BONDE Carl R - 262 IR 66 ID

BONDE Carl Ralph Jr

"Buddy"

NUMBER OF SERVICE

39616683

AGE

21 yo

DATE OF BIRTH

15 September 1923 to Kalispell MONTANA

ETAT

Kalispell Flathead County MONTANA

FAMILY

single

RANK

PFC

FONCTION

Weapons Platoon

JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT

DATE of ENLISTEMENT

4 March 1943 à Butte MONTANA

COMPANY

Company F

REGIMENT

262^nd Infantry Regiment

DIVISION

66^th Infantry Division
"Black Panther Division"

DATE OF DEATH

24 Décembre 1944

STATUS

MIA

PLACE OF DEATH

Aboard in USS Léopoldville, In Manche(Channel), off Cherbourg

CEMETERY

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY from Colleville Map Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE

Plot	Row	Grave
Wall of Missing

DECORATION

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal

Combat Infantryman Badge

Photo FDLM

combat infantryman badge

STORY

In 1942, Carl attended the Montana University in Missoula, in the Forest Department.

He participated to the Sigma Nu Fraternity.

His first name comes from his father, Carl Tosten BONDE.

His second forename comes from his maternal uncle, Ralph WICKSTROM.

Carl was the youngest of 6 siblings (he was the only boy). His parents originated from Norway.

Carl was very clever and excellent in mathematics.

He perfectly succeeded in the military aptitude tests.

He was selected for the Army Specialized Training Unit.

To enter this program, an IQ of about 150 was required.

He participated to the program in the North Dakota University.

He did 2 or 3 semesters before the Army Specialized Training Unit was abandoned. Afterwards, he was assigned to the 262nd Infantry Regiment at Fort Robinson.

According to his sisters, Carl loved hunting and fishing.

The 66th Infantry Division, the Company E and the Weapon Platoon with Carl crossed the Atlantic by boat in late November.

They celebrated Thanksgiving on board of the troops transport ship, the GEORGE WASHINGTON.

They landed in Southampton, England.

The Division crossed the Channel on the following day to reach Cherbourg on two Belgian ships, the CHESIRE and the LEOPOLDVILLE.

Carl was accommodated near the place hit by the torpedo. He was on the bridge F.

Carl was apparently resting after travelling all night.

On December 23, 1944, they took the train to embark.

Early in the following morning, they waited on the Southampton dock, on board of the troops transport ship, the SS LEOPOLDVILLE.

There were only 10 survivors within the Company E and 23 missing.

According to testimonies, the survivors of this Company were getting some fresh air on the Leopoldville’s deck.

The captain of the U-486, Lieutenant Gerhard MEYER, launched the torpedoes.

The first torpedo missed but the second one hit the SS Leopoldville on starboard, below the water line.

The German torpedo scrapped the troops transport ship LEOPOLDVILLE only five miles away from Cherbourg, its destination. 14 officers and 748 men were lost.

Arrived on November 26^th, 1944 in England, the division polishes up its training until December 24^th

In the daytime of the departure and the crossing towards France and Normandy.

The division embarks on two ships of which the SS Leopoldville which receives 262^th and 264^th regiment Infantry and leaves Southampton in training(formation) accompanied with four escort ships.

Arrived unless 5 miles from Cherbourg, a German submarine U-Boat 486 is in ambush and sends a torpedo to the ship.

He is touched on the starboard beam before.

802 soldiers over the 2235 which he(it) transported are killed in this drama.

Leopoldville is marine cemetery today.

memorial plaque See History of Leopoldville (Click on the picture)

	Picture taken during winter 1943 – 1944.
Tight formation demonstration for his sisters.
	Carl on a bridge near a glacier in Montana.
Carl R. BONDE Jr with Sergeant Irvin J. WERVER.
Company E
Carl’s house in Kalispell Flathead County, MONTANA.