Missing information?

Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?

Submit

Personal info

Full name
LONERGAN, Vincent L
Date of birth
1908
Age
unknown
Place of birth
California
Hometown
Alameda County, California

Military service

Service number
39046140
Rank
Private First Class
Function
unknown
Unit
L Company,
3rd Battalion,
423rd Infantry Regiment,
106th Infantry Division
Awards
unknown

Death

Status
Died non-Battle
Date of death
6 April 1945
Place of death
In the vicinity of Greiz, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
A 42 13

Immediate family

Members
Ada T. Lonergan (mother)
William R. Lonergan (brother)
Vesta M. Lonergan (sister)
Jack J. Lonergan (brother)
Lester C. Lonergan (brother)
Edward L. Lonergan (brother)
Marie Lonergan (wife)

More information

Pfc Vincent L. Lonergan enlisted on 14 May 1943 in San Francisco, California.

He was taken prisoner of war in the vicinity of Schlausenbach, Germany on 16 December 1944 and was imprisoned at Stalag IX-B. The stalag was liberated on 4 April 1945 by the U.S Army but Pvt Vincent wasn't present.
On 8 February 1945, together with 350 of the physically fit prisoners, who were Jews, looked like Jews or were deemed "troublemakers" or were grabbed at random because the Nazis needed slave labor, were sent to a Nazi concentration camp at Berga. They arrived at the camp on 13 February 1945. Starting that date the prisoners had to work in terrible conditions.

On 5 April 1945 the camp was evacuated and the prisoners embarked on a march to an unknown destination southward. After a day walking, they were lodged in a school. That night, Pfc Lonegran and thre other American soldiers died.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 census / U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, Enlistment, Jeff Hays, Berga Soldiers of another war, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/27/magazine/the-lost-soldiers-of-stalag-ixb.html

Photo source: Peter Schouteten