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Personal info

Full name
ALBERTS, Phillip
Date of birth
1923
Age
unknown
Place of birth
Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia
Hometown
Wayne County, Michigan

Military service

Service number
16063318
Rank
Private First Class
Function
Light Machine Gunner
Unit
HQ Company,
1st Battalion,
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
82nd Airborne Division,
Machine Gun Platoon
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
4 February 1945
Place of death
Gerolsteiner wald, Gerolstein, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
Plot Row Grave
H 3 38

Immediate family

Members
William Alberts (father)
Mary Alberts (mother)
Ackerman Alberts (brother)
Sadie Alberts (sister)
Fred Alberts (brother)
Emma Alberts (sister)
Andrew Alberts (brother)
Rose Alberts (sister)
Michael Alberts (brother)
Leo Alberts (brother)
Anna Alberts (sister)

More information

Pfc Phillip Alberts attended high school for one year.

He volunteered for the Army of the United States in Detroit, Michigan on 18 March 1942 and graduated from Jump School on 17 October 1942.

He had shipped overseas with the 504th aboard the George Washington, arriving at Casablanca on 10 May 1943. Alberts would go on to make three combat jumps, Sicily, Salerno and Market Garden.

Pfc Alberts would not take part in the Normandy operation as his regiment fought hard for two months in the Anzio beachhead while the balance of the 82nd prepared for D-Day in England. He would also participate in the Ardennes campaign and it was his machine guns that would provide covering fire for Companies B and C during their legendary assault at Cheneux.

He died from a shrapnel wound in the chest.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Susan Linton, WW2-Airborne.us, NARA, WW2memorial, www.ancestry.com - 1930/1940 census

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Steven Mrozek