A tribute to Allen F. Wolfe K/143 - 36th Division

[dogface44]

A tribute to Allen F. Wolfe K/143 - 36th Division

 

Reported POW-MIA Battle of Montelimar

August 30th, 1944

 

 

 

Allen Wolfe's family was originally from Germany and arrived in the USA in 1727.

One of his way back grandfathers fought in the american revolution, his grandfather fought for the south in the US civil war.

His father was in the first world war and did not want Allen to go in the army.

One of his sisters remembers him begging his father to sign for him,

as he was only seventeen when he joined up.

He has a younger brother who was born after the war and two older sisters.

 

Allen Wolfe went to war with the 36th Division. He landed at Salerno in September 1943 and went all the way

in the other battles throughout Italy, including the Rapido river disaster.

 

He was wounded in Italy.

 

He was eighteen while fighting in Italy and turned 19 just before they took Rome.

His best friend and buddy was Hec Kilray.

He wrote at least thirty letters home during the Italian campaign.

 

 

Allen Wolfe and Hec Kilray in Italy wearing their combat fatigues.

They were best friends and fought together from the landing at

Salerno and other battles through out Italy, including the Rapido.

 

 

He landed in Southern France on August 15th, 1944 and was reported missing in action during the battle of Montelimar - France.

Hec Kilrea and Allen Wolfe were together the morning they went out and were separated.

His company was on a defensive roadblock. In the early morning hours of darkness of Aug 30th, 1944, the enemy attacked and overran

certain positions of the roadblock. After an exchange of small fire, Pvt Wolfe was reported missing.

 

 

 

 

His mutilated body was found by local French people and he was buried along a road with another soldier of the 36th.

A funeral was given to them by the local pastor P.J. Maes and people. Military honors were given at the funeral by the local FFI.

They were buried on the road from Loriol to Le pouzin.

 

The two soldiers were identified by their dogtags:

 

Earl W. Grogan

ASN 35709956-T43

 

Allen F.Wolfe

36877157 - T43

 

About two weeks after the local people buried him, , the Army moved the bodies and transfered them to the Montelimar

temporary US military cemetery.

In the identification section it states that the body was disarticulated and they couldn't make any identification from the teeth,

because there weren't any. He has just turned 19 three months before this so evidently he was shot in the

face. Since he was certainly taken prisoner, it is difficult to explain the violent damage to the body.

Allen Wolfe was certainly in the custody of the Germans and then was shot since a letter written by the local French Pastor

attests him being shot to death by the Germans.

 

Allen Wolfe wasn't reported KIA until Dec that year.

 

One friend of his wrote and said his name was on a prisoner of war list of Americans that the Germans had.

 

Another said he heard that he was in a hospital and that the sargent wasn't allowed in to see him.

 

Hec Kilray came by to see Allen Wolfe's my parents after the war.

 

Among the existing documents there are:

- A telegram reporting him MIA and one reporting him KIA,

- The picture of him and the other soldier's bodies lying on the side of the road with covers on them

- A photo of the funeral given by the local pastor and people

- Statement of each time his remains were moved.

- Letter to his fiance explaining how he supposedly died.

 

Here is a picture of 36th Diovision soldiers POW's during the battle of Montelimar.

The soldier on the far left could be Allen F. Wolfe.

 

[dogface44]

Allen F. Wolfe in 1943 - age 17 - before joining the army.

 

 

T-Patchers during the battle of Montelimar.

 

 

[just-a-good-ole-boy]

Hi Gilles,

 

What a very iinteresting and heart felt story. I cant imagine how many similar stories there are in this chapter of the worlds book.

 

Steve