My grandmother apparently found this in her garden after the end of the war - that's what I was told. Her house was just west of the Rhine, opposite Wesel, so lots of Americans (mostly 9th Army) went through the area. There was never any talk that it belonged to a dead soldier, it was probably just lost by someone. Looking up this service number in Fold3 and the NARA database did not yield any result - the name comes up but with a different service number. Were there any fake IS tags in WW 2? Does anyone have an idea what might be behind this "mystery"?
I didn’t have any luck with that Name and Serial Number also…….but some info on reading the tag (assuming the Serial Number is correct) The first line is his name Second line is ARMY SERVICE NUMBER……12085288, and Then tetanus immunization - T42, and Then tetanus toxoid - 44, and Then blood type - AB Last on the bottom right is his RELIGION which was C = Catholic SERVICE NUMBER: 12085288 First, he was in the “REGULAR ARMY” (not National Guard or a Draftee) - shown by the first number which as a 1 (ONE) Next, he enlisted in the SECOND CORPS area - shown by the second number as a 2 (TWO)j Last, the Second Corps Area he “enlisted” in the following area of the US SOURCE: U.S. Army WW2 Dog Tags | WW2 US Medical Research Centre
IF…..this is the correct man……info on the 531st AAA Attachment periods to the 30th Division Antiaircraft Artillery 531st AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 4 Mar 44-29 Oct 44 531st AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 5 Nov 44-27 Jan 45 531st AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 2 Feb 45-24 Jun 45 Locations of the 30th Division (which the 531st AAA was attached to) 1944 22 Feb Liverpool Lancashire England 24 Feb Chichester (Chichester Barracks) Sussex England 1 Apr Chesham Duckinghamshire England 15 Jun Isigny (1 mi S) Calvados France 3 Jul Lison L'Eglise Manche France 9 Jul Pont du St-Fromond Manche France 16 Jul Pont Hebert (vic N) Manche France 27 Jul Hebecrevon Manche France 29 Jul Gonniviere Manche France 6 Aug Le Mesmilland (1/2 mi W) Manche France 14 Aug Barenton Manche France 15 Aug La Martiniere Eure France 20 Aug Crucy Seine-et-Oise France 21 Aug Osney Seine-et-Oise France 23 Aug Gaucil Seine-et-Oise France 26 Aug Longnes Seine-et-Oise France 28 Aug Issou Seine-et-Oise France 30 Aug Montegeroult Seine-et-Oise France 31 Aug Le Tillet Seine-et-Oise France 3 Sep Bruyelle Hainaut Belgium 7 Sep Couture St-Germain Hainaut Belgium 8 Sep Jodoigne Brabant Belgium 9 Sep Oreye Brabant Belgium 10 Sep Flexe-les-Sline Brabant Belgium 12 Sep Argenteau Liege Belgium 13 Sep Noorbeek Limburg Neth 17 Sep Gulpen Limburg Neth 19 Sep Heerlen Limburg Neth 12 Oct Herzogenrath Rhineland Germany 17 Dec Hauset Liege Belgium 18 Dec Francorchamps Liege Belgium 1945 12 Jan Malmedy Liege Belgium 26 Jan Lierneux Liege Belgium 4 Feb Aachen Rhineland Germany 7 Feb Inden Rhineland Germany 25 Feb Hambach Rhineland Germany 27 Feb Rodingen Rhineland Germany 3 Mar Juchen Rhineland Germany 6 Mar Echt Limburg Neth 18 Mar Alpen Rhineland Germany 26 Mar Friedrichsfeld Rhineland Germany 1 Apr Drensteinfurt Westphalia Germany 2 Apr Neuenkirchen Westphalia Germany 3 Apr Kaunitz Westphalia Germany 5 Apr Augustdorf Westphalia Germany 7 Apr Hameln Westphalia Germany 10 Apr Gross Ilsede Westphalia Germany 12 Apr Grasleben Westphalia Germany 13 Apr Womirstedt Westphalia Germany
Possibles Warren J Newman 1924–1976 BIRTH 10 MAR 1924 • Asbury Park, New Jersey DEATH 26 JUL 1976 • New York, USA Birth 10 Mar 1924 Asbury Park, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Residence 1945 Asbury Park, Monmouth, New Jersey, USA Marriage Oct 1950 Orange, Essex, New Jersey, USA Death 26 Jul 1976 Father Edward Alston Newman (1906-1982) Mother Beatrice Emma Burns (1905-1976) Spouse Helen A Uram (Died 2014) Warren J. Newman Jr 1921–1953 BIRTH 4 FEB 1921 • New York DEATH APR 1953 • New York, New York, USA Birth 4 Feb 1921 New York, USA Residence 1942 Marriage 9 Oct 1943 New York City, New York, USA Death Apr 1953 New York, New York, USA Father Warren Newman (1895-1929) Mother Mary R McMahon (Born 1899) Spouse Evelyn Shannon (1921-1990) They both have draft cars for WW2 but my subscription doesnt allow me to view them TD
Thanks everybody - the 30th US Inf Div definitely was in action in the immediate vicinity - they crossed the Rhine there on March 24th, 1945...
If you determine who the dog tags belonged to and if you want to find his family, consider posting at WW2F.com. They (we) may also help in you search It is a US-oriented forum that enjoys a close connection with this site and you will find many knowledge members who are in the US and could have resources not necessarily available to good Limeys here.
There was only one Warren J Newman in the National Archives but he had a different serial number. NARA - AAD - Display Full Records - Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Enlistment Records)
Just thinking outside the box, but did the US allow altered identities due to such things as being Jewish or having family in occupied countries?
Hi Blutto, that thought had entered my mind, too. I am curious to find out whether that was possible in the US Armed Forces. In the British Army German Jewish immigrants were encouraged (or ordered) to assume a new English sounding name. Just as an aside: if you replace the first digit 1 in the above serial number by a 3 you get to Max Wohlfeiler, born in Danzig in 1906. ASN: 32085288 He enlisted a early as April 1941. But maybe that is pure coincidence.
Always pays to think laterally, without barking up any dodgy trees Does anyone have a name that comes up with the quoted service number?
Blutto - to my knowledge (based on Fold3) there is no name to go with that service number. How comprehensive is the material accessible through Fold3? I have the impression that the results one gets are quite good - if a person existed and you have the correct spelling of a name you'll find him. The same goes for correct service numbers - if it existed you'll find something...
Perhaps another official site to try Request Military Service Records or here there are several routes Finding a World War II (1939-1945) Veteran's Records Research A Veteran | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans TD
The NARA has huge gaps in regards to serial numbers. I've looked up everyone in my family tree who served in the Army in WWII, and many of them aren't in the database. There are large blocks of numbers missing - sometimes in the hundreds - so don't be discouraged if someone doesn't show up in the database.