Pvt. Mitchell Lincoln Burgess
United States Army 1st Armored Division
from:Harlan, Kentucky
Mitchell L. Burgess is my grandfather. He enlisted on 22nd of Mar 1940 and landed in North Africa with the 1st Armored Division. He was captured by Germany on or about 14th of Feb 1943 in the vicinity of Kasserine Pass, Tunisia. According to a telegram dated 16th of Apr 1943 he was transferred to a POW sorting camp at Capua, Italy, around that time. He was again transferred to Dulag 226 it Italy before finally being sent to Stalag IIB near Hammerstein (Czarn), Poland. He was released from Stalag IIB and returned to US control on 13 Apr 1945 and present in Camp Lucky Strike according to a list dated 24 Apr 1945.
Other members of the 1st Armored were captured on the same day and also ended up at Stalag IIB. Their names were:
- Duval, Gordon E, 39305363 discharged 06 Aug 1945
- Eskut, Steve J; 6989039, discharged 01 Sep 1945
- Evans, Walter, 7041885, discharge unk and
- Janz, Glenn O, 37095721, discharge unk
The above names are those who survived the war and were returned to the US. The list of 1st Armored personnel captured on or about that date, were also sent to Stalag IIB, but died before they could come home was too extensive to write here.
While researching my grandfather, I contacted the International Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland and made an inquiry there. They sent me a most helpful attestation full of useful information. I recommend others do this if they are similarly searching for information about a POW.
