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| WORLD WAR II |
| During World War Two, Schuylkill Haven, just like every small town in America, sent it's sons to war. This page honors those veterans with several sections dedicated to those who served and especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. |
PEARL HARBOR
| The attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7,1941 marked the beginning of American involvement in the Second World War. Listed here are Schuylkill Haven residents known to be on duty there when hostilities began. |
William J. Cleary David Fessler
Staff Sgt. Marlin T. Goas PFC Guy E. Hand
Donald Heiser PVT Robert W. Heisler
George McGovern Oscar Welde
Staff Sgt. Marlin T. Goas PFC Guy E. Hand
Donald Heiser PVT Robert W. Heisler
George McGovern Oscar Welde
|
CHARLES R. KANTNER
Charles R. Kantner was a Seaman Second Class serving aboard the USS Warrington, a Somers class
destroyer. On September 10, 1944, the Warrington left the Norfolk Naval Yard with the ship Hyades setting
course for Trinidad. Two days out of Norfolk, along the Florida coast, the ships encountered heavy weather.
In the afternoon the ship received word they were heading into a hurricane. The Warrington was forced to
heave to while the Hyades continued on. While riding through the storm during the night, wind and seas
worsened on the morning of the thirteenth and the ship began to take water through the vents in the
engineering spaces. The water caused a loss of electrical power which set off a chain reaction. Her main
engines lost power and her steering engine and mechanism went out. Wallowing in the swells she regained
headway briefly while the radioman tried to reach the Hyades for assistance. By noon of the thirteenth, it was
apparent that the crew could not win the struggle to save the ship and the order was given to prepare to
abandon ship. By 12:50 the crew had left the Warrington which then sank. A prolonged search by other
vessels resulted in the recovery of only five officers and sixty eight men out of a total crew of 321 men.
Charles Kantner of Schuylkill Haven was one of the 248 men who died that day. His body was never
recovered and his name is listed on the Tablet of the Missing in New York City.
Note: Charles was the brother of Georgine Kantner, whom I and hundreds of other Schuylkill Haven children
had as a teacher.
destroyer. On September 10, 1944, the Warrington left the Norfolk Naval Yard with the ship Hyades setting
course for Trinidad. Two days out of Norfolk, along the Florida coast, the ships encountered heavy weather.
In the afternoon the ship received word they were heading into a hurricane. The Warrington was forced to
heave to while the Hyades continued on. While riding through the storm during the night, wind and seas
worsened on the morning of the thirteenth and the ship began to take water through the vents in the
engineering spaces. The water caused a loss of electrical power which set off a chain reaction. Her main
engines lost power and her steering engine and mechanism went out. Wallowing in the swells she regained
headway briefly while the radioman tried to reach the Hyades for assistance. By noon of the thirteenth, it was
apparent that the crew could not win the struggle to save the ship and the order was given to prepare to
abandon ship. By 12:50 the crew had left the Warrington which then sank. A prolonged search by other
vessels resulted in the recovery of only five officers and sixty eight men out of a total crew of 321 men.
Charles Kantner of Schuylkill Haven was one of the 248 men who died that day. His body was never
recovered and his name is listed on the Tablet of the Missing in New York City.
Note: Charles was the brother of Georgine Kantner, whom I and hundreds of other Schuylkill Haven children
had as a teacher.
| Above are two panels on the Veteran's Memorial at Bubeck Park. Clicking on each will give you a view of the thirty six men of Schuylkill Haven and nearby who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War Two. Listed below are sixteen of those men whose remains are buried on foreign soil in American cemeteries. |
SERVICEMAN
DATE OF DEATH
BURIAL LOCATION
...information on this page will be updated continually.....
| If you have any information on any of the deceased, wish to tell your story of wartime service or have any related information email me at: worldwartwo@schuylkillhavenhistory.com |
| Click on either the HOME FRONT link at left or the WAR FRONT link at right to see news of the war as it relates to Schuylkill Haven. |
|
| DIED IN SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRY |
| Below is a detailed listing of those men from Schuylkill Haven who died while in the service in World War Two. Continuing research will provide more information when possible. |
DECEASED
FAMILY
FATE
DIED
Compiled from records of the Pottsville Republican
ROBERT E. IMBODEN
Robert E. Imboden was a PFC in the United States Marine Corps. He entered the Marines on September 10,
1943 and received his basic training at Parris Island, SC. He was shipped to the South Pacific in July of 1944.
He was a member of an amphibian tractor unit and had been injured during the Pelelieu operation and was
hospitalized at Guadalcanal for two months. Having received the Purple Heart, he returned to duty. He was
in action on Okinawa on May 12, 1945 when he was killed. In news sent to his family by a buddy, they were
informed that he was hit by fragmentations of a bomb that struck the hut in which PFC Imboden was during a
raid and that he died a few minutes after being hit. He was buried in the Marine Corps graveyard with special
combined services on Mother's Day. Robert has attended Schuylkill Haven High School and was employed by
a Schuylkill Haven grocery store before entering the service.
1943 and received his basic training at Parris Island, SC. He was shipped to the South Pacific in July of 1944.
He was a member of an amphibian tractor unit and had been injured during the Pelelieu operation and was
hospitalized at Guadalcanal for two months. Having received the Purple Heart, he returned to duty. He was
in action on Okinawa on May 12, 1945 when he was killed. In news sent to his family by a buddy, they were
informed that he was hit by fragmentations of a bomb that struck the hut in which PFC Imboden was during a
raid and that he died a few minutes after being hit. He was buried in the Marine Corps graveyard with special
combined services on Mother's Day. Robert has attended Schuylkill Haven High School and was employed by
a Schuylkill Haven grocery store before entering the service.
William T. Sterner was the only child of Theodore and Mary (Luckenbill)
Sterner of 511 Columbia Street in Schuylkill Haven. Born January 13, 1924
he was a 1942 graduate of Schuylkill Haven High School. He enlisted in the
Army in March of 1943 and was eventually promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Assigned to an armored division he went overseas in June of 1944. The
story of his service record is well worth noting.
He was first wounded on October 16, 1944 when his back was wounded by
enemy shell fragments near Luneville France. He was again wounded on
November 15, 1944 near Ancerville France and returned to duty on Decem-
ber 20, 1944. His parents later received the following telegram:
The Secretary of War desires me to express his due regret that your son
Staff Sergeant William Sterner has been reported missing in action since
January 20 in France. Further report states he returned to duty December
20 from grievously reported wound. If further detail or other information is re-
ceived you will be promptly notified. J. A. Ulio Adjutant General
William Sterner's fate was later learned by his parents. On January 20, 1945 his unit was defending the Moder
River bridgehead in the vicinity of Drusenheim bas-Rhine France. A German counterattack formed a pincer
movement and cut off his unit. It was later reported that he was taken prisoner with a serious head wound
and interned in a POW camp in Lazarett, Baden-Baden, Germany where he later died of wounds received in
action.
The story did not end there as in 1947 his parents received a letter. The letter was posted on October 22,
1947 from Hans Neunohner of Freiburg Germany. He was a German who had treated William while he was a
POW. Parts of his letter written in German and translated follow:
I guess you are surprised from somebody you don't know from Germany. But I would like to tell you about
your son William. I think it is worth remembering. Your son came to us in the beginning of January when hurt
in Vogesen. He was brought to the hospital in Baden-Baden, the Black Forest. He was hurt very bad. He was
wounded in the head and had brain damage. He was operated on by a specialist but was hurt too bad. He
died on February 1, 1945. Whatever he had on that belonged to him I sent to the Red Cross. I worked with
your son. He was mostly unconscious. I am sure he did not feel any pain. We buried your son with all the
military honors. I made some pictures that I send to you today. We did not know if your son was Catholic or
Protestant so we had two priests. Also the American wounded soldiers came to the grave and the Germans
put a wreath down. He also got a gun salute. You can see it in the pictures. Maybe some of the Americans
which were with him in the hospital told you about your son. Maybe you know some in the pictures. I am sorry
this is two years late I write this letter but I was in prison too and I got home to my family not too long ago. I
was reading in the paper that the remains from the dead soldiers were sent back to the states. I hope your
son is in the USA. I took your address from your sons papers. Hans Neunohner
Sterner's remains were originally buried in a civilian cemetery near the camp. They were later disinterred
and reinterred at the Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold France. His parents were notified that his
remains could be shipped home but they opted to let him rest in peace in France. The final irony is that the
German roots of this Sterner family were in fact based in Baden-Baden where William died.
The pictures, eight in all, sent by the German to his family are also presented here.
Sterner of 511 Columbia Street in Schuylkill Haven. Born January 13, 1924
he was a 1942 graduate of Schuylkill Haven High School. He enlisted in the
Army in March of 1943 and was eventually promoted to Staff Sergeant.
Assigned to an armored division he went overseas in June of 1944. The
story of his service record is well worth noting.
He was first wounded on October 16, 1944 when his back was wounded by
enemy shell fragments near Luneville France. He was again wounded on
November 15, 1944 near Ancerville France and returned to duty on Decem-
ber 20, 1944. His parents later received the following telegram:
The Secretary of War desires me to express his due regret that your son
Staff Sergeant William Sterner has been reported missing in action since
January 20 in France. Further report states he returned to duty December
20 from grievously reported wound. If further detail or other information is re-
ceived you will be promptly notified. J. A. Ulio Adjutant General
William Sterner's fate was later learned by his parents. On January 20, 1945 his unit was defending the Moder
River bridgehead in the vicinity of Drusenheim bas-Rhine France. A German counterattack formed a pincer
movement and cut off his unit. It was later reported that he was taken prisoner with a serious head wound
and interned in a POW camp in Lazarett, Baden-Baden, Germany where he later died of wounds received in
action.
The story did not end there as in 1947 his parents received a letter. The letter was posted on October 22,
1947 from Hans Neunohner of Freiburg Germany. He was a German who had treated William while he was a
POW. Parts of his letter written in German and translated follow:
I guess you are surprised from somebody you don't know from Germany. But I would like to tell you about
your son William. I think it is worth remembering. Your son came to us in the beginning of January when hurt
in Vogesen. He was brought to the hospital in Baden-Baden, the Black Forest. He was hurt very bad. He was
wounded in the head and had brain damage. He was operated on by a specialist but was hurt too bad. He
died on February 1, 1945. Whatever he had on that belonged to him I sent to the Red Cross. I worked with
your son. He was mostly unconscious. I am sure he did not feel any pain. We buried your son with all the
military honors. I made some pictures that I send to you today. We did not know if your son was Catholic or
Protestant so we had two priests. Also the American wounded soldiers came to the grave and the Germans
put a wreath down. He also got a gun salute. You can see it in the pictures. Maybe some of the Americans
which were with him in the hospital told you about your son. Maybe you know some in the pictures. I am sorry
this is two years late I write this letter but I was in prison too and I got home to my family not too long ago. I
was reading in the paper that the remains from the dead soldiers were sent back to the states. I hope your
son is in the USA. I took your address from your sons papers. Hans Neunohner
Sterner's remains were originally buried in a civilian cemetery near the camp. They were later disinterred
and reinterred at the Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold France. His parents were notified that his
remains could be shipped home but they opted to let him rest in peace in France. The final irony is that the
German roots of this Sterner family were in fact based in Baden-Baden where William died.
The pictures, eight in all, sent by the German to his family are also presented here.
WILLIAM T. STERNER
| This set of rare and unique pictures can be seen in great detail by clicking on them to zoom in. In the set at upper left, note the German officer giving the Nazi salute over William's grave. Also note the Hitler like mustache on the man next to him. In the upper right set, fellow wounded American soldiers pay their final respects. Many of the men are bandaged. In the lower left set, another vantage point of the ceremony is shown. In the lower right pair, the German honor guard can be seen firing their rifles in the rear and at the bottom, the wreath is placed on the grave. |
| Note: Thank you to Carol Campbell, a neighbor, for sharing this remarkable story and pictures. She was a cousin of William Sterner. |
| This Roll of Honor board stood next to the old Borough Hall on Dock Street during the war to recognize those in the service of their country. |
| FRONT NEWS UPDATED ON AUGUST 8 |
| PORTRAITS OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN'S WORLD WAR TWO DEAD |
Photos from "Welcome Home Celebration" booklet from September 1946.
| Just posted is the wonderful story of a Dutch family who has adopted and cares for the grave of Gustave Anchorstar of Schuylkill Haven who died in a POW camp and is buried in Holland. Many pictures accompany the story. |
| All rights reserved. |
| There have been many additions to the Home Front/War Front page. Click on the links to go to that page. You may know some of the soldiers listed in the various news articles from World War Two. |
| At left is one of the Tablet of the Missing monuments in Battery Park, New York City. This is the panel that contains the name of Charles Kantner. At right the name is more visible when zoomed in. |
| LAST UPDATED: DECEMBER 9 |
| GRAVES OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MEN WELL TENDED BY THE DUTCH |
| Gustave Anchorstar of Schuylkill Haven, served his country in the United States Army in World War Two. In December of 1944, at the height of the Battle of the Bulge, he was captured and on December 21 of that year was taken to the prisoner of war camp, Stalag 9B in Bad Orb in Hessen, Nassau, Germany. He died in that camp on March 30, 1945, only three days before its liberation by men of the United States 44th Infantry Division. PFC Anchorstar was buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. It is the tradition of the local citizens of that area to adopt the graves of American soldiers and honor those who liberated their country from Nazi dominance. This tradition has spanned the time from the cemetery's formation to this very day. All the soldiers resting in this cemetery are adopted. There is actually a waiting list for those who wish to adopt graves. In Margraten is a large monument listing the many names of American soldiers who were missing in action during battles in that region. Over the years, remains of soldiers are still uncovered. When this occurs, a flower is placed behind their name denoting that they have now been found and placed at rest in the Netherlands or wherever any remaining family decides. Residents of Schuylkill Haven should be honored that the grave of Gustave Anchorstar is one of those adopted graves and is decorated during the year with flowers by Johan Heijkers, a resident of Ell, a small village of about 1500 people in the southern portion of the Netherlands. Johan, his wife Maud and their three year old daughter Rose, dutifully honor the memory of Gustave since they adopted it several years ago. Johan contacted me through this site in search of family members of Gustave, hoping to let them know he is not forgotten. Johan has kindly provided information on this area of Holland and its involvement in World War Two. His interest in the war started with conversations with his grandfather. Hubert Heijkers, a farmer. His farm was first visited by German soldiers who stole food. Later they returned and set fire to some of the buildings to prevent them from being used as shelter by the Americans. When American forces occupied the farm, Germans across the canal from the farm fired on the farm causing some light damage. Johan, Maud and Rose now occupy his grandfather's home. In his village the scars of war still remain with foxhole locations visible and bullet and shell holes still visible on buildings over sixty years after the war. In his youth, Johan used to find war relics near his home. Later, his acquisition of a metal detector increased the number of items he found. The area of Ell is crisscrossed with canals and bridges which resulted in heavy fighting in the area. During one search for objects, Johan discovered the unmarked grave of a British soldier, whose remains were later repatriated to England. There is an annual celebration of the Netherlands liberation by Allied forces. A year after discovering the unmarked British grave, Johan saw a few people near the site. It was the family of the soldier whom he had found. They now keep in contact. This year a friend of Johan erected a monument for airmen whose plane crashed in Ell. A flyover by an original British Lancaster airplane celebrated the event. During my contact with Johan, I mentioned that another Schuylkill Haven soldier, Jack Kremer, was also buried in Margraten. He has been kind enough to provide me with photos of both graves and the cemetery in general. Also pictured below are pictures of the prison camp where Gustave Anchorstar died. While many countries and even Americans have forgotten the sacrifices made to liberate Europe and maintain our freedom, it is refreshing to learn of people like Johan and his family who thank us to this day for what was done for them. |
| In the Margraten Cemetery in the Netherlands are the graves of Gustave Anchorstar on the left and Jack Kremer on the right. Both men are from Schuylkill Haven and were killed in World war Two. |
| These three pictures are from the American cemetery in Margraten. In the center is the main monument. The pictures flanking it are general views of the grounds. |
| More cemetery images from left to right include a monument with reflecting pool, a wall honoring those who rest in unknown graves and the American flag flying over the cemetery. |
| The Heijkers family of Ell, Netherlands have adopted the grave of Gustave Anchorstar. They visit it during the year and place flowers in his memory. At left are Johan and daughter Rose. In the center frame Maud and Rose place flowers on Gustave's grave and at right three year old Rose carries the flowers to be placed on the grave. They also place flowers on the grave of Jack Kremer after discovering he is also from Schuylkill Haven. |
| These two photos are of Stalag 9B in Bad Orb in Germany where Gustave Anchorstar was held prisoner and died on March 30, 1945. On the left is a view of the buildings and at right are crosses made for prisoners who died in the camp. Is one for Gustave? |
| For more photos of the camp and for volumes of photos and information on World war Two go to www.lonesentry.com |
| Click on individual photos to zoom in and enhance detail. |