The Malmedy Massacre. View from the ones who were there and survived.

This will take me awhile to get complete and if anyone has something on this they wish to post here-please do. Please leave any just remarks to the other thread so as not to mess up the continuity for this one. This is going to take me time to get everything i have posted. I do not have any original photos to post so it will be only text. That said, the vast majority of this info comes from an excellent book and the best on the subject ive ever seen to date--which is called: The Malmedy Massacre and is by: John M. Bauserman. The Author spent many years researching the subject as well as interviewing American and German Vets.

Ill start off with, that most of those American Soldiers murdered that day in the fields near the tiny village of: Baugnez on: December 17th 1944. Most of the Malmedy victims were from the: Battery "B" of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion their home Base was Fort Sill, in Oklahoma. Of the 82 men murdered that day--69 were from this Battalion including from it's Headquarters unit.

Two men from the 200th Field Artillery Battalion were victims.

Eight of the victims were from the: Recon Company of the 3nd Armored Regiment.

Two were from the 546th Ambulance Company.

The last man was from the: 86th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Pontoon)

 

Roster of the names of the victims. ((Coming shortly))

 

The Malmédy Massacre took place during the Battle of the Bulge and was one of the worst atrocities committed against prisoners of war in the West European sector during World War Two.

 

Cant edit above to add the names so ill do so here.

The names of the honorable dead.

Battery "B" 285th Field Artillery Observation battalion:

Pvt. Donald L. Bloom.
Tech 5/ Carl H. Blouch.
T/5. Charles R. Breon.
Corporal Joseph A. Brozowski.
T/5 Samuel P. Burkett.
T/5 Paul R. Carr.
Private First Class Homer S. Carson.
Pfc Frederick Clark.
Pvt James H. Coates.
Pvt John H. Cobbler.
Pfc Robert Cohen.
T/5 John Collier.
Pfc Warren Davis.
Tech Sergeant Paul G. Davidson.
Pfc Howard C. Desch.
Pvt William J. Dunbar.
Cpl Carl B. Fitt.
Pfc Donald P. Flack.
Sergeant Walter A. Franz.
Pfc Carl B. Frey.
Staff Sergeant Donald E. Geisler.
2nd Lieutenant Solomon S. Goffman.
T/5 Charles F. Haines.
Pvt Samuel A. Hallman.
Pfc Charles E. Hall.
T/4 Sylvester Herchelroth.
T/4 Wilson M. Jones Jr.
T/4 Oscar Jordan.
Sgt Alfred W. Kinsman.
T/5 Howard W. Laufer.
T/5 Alexander Lengyel Jr.
Cpl Raymond E. Lester.
T/4 Selmer H. Leu.
T/4 Alan M. Lucas.
T/5 James E. Leurs.
Cpl Lawrence Martin.
T/5 Robert McKinney.
Sgt Halsey J. Miller.
Cpl William H. Moore.
1st Lieutenant John S. Munzinger.
Pfc David M. Murray.
Cpl David T. O' Grady.
Pfc Thomas. Oliver.
S.Sgt John D. Osborne.
Pvt Walter J. Perkowski.
Pvt Peter R. Phillips.
Pvt Stanley F. Piasecki.
Pvt Gilbert R. Pittman.
1st Lieutenant Perry L. Reardon.
T/5 George R. Rosenfeld.
Cpl Carl H. Rullman.
T/4 John M. Rupp Jr.
Pvt Oscar Saylor.
T/5 Max Schwitzgold.
T/4 Irwin M. Sheetz.
T/5 John H. Shingler.
Sgt Robert J. Snyder.
Sgt Alphonse. Stabulis.
T/4 George H. Steffy.
Pfc Carl M. Stevens.
T/5 Luke S. Swartz.
Pvt Elwood E. Thomas.
Pvt Louis A. Vairo.
Pfc Richard B. Walker.
T/4 Thomas F. Watt.
T/5 Vester H. Wiles.

Headquarters Battery 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion

Cpl Ralph J. Indelicato.
Captain Roger L. Mills.
T/Sgt William T. McGovern.

200th Field Artillery Battalion.

Sgt Benjamin Lindt.
Pfc Elmer W. Wald.

Recon Company 32nd Armored Regiment.

2nd Lieutenant Lloyd A. Iames.
Pfc John Klukavy.

1st Lt. Thomas E. McDermott Jr.
T/3 James G. McGee.
Pfc L.M. Burney.
1st Lt. Carl R. Genthner.
Pfc Paul Paden.
Pvt Wayne L. Scott.

546th Ambulance Company.

Pvt Keston E. Mullins.
T/5 Dayton E. Wusterbarth.

86th Engineer Battalion (Heavy Pontoon).

John J. Clymire.

 

Such a solemn list of names. If you didn't know what the list of names meant it would mean nothing. How sad and such a waste of unarmed innocent men.

 

That's the purpose for this thread to make sure those men were remembered and not just another stat from WWII. I intend on doing this for those British Soldiers murdered in that barn by the Waffen SS too-soon as I can get a list of their names.

More on this on Friday. The next list will be the names of the men who survived the massacre. Then ill do the "Story" as it happened.

 

These were prisoners at Malmedy and survived the killing-spree.

"B" Battery 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.

Sergeant Kenneth F. Ahrens. Shot in the back.
T/5 Charles F. Appman. Not wounded.
T/5 Harold W. Billow. Not wounded.
Private 1st Class Mario Butera. Shot in the foot.
T/5 Carl C. Daub. Not wounded.
Pvt. Donald W. Day. Shot in the leg.
T/5 Theodore G. Flechsig. Shot in the shoulder, leg and hand.
Corporal George L. Fox. Not wounded.
T/5 Paul Garstka. Not wounded.
Pfc. Aubrey J. Hardiman. Shot in the foot.
Pfc. Harry C. Horn. Shot in the Arms and stomach.
Pvt. John R. Kailer. Shot in the chest and arm.
T/5 Kenneth E. Kingston. Shot in the arm.
Pfc. Ralph W. Law. Shot in the leg.
1st Lieutenant Virgil T. Lary. Shot in the leg and foot.
Pfc. Paul J. Martin. Shot in the foot.
Pvt. James P. Mattera. Not wounded.
Staff Sergeant William H. Merriken. Shot in the back.
T/5 Carl W. Moucheron. Shot in the head.
T/5 John A. O' Connell. Shot in the jaw and shoulder.
T/5 Ted J. Paluch. Not wounded.
Pfc. Peter C. Piscatelli. Shot in the arm.
Pvt. Andrew J. Profanchick. Not wounded.
Pvt. William F. Reem. Not wounded.
Corporal Michael T. Sciranko. Shot in the leg.
T/5 Michael J. Skoda. Shot in the shoulder.
Sgt. Charles E. Smith. Not wounded.
Pvt. Robert L. Smith. Not wounded.
T/5 William B. Summers. Not wounded.
T/5 Albert M. Valenzi. Shot in the legs.
Pvt. Bobby Werth. Shot in the legs.

575th Ambulance Company.

Pvt. Roy B. Anderson. Shot in the foot.
Pvt. Samuel Dobbins. Shot in the arm and ankle.
Pfc. Stephen J. Domitrovich. Not wounded.
Pfc. James M. McKinney. Not wounded.

Recon Company, 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division "Spearhead"

Corporal Edward Bojarski. Not wounded.
Sgt. Marvin J. Lewis. Shot in the leg.
Cpl. Walter J. Wendt. Shot in the arm.
Staff Sergeant Henry R. Zach. Shot in the leg and hip.


Company "M" 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division "Indianhead"

S.Sgt. Herman Johnson. Not wounded.

"C" Company 518th M.P. Battalion.

Pfc. Homer D. Ford. Shot in the arm.

Men who drove vehicles away and became PoWs. "B" Battery, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.

T/5 Thomas J. Bacon. Not wounded.
Sgt. Eugene Lacy. Not wounded.
T/5 Ralph Logan. Not wounded.
T/5 D.L. Lucas. Not wounded.

Recon Company. 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division.

Sgt. Vernon Anderson. Not wounded.
Pvt. William E. Barron. Not wounded.
Cpl. J.I. Cummings. Not wounded.

Men who were not in the massacre field. "B" Battery, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.

Pfc. Donald L. Bower. Not wounded.
Cpl. Robert B. Conrad. Not wounded.
T/5 Eugene H. Garrett. Not wounded.
Cpl. George E. Greaff. Not wounded.
T/4 Robert P. Mearig. Not wounded.
T/5 Charles E. Reding. Not wounded.
T/5 Warren R. Schmitt. Not wounded

 

TO/E of Kampfgruppe Peiper @ Baugnez.

The Germans.

Kampfgruppe Peiper.

1st SS Panzer Regiment:
1st SS Panzer Battalion:
1st.
2nd.
6th.
7th. SS Panzer Kompanies.

9th SS Panzer Pioneer Kompanie.

10th SS Panzer Aufklarungs Kompanie.

3rd SS Panzergrenadier Battalion:
9th.
10th.
11th.
12th. SS Panzergrenadier Kompanies.

13th SS Infanterie Geschutze Kompanie.

1st Battalion SS Panzer Artillerie:
1st.
2nd.
3rd. SS Panzer Artillerie Batteries.

501st SS Schwehr Panzer Battalion:
1st.
2nd.
3rd. SS Panzer Kompanies.

3rd SS Panzerpioneer Battalion.

84th Luftwaffe Flak Battalion.

 

New to me

Very interesting. I look forward to the development of this. HAGO, Keith

 

I share the same sentiment. :thumb:

 

Thank you Keith, Stalin. Ill be able to post more about every 2 days. Im basically just getting started ;-)) I think the next post will be a list of the Germans who were in that area and includes those who did the shootings. After that, ill probably do the story as seen through the eyes of the Germans, then the Americans and then the post war stuff.

 

The Germans who were there and or participated in the killings.

3rd Panzerpioneer Kompanie:

Headquarters Schutzenpanzerwagon:
Kompanie Chef: Obersturmfuhrer Franz Sievers.
Gruppenfuhrer: Oberscharfuhrer Willi Schafer.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Gottschlick.
Messenger: Rottenfuhrer Schwald.
Messenger: Rottenfuhrer Schliepmann.
Sanitator: Unterscharfuhrer Heinz Rose.
Rottenfuhrer Bobenburger.
Sturmmann Eberding.
Driver: Unterscharfuhrer Paul Baer.

1st Zug:

1st Spw:
Zugfuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer August Seitz.
Driver: Unterscharfuhrer Franz Beier.
Messenger: Sturmmann Heinricks Jansen.

1st Squad: 1st Spw:
Gruppenfuhrer: Rottenfuhrer Gerhard Taut.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Hans Schirado.
driver: Sturmann Grober.

2nd Spw:
Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Alfred Dixtra.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Franz Baier.
Sturmann Oskar Tratt.

2nd Squad: 1st Spw:
Gruppenfuhrer: Rottenfuhrer Heinz Schlott.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Heinz Eichler.

2nd Spw:
Grufuh: Rottenfuhrer Herbert Versick.
Driver: Sturmann Rudi Elsmann.

3rd Squad: 1st Spw:
Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Sturzenbecker.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Stabe.

2nd Spw:
Grufuh: is unkn.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Meincke.

 

2nd Platoon, 3rd PanzerPiKp:

Zugfuhrers Spw:
Zugfuh: Unterscharfuhrer Max Beutner.
Gruppenfuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer Edgar Dickmann.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Ernst Goldschmidt.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Georg Diebert.
Messenger: Rottenfuhrer Max Hammerer.
Messenger: Sturmmann Gerhardt Schlingmann.
Machine gunner: Pioneer Willi Hanke.

1st Spw:
Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Friedel Bode.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Meirer.
Mg Gunner: Sturmmann Johann Aistleitner.
Assistant MG Gunner: Pioneer Werner Jirassek.
2nd MG Gunner: Sturmmann Friedel Kies.
Driver: Sturmmann Ernst Schaeffler.
Assistant Driver: Sturmmann Herbert Losenski.
Assistant 2nd MG Gunner: Pioneer Johann Wassenbergher.
Driver: Sturmmann Bertel Schulte.

 

The Germans who were there.

Here is a known list of the Germans who were near and or took part in the murders.

3rd Panzerpioneer Kompanie:

Headquarters Schutzenpanzerwagon:
Kompanie Chef:Obsturmfuhrer Franz Sievers.
Gruppenfuhrer: Oberscharfuhrer Willi Schafer.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Gottschlick.
Messenger: Rottenfuhrer Schwald.
Messenger: Rottenfuhrer Schliepmann.
Sanitator: Unterscharfuhrer Heinz Rose.
Rottenfuhrer Bobenburger.
Sturmann Eberding.
Driver: Unterscharfuhrer Paul Baer.

1st Platoon:
1st Spw:
Zugfuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer August Seitz.
Driver: Unterscharfuhrer Franz Beier.
Messenger: Sturmann Heinricks Jansen.

1st Squad: 1st Sp:
Gruppenfuhrer: Rottenfuhrer Gerhard Taut.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Hans Schirado.
Driver: Sturmmann Grober.

2nd Sp:
Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Alfred Dixtra.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Franz Baier.
Sturmmann Oskar Tratt.

2nd Squad:
1st Spw:
Grufuh: Rottenfuhrer Heinz Schlott.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Heinz Eichler.

2nd Spw:
Grufuh: Rottenfuhrer Herbert Versick.
Driver: Sturmmann Rudi Elsmann.

3rd Squad;
1st Spw:
Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Sturzenbecker.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Stabe.

2nf Spw:
Grufuh is unkn.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Meincke.

 

2nd Platoon 3rd PzPiKp:

Zug Fuhrers SPW:

Zug Fuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer Max Beutner.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Ernst Goldschmidt.
Assistant Driver: Rottenfuhrer Georg Diebert.
Gruppenfuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer Edgar Dickmann.
Messenger: Rottenfuhrer Max Hammerer.
Messenger: Sturmmann Gerhardt Schlingmann.
MG Gunner: Pioneer Willi Hanke.

1st Squad:1st SPW

Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Friedel Bode.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Meirer.
Driver: Sturmmann Ernst Schaeffler.
Driver: Sturmmann Herbert Losenski.
Driver: Sturmmann Bertel Schulte.
MG Gunner: Sturmmann Johan Aistleitner.
MG Gunner: Pioneer Werner Jirassek.
MG Gunner: Sturmmann Friedel Kies.
MG Gunner: Pioneer Johann Wassenberger.

2nd Squad SPW 2:

Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Sepp Witkowski.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Gielhofer.
Driver: Sturmmann Joachim Hofmann.
Driver: Sturmmann Gustav Neve.
MG Gunner: Pioneer Hans Toedter.
Assistant MG Gunner Pioneer Heinz Stickel.
Schtuzen: Pioneer Siegfried Jakel.
""""""""": Pioneer Harry Ende.
""""""""": Pioneer Gerhard Walkowiak.
""""""""": Pioneer Emil Hergeth.
""""""""": Pioneer Hubert Storch.

3rd Squad SPW 1:
Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Wolfgang Altkruger.
Driver: Sturmmann Gustav Sprenger.
Assistant Driver: Sturmmann Gunther Mans.
2nd Assistant Driver: Rottenfuhrer Hans Oettinger.
Grufuh: Rottenfuhrer Willi Bilochetzki.
MG Gunner: Sturmmann Marcel Boltz.
"""""""""""": """"""""""""" Franz Kissewitz.
"""""""""""": """""''''''"""" Manfred Muller.
"""""""""""": Rottenfuhrer Alfred Gerhartz.
"""""""""""": Rottenfuhrer Hans Schneidrr.
Motor Sergeant: Unterscharfuhrer Hannes Martens.

 

Cant get it to edit the above corrections needed.

I made a mistake on the above post so the corrections are here.

3rd Sq SPW 1 had in it:
Altkruger.
Sprenger.
Boltz.
Kissewitz.
Mans.
Muller.
Gerhartz.

These below were in SPW 2:
Oettinger.
Bilochetzki.
Martens.
Schneider.

 

9th Panzerpioneer Kompanie:

HQ Kp SPW:
Kompanie Chef: Obersturmfuhrer Erich Rumpf.
Nachrichten: Unterscharfuhrer Karl-Heinz Hegestet.
Orderly (Batman) Rottenfuhrer Richard Weck.
Clerk: Unterscharfuhrer Walter Korfe.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Karl Viel.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Heinz Heirens.
Sanitator: Unterscharfuhrer Erich Maute.
Schutzen: Sturmmann Franke.

1st Zug:
Zugfuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer Gunther Hering.
Driver: Rank unkn: Paul Buth.
MG Gunner: Sturmmann Fritz Pupkulies.
Rank & position unkn: Spaeh.

1st Sq, Spw 1:

Squad Leader: Rottenfuhrer Karl Wemmel.
Driver: Rank unkn: Hoeppner.
Unkn rank: Zimmermann.
Unkn rank: Radanke.
Gruppenfuhrer: Unterscharfuhrer Held.
Nachrichten: Sturmmann Walter Fransee.

1st Squad SPW 2:

Grufuh: Rottenfuhrer Karl Olrogge.
Driver: Sturmmann Hermann Buttner.
Driver: Sturmmann Ferdinand Schimpel.
Sanitator: Sturmmann Manfred Lussen.
Nachtrichten: Sturmmann Heinz Kappermann.
Schutzen: Unkn rank: Gramlich.
Schutzen: Unkn rank: Steckner.
MG Gunner: Unkn rank: Steiger.

2ng Squad:

Grufuh: Unterscharfuhrer Joachim Braunroth.
Motor Sergeant: Unterscharfuhrer Rummel.
Maintenench Chef: Unterscharfuhrer Walter Korf.
MG Gunner: Schutzen Fred Till.
Rank and position unkn: Rudi Quolke.
Driver: Rottenfuhrer Wilhelm Probst.
Rank and position unkn: Gunter Borchers.

 

More to come on this soon. Have not been able to post due to illness and still recovering from said illness.

 

One slight update for this thread till after Christmas.

Actor: Charles Durning--who has appeared in many a great movie including: Tough Guys w/ Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Dana Carvy, Eli Wallach and Billy Barty, as well as: The Final Countdown also w/ Kirk Douglas, James Farentino, Soon Tek Oh and Martin Sheen--had been a survivor of the Malmedy Massacre. His combat started when he landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Durning served through some of the Battle of the Bulge. I do not yet know details of his service but will be researching it soon and see what I can find out? I am not sure if he was part of Colonel Dave Pergrins Engineers--or what unit he served with? It COULD have also been Artillery or Signals. Colonel Pergrin and his Engineers were the ones who helped set up roadblocks and other blocking positions to stop the Germans. When the Malmedy massacre happened--the Colonel and his men heard the firing going on as they were only a short distance down one of the roads from there.

 

Some excellent info here Carl, thanks for adding ...