KIA grouping USMC WW2. Cpl William J. Berndl

[P-59A]

I visited the sole surviving sibling about a foot locker grouping belonging to her sister who was a WRMC and another sister who served in the Marines post war. I cover this in this section  

Ruth was kind enough to show me her brothers medals. She was a little girl at the time of his death. She remembers he was at Tarawa, Guadalcanal and was KIA in Sipan in 1944. No paperwork survives. If anyone can find any information I'm sure she would be happy to know more. Ruth has no idea were or when USMC Cpl William J Berndl was born, So any information would be appreciated. His American Defence Medal indicates he was a Marine pre war.

[manayunkman]

Beautiful group.

[P-59A]

So far this is what I found.  "BERNDL, William H., Cpl., USMC. Mother, Mrs. Mable Berndl, 3450 E. 8th St., Los Angeles, Calif (na) + BERNDL, William Joseph, 300465, CoA, 1stBn, 6thMar, 2ndMarDiv, FMF, Marianas Is, June 17, 1944, killed in action (mc)"

[P-59A]

An account of what happened in the battle for Saipan.   https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=182e7b9cfbb34b92JmltdHM9MTY4MzkzNjAwMCZpZ3VpZD0xZjJkZDU2Mi1jYmVmLTZmYjktMWQ4My1kYWY5Y2ExNDZlMDUmaW5zaWQ9NTQ1Mw&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=1f2dd562-cbef-6fb9-1d83-daf9ca146e05&psq=WW2+Co+A%2c+1st+Bn%2c+6th+Marines%2c+2nd+MarDiv+FMF+June+17+1944&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaWJpYmxpby5vcmcvaHlwZXJ3YXIvVVNNQy9VU01DLUMtU2FpcGFuL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw&ntb=1

[Kurt Barickman]

Wonderful group! 1/6 saw action on Betio during a night attack.

 

Kurt

[devildog34]

Sent you a PM with info

[postmanusnac]

[postmanusnac]

 

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/5643:2462?tid=&pid=&queryId=d2163d164dbf38c849f541e4458210fb&_phsrc=Rxx5&_phstart=successSource

[P-59A]

Thank you guys! I passed this on to her via email and talked to her. She asked me to say thank you!

[P-59A]

Can someone tell me what the lanyard in the photo is for?

[P-59A]

When I was talking to Ruth on the phone about the documents coming her way she remembered something we did not talk about. Keep in mind she is in her 90's and for the most part sharp as a tack so a little forgetfulness is forgiven. She remembers hearing her brother was either killed by a landmine or a sniper. I have no idea how she would know this unless a buddy of Berndl wrote or visited her parents.

[fightn5th]

39 minutes ago, P-59A said:

Can someone tell me what the lanyard in the photo is for?

He was with the 6th Marine Regiment.  This regiment was cited three times by the French Govt in WW1.   As a result, personnel assigned to the 6th Regiment are authorized to wear the fourragere 

[P-59A]

1 hour ago, fightn5th said:

He was with the 6th Marine Regiment.  This regiment was cited three times by the French Govt in WW1.   As a result, personnel assigned to the 6th Regiment are authorized to wear the fourragere 

Awww, Now that is interesting! Thank you!

[P-59A]

This report was provided by devildog34. It states Burndl's war grave was on hill 790 Saipan. This link covers a brief description of action on hill 790 and that it included sniper fire by the Japaneese. The hill was captured on the 19th, the same day that Burndl was killed. I think it is reasonable to assume Berndl was KIA on hill 790.    https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=fcc29fbc18edbc87JmltdHM9MTY4MzkzNjAwMCZpZ3VpZD0xZjJkZDU2Mi1jYmVmLTZmYjktMWQ4My1kYWY5Y2ExNDZlMDUmaW5zaWQ9NTE4MA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=1f2dd562-cbef-6fb9-1d83-daf9ca146e05&psq=hill+790+Saipan&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudHJhY2Vzb2Z3YXIuY29tL3NpZ2h0cy8xMzY3OTcvSGlsbC03OTAuaHRt&ntb=1

[P-59A]

This link is a blow by blow account of the battle of Saipan.    https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=a079a90d3440c902JmltdHM9MTY4MzkzNjAwMCZpZ3VpZD0xZjJkZDU2Mi1jYmVmLTZmYjktMWQ4My1kYWY5Y2ExNDZlMDUmaW5zaWQ9NTI5Ng&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=1f2dd562-cbef-6fb9-1d83-daf9ca146e05&psq=hill+790+Saipan&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaWJpYmxpby5vcmcvaHlwZXJ3YXIvVVNNQy9VU01DLU0tU2FpcGFuL1VTTUMtTS1TYWlwYW4tMy5odG1s&ntb=1

[P-59A]

Ruth told me her brother was at Tarawa. In doing my research I found a Camp Tarawa in Hawii. This is the place they trained before going to Guadalcanal.

[P-59A]

DaveT brought this to my attention in another forum... This is the delima now. Both the 1st and 2nd Marines fought at the battle of Tarawa, Both the 1st and 2nd were entitled to wear the French Forage on their uniforms. Both the 1st and 2nd fought in France during WW1 and heraldry allowed members of those outfits to continue wearing the Forage even though the men who wore them in WW2 had nothing to do with the men in WW1. Cpl Berndl has a 1st patch for Guadalcanal but his death record states he was with the 2nd when he died. As it looks now  he did fight at the battle of Tarawa. The question is, was he with the 1st then and was shifted to the 2nd later?

[postmanusnac]

I looked through each entry for him in the Marine Corps muster rolls.  He is with Co A, 6th Marines as early as January 1941 and remained with the through Iceland and into the Pacific.  I’m not sure how the 1st Mar Div patch plays into his story.

 

[P-59A]

2 hours ago, postmanusnac said:

I looked through each entry for him in the Marine Corps muster rolls.  He is with Co A, 6th Marines as early as January 1941 and remained with the through Iceland and into the Pacific.  I’m not sure how the 1st Mar Div patch plays into his story.

 

Thanks postmanusnac! That clears that up. Maybe he thought the 1st had a better patch and wanted that as a keep sake to take or send home. Patch trading is not unheard of.

[Kurt Barickman]

Camp Tarawa was where the 2nd Division went AFTER the Tarawa action.

 

Kurt

[P-59A]

I just got off the phone with Ruth. She did some box digging and found her brothers good conduct AND the letter written to her mother by a buddy of Cpl. Berndl who witnessed her brothers death. He was shot by a sniper. I will see these next week.

[patrick_usmc]

I've seen Guadalcanal vets from other units (Army even) wear and use the First Marine Division patch just because it says "Guadalcanal" on it.

Maybe someone else can either correct me or back me up here, but I don't think it's unreasonable to guess that being a Guadalcanal vet, he may have just acquired one for that reason.  

 

It is a beautiful group. I'm glad to see his sister has kept it all these years. 

 

Patrick

[P-59A]

This from a USMC web site...The 1st Marine Division shoulder patch originally was authorized for wear by members of units who served with or were attached to the Division in the Pacific in World War II; it was the first patch to be approved in that war and specifically commemorated the division's sacrifices and victory in the Battle for Guadalcanal. It features the National Colors - red, white, and blue - in its diamond-shaped blue background with red numeral "1" inscribed with white lettering, "GUADALCANAL." The white stars featured on the night-sky blue background are in the arrangement of the Southern Cross constellation, under which the Guadalcanal fighting took place.

[P-59A]

The third version was unofficially worn in September 1943 in San Diego, California. A photo of the patch was sent to the division commander, Major General Julian C. Smith, who said he had never seen the “coral snake patch” and that a design had already been adopted. It is believed that 2d Marine Division veterans returning from Guadalcanal were responsible for having the third variation manufactured.

Dozens of other shoulder patches were worn by Marine units during World War II, but the practice of wearing them ended soon after the war. On 24 September 1947, the Marine Corps abolished the wearing of unit patches on the basis that the Marine Corps is “a unified body organized to fight as a whole, and individual shoulder patches representing one

[Kurt Barickman]

The Guadalcanal snake is from the early SSI and the one on the right is probably the most likely from what it should be for the group.

 

Kurt