Walter B. BIDLACK

Parents : Muriel Huff & Verne Claude BIDLACK

Source : Frogman

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  St Laurent N°3582

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

The Life Story of 1LT Walter B. Bidlack

Walter B. Bidlack was born in 2 Mar 1921 in South Bend, IN and died on 6 Jun 1944 in Normandy, France as the result of hostile action on D-Day in WWII.

His parents were Verne Claude Bidlack (1896-1971) and Muriel Huff (1896-Unk). At some point, the family moved to Jenkintown, PA.

His father was listed as chemist on Walter’s birth certificate and, per the 1940 census, he was a salesman for McCloskey Furnishings Company. His mother a housewife.

Walter had 2 brothers. He had completed 3 years at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. It could not be determined if was married. Prior to enlisting in the Army, he worked as an attendant at a filling station and parking lot.

Source : Fold 3

Walter enlisted in the Army on 18 Jul 1942 at Allentown, PA. It is not known where he attended basic training, but it’s a safe assumption that he attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) since he was a Lieutenant on D-Day. His service number was O-1112021. He was a member of Company C, 112th Engineer Combat Battalion.

The 112th Engineer Combat Battalion was to land at Omaha Beach with the 116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. The 116th Infantry Regiment was a part of Force O which was the initial assault force at Omaha Beach. From 3 to 8 May 1944, the regiment participated in Exercise Fabius at Slapton Sands, England, which was their final rehearsal before D-Day.

It is almost certain that 1LT Bidlack was part of this rehearsal. On 15 May 1944, the regiment relocated by truck to Blandford Camp where it was confined behind barbed wire to preserve secrecy. On 3 Jun 1944, the regiment embarked for Normandy from Weymouth, England. By 0430 on 6 Jun 1944, all first wave Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) had left their ships and moved towards Omaha Beach. The first LCVPs approached Omaha Beach at 0600 and by 0636 had landed at Omaha Beach. The first units of the 112th Engineer Combat Battalion to land were two platoons of Company B from two Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) at 0710.

These platoons were closely followed by an LCM containing one platoon of B Company and one platoon of C Company landing ten minutes later. The landings were made under heavy mortar, artillery, and machine gun fire inasmuch as no infantry had proceeded the landing of the Engineers. A direct artillery hit on the bow of a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) was made just as unloading began and many engineers became casualties as a result of the blast and the ensuing fire.

It is estimated that 50% of this initial force were casualties, and 75% of the equipment was lost. The Commanding Officer of Company C was killed as he left his landing craft. Two platoons of Company C landed on Easy Green beach from Landing Craft Tank (LCT) at 1030 hours with bulldozers and about one ton of explosives each. In total, the battalion suffered about 40% casualties in the assault on Omaha Beach. It is not clear if 1LT Bidlack was in the initial or follow-on assault of Omaha beach or exactly how he was killed on 6 Jun 1944.

1LT Bidlack’s remains were buried at Cemetery #3582 (block Q, row 3, grave 52) at Saint Laurent Cemetery, Baveux, France. He was eventually buried Normandy American Cemetery (plot I, row 20, grave 3), Colleville-sur-Mer, France. 1LT Bidlack was awarded the Purple Heart.
By : smithada_1

Source : Fold 3