Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
BERGEN, Eugene J - Date of
birth
12 April 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
New York -
Hometown
New York, New York County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32697612 -
Rank
Corporal -
Function
unknown -
Unit
B Company,
747th Tank Battalion
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
16 September 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Harspelt, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John C. Bergen (father)
Agnes (Fitzmaurice) Bergen (mother)
Lawrence Bergen (brother)
Warren Bergen (brother)
More information
During an attack on an enemy pillbox in the vicinity of Harspelt, the tank in which Cpl Bergen was a crew member, was hit by anti-tank fire, forcing him to evacuate. T/5 Kenneth Fletcher, the gunner of the tank, stated on 17 July 1945 that he saw Cpl Bergen evacuate the tank and run towards and enter the closest enemy pillbox. He heard two shots from the pillbox as he entered. To the best of his belief, he firmly believed that Cpl Bergen was shot and killed as he entered the pillbox.In August 1947, an investigation of the area was conducted. A civilian stated that he found a human skull and an American shoe with a bone sticking in it, close to the tank of Cpl Bergen. The place was searched, but the remains were not found again. The knocked-out tank was still there. A careful search inside as well as the surrounding area and the pillbox close by did not reveal anything.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, IDPF
Photo source: Peter Schouteten