Braided in Fire

THE DEAD RESULTING FROM THE SOMMOCOLONIA BATTLE

an expansion upon Long Note #156

Everyone in the Serchio Valley knew that many black Americans died in Sommocolonia on December 26, 1944, but not how many.  I found the number mentioned in only two books:

Fabrizio Federigi, Italian military historian reports in his Val di Serchio e Versilia Linea Gotica (p 209) that “according to Don Fredianelli, priest of Sommocolonia, 72 Axis troops died in Sommocolonia and 28 Buffalo Soldiers.” It is impossible to know how the priest came up with the number 72 of Axis dead when few bodies remained in the village. (It is conceivable that he counted the bodies gathered in Riana when he was among the local men forced to carry German bodies there.) Don Fredianelli was definitely wrong about the number of Americans who died—he clearly counted only those gathered in the Olivieri field whom he blessed on January 1st, 1945. He also didn’t realize he was counting members of the 366th Infantry Regiment and not ‘Buffalo Soldiers.’ (All Italians would have made this last mistake.)  

2nd Lt Jefferson Jordan, with the 371st Graves Registration 92nd Division, was sent to Sommocolonia during the first few days of January 1945 to check out the American dead. He reported to Mary Pennick Motley (author of The Invisible Soldier: The Experience of the Black Soldier, World War II, p 279) that he found 53 dead African Americans in the village. He might have been correct, but several of his other facts were wrong (see my article “Sleuthing for Braided”) so it is impossible without specific identifications to be certain of his report on numbers. Also, it is known that, as of the first part of January 1945, some bodies of 366th soldiers were yet to be found in the woods surrounding Sommocolonia —it is highly unlikely that more than 53 died in the battle.

I came up with my original estimate of the American dead as follows: All the relevant military histories cite two 366th Infantry Regiment platoons: Company H & Company F (both 2nd battalion) in the village at dawn the day after Christmas, 1944. A full platoon has 36 men, so, if you add on Forward Observer Lt. John Fox his jeep driver and radio operator, it makes 75 soldiers. But it is likely that each platoon was missing at least one soldier which would make the total 73. Military books report that 18 made it out, while (according to Rothacker Smith) 10 were taken as prisoners of war: 73 minus 28 leaves 45 dead.

Wanting something better than an estimate, in May 1995, I went to the National Archives in College Park, Maryland to research the American deaths recorded for Sommocolonia. I found no mention of the village in any records. I did find deaths listed in the Serchio Valley for various dates in December 1944, but zero for December 26, 1944. “So what were all those corpses doing up there in Sommocolonia!” I exclaimed under my breath.

I found nothing at all regarding the soldiers of the 366th Infantry Regiment, much less anything about their service in Sommocolonia. But I only had a day and a half to investigate and I knew I was far from experienced as a researcher. I later hired a professional researcher attached to the National Archives, who turned up a couple of 366th morning reports, but nothing of relevance. Eventually I hired a second professional researcher with equally disappointing results

I corresponded with the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, giving them the few names I had of soldiers who had died in the village. I had the full names of only two: Lt. John Robert Fox and Lt. Graham Hervey Jenkins. I had only the last names of two other men mentioned by my interviewees: Sgt. Tukes (with Rock’s machine gun outfit), and Pvt. Williams (Fox’s jeep driver). The response I received to my request for information about these men was again a resounding zero. I was informed that, in 1973, there had been a fire in the St. Louis building where records were held, destroying about 80 percent of the official Military Personnel Files for WWII. Hard to believe that in pre-computer times, there were no duplicate records held elsewhere, but evidently all personnel records of the 366th Infantry Regiment and those of many other outfits (not all of them African-American) were lost.

It is understandable that records could burn, but it made no sense to me that death numbers could be listed for certain days in the Serchio Valley during December 1944, and none for December 26. It is general knowledge that the Sommocolonia battle was by far the most devastating WWII battle of the Serchio Valley region. It appeared that by accident or design, the 366th Infantry Regiment had been written out of history. I exclaimed to my husband, “These men died for their country and they aren’t even a number—they weren’t counted!”

Not having the names of the dead GIs proved most unsatisfactory when Sommocolonians and Mayor Mauro Campani of Barga had the idea of making a memorial for the village. It was to be made out of a beautiful piece of black marble and shaped like a square pillar. They intended to remember the dead by engraving on one side the names of the 7 civilians, on another the 7 Italian partisans, on the third side the 41 German troops whose names they had (some Axis names are missing) and on the fourth the American names. Those planning the memorial couldn’t believe that I couldn’t simply contact the US Army to obtain the names. I could hardly believe it myself. Understandably this remembrance has not been made.

The appalling lack of information remained regarding the 366th soldiers who caught the brunt of one of the last attacks of the Wehrmacht. But astoundingly, seventeen years after I first tried to locate them, I received the names—or at least many of them. This was no miracle, but the dedicated research of a man who visited Sommocolonia in May 2010. James Pratt was then in Italy because, having recently retired from being a Senior Research Associate, an economist with Cornell University, he was able to accompany his wife when she was asked to teach a semester course in Rome (also for Cornell).

James Pratt’s father had been Captain Charles Pratt, commanding officer of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 366th Infantry. On the morning of December 26, 1944, he was fortunately stationed in Barga rather than in Sommocolonia. After the war, he returned to his private law practice in Kalamazoo, MI, where his second son, James, was born.

Jim, as I came to call him, decided that while he was in Italy, he would devote himself to locating the final resting place of members of the 366th who died in Italy. He went to the Florence graveyard, where he was told 4 members of the 366th were buried. He subsequently verified that instead 113 members with his father’s regiment were buried there—and 5 more were buried in Netuno. He put together a booklet entitled Soldiers of the 366th Infantry Regiment at Rest in Italy. When he returned to the US he continued his research, discovering the burial place of those whose bodies were returned home, as John Fox’s body was. (The families of the deceased soldiers needed to pay extra to receive their loved ones remains.)

Immediately after meeting in Sommocolonia, Jim and I began an active exchange of e-mails. Although I had only a few names of men who died in the village, I did have considerable information that interviewees had told me regarding 366th connections, some of which was helpful to Jim’s investigation. I also was able to put him in touch with a few 366th veterans still alive. (Because I often referred to his information, I saved a file of our e-mail exchanges which grew to over 800 pages.)

An expert researcher, Jim too found investigating the 366th frustrating as there was so little information and often not in the right place. (He said he was able to obtain information about men of the 92nd Division within a few weeks, whereas the same kind of information regarding the 366th took a few years.) In early 2012, he made two exciting discoveries: he came upon photographs taken of the entire regiment (one is reproduced in Braided in Fire); and, he located platoon lists from December 15, 1944 naming the men in platoons F and H (most of whom were in Sommocolonia ten days later). From these lists together with various reports of soldiers who were KIA (killed in action) or were marked FOD (finding of death), he identified thirty-two men he was relatively certain had died in or nearby Sommocolonia. His list did not include Lt John R Fox or Pvt Harold R Williams, Fox’s jeep driver. (Although there were 56 soldiers of the 366th with the last name of Williams, Jim eventually discovered that Harold R had died in Sommocolonia.) With Fox and Williams added in, Pratt’s list totaled thirty-four names—an enormous improvement over my four!

The list did not include soldiers from the 366th Company E platoon who died in mid-morning attempting to relieve the beleaguered troops in Sommocolonia. Jim found the names of five 366th Company E soldiers who died on December 26th and he wondered if all of them didn’t die near the village. This seems quite probable since Company E troops are not mentioned in other hot spots that day, but it’s impossible to know for certain if a few were killed in other Serchio Valley locations. About that platoon Hondon Hargrove wrote (in his Buffalo Soldiers in Italy, p 65) that shortly after 10:15 the relief platoon E arrived near the village “but it was swarmed over by the enemy, and was unable to make contact with the platoon already engaged.” He quotes Lt Flagg who was in the battle:

“The relief should have been a full company, not a platoon. The small group got caught in machine gun cross-fire. The man in front of the Lieutenant and the man behind him were cut down in the first burst of fire and the platoon never had a chance. They tried to fight on, but heavy casualties forced them to retire.”

Because of the clearly dire situation of E platoon as the men attempted to finish climbing the mulattiera (the muletrail leading to Sommocolonia), Jim and I decided to include all the Company E dead with those who died in Sommocolonia (with a note about the possibility that a few of the deaths might have occurred elsewhere). The list now included 39 names.

Then Jim identified two more, one whose last name “Waller” was mentioned by Robert Brown in his interview with me of May 24, 1995. The other one’s date of death was not listed by the Army. I had told Jim about how Irma Biondi and her father had found a dead soldier in their drying shed months after the war was over. From various clues he determined that Pvt. Alphonso Mosley of Camden, NJ was that man. Mosley’s body was reported recovered in the summer of 1945. He had entered the service at Trenton, NJ on July 30, 1941 along with Herbert R. Williams (Fox’s jeep driver).

366TH INFANTRY REGIMENT SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN SOMMOCOLONIA

Cannon Company (attached to 598th field artillery 92nd Div): 1 Dead

Fox, John Robert ▪︎ 1LT ▪︎ Cincinnati, OH ▪︎ artilleryman

A star in front of a soldier’s name indicates his grave is recorded in Soldiers of the 366th Infantry Regiment at Rest in Italy assembled by James Pratt. Locations listed are the places where the soldier enlisted (normally near his residence).

Jim found that there were 56 soldiers of the 366th with the last name of Williams in Ft Devens and several of them died in action in the Serchio Valley. We did not have Fox and Zachary’s driver’s first name as Zachary couldn’t remember it. From several clues Pratt determined that it was very likely Harold R since he died in Sommocolonia.

Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion: 3 Dead

Bryant, James

*Williams, Harold R.  ▪︎  Tec5  |  Providence, RI  ▪︎  (409 Med Tech) likely Fox’s driver

Waller, Edward Jr  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎   Orange County, VA  ▪︎  MOS unknown

Company F: 14 Dead

Minnewetter, Henderson  ▪︎  TSGT  ▪︎  unknown location  ▪︎   651  ▪︎  Platoon Sergeant

Russell, Henry R.  ▪︎  SSGT  ▪︎  Philadelphia, PA  ▪︎  651  ▪︎  Platoon sergeant

Etherly, Ocia  ▪︎  SGT  ▪︎  Genesee, MI  ▪︎  653  ▪︎  Squad Leader

*Duncan, Leon L.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Worchester MD  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Jackson, Charles L. Jr.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Wicomico, MD  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

*Mathis, James T.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Fayette, GA  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Jones, Morris  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Chatham, GA  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifle

*Kent, John R.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Calvert, MD  ▪︎  745 ▪︎  Rifleman

*Long, George H.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Wicomico, MD  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Murray, Walter Watson  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Albemarle, VA  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

*Washington, Olden E.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Worchester MD  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Macklin, Thomas  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Fayette, TN  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Riflema

Mabry, Grady G.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Floyd, GA  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

*Carter, James E . ▪︎  PVT  ▪︎  Washington, DC  ▪︎  657  ▪︎  Medic Aidman

Company H: 18 Dead

Jenkins, Graham Hervey  ▪︎  1LT  |  Philadelphia PA  ▪︎  1542  ▪︎  Infantry unit commander

Harrison, William H.  ▪︎  SSGT  ▪︎  New York City, NY  ▪︎  651  ▪︎  Platoon sergeant  

*Walker, Ashton Jr.  ▪︎  SGT  ▪︎  Elizabeth City, VA  ▪︎  653  ▪︎  Squad Leader

Tukes, Green T.  ▪︎  SGT  ▪︎  Mercer, NJ  ▪︎  605  ▪︎  Heavy Machine Gunner

Allston, Paul  ▪︎  Philadelphia PA  ▪︎  653  ▪︎  Squad Leader

Winston, Eddie  ▪︎  Shelby, TN  ▪︎  604  ▪︎  Light Machine Gunner

*Shepperson, Robert  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Charlotte, VA  ▪︎  345  ▪︎  Driver Light Trucks

*Weaver, Harold  ▪︎  Atlantic City, NJ  ▪︎  503  ▪︎  Liaison Agent

Chandler, Meredith  ▪︎  Marion, IN  ▪︎  604  ▪︎  Light Machine Gunner

Smith, Richard H.  ▪︎  Washington DC  ▪︎  604  ▪︎  Light Machine Gunner  

Cooper, Howard J.  ▪︎  Ann Arundel, MD   ▪︎  504  ▪︎  Ammunition Handler

Stroud, John A.  ▪  Macon, AL  ▪︎  345  ▪︎  Truck Driver Light Trucks

Stoval, John B.  ▪︎  Powhatan, VA  ▪︎  504  ▪︎  Ammunition Handler

*Potts, James A.  ▪︎  PVT  ▪︎  Chambers, AL  ▪︎  504  ▪︎  Ammunition Handler

Carroll, Edward  ▪︎  PVT  ▪︎  Kings, NY  ▪︎  504  ▪︎  Ammunition Handler

*Smith, Fred  ▪︎  PVT  ▪︎  Norfolk, VA  ▪︎  605  ▪︎  Heavy Machine Gunner

Newton, Henderson  ▪︎  Butts, GA  ▪︎  604  ▪︎  Light Machine Gunner

Gordon, Henry  ▪︎  Baltimore, MD  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Company E: 5 Dead

Boozer, Lawrence  ▪︎  SSGT  ▪︎  Westchester, NY  ▪︎  653  ▪︎  Squad Leader

Coe, Roberte  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Darlington, SC 745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Ghee, Arlington  ▪︎  SSGT  ▪︎  Westchester, NY  ▪︎  653  ▪︎  Squad Leader

Johnson, Mack L.  ▪︎  PFC  ▪︎  Halifax, NC  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Thomas, Fred  ▪︎  PVT  ▪︎  Baltimore, MD  ▪︎  745  ▪︎  Rifleman

Company G: 1 dead

*Mosley, Alphonso  ▪︎  PVT  ▪︎  Camden, NJ

Pvt. Alfonzo Mosely of company G almost certainly died in Sommocolonia on December 26, 1944. Five others from G company died on that date, possibly in or near Sommocolonia, but there is no proof so they are not included here. Pratt says, "Given that there is strong evidence from the Camden, NJ history group that Mosely died in or near Sommocolonia, I'll bet that the other five did as well." If we include those G company five, 46 366th soldiers died in the village.

Partisans with Pippo’s 11th Zone who died in the Sommocolonia battle: 7 dead

Mario Amidei nato a Fiumalbo 19

Riccardo Caseli nato a Lama di Mocogno, 25

Italo Casolari,

Francesco Fontana

Giocondo Gonnella

Giacomo Minelli nato a Pavullo 25

Pier Donato Sommati nato a Livorno 23 

Albano Venturelli nato a Montefestino 20

The above names appear on markers at the Sommocolonia monument dedicated to the Martiri della Resistenza (Martyrs of the Resistance). The markers include birth dates and places of origin. All had died between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, most under age twenty.

(Lt. John Fox’s marker was added to this monument on December 26, 1979.)

Civilians who died in the Sommocolonia battle: 7 dead

Mario Cassettari age 29

Giuliano Nardini age 4

Giuseppe Moscardini (known as “Cascianella”) and his family age circa 50:

His wife, Nella Mocscardini age 30 (she was pregnant)

Anna Maria Moscardini age 11, Dante Moscardini age 7, Lido Moscardini age 1

Axis soldiers who died in the Sommocolonia battle: 41 dead

‘Elenco Parziale di Soldati Tedeschi Morti Durante La Battaglia di Sommocolonia: 26/12/44–1/1/45.’

PARTIAL LIST OF GERMAN & AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS WHO DIED DURING THE SOMMOCOLONIA BATTLE 12/26/44–1/1/45. (Although the list appears to include those who died through the first of the year, everyone on it is marked “26/12/44.”) I have put the soldiers’ first names first rather than their last names as it appears on the original list.

Mathias Kanonschk  ▪︎  Gren.

Hoinrich Foitzik  ▪︎  Ogren.

Gerhard Kopiz  ▪︎  Gofr.

Walter Gabriel  ▪︎  Gofr.

Frans Schwoda  ▪︎  Gofr.

Josef Winterer  ▪︎  Gofr.

. . . .  Neubort  ▪︎  JUger

Alois Koczar  ▪︎  Gefr.

Josef Berndl  ▪︎  Gefr.                  

Josef Bittner  ▪︎  Gefr.

Wilhehm Brandenburer  ▪︎  Gefr.

Eduard Knirsch  ▪︎  Gefr.

Paul Sook  ▪︎  Gren.

Xaver Sohmid  ▪︎  Gefr.

Albert Hojna  ▪︎  Gefr.

Martin Gromer  ▪︎  Ojg.

Bartholomeus Wallinger  ▪︎  Jager

Adolf Stnegl  ▪︎  Jager

Gottlieb Musil  ▪︎  Jager

Johann Kerschbaumer    ▪︎  Uffz.

Anton Winkelmyer  ▪︎  Stgefr.

Renhold Laxsander  ▪︎  Ogren.

Karl Bernert  ▪︎  Uffz.

Friedrich Sohehi    ▪︎  Fw.

Alfred Kuorsera  ▪︎  Gren.

Peter Langen  ▪︎  Uffz.

Heinz Kruger  ▪︎  Uffz.

Georg Schwarz  ▪︎  Pion.

Karl Schindler  ▪︎  Gefr.

Karl Kuhn  ▪︎  Gren.

Erich Gioder  ▪︎  Gefr.

Alfons Kowollik  ▪︎  Gefr.

Mathias Tschernenschek  ▪︎  Gren.

Rudolf Nowak  ▪︎  Gren.

Leo Nocon  ▪︎  Osald.

Willy Kranke  ▪︎  Uffz.

soldato sconosciuto (unknown soldier)

soldato sconosciuto (unknown soldier)

Marcel Lorang  ▪︎  Pion.

Johann Wilz  ▪︎  Pion.

Emil Jahnke  ▪︎  Gefr.

The following abbreviations were translated for me by Birgit Urmson but she said the list must have been copied by a non-German speaker as several are misspelled to the point of being unrecognizable:

Gren. — Grenadier, Footsoldier.  (A lance corporal in the British Army)

Ogren. — Obergrenadier, (higher ranked grenadier)

Gofr. ? — a misspelling, maybe for Ogfr. Meaning a Gefreiter who has served more than 6 years

              or possibly it means “Gruppenführer”: Leader of a group, small company

JU — Junker  (aviation) flyer, aviator

Gefr. — Gefreiter.  Private first class, an experienced soldier

Uffz. — Unteroffizier Non-commissioned officer, corporal

Stgefr. — Stabsgefreiter.  From the internet:  Stabsgefreiter, recognized long-service private soldiers.            In the last years of World War II Stabsgefreiter were often used as group leaders’

Jäger. — Fighter (aviation)

OJg. — Oberjäger (grade above Jäger)  Light mountain infantry

Pion.      Specially trained mountain pioneers, technically accomplished: building bridges, etc.

Osald. ?  could be Osold: Higher rank of the simple soldier. Obersoldat was the generic term.

I obtained the above list in 1990 from Lilo Giannecchini, Director of the Institute of the History of the Resistance in Lucca, who signed the Institute stamp.

The list is titled “partial” so clearly more than 41 Axis troops died in Sommocolonia. How many more? The answer is not certain.  It seems safe to conjecture that at least 10 more died than are on the list. Bearing in mind that it remains conjecture, I would put the number of Axis dead at 51. Vittorio Biondi estimates the German dead between 70 – 80, plus 20 missing in action. (Biondi, La battaglia di Sommocolonia, p 102.) Vittorio did not share with me how he arrived at his figures, but, in an April 5, 2009 e-mail, he mentioned that a high number appeared to be confirmed in part by German soldiers buried in the Futa-Pass German war cemetery. (Futa-Pass, at an elevation of 2,963’, in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines had been on the Gothic Line.)

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Counting civilians, partisans, American and German and Austrian soldiers between 111–132 died. I conclude in the text, “A modest estimate would put the total dead in the village battle at least 120.”

Solace Wales