On December 17, 1944, 75 years ago the brave men of the 285th F.A.O.B. became victims of the Malmedy Massacre in the early part of the Battle of the Bulge. Part of the members of this troop were natives of PA including my father, T4 Harold Hinkle from Marietta. On Memorial Day, I posted a list of the men that died that day. This post is about the survivors.
On December 16, 1944, in the afternoon Captain Scarbrough, Hinkle, Harold (his driver and my father), Corporal Bill Norfleet, Sergeant Orsini, Pvt. Oxford, and Pvt. Romanoski left for St. Vith, Belgium setting up the route that the main battery would take the following Day. They made it as far as Malmedy that night were the destination for the 285th was changed from St. Vich to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The next morning they continued south without knowledge of the German attach occurring to their east. Pvt. Romanoski was left behind somewhere near Malmedy to be picked up by the lead marker group to help guide them. As a result, all of them but Romanoski missed the Massacre by a few hours. Private Romanoski missed the Massacre by a very short time.
On December 17, 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Alvan E. Geier, along with Staff Sergeant Kesterton, T $ Paul, Private Farmer, and Private Kennedy left Shevenhutte around 6:00 am. It was their duty to place route markers for the rest of the Battery to follow. They picked up Private Romanoski on the way to Luxembourg and made it all the way through without incident.
At 8:00 am. The main battery left Shevenhutte heading south following the route set up by the advance groups. They stopped for lunch just north of Malmedy before continuing on their route. Just south of Malmedy Sergeant James Barrington became ill and vomited. Lieutenant Ksiadez decided to take four trucks and go to the Malady Aid Center with Sergeant Barrington. When these trucks returned to the bottom of the hill south of Malmedy, Ksiadez became suddenly ill and went berserk. These four trucks returned to the Malmedy Aid Center which resulted in saving their lives. The names of the men in these trucks other than Ksiadzek and Barrington are not mentioned in the books I have on this event.
When the main body of the 285th reached Five points crossroad they were meet by the German SS tank battery known as Kampfgruppe Peiper. Several of the men in the 285th jumped from their vehicles and hid in a nearby ditch. A number of them were discovered by the Germans, but a few managed to play dead and later escape. Eugene Graeff and George Garrett and Robert Conrad helped Warren Schmidt was badly wounded escape this way. Donald Bower, Warren Schmidt, and Robert Conrad also escaped by playing dead in the ditch after watching four men run for the woods. The Germans fired on them and only one, John Kailer, made it to the woods and escaped. Two of the men were brought back and put with the other prisoners. The third was shot and killed. Thomas Bacon, David Lucas, Master Sergeant Eugene Lacy, T 5 Ralph Logan were forced to drive some of the trucks for the Germans and became POWs. Lucas died while in German Captivity. Vestal McKinny, Robert Mearig, and Charles Reding managed to escape without being taken to the killing field.
Those taken as prisoners were marched to a field on the other side of the intersection. Later the Germans opened fire on these unarmed men with machine guns. Some fell dead, others wounded, and a few unhurt. Those that were alive played dead, but the Germans came through the pile looking for survivors, killing them. Still, 31 men would manage to not be discovered and later escape. The following are some of their stories.
After the killing was over the Germans left a few men to guard the intersection. Around 3:30 pm., Pvt. Mattera (Marietta, PA), stood up from the pile and said “Lets Roll” Several men got up and try to make their escape. A few SS Men at the crossroads fired on them. Some of the men made it to the Cafe Bodarwe which was that intersection of the crossroads. The Germans discovered them, burned down the cafe and shot anyone who tried to run out. Mattera run the path behind the Cafe., then he hid behind some bushes before making it to the woods were Roy Anderson, Herman Johnson and Ted Paluch would later join him.
On December 16, 1944, in the afternoon Captain Scarbrough, Hinkle, Harold (his driver and my father), Corporal Bill Norfleet, Sergeant Orsini, Pvt. Oxford, and Pvt. Romanoski left for St. Vith, Belgium setting up the route that the main battery would take the following Day. They made it as far as Malmedy that night were the destination for the 285th was changed from St. Vich to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The next morning they continued south without knowledge of the German attach occurring to their east. Pvt. Romanoski was left behind somewhere near Malmedy to be picked up by the lead marker group to help guide them. As a result, all of them but Romanoski missed the Massacre by a few hours. Private Romanoski missed the Massacre by a very short time.
On December 17, 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Alvan E. Geier, along with Staff Sergeant Kesterton, T $ Paul, Private Farmer, and Private Kennedy left Shevenhutte around 6:00 am. It was their duty to place route markers for the rest of the Battery to follow. They picked up Private Romanoski on the way to Luxembourg and made it all the way through without incident.
At 8:00 am. The main battery left Shevenhutte heading south following the route set up by the advance groups. They stopped for lunch just north of Malmedy before continuing on their route. Just south of Malmedy Sergeant James Barrington became ill and vomited. Lieutenant Ksiadez decided to take four trucks and go to the Malady Aid Center with Sergeant Barrington. When these trucks returned to the bottom of the hill south of Malmedy, Ksiadez became suddenly ill and went berserk. These four trucks returned to the Malmedy Aid Center which resulted in saving their lives. The names of the men in these trucks other than Ksiadzek and Barrington are not mentioned in the books I have on this event.
When the main body of the 285th reached Five points crossroad they were meet by the German SS tank battery known as Kampfgruppe Peiper. Several of the men in the 285th jumped from their vehicles and hid in a nearby ditch. A number of them were discovered by the Germans, but a few managed to play dead and later escape. Eugene Graeff and George Garrett and Robert Conrad helped Warren Schmidt was badly wounded escape this way. Donald Bower, Warren Schmidt, and Robert Conrad also escaped by playing dead in the ditch after watching four men run for the woods. The Germans fired on them and only one, John Kailer, made it to the woods and escaped. Two of the men were brought back and put with the other prisoners. The third was shot and killed. Thomas Bacon, David Lucas, Master Sergeant Eugene Lacy, T 5 Ralph Logan were forced to drive some of the trucks for the Germans and became POWs. Lucas died while in German Captivity. Vestal McKinny, Robert Mearig, and Charles Reding managed to escape without being taken to the killing field.
Those taken as prisoners were marched to a field on the other side of the intersection. Later the Germans opened fire on these unarmed men with machine guns. Some fell dead, others wounded, and a few unhurt. Those that were alive played dead, but the Germans came through the pile looking for survivors, killing them. Still, 31 men would manage to not be discovered and later escape. The following are some of their stories.
After the killing was over the Germans left a few men to guard the intersection. Around 3:30 pm., Pvt. Mattera (Marietta, PA), stood up from the pile and said “Lets Roll” Several men got up and try to make their escape. A few SS Men at the crossroads fired on them. Some of the men made it to the Cafe Bodarwe which was that intersection of the crossroads. The Germans discovered them, burned down the cafe and shot anyone who tried to run out. Mattera run the path behind the Cafe., then he hid behind some bushes before making it to the woods were Roy Anderson, Herman Johnson and Ted Paluch would later join him.
