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name
BANKS, Cecil - Date of
birth
19 September 1925 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia -
Hometown
Carroll County, Virginia
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
33659950 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
A Company,
1st Battalion,
60th Infantry Regiment,
9th Infantry Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
13 October 1945 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of road 399, Raffelsbrand, Hürtgenwald, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Lawrence J. Banks (father)
Nancy A. (Quesenberry) Banks (mother)
Paul Banks (brother)
Cova Banks (sister)
Sherley Banks (brother)
Connie Banks (sister)
Odell Banks (brother)
Opal Banks (sister)
Joy Banks (sister)
Banner Banks (half-brother)
Coy Banks (half-brother)
Roy Banks (half-brother)
Loretta Banks (half-sister)
More information
S/Sgt Cecil Banks was employed at the Carter Coal Company.On 12 October 1944, A Company was located just south of the Raffelsbrand junction. A small group of men went on a reconnaissance patrol, including S/Sgt Banks and Pvt Joe Garcia. Their mission was to recon the area and go to a point about 300 yards south east of their current location. The men moved out, crossed the main 399 road, and advanced about 250 yards. Here they were fired upon. According to Pvt Alfred S. Knowles, one of the men that survived this recon patrol, they were being fired at by sniper guns. He witnessed Cecil Banks getting hit by sniper fire, and tried three times to crawl up to him to help him. The fire of the snipers was too heavy and he did not manage to get to him and had to pull back. Pvt Knowles had no idea what happened to S/Sgt Banks after this.
S/Sgt Banks was officially declared death one day and one year after he was reported missing in action.
He is remembered at Heath Banks Cemetery in Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia with a memorial marker.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, http://9thinfantrydivision.net
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Robin Huijnen, www.findagrave.com - WNS