In The Service Now-This Day In Norwood History-February 23, 1945

List Two Wounded;Airman Is Missing

Two Norwood men have been wounded in action on the Western front in Europe and a third is missing following aerial action over Germany, according to information received here. They are:

PVT. JAMES P. CONNOLLY, 288 Railroad Avenue, wounded.

PFC. MARTIN J. WALSH 343 Nahatan Street, wounded.

SGT. JOHN B. PETRAITIS, 742 Pleasant Street, missing.

Mrs. Barbara Connolly of 288 Railroad Avenue has been notified by the War Department that her son, James, was slightly wounded on January 30th while fighting with the 317th Infantry in Luxembourg. He has been awarded the Purple Heart and is at present in a hospital in France,

Pvt Connolly, who is 27, entered the service two years ago and received his training at Camp McLellan. Ala., and Fort Meade, Md. He has been overseas for a year , and a half. He is a graduate of Norwood High School and prior to entering the service was employed at Bird and Son.

A brother, Cpl. Patrick Connolly, served with the First Marine Division (Reinforced) at Guadalcanal and is now at Camp Stewart, Ga.

Pfc. Walsh, the son of Mr and Mrs. William Walsh of 343 Nahatan Street, is reported to have been slightly wounded in action in Luxembourg. His name is included in the latest list of casualties released by the War Department.

Pfc. Walsh is now at a hospital in England.

MISSING SINCE JAN. 28

Mr and Mrs. George Petraitis of 742 Pleasant Street have received a telegram from the War Department informing them that their son, Sgt. John B. Petraitis, a radio gunner on a B-24, has been missing since January 28 following a bombing mission over Germany.

Sgt. Petraitis, who entered the service two years ago, has been overseas only two months. He received his training at Lincoln, Neb., Yuma, Ark., and Rapid City. S. D

Born 21 years ago in Norwood he was graduated from Norwood High School, class of 1941, and prior to entering the service was a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A younger brother, Pfc. Francis J Petraitis, 19, was wounded in action in Luxembourg on January 4th while in action with the 35th Infantry of the 3rd Army He is now at a hospital in England.

Wins 3rd Cluster To The Air Medal

Charles W Badger an aerial gunner, has been awarded the third Oak Leaf Cluster to his Air Medal for “meritorious achievement in accomplishing with distinction successful operation missions over enemy-occupied Europe in the face of determined opposition.”

Major Ernest Woodman Is Awarded Legion Of Merit

For exceptionally meritorious conduct, in the Italian campaign. Major Ernest A. H. Woodman of Norwood has recently been awarded the Legion of Merit, the fourth-ranking award in the United States Army. The citation accompanying the award read-

“Ernest A. H Woodman, 0388700, Major, Coast Artillery Corps, 34 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services in Italy from 6 March to 12 July 1944, Major Woodman, as S-1 (Command) and S-4 (Supply) of the 34th Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade, was confronted with the problem of keeping all United States units attached to the Brigade properly equipped and supplied as well as aiding the numerous French Anti-Aircraft Artillery sections and battalions working with the Brigade in securing new equipment and in maintaining their existing equipment and transport.

“As the Brigade was serving directly under the French Expeditionary Corps, the problem was considerably complicated by language difficulties and differences in supply installations and procedure. By his tact, patience and untiring energy. Major Woodman kept administrative procedure in all United States units at a superior level throughout the advance on Rome from the Garigliano River. By working in close coordination with French units under the Brigade, he was able, through his superior knowledge of supply and through constant attention to duty, to aid French units in obtaining and maintaining equipment they would not otherwise have been able to secure. In addition to these duties, he conducted his S-l functions for the Brigade in a superlatively outstanding manner.”

Major Woodman, the son of Mrs. F. C. Johnstone of 306 Walpole Street, was advanced to his present rank a year ago last December while in Sicily. He is now with the 7th U. S. Army and the 1st French Army.

Pfc. Francis Chubet At Atlantic City For Reassignment

ATLANTIC CITY. N J.—Pfc Francis P Chubet of 18 Chapel Street, Norwood, has reported to the AAF Redistribution Station No. 1 here after 24 months of service overseas in the European theatre of war.

He wears the Pearl Harbor Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon. European Theatre Ribbon with two bronze stars.

Before he leaves the Redistribution Station for his next Air Force assignment, he will be examined by doctors and interviewed by personnel specialists to determine where he can best fit in the AAF set-up and aid the war effort.

While here, he will have an opportunity to go golfing, fishing, horseback riding, bicycling on the boardwalk and indulge in many other sports and recreation activities.

Pfc. Chubet is the son of Mrs. Margaret Chubet, who resides at 33 Tremont Street.

Entering the service on January 7. 1941, he underwent training at Westover Field, Mass., prior to his shipment overseas on December 7 1942.

Pvt. Stanton At Hospital In No. Carolina

Pvt. John Stanton, son of Mr and Mrs. Thomas A. Stanton of 14 Hawthorne Street, arrived back in the States from France last week and is at present resting in a hospital in North Carolina.

Pvt. Stanton’s return from overseas was unexpected, the first news his mother received being a ‘phone call he made to her upon his arrival in New York.

Pvt. Stanton has been in the service a year and has been overseas since last September. He has one brother in the service, Pvt. Robert, stationed at Camp Gordon, Ga.

Pvt. Stanton was employed at the Norwood Press prior to entering the service and is a former all-round athlete at Norwood High.

Purple Heart To Sgt. Hallowell

Tech. Sgt. Fred L. Hallowell has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received In the European Theater. He Is now convalescing at Fort Devens Hospital.

Advanced To Primary At Indiana Field

CHAPEL HILL. N C — Naval Aviation Cadet Edward Chandler, son of Mr and Mrs Edward T. Chandler of 55 Winslow avenue, Norwood has succesfully completed the course at the U S Navy Pre-Flight School here He has been transferred to the Naval Air Station at Bunker Hill Indiana, for Primary flight training.

Cadet Chandler attended Norwood High School class of 1943. participating in track, golf, hockey. and football.

Martin Collins Named Corporal

VAN NUYS ARMY AIR FIELD. California — Martin T. Collins of 42 Myrtle Street, Norwood, has been promoted at this Army air field from the rank of private first class to that of corporal.

Cpl. Collins, who entered the Army on October 23, 1942. is on duty here as a chemical technician.

Located in the heart of the famous San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles, this Army field is one of the largest Fourth Air Force fighter bases in Southern California.

A large staff of skilled instructors, most of them overseas veterans, train new fighter pilots In combat tactics, advanced flying, and gunnery.

Completes Radio Course In England

AN EIGHTH AIR FORCE SERVICE COMMAND STATION.

England—Private Frank A. Davidauskis of Norwood, a radio technician at this large strategic air depot, has recently completed an advanced radio-repair course in order to increase his usefulness in the all-out effort to recondition battle-damaged Eighth Air Force fighter craft.

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Davidauskis of Norwood, Private Davidauskis entered the armed forces in May, 1943, and received his basic training at Patterson Field, Ohio.

Later he served at the New Orleans Air Base, Louisiana, before being assigned to overseas duty in December. 1943.

Prior to entering the service Private Davidauskis was employed by Bird & Son, Inc., at East Walpole.

Lt. Howard Is Awarded 3rd Cluster

AN EIGHTH AIR FORCE BOMBER STATION

England — Second Lieutenant Philip R. Howard, 19. of Norwood, co-pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, has won a third Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal for “meritorious achievement” during Eighth Air Force bombing attacks on German industrial targets and military strongpoints in the path of Allied armies on the Western front.

The son of Mrs. Vera Howard 418 Prospect Street, Norwood, Lt Howard was a lineman employed by the E. W Wiggins Airways, before entering the AAF in February 1943. He is a graduate of Norwood High School.

The co-pilot is a member of the 34th Bomb Group, a unit of the Third Air Division, the division cited by the President for its now historic England-Africa shuttle bombing of Messerschmitt plants at Regensburg, Germany.

Cpl. Joseph Fenton Mechanic At ATC Base In France

Assignment of Cpl. Joseph B Fenton of Norwood to an Air Transport Command base in France was recently announced by headquarters of ATC’s European Division, commanded by Brig. Gen. Earl S. Hoag.

Cpl. Fenton is a member of the Engineering section of this base which was rebuilt by ATC from wreckage left by German demolition. The airfield was an Allied objective in the invasion of Southern France His parents, Mr and Mrs. Earl Fenton, live at 149 Walpole Street.

At the base, where American British and French planes land. Cpl. Fenton is an airplane mechanic. His station has grown in four months from complete desolation — with 136 dynamited buildings bordering bomb-pitted runways — to a thriving passenger and freight air terminal where important Allied personnel and vital strategic cargoes shuttle daily to and from the war fronts.

Cpl. Fenton’s commanding officer is Lt. Col. C. Maury Jones of New York City.

Pfc. Pike Patient At Army Hospital In Butler, Pa.

BUTLER, Pa. — Awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in the European Theatre and holder of the Good Conduct Medal, Private First Class Clifton S. Pike is now a patient at the Army’s Deshon General Hospital here.

Pfc. Pike, who has been in the army six years, spent five months in France. He is the son of Mr and Mrs. Frank Pike of 64 Winslow Avenue, Norwood.

At U. S. Maritime Training Station

Leopold Padduck. 28, ot 5 Sturtevant avenue, Norwood, enlisted recently in the U.S. Maritime Service and is now receiving six weeks ot basic training at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Formerly employed at Bird & Son. Padduck attended Norwood High School, class ot 1933, where he played football and baseball He is a member ot the Bird Club, Norfolk Softball Club and St. Peter’s Y.M.C.A.

While at Sheepshead. he will study lifeboat work, fire fighting, use of breeches buoy, sea rules and traditions, swimming, ship construction and equipment, gunnery and physical training.

(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)