Whitaker, William B.
Real fast I noticed that William B Whitaker had no info listed, he is my grandfather and I can send you his burial location and what we have found of his service record and medals he was awarded in the 50's-80's... He ended up a preacher after the war .. he was with HQ as listed but was TAD to the special unit and was involved in Normandy before the division arrived.. he was a T/4 at the time and a combat engineer.. he was captured in July and escaped in late Nov-Dec I forget... Anyway the Krauts sent in the 70's his German POW records and picture and camp I'd tag which he left on his cot when he escaped ha-ha!! Anyway the Germans kept in, he was is Stalag 12A and there were US citizen English speaking Germans there, aged guys mostly that he befriended and I think is how he escaped with two other guys.. funny story but when he was blown over a hedgerow into a German mortar pit the infantry supporting the mortar took him prisoner, why? In combat, when on the move? I don't know, divine intervention I guess... Anyway the guys who captured him spoke English and were US as well, Pennsylvania Dutch to be exact and had came back to Germany in 35 mostly, they enlisted to kill communists originally in Spain and volunteered to stay on in 39 but in 40 they were invited to stay in the army "indefinitely".. anyway most were older... 30's and 40's and a couple WW1 us vets.. anyway they took him and that's how he became a POW for awhile.. his records were nearly completely lost in the 60's in the annex fire and he was unable to get VA services until 75-79 because randomly one day in the mail a boat load of documents showed up from Germany where the old German guards apparently had most of the camps records still and sent a ton to families across the states, it's really a great story... Anyway if you are interested in more, please let me know..
Have a great day
Sincerely
D Clemmons 

 

Source: Grandson D. Clemmons -4/22/2023
Page last revised 04/22/2023
James D. West 
Host106th@106thInfDivAssn.org
www.IndianaMilitary.org