Where was Maj. Sylvan FELD buried in August 1944?

[Kocab Zdenek]

I am searching for the city name in France, where Maj. Sylvan FELD was buried? As far as I know he died in September 21, 1944 and buried in French cementary, His body was found in 1959 and relocaped into Beldium.

[RSwank]

He was buried by the Germans in a German War Dead cemetery, possible near Maromme. In 1955 the Germans were moving bodies from scattered German cemeteries to permanent cemeteries for German War Dead and came across a body in a cemetery with Sylvan's dog tag. They notified the Americans who positively identified the body in 1959.

You probably would need his IDPF file to possibly identify the exact location.

There is an article about Feld, along with some other pilots here: http://theyweresoldiers.com/index.ph...r-sylvan-feld/

His MACR was 8584. It contains some information about how he died. At the moment the National Archives MACRs don't seem to be available.
I will put in a link when they are accessible.

Here is the link to his 18 page MACR on fold3.com: https://www.fold3.com/image/28677471/28677349

[RSwank]

Here is the link to the MACR at the National Archives:

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91056482


I found a newspaper article from 1960 which has some information. I put the article on a shared Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...Wu?usp=sharing

[Alex Smart]

Many thanks Rolland, The Macr tells us that he baled from his P-47.
The fellow POW, a Canadian tells of his capture and death by allied aircraft strafing the transport they were in which resulted in Feld dieing from wounds sustained in the attack. (DoW, noted in the MACR ,so cause of death must have been reported after the report was made?)
From what I could read, the Canadians name is not recorded.
Is there any chance that his name can be found via historical Documents or from the Resistance historical information that must record names of those who helped the airmen in the area and perhaps names of those airmen ??
Alex

[RSwank]

Alex,

I think we should start with his IDPF file. Supposedly, his file is now available from the National Archives in St. Louis. I'll try and get a quote on the price.

[RSwank]

I received a reply from the National Archives in St. Louis.

"Thank you for contacting the National Archives at St. Louis. We have received your request for a WWII Individual Deceased Personnel File and have located the requested file on a finding aid specific to that collection. As part of the National Archives' commitment to preserve our records and provide greater access to the public, we are in the process of uploading a digital copy of these files to our Catalog where they will be accessible to the public for free."

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/297287480

"We do not have an exact date as to when that will be accomplished and urge you to check the Catalog periodically for updates as they become available."


I know the archives have been working on this project for several years, so........At this point, I will check with a commercial vendor for a price (it will not be free, unfortunately).

[RSwank]

I have received the IDPF file for Sylvan Feld. It is 173 pages long. I posted it on my Google drive. See post #3 above for the link. It is an interesting read.

Basically, Feld's body was taken in the German ambulance across the Seine by barge. The body was buried in Monumental Cemetery in Rouen, grave 1043 as an unknown German soldier. In 1959 the Germans were recovering bodies and came across Feld, who still had his dog tag. Buttons from the clothing in the grave also indicated an American body. American authorities were notified and the body was positively identified in Frankfurt using dental records. See pages 143 and following in the IDPF.

Grave Today: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...23/sylvan-feld

[Alex Smart]

Great piece of history Rolland,
Just to round it, regarding F/O. Lyndon Warwick Clive LEWIS, 1733888 Flying officer who was with Feld.
He was Bomb Aimer in a Lancaster II, of 514 Sqdn serial number/leter DS822/T, that failed to return on the night of 7/8th June 1944.
As in the IDPF, he was also a POW and was liberated by Russian troops on 1st May '45.
In the IDPF his address was given as being in Wales.
What became of him after WW2
From RAF Commands forum :
"following repatriation from Germany in May 1945, ceased being a Bomb Aimer and transferred to the RAF Police Provost Branch. He retired from the RAF on 1st Dec 1969 as a Wing Commander and died 13th March 2007".
Could not find him in "findagrave'.

[RSwank]

Alex,
Thanks for the info on Lewis.

The link to the IDPF files given in post 6, repeated here:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/297287480

has started to become active. They have about 7,000 individual files on line so far. It appears they are only for
names starting with A to Br. (Looks like they will work through the alphabet going from A to Z.)

Casualty names are for both Army Air Force casualties and regular Army. I have no idea how long this
process will take but as least it has started.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by RSwank

I have received the IDPF file for Sylvan Feld. It is 173 pages long. I posted it on my Google drive. See post #3 above for the link. It is an interesting read.

Basically, Feld's body was taken in the German ambulance across the Seine by barge. The body was buried in Monumental Cemetery in Rouen, grave 1043 as an unknown German soldier. In 1959 the Germans were recovering bodies and came across Feld, who still had his dog tag. Buttons from the clothing in the grave also indicated an American body. American authorities were notified and the body was positively identified in Frankfurt using dental records. See pages 143 and following in the IDPF.

Grave Today: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...23/sylvan-feld

Rolland - outstanding find that will make his cousin Bill Lyons very happy to finally get closure on Sylvan Feld.

Bill flew with my father in the 355th FG, but was 357FS.

Are there additional details regarding actual cause of death?