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Personal info

Full name
KOSSOW, Arthur Bernard
Date of birth
5 January 1918
Age
26
Place of birth
Fort Morgan, Baldwin County, Alabama
Hometown
Crichton, Mobile County, Alabama

Military service

Service number
20414552
Rank
Private First Class
Function
unknown
Unit
I Company,
3rd Battalion,
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
82nd Airborne Division
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
3 January 1945
Place of death
Fosse - Trois-Ponts, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
Plot Row Grave
A 1 37

Immediate family

Members
Lilian K. Kossow (mother)

More information

Pfc Arthur B. Kossow worked at the Van Antwerp dairy farm.

He joined the National Guard in Pritchard, Alabama on 25 November 1940.

The plan on 3 January for taking Fosse was for G and H Companies to bypass the town and take up positions on high ground to the southwest from which they could provide supporting fire while I Company attacked into the town from the north. All was going well until I Company emerged from a wood two hundred yards from Fosse's outskirts and got pinned down by small arms, machinegun and artillery fire. The commanding officer, Capt McPheeters was killed instantly as well as the only other officer Lt Degenhardt. In total the company suffered 13 casualties. They are remembered on a monument, situated on the north side of the town in a street called Sur le Meez.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, NARA, www.wwiimemorial.com, WW2 Airborne, www.fold3.com - WWII Draft Registration Card

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Ralph Peeters, AOMDA