FREER, RUSSELL died Aug 2, 1944 age 24 DOW France

RUSSELL NORMAN FREER  b. Feb 29, 1920 Michigan d. Aug 2, 1944

Died of Wounds France

Cpl 36131061 Army 87^th Field Artillery Battalion ‘C’ Battery

Buried Brittany American Cemetery, France; Memorial Redford Twp.

Parents: Albert Lester & Millie (Sachs)

Siblings: Ruth E., Clarence William, Edsel E.
 

Millie was born in Berlin, immigrated with her family in 1893. She married Albert in 1913; he had Michigan roots, worked as a truck driver for a grocery store. Brother Edsel played sax in the high school orchestra 1936. They rented their home at 16324 Lahser, just a block from the high school. The home was long ago replaced by a park, dedicated in 1951. Irony is it is named for someone else killed in the war, namely 2^nd Lt. James Hope, a pilot whose plane went down over the Italian coast in 1945; family lived on the east side.

Millie & Albert, right - brother, left

Russell graduated high school June 1939. When he enlisted Oct 1941 he was 5’8” 134 lbs with brown eyes and brown hair. He was with a Field Artillery battalion. This was the primary unit structure for the artillery branch in WWII within which were some of the most highly skilled personnel in the Army. The size of the battalion depended on the size of the gun: bigger gun needed more men! The 87^th had a 105mm Howitzer.

August 2, 1944 will go down in the history of the 87^th Armed F A BN as the most disastrous day for the unit. One officer and eight enlisted men killed in action. Four officers and 27 enlisted men wounded in action. One officer and eight enlisted men evacuated to the hospital as non-battle casualties. Charlie batter suffered considerable form the enemy shelling throughout the day near Villedieu. Capt Fensley was killed instantly when a mortar shell hit directly beside him while he was running to assist a wounded man in an M-7. Several suspected French civilians were picked up late in the afternoon. It was thought that they were directing the enemy fire on the battalion position.

Russell’ hospital admission card from Aug 1944 states he had an abdomen wound from an artillery shell. He received the Purple Heart.