29th Division Purple Heart

[RDUNE]

Hello all,

 

I just wanted to share my recent medal find. I've only had it a couple days and I haven't been able to do much research on him just yet so hopefully I'll be able to add some more information shortly. He was with I company 115th infantry (according to the morning reports), landed in Normandy with the second wave on D-Day, and was wounded on June 12th. According to his obituary (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185886916/alfred-lavinder) he was from Roanoke, Virginia and moved to Maryland after the war. He had two brothers in the Navy and that's about all I know so far. I just moved into a new house and my local 29th resources are packed away right now. I did manage to get a photograph of him from the genealogy room at the library.

 

The group also included a little box full of miscellaneous insignia, a belt with a canteen, and a pistol that I assume he brought home from the war. The guy I got this from said it all came right out of the top dresser drawer in the vets estate and the family didn't have any interest in keeping it at all. I'm glad I could bring this medal back to the vets home town.

 

[RDUNE]

Engraving.

[RDUNE]

The scan that the library sent me was low-res so I'm going to go down and re-scan it myself to get a clearer picture of him.

[RDUNE]

It was actually a minor miracle that I even found this medal. My wife and I go to Colonial Williamsburg every year for the 4th of July and try to hit antique malls in the area. While wandering through one a dealer was working his booth and said to let him know if we were looking for anything in particular because he was about to put out some new items. I said I'm always looking for dog tags and medals, especially to Virginia guys. He said he had just gotten a Purple Heart to a guy in the 29th Division who was in D-Day and he was from Roanoke. I tried to remain calm... I told him that's exactly what I'm always on the lookout for and that I'd like to see the medal. He went home and got the little group and met me back at the antique mall and we did the deal in the parking lot. He was a super nice guy and really great to deal with, and he seemed happy that the medal would be coming back to the vets home town.

 

If anyone has any information to add about this veteran I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Thanks for looking

 

-Ryan

[Dave]

That's pretty awesome, Ryan! I know how much you like the history of guys from Roanoke, so I'm very, very happy for you. The stamped naming is typical for the discharge centers, so that's something that is really good to see on there and proves conclusively that it was his.

 

Congrats on your find!

[BigJohn#3RD]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for posting, Just in case you do not have it already here is what I found on your man in the Excel speed sheets Morning Reports that is on line. It looks like he was dropped from the rolls and did not return to the division, most have been sent back to the states similar to my veteran who was WIA

 

33654395 Pvt I115 12-Jun-44 fr dy to hosp SWA 115 I 33654395 Pvt I115 27-Jun-44 fr hosp to dropped fr rolls 27 Jun 115 I

It looks like your soldier was WIA in the assault across of the Elle River Crossing.

C. Phase #3
1. Elle River Crossing.
The regiment remained in defensive position, and patrolled across the Elle River. During the day, 12 June 44, the patrols could not cross the river because of heavy fire from the banks. In the afternoon, the regiment was warned that it would be required to attack across the river the next morning.
At 0245 hours, orders were received for an attack at 0500 hours, 12 June 44. The 1st and 3rd battalions attacked the river line abreast and the 1st Battalion on the right. During the preparatory fire German artillery fired into the troops forming the line of departure causing several casualties. Thus delayed the attack. At 0800 hours, the attack jumped off. The 1st Battalion was unsuccessful in crossing and moved south to the vicinity of Les Fresnes, where it was surrounded by the Germans. They fought in position until they were almost out of ammunition, at which time elements fought their way out and returned to a position north of the river. During the afternoon the relief of the 3rd Battalion was attempted by sending a detachment of tanks across the river at le Moulin l'Eveque. While a platoon from Company G and a detachment of Engineers from Company A, 121st Engineers successfully removed the minefields from the bridge, the attack was repulsed by German SP guns on the south of the river. Late in the afternoon, after a heavy artillery preparation, the 1st Battalion removed its attack, which was again repulsed. The 116th Infantry, at dark, forced a crossing.

 

The above information came from 29TH DIVISION - WWII DOCUMENTS, 115th Regiment - After Action Report (AAR) - June 1944 that I posted for my 29th ID Vet who was in Co C, 115th IR. The link to the AAR on my posting is no longer working but here is the thread to my guy that has the content of the whole AAR.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/146889-115th-infantry-regiment-29th-division-veteran-from-omaha-beach-heading-home-by-19-june-1944/

 

For anyone interested in Morning Reports related to the 29th ID in WW2

 

http://www.29thdivisionassociation.com

 

This site has summaries of Morning Reports as well but has a lot more information on soldiers from the 29th ID to include photo of veterans. Ryan, your man does not have a picture so you may want to submit it.

 

http://www.americandday.org/rosters/29thdivision/public/forum/forum.php?id_forum=1

 

Best regards,

John

[katieony]

Interesting group...congratulations!

[RDUNE]

That's pretty awesome, Ryan! I know how much you like the history of guys from Roanoke, so I'm very, very happy for you. The stamped naming is typical for the discharge centers, so that's something that is really good to see on there and proves conclusively that it was his.

 

Congrats on your find!

 

Thanks Dave The Roanoke and greater southwestern Virginia guys are my main focus these days and I've been fortunate to add several medals and groupings to my collection over the last couple of years through the forum. Always looking for more though When the seller said it was named I assumed it would be post-war private engraving, so I was very glad to see the stamped naming on the back of the medal.

 

 

[RDUNE]

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for posting, Just in case you do not have it already here is what I found on your man in the Excel speed sheets Morning Reports that is on line. It looks like he was dropped from the rolls and did not return to the division, most have been sent back to the states similar to my veteran who was WIA

 

33654395 Pvt I115 12-Jun-44 fr dy to hosp SWA 115 I 33654395 Pvt I115 27-Jun-44 fr hosp to dropped fr rolls 27 Jun 115 I

It looks like your soldier was WIA in the assault across of the Elle River Crossing.

C. Phase #3

1. Elle River Crossing.

The regiment remained in defensive position, and patrolled across the Elle River. During the day, 12 June 44, the patrols could not cross the river because of heavy fire from the banks. In the afternoon, the regiment was warned that it would be required to attack across the river the next morning.

At 0245 hours, orders were received for an attack at 0500 hours, 12 June 44. The 1st and 3rd battalions attacked the river line abreast and the 1st Battalion on the right. During the preparatory fire German artillery fired into the troops forming the line of departure causing several casualties. Thus delayed the attack. At 0800 hours, the attack jumped off. The 1st Battalion was unsuccessful in crossing and moved south to the vicinity of Les Fresnes, where it was surrounded by the Germans. They fought in position until they were almost out of ammunition, at which time elements fought their way out and returned to a position north of the river. During the afternoon the relief of the 3rd Battalion was attempted by sending a detachment of tanks across the river at le Moulin l'Eveque. While a platoon from Company G and a detachment of Engineers from Company A, 121st Engineers successfully removed the minefields from the bridge, the attack was repulsed by German SP guns on the south of the river. Late in the afternoon, after a heavy artillery preparation, the 1st Battalion removed its attack, which was again repulsed. The 116th Infantry, at dark, forced a crossing.

 

The above information came from 29TH DIVISION - WWII DOCUMENTS, 115th Regiment - After Action Report (AAR) - June 1944 that I posted for my 29th ID Vet who was in Co C, 115th IR. The link to the AAR on my posting is no longer working but here is the thread to my guy that has the content of the whole AAR.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/146889-115th-infantry-regiment-29th-division-veteran-from-omaha-beach-heading-home-by-19-june-1944/

 

For anyone interested in Morning Reports related to the 29th ID in WW2

 

http://www.29thdivisionassociation.com

 

This site has summaries of Morning Reports as well but has a lot more information on soldiers from the 29th ID to include photo of veterans. Ryan, your man does not have a picture so you may want to submit it.

 

http://www.americandday.org/rosters/29thdivision/public/forum/forum.php?id_forum=1

 

Best regards,

John

 

Thank you John, that helps me out a great deal Interesting that he didn't return to the division... I plan to request his records through Golden Arrow, so hopefully that will shed some light on his time in the Army after he was wounded. The website you mentioned, Americandday.org has been a big help with my research in the past. I'll submit Lavinders photo, but the last few I submitted never got posted, so we'll see. Didn't that site used to have a companion site dedicated entirely to the 29th division? I can't seem to find it anymore.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to find and post the information about this veteran, as well as the great sources.

 

-Ryan

 

 

[Jumpin Jack]

Really fine grouping! This is the sort of thing that I have gravitated to due to space problems. Jack