The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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224421 Pte. William Troy Paine United States Army 326th Medical Corps from:Memphis, TN My father, William Troy Paine (Bill), served in the US Army from 1943 to 1945. He was a medic with the 326th Medical Corps, 101st Airborne Division. He participated in "Market Garden" and landed in Zon. He worked for months at the regimental hospital near the Wilhelmina Canal and was later captured at the "Battle of the Bulge" in Bastogne, Belgium on December 19, 1944. He, along with other prisoners, marched in the snow for days and was packed into railroad cars where they could only stand. He was taken to Stalag IV-B. His POW dogtag No. 316777. He remained there until he was liberated by the Russians. He did not speak of his experience in the camp often, but he did recall the body lice, hepatitis, and the weight loss. Throughout his life, whenever it snowed my father broke out in a neurogenic rash. There was one person who he spoke of in the whole camp. This was an Asian American in his barracks. The reason he remembered this man is because he would walk up and down the barracks and say "There are three great men in this world.... Roosevelt... Churchill... and Me (the prisoner stated his name)!" The closest he came to getting killed in WWII was while he was on a work detail to gather wood. The American planes accidentally strafed the prisoners, killing many. The next day the American planes dropped a wreath over the camp. Upon liberation by the Russians, he and two other prisoners escaped the Russians. They had to steal cheese from the basement of a German home to survive the trek from the camp to the American lines across the Elbe River. My father died in July 2010. I know little about his time in Stalag IV-B If anyone has any more information on that or his trek to the Elbe please contact me. Johnny Paine Add to this record.  Additional Information: I don't know about your father's service but he delivered me in Elaine in 1979. He saved my mother and my life that cold March. My mother named me after him and so that's where my first name Troy came from. I happen to stumble across this page while looking for his obituary. I met him once as a teenager but from what I understand, your father was one of the best. I am sorry to hear of his passing. My mother always told me I had God and Dr. Paine to thank for my life. Troy Singleton Reply Related Content: Operation Market Garden Battle of the Bulge Stalag 4B Prisoner of War Camp Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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