https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/07/24/purple-heart-mystery-has-storybook-ending/503624001/

 

Can anyone find what division McNamara was in in Italy? Tried the 36th Div but nothing so far.

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

 

 

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.

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

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.

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

 

 

 

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

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

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.

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?

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

I've looked up hundreds of POWs and in my experience that date is normally the day they were captured.

 

Kurt

Roger

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