He was Otis J. Bearden, private in 1st Rangers I think, killed 9/13/43 I believe. He appears in one of Capa's photos of Fort Schuster. He was my friend Bob's great uncle, born in West Virginia but enlisted in Baltimore.
Correction, Bearden was KIA 9/15/43 according to another site. He reportedly belonged to Co. B, 1st Rangers.
Bearden is listed as on this report that I have from my fathers collection as "Died of Wounds" on 9/15. Feel free to share with your friend.
If you know of any RAAF headstones in the Bowmanville, Ontario area I would gladly take pictures of them and email them to you.
Birth of legend? As mentioned in the movie, the legend was that some members of the FSSF were recruited while being held on charges in the brig. While researching a name from the Co C of the4th Ranger Btn I discovered that my subject had gone AWOL at Venefro, Italy, and was attached to HQ and confined awaiting trial at the time of the Anzio debacle. When the Rangers were disbanded, my subject went from Awaiting Trial to Transferred to the FSSF.
