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Personal info

Full name
NICKEL, Kenneth W
Date of birth
27 April 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Union Township, Guthrie County, Iowa
Hometown
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, Iowa

Military service

Service number
37653600
Rank
Corporal
Function
unknown
Unit
C Company,
741st Tank Battalion
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
18 April 1945
Place of death
Intersection of Karl Heine Straße and Zschochersche Straße
Leipzig, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
N 22 11

Immediate family

Members
Isaac W. Nickel (father)
Dalla C. Nickel (mother)
Lillie G. Nickel (sister)
Clifford E. Nickel (brother)
Carl E. Nickel (brother)
Hazel M. Nickel (sister)
Edith G. Nickel (sister)
Arline M. Nickel (sister)
Oliver V. Nickel (brother)

More information

Cpl Kenneth W. Nickel enlisted at Camp Dodge Herrold, Iowa on 5 January 1943.

On 18 April an attack on the Western section of Leipzig was planned with one platoon. After advancing 10 blocks, one platoon was divide into two sections, in order that two streets could be covered in the movement furter into the city. No opposition of significance was encountered until tanks approached a bridge across a canal. at this point a large amount of small arms and panzerfaust fire was met. Here one tank was hit by panzerfaust fire and destroyed with the loss of the entire crew.

Cpl Nickel was first buried at Eisenach Cemetery.

Source of information: Greg J. Bilhartz, Jochen Reinders, www.wwiimemorial.com, NARA

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Jochen Reinders, www.wikimedia.org