Door middel van Paul Macknight, webmaster 78th Infantry Division kwam ik meer te weten wat William daar deed.

I found a William M. Howard. He was in the Headquarters Company for the 2nd Battalion, 311th RCT. The 2/311 came through Woffelsbach to Schmidt, so that is the general area where you found the fox holes. I consider this enough verification to say he is your man.

The 2/311 jumped off against Kesternich on the morning of January 30. It took three days for it to fight its way through the town. It was a terrific fight. The moved down off of the Kesternich plateau to the Roer (Rur) at Ruhrberg (4 February). At 0300 on the morning of 5 February they moved out on the attack toward Woffelsbach where they ran into some pill boxes. On the 6th they consolidated their position at Woffelsbach. On 7 February the 2/311 on the right jumping-off from Woffelsbach and the 3/311 on the left jumping-off from Hechelschied moving on Schmidt. The 2/311 moved parallel to the Rursee. The terrain was difficult and the 2/311 had to handle a number of German 88mm, 75mm and mortar positions. The two battalions captured nearly 200 German Soldaten for their day's effort. At that point, on 8 February, the 1/311 and 2/311 were attached to the 9th Infantry Division in a meddling affair by the Corps commander that effectively took them out of the fight. The involvement of the 9th Division was supposed to assist the attack, but instead slowed the entire 78th Division attack by one day.

So, I assume Howard lost his ID bracelet sometime on 6 or 7 February. More likely 7 February.

Na een jaar kon ik eindelijk een gezicht plaatsen op deze soldaat toen ik deze foto ontving. Howard links met zijn jongere broer Paul Howard. Deze foto werd getrokken in 1945 ergens in Duitsland.

William Howard links en zijn broer Paul. Foto werd getrokken in Duitsland in 1945

Foto © GG