT SHIPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 25, 2017 Share #9 Posted July 25, 2017 I also found 3 men who were draftees in WWII with the same first 2 initials. I hope they found the right guy, 31249710 MC#NAMARA#BERNARD#J##### CONNECTICUT NEW HAVEN HARTFORD CONNECTICUT 42 Civil Life 18 32298709 MC#NAMARA#BERNARD#J##### NEW YORK NEW YORK FT JAY GOVERNORS ISLAND NEW YORK 42 Civil Life 09 35024695 MC#NAMARA#BERNARD#J##### OHIO CUYAHOGA CLEVELAND OHIO 41 Civil Life 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted July 25, 2017 Share #10 Posted July 25, 2017 I have a 1944 casualty record for McNamara (32298709) indicating he suffered a knife laceration in February 1944. This may have been an accidental injury or something related to enemy action. The record is unclear in that regard. I have seen such ambiguity for injuries suffered during captivity and reported afterward. Wish I had more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 26, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted July 26, 2017 True, I was only looking at his capture date. A lot of 45th Division soldiers were captured in Jan-Feb 1944 in Italy. His capture date is 1/22/44. The 45th Landed at Anzio 1/22/44 Kurt He may of been captured earlier than the Jan 22 1944 date, that date may be when the Germans got around to reporting him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 26, 2017 Share #12 Posted July 26, 2017 He may of been captured earlier than the Jan 22 1944 date, that date may be when the Germans got around to reporting him? I've looked up hundreds of POWs and in my experience that date is normally the day they were captured. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 26, 2017 Author Share #13 Posted July 26, 2017 I've looked up hundreds of POWs and in my experience that date is normally the day they were captured. Kurt Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 26, 2017 Share #14 Posted July 26, 2017 I should add that the report date normally corresponds to the date they were reported "missing" which is usually the date of capture. Here is a guy who was technically not captured until July 1943. His plane was shot down in April 5, 1943. The date on AAD is the date he was shot down. He evaded from April until July when the Gestapo nabbed him in Paris. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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