Alfred B. Byrne

BYRNE, Alfred Barthalomew Servicenumber: 37596859 Age: 34 Born: 12 June 1910, Petersburg, North Dakota Hometown: Nelson County, North Dakota Family: Frank J. Byrne (father) Bessie M. (White) Byrne (mother) Floyd F. Byrne (brother) Theresa A. Byrne (sister) Mary A. Byrne (sister) Jennie K. Byrne (sister) Walter H. Byrne (brother) Laurence T. Byrne (brother) Estella R. Byrne (sister) Alice L. Byrne (sister) Lillian A. Byrne (sister) Charles H. Byrne (brother) Rank: Private Function: Not available Regiment: - Battalion: 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion Division €“ Transport: - Company €“ Squadron: B Company Unit €“ Group: - Plane data: (Serialnumber, MACR, etc.) - Date of death: 1 April 1945 Status: KIA Place of death: Between Grossenlüder and Hainzell, Germany Spot: Not available Awards: Silver Star, Purple Heart Gravenumber: Plot C, Row 8, Grave 13 Cemetery: American War Cemetery Margraten Biography: - Other information: Pvt. Alfred B. Byrne graduated from Petersburg High School and worked on his parent's farm for several years. He was also employed by the Ford Auto Company at Park River, North Dakota before he enlisted at Fort Snelling, Minnesota on 20 June 1944. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal posthumously for actions on the day of his death. The citation reads: "For gallantry in action near Hainzell Germany, on 1 April 1945. On the afternoon of 1 April 1945, a fifteen vehicle convoy of HQ Company, while enroute to a previously selected command post area was ambushed between the towns of Grossenlüder and Hainzell by more than two hundred enemy troops, dug in along the route of the convoy's advance and armed with machine guns and small arms. The hostile fire took the column by surprise since earlier the convoy had traversed the same road unmolested. Taking immediate action, Pvt Byrne, a member of Company B's Security Section, seized a .30 caliber machine gun, jumped off the vehicle he was riding and without waiting for a tripod to be set up by two comrades who leaped off with him, advanced in the face of heavy enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire. Shooting from the hip, he kept up a drumming fire against the foe and moved forward courageously until he was mortally wounded. Pvt Byrne died on the field. His heroic action kept the enemy pinned down, thus enabling the other members of the convoy to organize a skirmish line and drive off the hostile force, killing twenty of the enemy and taking twenty-eights prisoners including one officer. His outstanding courage under fire and aggressiveness in action against the enemy reflect the highest credit upon Private Byrne and the Armed Forces of the United States." Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Warren Kunshier (nephew), www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com Reitan Family Tree Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Warren Kunshier (nephew)