The Ottre Massacre – POW

Chapter 12. Prisoners of War
Let’s get back to the statement of Joseph Marechal, the farmer who lived at the junction, outside of Ottré. He told the investigators who were looking for the three men of company B/ 774thTB: “At the time eight American soldiers were in the cellar.”

It was Walloon researcher Eddy Monfort who made this major discovery. Monfort did the same research and it also costed him over 10 years.
During his research he found out that Harry Shoemaker was not the sole survivor of the massacre. Not eight, but nine soldiers were taken off the field and put in the cellar of Marechal’s farm.
It were the following soldiers:

1. Pvt. Elmer Roy Antle – ASN 35499063
Although Elmer was officially Missing In Action/ POW, I have also added him to the list of KIA.

2. Pfc. Carmen Victor Abata – ASN 36830744, Rifleman (1925-2011)
He joined the 83rdID on 16 July 1944 as a replacement.
On 17 Januari 1945 he was reported Missing In Action since 11 Januari 1945.
On ancestry I found a document, stating he was a POW in camp Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08.

3. Ruben Alvin Sandau – ASN 39607670/ medical aidman (1922 – 1976)
Ruben was assigned to the 83rdID and joined from 452nd Medical Collecting Company as of July 21, 1944. On 20 September he was attached from Medical Detachment, 331st Infantry Regiment.
He was promoted to Private First Class as of January 10, 1945 and reported MIA on January 11th 1945.
He was POW in camp Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08.

4. Pvt. Francis J. Schmidt – ASN 42112638/ Rifleman (1913 – 2002)
Francis was a replacement and came to F company from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of December 31, 1944 in the village of Soy (Hotton area)
On 17 January he was reported Missing In Action as of January 11, 1945. Became a POW in Stalag 11B.

5. Pfc. James Sexton – ASN 36776705
James joined F company from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of January 2, 1945 in the village of Soy (Hotton area)
On 17 January he was reported Missing in action as of January 11, 1945.
Became POW in Stalag 4B

6. Pvt. Hadley F. Shilow – ASN 39476639/ Rifleman (1925 – 1977)
Hadley joined F company from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of December 31, 1944 in the village of Soy (Hotton area).
On 17 January he was reported Missing in action as of January 11, 1945.
He was a POW in camp Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08.

7. Pvt. Theodore Shriner – ASN 37744213/ Rifleman (1911-1968)
Assigned and joined from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of December 31, 1944 in the village of Soy (Hotton area).
On 17 January he was reported Missing in action as of January 11, 1945.
He was a POW in camp Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08.

8. Pvt. Marshall O. Townsend – ASN 33543764/ Rifleman (1925-1978)
Assigned and joined I company from 48th Replacement Battalion as of July 21, 1944.
Non battle casualty and transferred to 127th Evacuation Hospital on September 13, 1944
Assigned and joined F company from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of December 12, 1944
Assigned and joined from E Company, 331st Infantry Regiment as of December 12, 1944
Transferred to F Company, 331st Infantry Regiment as of December 12, 1944
On 17 January he was reported Missing in action as of January 11, 1945.
Marshall became a POW in an unknown Stalag camp.

9. Pfc. Raymond G. Vincent – ASN 42060570/ Rifleman (1925 – ?)
Assigned and joined from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of January 2, 1945 in the village of Soy (Hotton area)
On 17 January he was reported Missing in action as of January 11, 1945.
He was a POW in camp Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08.

10. Pvt. Fortunato P. Zapata – ASN 38556889/ Rifleman (1925-?)
Assigned and joined from 48th Replacement Battalion as of July 14, 1944
Severely wounded in action and transferred to 53rd Field Hospital on August 14, 1944
Assigned and joined from 92nd Replacement Battalion as of December 12, 1944
Transferred to F Company, 331st Infantry Regiment as of December 12, 1944
Assigned and joined from E Company, 331st Infantry Regiment as of December 12, 1944
Fortunato was Missing In Action as of January 11, 1945
He became a POW and was brought to camp Stalag 13C Hammelburg Om Main Bavaria 50-10.

Raymond G. Vincent, who was a replacement, stated:
“I remember the snow, the cold and that German tank on top of the hill. I was with a bunch of guys who had to go on that open field. When we proceeded that tank came in our direction and I really thought I was going to die when I saw many of my friends being shot. I was so afraid that I could not move and the only thing I could think of was playing dead. Later the Germans came to pick up the wallets of the dead soldiers. I turned my head to see what they were doing, but I was totally shocked  when I saw a German standing right next to me. Instead of shooting me he asked me how old I was and since I was only 19 and looked like a kid, they took me prisoner and brought me to a POW camp. I spent three months there.”

With the finding of 10 men who became POW, the whole Ottré story became more blurry.
Who told the story about the massacre? Harry Shoemaker.
He is the one who told sentry Tony Vaccaro the first version of two German soldiers who started a killing spree on that field. Later, while talking to other members of the 331stIR, newspapers and JAGD (Judge Advocate General’s Department), he changed the story slightly.
Why would two German soldiers come down and search for valuable stuff, sigarettes, etc and take random prisoners but executing others.
This is strange. If they had the intention to kill all men on the field they would have done that. But they did not: they took 10 (or even more) men off the field and brought them to the rear.

At one point I decided I had to get all the IDPF’s of the men who were on that field. It would reveal the type of wounds and it might be the way to solve this case: Was there really a massacre on that field or was the story made up by Harry Shoemaker?

© Bob Konings

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