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name
ALLEN, William Gordon - Date of
birth
16 April 1917 -
Age
28 - Place of
birth
Dunlap, Peoria County, Illinois -
Hometown
Knox County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36771414 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
D Company,
1st Battalion,
331st Infantry Regiment,
83rd Infantry Division,
2nd Platoon
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Died of Wounds - Date of
death
19 April 1945 - Place of
death
Near Tochheim, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| E | 2 | 1 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Benton C. Allen (father)
Lura H. Allen (mother)
Elizabeth A. Allen (sister)
Lee R. Allen (brother)
Benton C. Allen Jr. (brother)
More information
Willam Allen graduated from Dunlap High School in 1935 and from Knox College in 1939. He also studied for two summers at Northwestern University. For three years he taught in the high school for Fairview, Illinois and in September 1942 he joined the faculty at Galesburg High School where he taught until he enlisted in December 1943. He was sent to France in June 1944He died of wounds received on 19 April 1945.
Letter from Henry Neilson, Lt. Col., Infantry, Commanding (Acting):
"On the above mentioned date, your son volunteered to go back to the Company kitchen to obtain hot food for the members of Company "D", who had participated in the day's fighting. About dusk he accomplished his mission and it was while returning the equipment back to the kitchen that he took a different route and in the darkness did not see the mine field that had been laid for protection against enemy counter attack. He was mortally wounded when the vehicle in which he was riding struck a mine."
One photo shows Sgt William G. Allen with his youngest brother for the family home, just before he went overseas.
His brother-in-law, Maj. Robert B. Arnold was killed in Germany on 24 February 1945 and is also buried at Margraten.
Source of information: Jac Engels, Peter Schouteten, Maurice Göttgens, www.83rdinfdivdocs.org, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, Newspaper article, Diary "Dear Folks"
Photo source: Luc van der Sterren, Maurice Göttgens