Ste Lo, July 31 1944- E Company 134th Inf Regt

While looking for other info to assist my quest in getting my great-grandfather's records to show his Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star, my Grandfather, his son, who was positive he had already given me everything he had, found an old manila envelope in the basement. Inside were a lot of newspaper clippings as well as some military documents and telegraphs to his mom from the War Department notifying her when he was wounded the first time in Ste Lo on July 17th 1944. He returned to duty 2 days later and was wounded again on July 31, 1944, laying among the dead until he was discovered, very much alive, on 1 Aug. He was interviewed for a local newspaper while he recovered in England and the newspaper clipping quotes him describing coming under fire from "Jerry" mortars and 88s.

" 'We were returning from our patrol on the outskirts of [Ste Lo] when this Jerry mortar opened up on us,' said Sgt Sewards. 'I guess we should have given him a wider berth. Next came the 88s, and we were pinned behind this large stone wall outside a small Frog cemetery. The wall started to collapse and I was pinned under a large stone which had landed on my back. The whole battalion moved in the next day, however, and was under fire from those German 88s until our air support arrived. While they bombed it felt like an earthquake. It was hard for anyone to realize what the ground looked like once they had finished. They found me and put me on an ambulance to the rear and here I am.'

His ward surgeon, Capt Elmer I. Bernstein, said, 'Sgt Sewards is in very good shape and soon will be returning to duty.' "

He returned to the line 6 October 1944, before complications from his first wounds necessitated him being pulled from front line duty in late November 1944.

I thought it was spectacular to hear him describe something he never really talked about, instead of hearing it second or third hand from others in the family who simply tried to piece together snippets of what he did let slip out. I just wanted to share.

 

What a great find. Thanks for sharing this.

Tonight I received a photo of B company (with names) in my father's battalion so I'm on the same "research high" as you!!!

Steve

 

Oh yeah, absolutely!

 

That's a phenomenal find, Tom, for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Finding an account that contains his own description of his experience is more than you could hope to find in any unit history or military document.

That is why I try to encourage people to let family members know that they are researching their relative's WWII service. Even though folks may think they don't have anything, there may be that box in the attic or back of the closet that has been forgotten.

Congratulations on this find and on finding the document which provides the SO # for his CIB award, and thank you for sharing with us your research of your great grandfather's WWII service. It will certainly be an encouragement to others who are on the same journey.