Burnett George JANCHER

Minneapolis South High School 1940 yearbook

Source : Brian Jodi Kueker

Parents : Michael & Anne (Baren) JANCHER

Brother : George

Source : Andy

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  St James N°3578

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of St James American Cemetery

Private First-Class Burnett George Jancher, born 28 May 1921, was the son of Michael and Anne (Baren) Jancher of Minneapolis. Their surname was originally Jancurak and was shortened to Jancher.

In the 1930 census 8-year-old Burnett Jancurak is living with his parents and brother George 6, at 3321 37th Avenue in Minneapolis. His father is a wallpaper salesman.

In the 1940 census 18-year-old Burnett Jancher is living with his parents and brother George 16, still at 3321 37th Avenue in Minneapolis. His father is still selling wallpaper. Burnett is a clerk for a finance company.

In the 1940 Minneapolis city directory Burnett is listed as a clerk for NW National Life Insurance Company residing at 3321 37th Avenue South.

Burnett graduated from South High School in Minneapolis in 1941 and enrolled at the University of Minnesota.

Burnett is pictured in the 1942 University of Minnesota yearbook as a freshman with the Pershing Rifles Military Honorary.

Burnett was probably inducted sometime in late 1943. He was assigned to the 264th Infantry Regiment of the 66th Infantry Division.

Pfc. Jancher survived the torpedo sinking of the troopship SS Leopoldville in the English Channel on Christmas Eve 1944 which killed 763 soldiers of the 66th infantry division.

After arriving at Cherbourg, the 66th Division regrouped and headed for the L’Orient and St. Nazaire sectors in Brittany to relive the 94th Division which had been guarding the German submarine base pockets that were left after the D-Day invasion. Estimates of the number of German forces left behind in these pockets ran from fifty to one hundred thousand. The 94th division was sent to the Battle of the Bulge.

The command post of the 66th ID was set up at Chateaubriant, Loire-Inferieure, 39 miles north of Nantes on 26 Dec 1944. While in Brittany the 66th Division carried out daily reconnaissance patrols along the one hundred-and-twelve-mile front and conducted periodical artillery fire on the pockets of resistance.

Newspapers of the day on 18 Mar 1945, 4 days before his death, list Burnett as a recipient of the Purple Heart.

The NARA WWII casualty listings by state and county for Minnesota show Jancher, Burnett G, Pfc from Hennepin County, as DNB (Died Non-Battle) so he died in the line of duty from some illness or accident on 22 Mar 1945. 

By  Brian Jodi Kueker

Burnett is pictured in the 1942 University of Minnesota yearbook as a freshman with the Pershing Rifles Military Honorary

 Source : Brian Jodi Kueker

66^th  INFANTRY DIVISION - BLACK PANTHER  

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
15 Apr 1943	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  91
	Casualties/Victimes 1 452
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
1 Jan 1945
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (Apr 43 - Aug 45) Maj. Gen. Walter F. Lauer (Aug 45 - inactivation) 5)	Campaigns/Campagnes Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The three regiments of the 66th Infantry Division arrived in England, 26 November 1944, and the remainder of the Division, 12 December 1944, training until 24 December 1944 when the Division crossed the English Channel to Cherbourg. A German torpedo ripped into the transport as it was crossing the Channel, and 14 officers and 748 enlisted men were lost. Attached to the 12th Army Group and designated the 12th Army Group Coastal Sector, with operational control of all French forces in the area, the 66th relieved the 94th Division in the BrittanyLoire area, 29 December 1944. Its mission of containing the enemy in the St. Nazaire and Lorient pockets was carried out by daily reconnaissance patrols, limited objective attacks, and the maintenance of harassing and interdictory fires on enemy installations. A heavy German attack near La Croix was repulsed, 16 April 1945, and several strongly emplaced enemy positions were taken, 19-29 April 1945. Enemy troops in the Lorient and St. Nazaire pockets surrendered to the Division upon the end of hostilities in Europe, 8 May 1945. The 66th moved to Germany on occupation duty, in the Koblenz subarea, 20 May 1945, and left for Marseille, 26 May 1945. It sailed for home 27 October 1945.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION Les trois régiments de la 66e division d'infanterie arrivent en Angleterre, le 26 novembre 1944, et le reste de la division, le 12 décembre 1944, s'entraînant jusqu'au 24 décembre 1944 lorsque la division traverse la Manche jusqu'à Cherbourg. Une torpille allemande s'est faufilée dans le convoi alors qu'elle traversait la Manche, et 14 officiers et 748 soldats ont été perdus. Attaché au 12ème Groupe d'Armée et désigné Secteur de la 12ème division du Groupe d'Armées, avec le contrôle opérationnel de toutes les forces françaises dans la région, le 66th a relevé la 94ème Division dans la région BrittanyLoire, le 29 décembre 1944. Sa mission Les poches de Nazaire et de Lorient ont été réalisées par des patrouilles de reconnaissance quotidiennes, des attaques objectives limitées et le maintien de feux de harcèlement et d'interception sur les installations ennemies. Une forte attaque allemande près de La Croix fut repoussée le 16 avril 1945 et plusieurs positions ennemies fortement implantées furent prises, du 19 au 29 avril 1945. Des troupes ennemies dans les poches de Lorient et de Saint-Nazaire se rendirent à la Division à la fin des hostilités en Europe , Le 8 mai 1945. Le 66ème émigra en Allemagne en service d'occupation, dans la sous-zone de Coblence, le 20 mai 1945, et partit pour Marseille, le 26 mai 1945. Il partit pour la maison le 27 octobre 1945.