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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

14th December 1944

On this day:





If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.




Remembering those who died this day.

  • Caldwell Sammy L.. PFC. (d.14th Dec 1944)
  • Malcolm Alexander. L/Sgt. (d.14th December 1944)
  • Mulcahy Josph. Ord.Sea. (d.14th December 1944)
  • Phillips Howard. L/Sgt. (d.14th Dec 1944)
  • Phillips Howard. L/Sgt. (d.14th Dec 1944)
  • Schuiz William C. Sgt. (d.14th Dec 1944)
  • Wray Irving Hallsworth. Trpr. (d.14th Dec 1944)

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List



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Want to know more about the 14th of December 1944?


There are:12 items tagged 14th of December 1944 available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.




Stories from 14th December 1944





Trpr. Irving Hallsworth Wray. British Army, 15th/19th Btn King's Royal Hussars . (d.14th Dec 1944)

My Uncle Irving Hallsworth Wray died in Stalag 20a. We believe he was captured at Dunkirk and marched to Poland. He was buried by his comrades and the padre was David F Wild that conducted the service.

His regiment was the 15th/19th Kings Royal Hussars. He died of heart malady on 14th December 1944 and is buried at Malbork Commonwealth Cemetery in Poland. If anyone has any further information I would be grateful.

Patrick Carroll



L/Sgt. Howard Phillips. British Army, 1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. (d.14th Dec 1944)

I came over L/Sgj Phillips' name on the Altarnun War Memorial. The only information that I have is that he died here in Cornwall and is buried in Altarnun (St Donna) Churchyard and that he was only 21 years old. I am compliling an ebook about all the war memorials in Cornwall.

Stephen Coleman



L/Sgt. Howard Phillips. British Army, 1st Btn. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. (d.14th Dec 1944)

Howard Phillips was born in 1923 to William and Elizabeth Phillips at Altarnun. He served with the 1st Battalion as a Lance Corporal. He was later promoted to Lance Serjeant. He died on 14th December 1944 of his wounds sustained whilst fighting in Italy after being in hospital in Liverpool and is buried at St. Nonnas Church, Altarnun.

Richard Moore



PFC. Sammy L. Caldwell. United States Marine Corps, 4th Marine Division. (d.14th Dec 1944)

Sammy LCaldwell enlisted in the Marine Corps on 1st of May 1941. He was captured in Corregidor during some of the most bitter fighting on the entire war. Sammy was one of 150 American prisoners of war interned at the Puerto Princessa Camp, Palawan on 14th of December1944. On that date Japanese planes sighted an American convoy making for Mindoro and apparently assumed that Palawan was to be the object of the attack. The prisoners who were out working details were taken back to the compound and, when American planes were sighted, were ordered into the air raid shelters. The Japanese then proceeded to set the shelters on fire. Any prisoners attempting to leave the shelters were machined-gunned. The Japanese commenced the burning at the shelters nearest the guard barracks. Prisoners in shelters further away, seeing what was happening and concluding that they were all to be killed, made a break for the fence. About 40 men succeeded in getting through the double fence and down a steep bluff to the beach. They tried to hide in bushes and in crevices in the bluff but the Japanese, after completing the slaughter of the prisoners remaining in the compound, sent details to the beach to hunt out survivors. Nearly all of these were found and killed. Nine prisoners succeeded in evading the Japanese and later, were successful in swimming to the opposite side of the bay. Eight of these prisoners succeeded in making their way to guerrilla forces and eventually returned to American control. The ninth prisoner has never been heard of since crossing the bay. After American forces reoccupied Palawan a search was made of the prison compound. Approximately 80 unidentified bodies were found in the enclosure, principally in the air raid shelters, and others were found outside of the enclosure. No trace of any survivors (other than the nine prisoners who crossed the bay) has even been found. It is inevitable that Pfc Sammy L Caldwell died on 14th of December 1944, as the result of enemy action. DOB June 22, 1920. He entered the service in April 1941.

Karen Mills Page



L/Sgt. Alexander Malcolm. British Army, 3rd Btn. Scots Guards. (d.14th December 1944)

Lance Serjeant Alexander Malcolm was 30 when he died and is buried in the Helmond Protestant Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.

S Flynn



Ord.Sea. Josph Mulcahy. Royal Navy , HMS Abercrombie. (d.14th December 1944)

Joe Mulcahy was my best friend. We were aboard HMS Abercrombie the day she hit two mines on 21st of August 1944. We were separated in Malta and Joe joined HMS Aldenham and unfortunately lost his life when she sank on 14th of December 1944.

R.I.P. Joe. I will never forget you.

Ernest Gaskell










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