In honor of Memorial Day, I have chosen to profile an ancestor from my tree who died in the line of duty in World War II.
Paul Burton Curry (1922-1945) was born in Ellettsville, Indiana. He graduated from high school in 1940 and entered the University of Indiana as a pre-med student. He entered the Army on Armistice Day 1942.
He married Nellie “Grace” Wicker in Cary, North Carolina, on May 6, 1944. It was her 20th birthday. He was at that time stationed at Camp Butner. He first was a member of the paratroopers and later was connected with the Engineering Corp of the Army. He was sent overseas for active duty in October.
He died on May 19, 1945, in Bonn, Germany. He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.
I was curious to find out more about this ancestor, but in the course of doing so, I now have more questions.
According to obituaries, Paul helped to capture the city of Cologne, Germany, and “helped build a 3,100-foot bridge [emphasis mine] across the Rhine River.” I tried to determine the particular unit in which he would have served based upon the date of his death and his war-time locations. My research leads me to believe that he may well have been part of the Ninth Armored Division.
The Ninth was responsible for securing Cologne, but it was also notably involved in the Battle of Remagen to wrest the Ludendorff Bridge from the Nazis. The bridge was one of very few remaining bridges spanning the Rhine. (The Germans had already demolished most of their own bridges at this point.) For that reason, controlling this bridge was a strategic advantage. The victory broke open Germany’s defenses in western Germany.
Paul might well have been one of those tasked with building temporary pontoon bridges after that battle had taken place and the bridge had been secured. But because obituaries distinctly mention him building a single bridge of a specific length–a length that exactly matches that of the Ludendorff Bridge, I strongly suspect that he was involved in that battle.
Fighting for the Ludendorff Bridge began on March 7, 1945, and the Ninth secured the bridge on March 25th, 1945. The Germans retreated before being able to detonate all of the devices they had already planted on the bridge. The fighting was fierce and the situation–with the bridge loaded with mines ready to be detonated–was extremely dangerous.
A newsreel of the time, posted by Army Corp III on its Facebook page, provides interesting first-hand accounts of this surprise Allied attack.
It appears that Paul must have been on leave when he married Grace in North Carolina in May 1944. But he obviously returned to Germay after that. Germany capitulated on May 8, 1945: two days after Paul and Grace’s first anniversary.
Why then, I wonder, was he killed in Germany 11 days after the Germans had surrendered?
Google AI gave me some insights:
- Even after Germany had surrendered, there were isolated engagements with holdout Nazi units. Fanatical SS and Werwolf guerilla units continued to engage Allied occupying forces in sabotage and minor skirmishes, resulting in casualties on both sides.
- The post-surrender chaos was heavily littered with landmines, booby traps, and abandoned ammunition dumps, which caused numerous accidental deaths during cleanup and disarmament efforts.
And why would he have died in Bonn, I wondered. Further reading informed me that Bonn was heavily bombed by the Allies and at the time of Paul’s death, the city was facing severe housing crises, food shortages, and the monumental task of clearing rubble. Apparently, once Bonn fell, it had been under British occupation. According to the article below, Paul was part of the post-surrender occupation in Bonn, so American forces were apparently involved as well.
An official document was later created by Indiana University, the Indiana University Pro Patria List. It is a listing of those alumni who died in World War II. Paul Curry’s name and information can be found on page 9. The entry indicates that Paul died of gunshot wounds.
Perhaps, then, he was sabotaged by a Nazi holdout(s) and fell victim to an isolated incidence of gunfire.
His family must have taken solace, knowing that, while the war continued in Japan, surrender had taken place in Europe. One would assume that that would have given them hope. But he had also continued to write reassurances to them, indicating that the “danger is all over.” How heart-breaking it must have been for them to realize that, despite the Germans’ surrender, chaos and danger still remained in Germany. Even more tragically, some of those letters telling them not to worry came after news of his death had reached them.
Military records could confirm the unit in which he served as well as answer the questions surrounding the circumstances of his death and the timeline of his service related to his marriage. Regardless, he died in the service of his country at the young age of 23, leaving a bride in Cary, North Carolina, who had turned 21 less than two weeks previously, and who was now a young widow.
I obviously never met Paul Curry, my 3rd cousin 2X removed, but let this essay serve as a memorial to him and posthumous condolences to his family and descendents. May it also be seen as a remembrance on this Memorial Day for all who have given their lives in service to this country.
