Hello,

Here is also the address or I wrote to obtain the copies of " Individual Deceased personnel File " ( IDPFs) of my 13 soldiers , whom I adopted the Graves "cemetery colleville sur mer" . Written has the following address:

Departement of the Army

U.S Total Army Personnel Command

ATTN: TAPC-PAO, FOIA Room 7 N 50

200 Stovall Street

Alexandria - VA 22332-0400 USA

2 to 3 months are needed to hope to obtain an answer.

3 months later I received copy of "Individual Deceased Personnel File" concerning my soldiers.

Every file made 31 pages where I found where they had lived in US The address of their parents their military route , how and where they was killed..

And here is the model of my letter :

Dear Sir,

I would like to have some information about the a soldiers killed in action during WWII and buried in France

" At the normandy American Cemetery - St Laurent Colleville / Mer.

Name.........

Army Serial......

Unit......

Date of Death........

Place of Death.......

I belong to the association < Les Fleurs de la mémoire> (The flowers of memory)

I regularly visit their tombs and lay flowers on it , paying tribute to this soldiers fallen to liberate my country . I would be very thankful to you if I could get their " IDPF " and know more about his short life.

Here is my address: Mr Mme............

Sincerely yours .

Signature.

This service asks for fees

Vee

hello verow

thank you

the IDPF i already have it

but there is nothing i can do with al tracks are dead ended

best regards bas timmers

Hi Bas,

The public Library of Cincinnati has a Veteran Project. They might also have a copy of his local obituary that was in the newspaper when he died. That would list brothers and sisters and some other information that might help.

http://www2.cincinnatilibrary.org/vets/

Here is the website to their veterans project

Darlene

i have an e-mail send to the data base in cincinnati

futher no match in the data base but tanks for the site

best regards bas timmers

Bas,

Carl Wouters knows a lot regarding the 106th Division.

He'll help you.

You can even mention my name, he knows who I am.

Erwin

Hello Bas, welcome to our forum family, and thank you for caring for the grave of one of our fallen.

As Marion has mentioned, it does seem confusing but i think we can clear the picture up a little from the info you have provided.

"in the report of burial stays that he was first mia on 21 dec 1944 found on 29 jan 1945 in schlausenbach germany"

Prior to the start of the Battle of the Bulge, The 106th Infantry relieved the 2nd Infantry Division on Dec 10/11 in positions covering the Shnee Eifel region near the Loshiem Gap.

On Dec 16, 1944, Schlausenbach was in the area of the 422nd Inf Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division. This map is from the book: A Time For Trumpets, by Charles McDonald shows the positions on the 106th.

exerpts from the After Action Report of HQ 106th Inf for Dec 1944

http://www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/Reports/106thAAR-12-1944/106thAAR-12-1944.htm

"At 170630A December, the enemy succeeded in penetrating the sector of the 423rd Infantry in the vicinity of BLEIALF. He pushed some forces north from BLEIALF while other enemy forces advances south from ANDLER, the two forces effecting a junction in the vicinity of SCHONBERG during the morning. This cut direct communication by road and wire between the units east of the BLEIALF – SCHONBERG ROAD and the remainder of the division. The units cut off were the 422nd Infantry, 423rd Infantry, 590 Field Artillery, part of the 589th Field Artillery, Co B 81st Engineer © Bn, Co B, 331st Medical Bn, Co C, 820th TD Bn and Btry D, 634th AAA (AW) Bn (M). Radio communication was maintained with these units until late 18 December.

It is presumed that the 422nd Infantry Regiment, 423rd Infantry Regiment, 589th FA Bn, 590th FA Bn and the 106th Reconnaissance Troop were eventually overpowered by the German forces east of ST VITH and the bulk of the personnel captured about 19 or 20 December. The strength of the German attack in the division sector and the forces available to the division at the time prevented their being relieved. Attempts to supply the units by air failed because of the weather, although, as learned later, two drops were made but not within their reach. It is known that they were still in the fight early 19 December. It is also known that prisoners were taken by the Germans. However, the final chapter in the defense of the SCHNEE EIFFEL penetration of the SEIGFRIED LINE held by these units is not now known."

Some individuals & small groups of men of these units avoided surrendering & tried to work their way thru german lines back to St Vith during the next few days, some made it, some didnt. According to most accounts there were 2 companies of the 81st CE with the forward units on the Shnee Eifel. Company A was attached to the 422nd Regiment during the time frame of Mr Timmers death. I think Co B was with the 423rd. Since all the regiment commanders & HQ staff of the 422nd & 423rd were captured & their records lost or destroyed, Division HQ staff would have had to do the missing in action & KIA reports several days or even weeks later.

"found on 29 jan 1945" "in the document ; restricted inventory of personal effects stays that he he was served [unit 8 inf] organisation 4 div] i dont know what this means"

Here, i`m guessing his body was recovered by the 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry division but i havent found info yet placing the 4th ID in the area on Jan 29.

-- attachment is not available --

A link to the UNIT CITATION 81ST ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION (106TH INFANTRY DIVISION) UNITED STATES ARMY

FOR CONDUCT IN GERMAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE 16 TO 25 DECEMBER, 1944, WITH SUPPORTING NARRATIVE

http://www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/Awards/81stEngrCitation/81stEngrCitation.htm

Hello Bas,

You wanted info on Edward Timmers, you got it!!! Last week I sent an email to the Cincinnati Museum. They have a section dedicated to WWII and I thought it would be a good place to start research. My question to them was : What newspapers were in Cincinnati during the war as I wanted to try to find a copy of an obituary for a friend in the Netherlands. I told them a little about why you were searching and gave them Edwards name and date of death. This is what I got back:

We have located several newspaper articles related to Staff Sergeant Edward Timmers' death. While these articles are brief, they do contain a few details about his life, including the names of his parents and siblings. They also indicate that Timmers was married, and he had a son name Anthony who was born on November 19, 1944. Edward Timmers left the U.S. in November and arrived in Europe the day before his son was born. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to see his son.

Through city directories and local property records, I was able to determine that Timmers' wife Dorothy later remarried someone with the last name of Niederberger. By using the website Ancestry.com, I have reason to believe that his wife and son eventually moved to Erie, Pennsylvania. Currently, there is an Anthony Timmers living in Erie, who appears to be Edward Timmers' son.

If you would like, we can send you copies of the above mentioned newspaper articles. All I need is your postal mailing address.

I hope this information is helpful to you and the gentleman in the Netherlands. If you have any additional questions, just let me know.

I emailed my address to her and will forward them to you. Send me your home address offline and I'll mail them to you.

Sometimes you get a lucky break in your research.....

Man, this is not even for me, but if you were here I'd kiss you. What an angel. Great sleuthing Sherlock!!!

I was very sad to see that he never met his son. I am so glad that someone has adopted his grave and that he is still remembered. Even if it is by a bunch or strangers on a website....