William L. Bealer

looking for any help in research of my uncle William L. Bealer ser. # 33826728 45th inf. div. 180th inf. co. G killed in action at Anzio Feb. 16/18 1944, his remains were not recovered till 1950 by a farmer in the Anzio area
All his record were lost in the fire and i am hoping there might be other records i.e. after action reports /medic records etc. need advice where and how to find

 

When the NARA reopens, you should request his IDPF (Individual Deceased Personnel File).

 

thanks..when i requested his records years ago we were told all his records were lost in the fire , were the idpf's kept in a different location
thanks Ron A

 

Correct. IDPFs are not "personnel files". They are files created to document the handling of the remains of deceased personnel.

 

My earlier responses were on my phone while at work and were, by necessity, somewhat brief. Researching veterans whose personnel files were destroyed in the 1973 fire at the NARA in St. Louis is a challenge, but not impossible. For soldiers who were KIA, the IDPF is a good start. You can see an example of an example of an IDPF at the following link: Individual Deceased Personnel Files ⋆ Golden Arrow Research.

If you do not have a history of the 180th Infantry, you can download the regimental history from the Bangor Library: 180th Infantry: a regiment of the 45th Infantry Division

The other type of records to get are the Company Morning Reports. Morning Reports are unit records. They record daily personnel changes within the Company. Morning Reports show transfers of personnel to and from the Company, promotions, illness, WIAs, MIAs, and KIAs, and any other changes that affect the strength of the Company. They also record the daily location of the Company, often including coordinates, and a daily record of events. The level of detail can vary quite a bit depending on the individual filling out the Morning Reports.

While IDPFs can be requested directly from the NARA, the NARA will not accept requests for copies of Morning Reports. Morning Reports can only be obtained by going to the NARA in St. Louis to copy them yourself, or by hiring a researcher to obtain them for you.

 

This chapter covering the German Offensive at Anzio 16-20 Feb 1944 may be of interest as well: HyperWar: American Forces in Action: Anzio Beachhead: The Major German Offensive (16-20 February 1944). Company G of the 180th is mentioned a couple times.

 

thank for all the help ...full name of my uncle is William Leroy Bealer born Sept 21, 1924 birthplace Mohnton (Berks Co. ) Pa.

 

thanks for all the help i am sending a IDPF request to Golden Arrow after being told all records were lost many years ago i had given up many thanks to everyone

 

Geoff at Golden Arrow is very fair and easy to work with. He can also help with getting Morning Reports for you. Of course, he is also affected by the NARA closures. Keep us updated on your progress and let us know if you need any help interpreting the documents you receive.

 

thanks Otto see if this pic. works for you

 

I believe photo was taken when he was home on leave after basic Sept.1943 , right at his 19th birthday He shipped out to Africa in Nov/Dec. 1943 and went into his first action at Anzio as far as i know. I was not born till 1945 but remember the burial service in 1950 after his remains were found and returned home
thanks again for all you are doing Ron

 

Hello Ron

I found a newspaper article about his burial in 1950. I also added his photo that you posted to his find a grave memorial & family search site.
PVT William Leroy Bealer (1924-1944) - Find A...


Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
15 Mar 1950, Wed • Page 2

 

thanks for the post although i was very young at the time i remember that day i am hoping when the NARA reopens the IDPF report will show info on his remains recovery at Anzio by a farmer in late 1949 early 1950
RonA