Alfred A. AMANN

Parents : John & Rose Mary Iffert AMANN

Source : Andy

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  -- N°--

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Rhône American Cemetery

 UTICA OBSERVER DISPATCH Monday, August 21, 1944
Second Lt. Alfred A. Amann, son of John and Rose Iffert Amann has been missing since Aug. 6.
Lieutenant Amann, a pilot, had been awarded the Purple Heart,for wounds received in action, and the Air Medal, for completion of several missions. He enlisted Oct. 12, 1939, and after his graduation from the Roosevelt Field Aviation School he was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone and the British West Indies as a mechanic.
He was commissioned a pilot last October at Columbus, Miss., Army Air Field, and was sent Abroad in June. He had been stationed in North Africa and Italy.
The flier was born here Aug. 10, 1921. He is a graduate of St. Mary's School and Utica Free Academy.

His brother, Pvt. Edward Amann, was killed in action July 26 in France. The boy's uncle, S. Sgt. Bernard Iffert, had been killed in France 10 days before that.

Story written by: Alison Libersa, Rhone American Cemetery 

The family Amann

John and Rose came from Oneida County, New York. The young couple grew up in the same neighbor-hood, probably playing together as children, and then dating as young sweethearts. Then John, like many young Americans, was called to serve his Country during World War I.

After his service, he returned home, and married his long-time sweetheart Rose. As most young couples – their first child was soon born. A beautiful bouncy baby boy – who they named Alfred. 3 years later Rose was once again pregnant, with their second child. 9 months later, it’s another boy – John is so proud he has 2 sons. Obviously all through Rose’s pregnancy, the young couple had discussed names - they had a long list of girls and boys names – but right at the top of the list for the boys was the name Edward – very special because it was the name of Rose’s little brother. So now John and Rose had 2 lovely boys Alfred and little Edward.
Life was good for the little family, John worked and saved hard, and finally had enough money to buy a bakery. The years passed and were very busy between working hard at the bakery and raising 2 lively boys – life was just wonderful, the days and the years just flew past.
August 10, 1939 – a very special day as the family Amann celebrated the 18th birthday of Alfred – the little boy was now all grown up and had become a man. On October 12 – Alfred took a decision that would change his life forever – he enlisted – as all young men after the attack on Pearl Harbor he wanted to serve his Country. Alfred– he wanted to become a pilot and he joined the US Army Air Forces and become a Pilot in the 376th Bomber Group. For Rose and John, this was a very difficult time – they were very proud of their Son, but also very worried for the world was at war.
April 9, 1941 – yet another day that would change the lives of Rose and John – this time it is Rose’s younger brother Bernard who enlisted becoming S.SGT in the 8th Infantry Division.
September 20, 1943 – now it is Edward the baby of the family – except he is not a baby anymore, he is a young man who has just turned 18. He enlists and become a Private in the 4th Infantry Division.
At home, all of the family continues on with their lives, news comes from the Brothers and the
Uncle – but not every day. They learn that Bernard and Edward have been sent to England, and
Alfred well he doesn’t stop moving – North Africa, Sicily, and then Italy.
June 6, 1944 – beachhead of Utah, Normandy – Edward comes ashore with the first wave. With
his buddies he fights his way of the beach and secures it by the end of the day – now begins the
battle of the hedgerows.
July 4, 1944 – Utah Beach – this time its Bernard who wades ashore and takes part in the battle
of the hedgerows.
Both Uncle and Nephew are pushing towards St Lo. Alfred – he is busy flying bombing
missions from his Italian air base – preparing the D-Day landings in the South of France.
July 16, 1944 – Bernard whilst fighting with his buddies is killed, 10 days later July 16, 1944
Edward will lose his life also fighting with his buddies in the hedgerows of Normandy, far, far
from home. August 6, 1944 – this time it is Alfred who will lose his life whilst attacking the port ofToulon. His plane that he was piloting took a direct hit from German flak.
Back home in the States, the terrible news arrived, in the space of just under 3 weeks John and Rose would lose 1 brother and 2 sons, and with them all their dreams of better days.
The family decided that Edward and Bernard should be buried in the area that they fought to
liberate – so they were buried in the Normandy American Cemetery. Bernard can be found in
the Plot E, Row 17, Grave 17. His young nephew is in the Plot G, Row 8, Grave 34.
For Alfred, they buried him with his Brothers in Arms here at Draguignan in the Plot C, Row 3, Grave 3

Crew of B-24 Liberator - type H-20-DT - s/n 41-28965 Codé-55

"Vivien"

Source : Aurélie Sloan Quoturel

Parents : John & Rose Mary Iffert AMANN

Frère : Alfred A

Plan du Normandy American Cemetery

Oncle of

Alfred A

Bernard John IFFERT

Portrait

Source : Jean Francois Carbonnet

"The Observer  Dispatch Utyca NY Daily press"

Printing and publishing clerks

 28^th Infantry Regiment

8^th Infantry Division

Plan du Normandy American Cemetery

A Brief History of Second Lieutenant Russell Salvador WEYLAND

Officier Bombardier sur le  B-24 Liberator - type H-20-DT - s/n 41-28965 Codé-55

"Vivien"

After the usual early morning briefing, we set out for Toulon, France - the target being the submarine pens in the harbor. We were flying without a navigator, he had apparently quit after our first mission over Vienna.

I never have seen him since. It was my seventeenth mission and was supposed to be a milk run - I had been there once before.

After we released the bombs we were hit in the left wing as we came off the target, another burst hit us in the bomb bay. The intercom was out and the nose gunner and I went out the nose wheel door. The bomb bay was like a furnace and the people on the flight deck had no chance for survival.

When I pulled the rip cord of my parachute, it did not open so I eventually tore it loose - tearing out about five or six panels. I guess this was to my advantage because I came down pretty fast and the Germans weren't waiting for me. I landed in a farmyard and hit my head on a stone fence. I woke up in the farmer's wine cellar. I had a minor flak wound on my left leg which they attended to and sent me on my way. They gave me a pair of tired pants, sandals, and a light shirt and sent me into the mountains.

I spent a few days by myself and the Free French finally found me and I helped them assemble weapons that were airlifted in. The German patrols were afraid to enter the mountains as the Free French were very strong in that area.

After a week or so a young man was sent: to me and took me into Hyere - which was a suburb of Toulon. His name is Maurice Costa and I finally contacted him in 1988 through the Air Force Escape and Evasion Society that I belong to. We are communicating by mail and I hope to see him in the near future in France.

After a couple of weeks of moving from house to house with Maurice (he recently sent me a picture of one house) - I was moved to a farm outside of Hyere - as the French Underground had news of the Southern France invasion was coming soon. They told Maurice to pass me off as an Italian deaf mute in case we were stopped by the Gestapo or any of the military people.

The diet we lived on was very sparse and I swear the French could make soup out of the grass or weeds. The Germans had confiscated all the cattle in the area and wine was the only drink available. To this day I detest wine.

As I sat in the loft of a farm house, I watched the Germans retreating on everything including horses and bicycles. On occasion they would have to hit the ditches as they were being strafed by P-51's from the 15th. After the Free French under DeGaule liberated the town, the mayor contacted the American Forces and I was flown to Corsica and back to my Squadron - the 513th in San Pancrazio, Italy.

My pilot, co-pilot, engineer and radio man did not survive and the others were captured and sent to prison camp to wait out the war. I have just recently contacted one of the waist gunners, J. R. Aycock, who was wounded and is now retired and on pension. He had a really rough time of it with the Germans and is to this day with health problems.

After my return to the states - I spent time at Midland at Instructors school and redeployment at Selman Field Louisiana. We soon got bored with the Military Courtesy most of the ground personnel were afraid we were taking their jobs and they would have to go overseas. A few of us put in for B-29's and I was on my way to Walla Walla, Washington when the war ended. I was discharged in Ft. Lewis and spent four wonderful weeks trying to find my way home to Chicago, Illinois.