Need help - who is this Allied soldier KIA?

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by alberk, Apr 1, 2021.

  1. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    Missing Air Crew Reports are available from NARA for free. This one, only four pages (other two pages are a handrawn map and a list of next of kin and addresses), is found https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91142972

    If you don't know the MACR number you can sometimes get by just using the serial of the aircraft.

    Regards,

    Dave
     
    alberk likes this.
  2. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    This is T/Sgt Olen E St. John KIA during Operation Varsity on March 24th, 1945

    Olen E St. John.jpg
    Olen E St. John_2.png

    On the "Find a Grave" website it says this about him:

    "He was the child of William Alvin and Ethel Cordie Wood-St. John and brother to 5 siblings: James William(b. 1915 - d.1997) ,
    Charles Wilburn (b. 1918 - d. 1986),
    Donavan Eugene (b. 1920 - d. 1993),
    Vera (b. 1922 - d.1993),
    Billy Joe (b. 1935 - d. 1995)

    Olan was a member of the Armed Forces (WWII) and family information indicates he was killed in 1944-45, Wesel, Germany - plane crash. We are unable to find a grave and hence this virtual memorial. Yet, his actual memorial may have been and data review is underway - 2016/1//29

    Any information regarding Olen will be welcomed."
     
    AB64 likes this.
  3. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    "Find a Grave" also stated that his "body was lost or destroyed".
    This strikes me as odd - he clearly was identified by a British GRU and his grave was marked: Liste Haldern Ausschnitt.png

    No 80 is Glen (correct would have been Olen) E. St. John - on this German post-war list he is categorized as "British" - it says that his field grave was located near the "Bahnwärterposten" (signalman's hut) at a railroad crossing. The term "überführt" in the last column suggests that by the time this list was written the remains had already been transferred (translated).
     
  4. alberk

    alberk Well-Known Member

    In the US National Archives' Hospital Admission Card Files he is registered as KIA in March 1945:
     
  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Air Force Award Cards (NARA website):

    St John Olen E..jpg
     
  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    An example of the above award:

    US Air Medal with Clusters 2.jpg
     
    alberk likes this.

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