James G. ALLEN Jr

Lonaconing, Comté d'Allegany, MARYLAND

Parents : James G & Christine Patterson Allen

Siblings : Thomas S, Lovanna Mary, Muriel J, Malcolm G, Harbert E, Ethel Franciene & Jackson

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  Blosville N°3508

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

Cumberland Sunday Times, March 10 1935.

James "Jim" Garfield Allen Jr. was born on the 6^th of April 1914 in Klondike (previously Lord) in Allegany County, Maryland. Klondike was a poor town of coal miners.

He is the third child of six boys (Thomas, James Jr., Malcolm, Herbert, Jackson and Kenneth) and four girls (Lovanna, Muriel, Francine and Margaret). His father James G. Allen Sr. was a coal miner and his mother Christina Patterson Allen was a housewife. They were both Scottish emigrants’ children.

The family belonged to the First Presbyterian Church. Since it was common in modest families at that time, James left school around 13 years old to go to work at the mine (after 7^th grade).

The relationship between James Jr. and his father was difficult because James Sr. drank a lot and was very mean with his wife and children.

On the 9^th of March 1935, during an umpteenth argument, James Sr. shot his son with an automatic 22 calibre gun.

Badly injured, James Jr. had to be operated at the hospital while his father was jailed for a few months. Fortunately, James Jr. survived his wound but the relationship between both of them was more deteriorated.

On the 24th of December 1938, James Jr. married Josephine Beatrice Brown and moved to her family in Lonaconing (Allegany, Maryland). He worked then as a coal miner at the Consolidation Coal Company.

According to his Selective Service Registration Card dating from 1940, James Jr. had black hair and brown eyes.

He was around 5’11 tall and weighed around 152 lb.

On the 15th of September 1943, James Jr. joined the army at the office of Baltimore (Maryland). He incorporated the 3rd Battalion of the 359th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division. In January 1944, he was transferred to Fort Dix (New Jersey).

On March 23^rd, he left the USA and sailed to England. On arrival in early March, his battalion that was attached to the 4th ID, was stationed at Syon Abbey Camp in Devonshire.

On D-Day, the 6^th of June 1944, James Jr. landed in Normandy on Utah Beach and took part in the Normandy battle.

He was killed in action on July 8^th, at age 30, during the battle of Mont Castre (Hill 122). For his sacrifice, he received the Purple Heart.

The news of his death was published on August 16th in the Cumberland News newspaper.

Cumberland News, August 16 1944.

James Jr. was first buried on July 13rd in the temporary American military cemetery of Blosville.

On his wife’s demand, he was transferred in 1949 in the permanent cemetery of Colleville-Sur-Mer (previously St. Laurent).

According to the disinterment report of February 1948, James Jr. had a fractured skull.

During the war, James Jr. had a regular correspondence with his family.

In letters sent to his sister Muriel from April to May 1944, he wrote that he was in an isolated camp somewhere in England and that every day, he watched a movie.

During July 1944, as he was fighting in France, he continued to write to his family without ever mentioning the situation.

Two weeks before his death, a letter from his wife informed him of his mother’s death.

Josephine and James Jr. never had children. After her husband’s death, Josephine never remarried. However, the family of James Jr. didn’t forget him.

His great-nephew Barry Winters (Frostburg, Maryland), grandson of his sister Muriel, keeps honouring his memory.

Letter from James Jr. to his sister Muriel Winters sent by V-Mail (June 29 1944).

The 90^th Infantry Division

The 90^th Infantry Division was first born in 1917 and was reactivated on the 25^th of March 1942 at Camp Barkeley (Texas). Its insignia consists of interlaced red "T" and "O" on a square olive drab background. It was adopted by the 90th Division during World War I because most of its original personnel were drafted from Texas and Oklahoma. When personnel hail from everywhere in America, the two letters stood to "Tough Ombres".

Early in 1943, the Division took part in manoeuvres in Louisiana and then returned to Camp Barkeley for additional training in street fighting. From September to December, the 90th was engaged in desert manoeuvres in Arizona and California. In January 1944, the division went at Fort Dix (New Jersey) to prepare for overseas shipment. On March 23^rd, the 90^th left the USA and sailed to England where the division took part in intensive training, waiting for D-Day.

First elements of the 90^th (1^st and 3^rd battalions of the 359^th, attached to the 4^th ID) landed on Utah Beach by the morning of D-Day. The remainder of the division arrived later on the 7^th and 8^th of June. From June 10^th, the entire division entered combat cutting across the Merderet river to take Pont l'Abbé. From the 14^th, they maintained defensive positions along the Douve river. The division was later launched to assault to the south, in the hell of the Battle of the Hedgerows. On July 11th, the 90^th succeeded to clear Mont Castre (Hill 122) after rude fighting and heavy casualties. They continued the offensive southwards and took Périers on the 27^th. On August 12^th, the division crossed the Sarthe River and took part in the encircling of the Falaise pocket which fell on the 21st, marking the end of German presence in Normandy.

The Battle of Normandy ended, the 90^th resumed its progression towards Germany by crossing France. They passed through Verdun on September 6th to take part in the battle of Metz, capturing Maizières-les-Metz on October 30^th. They were then in charge of crossing the Moselle river and they succeeded to clear Fort Koenigsmacker on November 9^th. On December 6^th, the division crossed the Saar river to establish a bridgehead. The start of the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes forced them to retire and move to Luxembourg to participate in the Battle of the Ardennes. On the 29^th of January 1945, the division crossed the Our river near Oberhausen. In February, they succeeded in piercing the fortifications of the Siegfried Line and cleaning the banks of the Prüm river. After a short rest, the 90th returned to the assault and crossed again the Moselle river to take Mainz (Mayence) on March 22^nd. They then crossed the Rhine and the Werra rivers and continued their progression to the border with Czechoslovakia, which was reached on April 18th. The division was on way to Prague when the war ended in Europe.

During the fighting, the 90^th suffered more than 21.000 casualties including 3.889 killed. They took 83.437 prisoners and destroyed or captured nearly 500 tanks and 200 mobile guns.