The Wartime Memories Project
The Second World War - Day by Day.

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17th December 1944 On this day:  Transport services into Burma  Air Raid  On the Move  Gathering winter fuel  Recce  Atrocity  Recce  Nothing to report  Baths  On the March  Mid-air collision  Target Munich  Divine Services  Move completed  Paracutists   If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Remembering those who died this day. Bjoroy H G. Sergeant Dietrich Edgar L.. PFC (d.17th Dec 1944) Evensen Niels Christian. (d.17th December 1944) Garling John Rober. Flying Officer (d.17th December 1944) McCray David William. F/Sgt. (d.17th Dec 1944) Spence Barton John. Cpl. (d.17th Dec 1944) Thomason Albert. Warrant Officer The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. Announcements 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web. 16th Jan 2025 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 265273 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQs The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. Want to know more about the 17th of December 1944? There are:16 items tagged 17th of December 1944 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. Stories from 17th December 1944 Staff Sgt. Eugene G. Bailey. US Army, Company K 112th Infantry Regiment. 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. Diana Thomas Add to this record. Staff Sergeant Eugene G Bailey. US Army, 28th Division 112th Infantry. My Dad, Staff Sergeant Eugene G. Bailey served with the 28th Division 112th Infantry. He was captured on December 17, 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. He was sent to Stalag IXB and then transferred to Stalag IXA on January 25, 1945. I have a group or unit picture taken in Paris after the liberation dated April 1945. This site is a great way to honor our WWII heroes. Diana Thomas, a very proud daughter Diane Thomas Add to this record. Staff Sergeant Eugene G Bailey. US Army, Company K 28th Infantry Division, 112th Regiment. My dad, Eugene G. Bailey, was a Staff Sergeant in the US Army, 28th Infantry Division, 112th Regiment, Company K during WW2. He was in four campaigns including the Battle of the Bulge where he was taken prisoner on December 17, 1944. He arrived in Bad Orb Stalag IX B on December 29, 1944 and remained there until late January 1945 when he was transferred to Stalag IXA. This information is from a journal he wrote during his time just before the Battle of the Bulge. The dates of this journal are from December 13, 1944 until the end of March 1945. However, there are not any entries for Feb. My dad did not talk about his time in the service or about being a POW. I do know that he weighed only 79 pounds upon his return to the states. Diana Thomas Add to this record. Niels Christian "Kiss" Evensen. RNAF, 57 Squadron. (d.17th December 1944) I am looking for information about my uncle, Niels Christian Evensen (nicknamed Kiss). He was shot down near Dieppe, France on 17/12/1944. Is there anyone who remembers him? The crew were: Capt N.C.Evensen RNAF F/S W.G.Gulliksen RNAF F/O John Roger Garling RAF, 154595 (name on Runnymede Memorial) Sgt H.G.Bjoroy RNAF W/O Albert Thomason RAF VR 1117171 (buried Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery) Sgt A.R.Powell RCAF Sgt D.S.Scott RAF Lise Armstrong Add to this record. Flying Officer John Rober Garling. RAF, 57 Squadron. (d.17th December 1944) I am looking for information about my uncle, Niels Christian Evensen, shot down near Dieppe, France on 17/12/1944. Is there anyone who remembers him? The crew were: Capt N.C.Evensen RNAF F/S W.G.Gulliksen RNAF F/O John Roger Garling RAF, 154595 (name on Runnymede Memorial) Sgt H.G.Bjoroy RNAF W/O Albert Thomason RAF VR 1117171 (buried Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery) Sgt A.R.Powell RCAF Sgt D.S.Scott RAF Lise Armstrong Add to this record. Sergeant H G Bjoroy. RNAF, 57 Squadron. I am looking for information about my uncle, Niels Christian Evensen, shot down near Dieppe, France on 17/12/1944. Is there anyone who remembers him? The crew were: Capt N.C.Evensen RNAF F/S W.G.Gulliksen RNAF F/O John Roger Garling RAF, 154595 (name on Runnymede Memorial) Sgt H.G.Bjoroy RNAF W/O Albert Thomason RAF VR 1117171 (buried Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery) Sgt A.R.Powell RCAF Sgt D.S.Scott RAF Lise Armstrong Add to this record. Warrant Officer Albert Thomason. RAF, 57 Squadron. I am looking for information about my uncle, Niels Christian Evensen, shot down near Dieppe, France on 17/12/1944. Is there anyone who remembers him? The crew were: Capt N.C.Evensen RNAF F/S W.G.Gulliksen RNAF F/O John Roger Garling RAF, 154595 (name on Runnymede Memorial) Sgt H.G.Bjoroy RNAF W/O Albert Thomason RAF VR 1117171 (buried Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery) Sgt A.R.Powell RCAF Sgt D.S.Scott RAF Lise Armstrong Add to this record. PFC Edgar L. Dietrich. United States Army, 423rd Infantry Regment. (d.17th Dec 1944) I never met my Uncle,Edgar L. Dietrich. He was killed in action while serving with the 423rd Infantry Regiment during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. I was not born until February 1949.I know Edgar was an avid sportsman who loved hunting, fishing and trapping. I would like to find out more about his WWII experiences and would like to know if there are any 423rd veterans out there who may remember Edgar. Michael Werley Add to this record. F/Sgt. David William McCray. Royal Australian Air Force, 50 Squadron.. (d.17th Dec 1944) I have been researching F/Sgt McCray for my Australian relatives as they believe that his name may be spelt wrongly in the memorial books in Lincoln Cathedral which I will return to in a moment. My distant cousin, David McCray, was a member of 50 Sqd in 1944. He was Navigator on Lancaster LM676, VN-W. which took off from Skellingthorpe at 1615 hrs on the night of 17/18th December 1944. The Crew was P/O R E Amey DFC (Pilot) Sgt F Livesey (Flight eng) F/Sgt D W McCray (Navigator) F/O D R Kennedy (Air Bomber) F/Sgt G W Lane DFM (Wireless opp air) Sgt M J Cook (Mid Upper Gunner) Sgt R Shackelton (Rear Gunner) The RAAR records show that the Lancaster was detailed to bomb Munich. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. It was later established that the aircraft crashed at 2200hrs on the 17th December 1944 at Freimann Barracks Munich. Five of the crew, including David, were killed in the crash and two P/O Amey and Sgt Livesey survived the crash and were POWs. The five who lost there lives are buried in the Durnbach War Cemetery 48 km south of Munich. P/O Amey was wounded and sadly died of his wounds in hospital on 31st December 1944. Sgt Livesey stated in a report that the aircraft crashed near to the target and both he and P/O Amey were blown out by the explosion. Now we come to the spelling bit. On a trip by John McCray (David's Brother) to the War Grave in Durnbach it was noted that David’s surname had been spelt wrongly as "Mcgray" this has now been rectified. John also attended the unveiling ceremony of the memorial in Skellingthorpe with his wife Eva and learned of the memorial books at Lincoln Cathedral but they were unable to go there to see. Now John is unable to travel and he has asked me to try to find out if David’s name has been spelt correctly in the memorial books. I would be very grateful if anyone could give me any info regarding F/Sgt David McCray or Sgt Livesey. Tim Robson Add to this record.

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The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. The website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Hosted by: The Wartime Memories Project Website is archived for preservation by the British Library Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXV - All Rights Reserved We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites, books, magazines or any other forms of media.