WW2 Purple Heart Medal find at flea market

[Tonomachi]

I picked this up at the flea market today. It is not engraved on the back but it came with a piece of paper attributing it to a Robert Reynolds. The issuing authority at the top says, "Headquarters, 1st (US) General Hospital, SEINE SEC, COM Z, EUROPEAN T OF OPNS, APO 88 US ARMY". It lists his service number as 36 070 388 for I'm guessing wounds received on 7 January 1945 in Belgium. I tried checking NARA but couldn't find him nor could I find him on any of the Purple Heart recipients databases that you find on line. Does anyone have another database that they could check for me to confirm that Robert Reynolds did receive a Purple Heart? The seller told me that this came out of an abandoned locker and he supposedly has a bunch of other things belonging to Reynolds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tonomachi]

Photos

[BROBS]

I'm not sure why he doesn't come up... if he became an officer would the enlistment record still be there?

 

 

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[BROBS]

I don't see why it would be fake. Can you get a closer picture of his ASN? I wonder if they mistyped it?

 

 

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[Blacksmith]

I've seen typos in ASNs before, but doubt that's what is afoot here. The electronic version of the merged Army Service Number file has known documented gaps. 36066230 to 36106809 is one of them. As most online sources are 'fed' by this NARA / AAD file, it naturally follows that the same gap exists in all 'child' sources. I suspect that is why traditional searches aren't producing hits for you. Likely remedied by in-person research at MILPERCEN or National Archives.

[Tonomachi]

I finally located the correct Robert Reynolds after obtaining a box of documents, photographs, dog tags, unit crests, SSIs, lighter, unit flags, etc., from where the purple heart medal initially came from in an estate sale. However over 99.9% of the things in this box was for another soldier with a different last name (James Thomas Carlisle Jr.) which was really confusing but I did find a birth certificate for a Michael Leland Reynolds who is the son of Robert Reynolds. What this document did give me was Robert Reynolds' middle name of Leland. In addition there was a colorized unmarked photograph of what looked like a WW2 17th Airborne Division paratrooper with brown paratrooper boots but no jump wings (see below). The overseas cap patch had a glider on it so I assumed glidertrooper. None of the unit crests or SSIs were airborne but mostly armored cavalry. The face of this individual on the colorized photograph did not match the bulk of the photographs of the other soldier (Carlisle) which was mostly from the Korean War and cold war era. Since I now had a middle name I started to look for an obituary or grave site for Robert Reynolds with no luck at all. I did find the son's (Michael Reynolds) grave site but not the father whom the purple heart was issued to. So then I decided on a long shot and typed in airborne with the name of Robert Reynolds in the search engine and hit the jackpot. There is a website roster of the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment. I found this under HQ Company I, 1st Battalion, 193rd GIR:

 

Staff Sergeant Reynolds Robert L, 36070388. Good Conduct Ribbon (11/06/1944) and Combat Infantry Badge (01/07/1945)

 

I looked up the campaigns of the 193rd GIR and they fought in Belgium which is where Sgt. Robert Reynolds was wounded and received his purple heart. I finally figured out why the purple heart medal belonging to Robert Reynolds was amongst this grouping belonging to James T. Carisle. James T. Carisle's wife is Violet Pansey Carisle. Her first husband was Robert Reynolds and Michael Reynolds was James T. Carisle's stepson who died recently. It looks like the few things that Violet kept that once belonged to her first husband was the purple heart and a few photographs.

 

 

 

 

 

[doyler]

I've seen typos in ASNs before, but doubt that's what is afoot here. The electronic version of the merged Army Service Number file has known documented gaps. 36066230 to 36106809 is one of them. As most online sources are 'fed' by this NARA / AAD file, it naturally follows that the same gap exists in all 'child' sources. I suspect that is why traditional searches aren't producing hits for you. Likely remedied by in-person research at MILPERCEN or National Archives.

 

Great info Blacksmith

[doyler]

Nice research

 

Im glad it all came together.

 

I have a group to a 17th man wounded during the Buldge

[TFH]

Nice find !

You'll find additional info on the fighting of the 193rd GIR in the Bulge and especially on January 07 on my website :

 

http://17th-airborne-in-the-bulge.eklablog.com/welcome-and-new-articles-c657731

 

January 07, 1945 was the first and the worst day of battle for the 193rd GIR ! I/193 fought just north of the little village of Mande-Saint-Etienne (north of Bastogne) in the hope to reach the village of Flamizoulle but was immediately stopped by German troops with heavy losses without any gain. This is a nice NCO M1 helmet find several years ago in a fox-hole located on the departure line of the I/193 on January 07 :

 

 

 

Richard

[TFH]

And inside :

 

[Tonomachi]

I finally put together a shadow box with the original Purple Heart Medal, accompanying certificate and period photographs.  I added original period insignia and while doing so I noticed that in the larger wartime photograph of Sgt. Robert Reynolds with the 17th Airborne Division he is actually wearing paratrooper wings instead of glidertrooper wings.  The period documents have him only serving with the 327th Glider Infantry, 101st Airborne Division and 193rd Glider Infantry, 17th Airborne Division during WW2.  The only piece of insignia that is not period is the 327th GIR unit crest which is 1950s as so far I haven't been able to find a WW2 example.  Sgt. Robert Reynolds left the Army at the end of the war but a couple of years later reenlisted so there was a break in service.  After getting back into the military Sgt. Robert L. Reynolds changed his MOS from Infantry to Ordnance.  I had some left over documents, photographs and certificates from this grouping and came up with the idea of placing them into an 8 x 10 clear plastic sleeve.  This was placed onto the back of the shadow box to keep the grouping together as we collectors are only the temporary custodians of pieces of history and as you know things will get lost if not kept together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blacksmith]

That is VERY nicely done - great job preserving the story of his service.

[WWIIinterviews]

This looks amazing! A very nice tribute display showcasing an American hero during WWII.

[63 RECON]

very cool, so did he serve form D Day with the 101st and transfer to the 17th for the Rhine?

 

Is that pic of him with his son in dress uniform?

[Tonomachi]

19 hours ago, 63 RECON said:

very cool, so did he serve form D Day with the 101st and transfer to the 17th for the Rhine?

 

Is that pic of him with his son in dress uniform?

I don't have that answer.  Here are a few close ups of the smaller photos showing him wearing the 327th GIR unit crests on both lapels and overseas cap but minus a glidertrooper or paratrooper wing.

 

 

 

 

[63 RECON]

Cheers. Sorry should have read more, you mentioned he received his CIB in '45

 

Could we get a close up of the pic below the ribbon rack please?

[Tonomachi]

I do know that he served with Company M, 1st Battalion, 327th GIR, 101st Abn Div from March 1942 through March 1943.  From March 1943 through Jan 1944 he served with Company I, 1st Battalion, 193rd GIR, 17th Abn Div.  I don't know which unit he served with from January 1944 through January 1945 but my guess is that it was with one of the airborne units that made up the Allied Abn Div.  He was probably still with the 193rd GIR.  He was wounded fighting in Belgium on January 7, 1945.  He was hospitalized in Europe before eventually being transferred to a hospital in the United States.  

 

In the below photos you can see where he is wearing the Allied Airborne Division SSI on his right shoulder.

 

[AustinO]

Have really enjoyed how this story has played out, nice little grouping!

 

Here's his hospital admission card which probably sheds a little more light on his wound.

[Tonomachi]

6 hours ago, AustinO said:

Have really enjoyed how this story has played out, nice little grouping!

 

Here's his hospital admission card which probably sheds a little more light on his wound.

Thanks for the additional information.  

[shortsix]

Great work on this group and the display is fantastic.