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Personal info

Full name
BIGNESS, Vernon Lawrence
Date of birth
5 January 1914
Age
30
Place of birth
Black River, Jefferson County, New York
Hometown
Watertown, Jefferson County, New York

Military service

Service number
12081523
Rank
Private
Function
unknown
Unit
D Battery,
203rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
23 December 1944
Place of death
In the vicinity of Gerolstein, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg
Plot Row Grave
E 4 31

Immediate family

Members
Charles Bigness (father)
Rose Bigness (mother)
Kathryn (Robinson) Bigness (wife)
Roselyn Bigness (daughter)
Glen Bigness (son)

More information

Pvt Vernon L. Bigness was a long distance truck driver, employed by the Smith & Frazier Transportation Co.

He was married to married Kathryn Robinson on 9 November 1935.

He enlisted on 26 May 1942 and was sent overseas in October 1943 and was deployed in France in August 1944.

Pvt Bigness was taken prisoner at Baraque de Fraiture, Belgium and was together with several other prisoners when marched to Gerolstein, Germany where they were loaded in train wagons to be transported to POW Camps. Pvt Bigness, together with Pvt Asa Golden attempted to escape in Gerolstein and were killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Carla Mans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com – 1930/1940 Census / Headstone and Interment Record / U.S. Draft Cards Young Men / US WW2 Hospital Admission Cards, www.findagrave.com, www.7tharmddiv.org/203death.htm, Watertown Daily Times - 17 January 1945

Photo source: www.findagrave.com – LuxAmCem, Watertown Daily Times - 17 January 1945