My Dad, Staff Sergeant Eugene G. Bailey 28th Division 112th Infantry Company K. Was caputured during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17th, 1944. He never talked about his time in the war. However, he was in four campaigns, Normendy, Northern France, Rhineland and the Ardennes. He received a bronze metal for following a line which lead to a Germen Bunker. In turn the bunker was taken out. As a pow he was held at both Stalags IXB and IXA. He arrived at Stalag IXB on December 26, 1944 and was transfered to Stalag IXA on January 26, 1945. I found in his Bible a picture of a group of men all in uniforms on the back of the picture it is written it was taken in April 1945 after liberation of pow camp. I really would like to know who the other men are in the picture and if they remember my dad. I do not know if this was his unit or the other men from the Stalag IXA.
Eugene Bailey (back row, fifth from the right) after his liberation, in Paris during April 1945
I also have his hand written journel it reads:
December 12th 1944 - left for Paris
December 13th 1944 -arrived Paris
December 14th 1944- sick
December 15th left Paris stayed in Reames
December 16th arrived Orwen on Belgium Luxburg Germany Boarder - Heavy Arty-bombing
December 17th Heavy arty, bombing 2000 - Town surrounded 2010 - Captured Watch taken Walked all night
December 18th walked all day- 1/3 Loaf bread cheese, marmalade
December 19th in PW cage
December 20th walked all day
December 21st walked all day
December 22nd walked all day
December 23rd Boarded train no food
December 24th on train no food no water
December 25th on train no food little water
December 26th 1/6 loaf, little meat 0100 on train
December 26th left train at 0900 Bad orb Stallager (IXB) Stew at 1200 Bread 1/6 at 1600
December 27th Life in Pw Stew ¾ lieder per day Bread 1/6 loaf …… No recreation at all
December 28-31 Same
Jan 1-24 continue Same-meat -cottage cheese - marmalade One or twice a wk
Jan 25th 1945 Boarded train
Jan 26th Arrived STL. 9A No food
Jan 27th- Stew & Bread Food Tea better
Jan 28th Same
Jan 29th Same Food Better but very insufficient French PW donating a few smokes From RC packages
Jan 30th Situation unchanged Getting very thin & weak News excellent Russians - 65 miles from Berlin
Jan 31 Food same-cottage cheese no butter A break in the weather thawing
At this point in the journal I do not know if the dates are for Feb. or March the first entry looks to me like it is
3-1 Situation unchanged
2-3 same
3-4 shaved 1st time since Dec 14 1944
5 war news0 rosins 25miles from Berlin
6 situation unchanged
7 2 letters one card
8 red cross Box 1 per 4 men
9 dined well, smoked well
10 same
11 grub gone smokes too.
12 -20 grub poor-no smokes recreation (I can not tell what it says)
This ends the dates however there is more on the paper.
Marshall imaan 19098805
Blankets-NO GI Bed NU 8
Alex Justus = 36376532=2456
Blankets=No-GI Bed
Ndill Landberg+36220111=2430
Blankets (unreadable)
Lam Mrchunee=20320737=24015
Blankets NO GI Bed NO 108
Wed- 1000-1100 Stockseb by Bolger
Sat. 1000- 1100 making up of a newpaper by jones
Thur Quiz contest 1000-1100
I cont from each section
Fri. winners- Fri.
There are other man named in my dads journal. I have researched the names some are from Stalag IXB. My dad was almost 6 feet tall and weigh in 1979. Reseaching all of this has made me a very proud daughter. Thank you for your time.
