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name
O'RILEY, Harold Clifford - Date of
birth
8 July 1923 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Ontario, Canada -
Hometown
Westchester County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32779843 -
Rank
Corporal -
Function
unknown -
Unit
A Company,
741st Tank Battalion
-
Awards
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
20 September 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Heckhalenfeld, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Joseph O'Riley (father)
Eva M. (Richardson) O'Riley (mother)
Jack M. O'Riley (brother)
Cleo L. O'Riley (sister)
More information
His tank was hit by four or five shells of enemy fire and began to burn immediately. Three crew members escaped. Sgt Mervin C. Beck and Cpl Harold C. O'Riley were left in the tank and were not seen to leave the vehicle. As the tank was burning no assistance could be given and enemy artillery forced the other members of the crew to abandon the position of the tank. An examination of the interior of the tank at the time it was evacuated failed to disclose any evidence of human remains. Also a field investigation proved negative. It was presumed that both crew members failed to leave the tank and that their bodies were cremated by the fire.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com,
http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org - After Action Report 741st Tank Battalion
Photo source: www.findagrave.com