The Bulge and the Push to Germany – 1945

 

To an over-confident Allied High Command it seemed like Germany was on the ropes in late 1944. Yet, achieving complete surprise on December 16th Germany launched an offensive of over 400,000 German soldiers against US lines in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The goal was to split Allied forces in half and force some kind of negotiated peace settlement. The Wermacht was able to create a huge “Bulge” in US lines but never a break. At least thirteen Wilmington residents lost their lives at The Bulge.

 

Battle of the Bulge: 

 

Max Schwitzgold. 33. 828 W. 2nd St. Operated candy store at 9th and Adams.  Corporal Tech, Field Artillery Observation Battalion, US Army.  Killed by German SS at the Massacre of Malmedy on the First day of the Battle of the Bulge, December 17th 1944.

 

Maurice J. Shavack. 25. 634 W. 4th St. Salesianum High School. Family fruit stand on King St. Sergeant, 1st Infantry Division. KIA in Belgium December 21st 1944.

William W. Lewandowski. 19. 814 Ancorage Street. Bellanca Aircraft Corporation. 687th Field Artillery Battallion. KIA in Luxembourg December 22nd 1944.

George C. Smiley. 20. 304 King. Dupont Company. Corporal, 3rd Armored Division. KIA in Belgium December 23rd.

Avery P. Sturgis. 34.  602 N. Lincoln. Sgt, 26th Infantry Division. KIA in Belgium December 26th 1944.

John F. Hudson. 27. 2111 Washington St. University of Missouri. Dupont Company. 1st Lt, 80th Infantry Division. KIA in Luxembourg December 24th.

Herbert Rubenstein. 709 W. 26 St. PS Dupont High School. University of Delaware Private, 106th Infantry Division. Belgium – KIA December 19th 1944.

Fred J. Harper. 26. 100 W. 23rd St. Sergeant, US Army. KIA in Belgium December 27th 1944 while serving with artillery battalion.  Graduate of PS Dupont High School and the U of D. Served as teacher in Seaford immediately before the war.

  

Thomas L. Marshall. 219 Woodlawn. Dupont – Edgemoore Plant. Private 1st Class, 501st Parachute Regiment. KIA in Belgium January 3rd 1945.

Lambert S. Ciancaglini. 25. 723 W. 9th St. Wilmington High School. Dravo Corporation. Private First Class, 26th Infantry Division. KIA in Luxembourg January 12th 1945.

Leslie D. Dickerson. 306 W. 20th. Montana State University. Private, 1st Class. 101st Airborne Division. Killed at Bastogne, January 11th.

Stephen J. Krajewski. 24. 411 S. Jackson. Allied Kid Company. Private 1st Class. KIA in Luxembourg January 14th.

John L. Mills. 24. 1010 Bennett St. Delaware Tool Company. Native of Youngsown Ohio, had recently moved to Wilmington. Private, 969th Field Artillery, an African-American artillery unit. Landed via Utah Beach.  Provided heavy fire support to 101st Airborne at siege of Bastogne.   KIA in Belgium on January 14th.

Phillip W. Chillas Jr. 24. PS Dupont High School ’39’. Dupont Company – Chambers Works. Boy scout leader. 75th Division. 289th Regiment. Killed one month after going overseas in Belgium on January 22nd 1945.

Arnold P. Marconi. 1906 W. 6th St. Brown Vocational High School. Private, 29th Infantry Division. KIA in Luxembourg, January 26th.

The Final Push into Germany: 

While servicemen and their families hoped for a sudden collapse of the Third Reich in late 1944 and early 1945 this was not to happen.  German units fought until the bitter end.

 

Henry G Shuckler. 19. 1342 Reed St. Sergeant, 45th Infantry Division. KIA in Southern France. January 2nd 1945.

Stephen S. Rydel. 25. 214 Maryland Avenue. Young Leather Co. Sergeant, 320th Bomber Group.  Killed over Italy, January 16th 1945.

Carlin  Traub. 29. Staff Sergeant, 76th Infantry Division.  Wounded at battle of St. Lo.  Died of wounds in 1947.

Bernard Goodlevege. 19. 717 W. 7th St. Wilmington High School ’43’. Private, 94th Infantry Division. KIA in Germany, January 20th 1945.

William L. Catts. 38. 200 E. 7th St. Dupont – Wilmington Shops. Private 1st Class, 3rd Infantry Divisions. Medic. Killed January 23rd in France during German attempt to retake Strasbourg.

Frank W. Dinkel. 35. 616 W. 8th. Private, First Class. 87th Infantry Division.  KIA in Germany February 11th 1945.  Only overseas 1 month when killed.

Angelo J. Pantalione. St Paul’s Grade school. PA Rail Road. Private 1st Class. Infantry.  KIA in France, February 12th 1945.

Irving Deshong. 27. 502 W. 5th St. Private 1st Class. 29th Infantry Division.  Killed in combat in Germany on February 21st 1945.

Robert H. Toomey.  23. 1004 Jefferson. Bellboy at Hotel Dupont.  Private first class. 78th Infantry Division. KIA in Germany February 5th 1945.

 

Joseph H. Wilson. 29. Delaware Tool Company. Private, 1st Class. 8th Infantry Division.  Killed in Germany February 25th 1945.

John L. Leighty. Private, 102nd Infantry Division. KIA in Germany 26th of February.

Lewis A. Allison.  22. 519 W. 17th St. Electric Hose and Rubber.  55th Armored Infantry. KIA in Austria March 1st.

William F. Hoffer. 115 E. 36th St. Staff Sergeant. 747th Tank Battallion. Lost in action in Germany, March 1st.

Cecil E. Jordan. 25. 4255 Pine. Staff Sergant, 49th Engineers Batallion. Survived Operation Torch and D-Day landings.  KIA in Germany March 2nd.

 

 

Wentzell J. Jablonski. 21. 417 Maryland Avenue. Dravo Corporation.  Private 1st Class, 70th Infantry Division. Killed in Germany March 3rd.

Joseph M. Lentini. 31. 601 N. Scott. Barber. Sergeant, 10th Mountain Division. KIA March 3rd in Italy.

William H. Hall. 20. Wilmington Avenue, Elsmere. Brown Vocational High School. PA Railroad. KIA in Alsase-Lorraine on March 3rd 1945 as member of 70th Division.

Arthur M. Blatman. 28. 213 W. 2nd. Wilmington High School. 2nd Lt. 8th Armored Division. KIA in Germany March 8th. Bronze Star.

Lewis F. Foley Jr. 22. 1906 Scott. Salesianum High School. St. Ann’s Grade school. Dupont Co, traffic department. Private, 4th Cavalry Reconaissance. Killed in Germany, 1945.

Walter Moore. 19. New Castle Avenue. Private 1st Class. 65th infantry division. Died in France from combat wounds, March 15th 1945.

Thomas M. Skelly. Captain. Westover Hills.  Hercules Powder Company. KIA in Germany March 16th 1945.

William H. Peel. 937 Kirkwood. KIA on March 16th 1945 while serving as a rifleman in an infantry unit east of the Rhine River.

 

 

 

Anthony V. Montani. 23. 1825 W. 6th St Wilmington High School. Baldwin Locomotive Works. 158th Engineer Company. Died  in France, March 22nd.

Charles A. Higgins Jr. Westover Hills. Tower Hill School. Yale University. 2nd Lt 326th Signal Service. KIA in Germany March 24th.  Son of President of Hercules Powder Co.

William F. Lynn. 36. 606 West St. Salesianum High School.  Private. 45th Field Hospital.  Died in Germany March 29th.

John B. Donaldson. 20. Conrad High School. Dupont Company, Engineering Department.  Private 1st Class, 75th Infantry. KIA in Germany April 6th.

Benjamin M. Simon. 3001 Madison St. PS Dupont High School. Corporal, 69th Infantry Division. KIA in Germany April 7th.

Stanley F. Olender. 24. 826 Chesnut. Bayard Jr HS. Ace Theater Maryland Avenue.. Sergeant, 385th Infantry Regiment. KIA in Germany April 8th 1945. 3rd employee of Ace Theater to die in war notes paper….was able to meet up with his brother for 1 hour while in Europe.

 

 

Wesley H. Hammond. 38. 1117 Lancaster Avenue. Dupont Co – Film Department. KIA in Germany April 9th.

Wiliam Gawthrop Jr. Lt.  89th Infantry Division. Killed in Germany, April 11th 1945.

Mateo Petrucelli. 21. 619 W. 5th St. San-Nap-Pak Co, Rockland. 83rd Infantry Division.  KIA in Germany. April 12th 1945.

Edward L. Ogden. 19. 218 Woodlawn Avenue. St. Thomas Parochial School.  Private.  273rd Infantry Regiment, 69th Infantry Division. KIA 13 April 1945 near Leipsic.

Daniel J. Rosar. 19.  Private.  KIA in Germany while clearing minefield, April 16th 1945.

Warren W. Grier Jr. 24. 1105 Adams St. University of Delaware. Captain. 8th Infantry Division.  Germany – KIA May 2nd 1945.

 

Roland J. Marvel. 2306 Locust. Sergeant, 3rd Infantry Division. Died of wounds in England, June 1st. “word of injury reached wife only a few hours before Truman proclaimed surrender of Germany”

Russell R. Essick Jr. 19. 215 W. 26th St. Army.  Died in VA on July 5th 1945 from wounds received while delivering a supply truck in Germany on April 27.

John F. Fleetwood. 28.  1615 Lincoln St.  Wilmington High School. Corporal, 28th Infantry Division.  Died in 1947 at Delaware Hospital from shrapnel wounds received in action at Vossenack, Germany while serving with the 109th Infantry of the 28th Division.