Undertaker Richardson

VETERAN WW II~Killed In Action

Victor Wilson Albert was born 10 November 1918,
in Steelton, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the son
of Robert Edwin Albert and Minnie Royal (nee Funk)
Albert. He completed 4 years of High School, at
Steelton High.

On 14 July 1941, Victor enlisted in the U.S. Army,
and was sent for training. He was assigned to the
U.S. Army's First Army; 7th Corps; Ninth Infantry
Division, known as the "Old Reliables."

The 9th Infantry Division was activated in August
1940 at Fort Bragg, N.C. Here it was garrisoned
and trained until October 1942. The 9th Infantry
Division was among the first U.S. combat units to
engage in offensive ground operations during World
War II. Alongside the 9th in North Africa, were the
3rd Infantry and the 2nd Armored Divisions.

On 8 November 1942 the three Combat Teams
made landings, the 47th Combat Team at Safi,
Morocco, French North Africa, the 60th Combat
Team at Port Lyautey, Morocco, French North
Africa, and the 39th Combat Team at Algiers,
French North Africa.

With the collapse of French resistance on 11
November 1942, the division patrolled the Spanish
Moroccan border.

The Division Headquarters arrived in December
1942 and united the 47th and 60th Combat Teams
at Port Lyautey. The 9th returned to Tunisia in
February and engaged in small defensive actions
and patrol activity. The Division Artillery aided in
repelling Rommel's thrust through the Kasserine
[Pass] in February, but the Division as a whole did
not meet the enemy again until late March 1943,
when the 47th and 39th Combat Teams were engaged
for eleven days at El Guettar and the 60th Combat
Team was engaged in the Battle of Maknassey.
On 28 March 1943, it launched an attack in southern
Tunisia and fought its way north into Bizerte, 7 May
1943.

Quickly following the cessation of this campaign, the
Division moved into the battles of the Sedjanne Valley,
which eventually led to the capture of Bizerte.

At the end of the North African Campaign, the Division
moved into a training areain the vicinity of Magenta,
Algeria, 45 miles south of Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria.

In the later part of June 1943 the 39th Combat Team
traveled to Bizerte and were with the Sicilian landing
forces on D-Day. The remainder of the Division embarked
at Oran, late in July and debarked at Palermo, Sicily
early in August.

In August 1943, the 9th landed at Palermo, Sicily,
and took part in the Battle of Troina, and advanced
through Cesaro and the capture of Randazzo and
Messina.

Following the cessation of the Sicilian campaign,
the Division moved into a training area in the vicinity
of Cefalu, Sicily. Here it remained until embarking for
England from Palermo, Sicily on 10 November 1943,
arriving at Liverpool, England on 25 November 1943.
The Division moved via railroad to billets in the general
vicinity of Winchester, England.

The division landed on Utah Beach on 10 June 1944
(D plus 4), cut off the Cotentin Peninsula, drove on
to Cherbourg and penetrated the port's heavy defenses.

The 9th Division Is Committed
When General Bradley on 9 June established the high
priority for the seizure of Carentan and the firm junction
of the V and VII Corps beachheads, he also directed
that the 9th Division and the 82d Airborne Division were
to complete the blocking of the peninsula in the vicinity
of St. Lo-d'Ourville and la Haye du Puits. The original
Corps field order had provided that the 9th Division was
to begin landing on D plus 4 and assemble as soon as
practicable in the Colomby-Orglandes area, prepared for
operations to the northwest. It was not anticipated that
the division would have to fight its way to this area; but
the slow progress of the 90th foreshadowed a serious
delay in securing the Douve line and in blocking the
enemy's western reinforcement corridor. On 12 June,
1944, therefore, General Collins decided to commit the
82d Airborne Division and the 9th Division in the
westward attack. The 82d was to concentrate on
the north bank of the Douve west of the Merderet
and to advance westward; the 9th was to cross the
Merderet for operations in conjunction with the airborne
division.

The 9th Division (Ma;. Gen. Manton S. Eddy,
commanding) had begun to debark on Utah Beach
on 10 June 1944, as planned. Late on 12 June 1944,
the division received a warning order from VII
Corps, alerting it for a possible movement
westward across the Merderet.

General Collins issued more detailed orders verbally
the next day. They provided for a coordinated attack
by the 9th and 82d Divisions on 14 June. Both divisions
were to pass through the 90th Division, the 82d attacking
along the Pont l'Abbe-St. Sauveur-le Vicomte highway
toward St. Sauveur-le Vicomte, and the 9th attacking on
its right toward Ste. Colombe. The two divisions thus took
over the 90th Division's objective-the line of the Douve. In
addition the 9th had the further mission of crossing the
Douve and blocking of the peninsula west of the Prairies
Marecageuses.

Substantially larger gains were made on 15 June by the
82d and 9th Divisions in their drive westward. The 82d,
attacking astride the highway to St. Sauveur-le Vicomte,
encountered only moderate resistance throughout the day.
The enemy used some tanks to oppose the advance.

The attack of the 9th Division (initially only the 60th
Infantry) was coordinated with that of the 82d Airborne
Division. It began at 0500 on 15 June and ran into the
last determined resistance offered by the enemy east
of the Douve. Shortly after the attack started, the 90th
Division reported sixteen tanks moving south from
Orglandes. These tanks apparently did not constitute
part of any coordinated infantry-tank counterattack, for
no determined thrust developed. Bazookas and 57-mm.
antitank guns knocked out three Mark III's and forced
the rest to withdraw. The 60th Infantry lost two antitank
guns.

By 0900 the regiment had advanced approximately 00
yards beyond the Orglandes-Bonneville road, where
the 1st Battalion on the right was strongly
counterattacked by four tanks and an estimated
battalion of infantry. It was thrown back 500 yards to
the road. The commanders of both Companies A and
B were lost in this action and the battalion suffered
other casualties. The 2d Battalion, immediately to
the rear, countered the enemy thrust, however, and
regained half the lost ground.

Sgt. Victor Wilson Albert was Killed in Action in
near the Orglandes-Bonneville road, in Orglandes,
Manche, Basse-Normandie, France.

Sgt. Victor W. Albert was Awarded the Silver Star;
the Good Conduct Medal; the Purple Heart; 5 Bronze
Stars; Combat Infantryman's Badge; American
Defense Ribon; EAME Ribbon.

He was survived by his parents, Robert E. and Minnie
R. Albert; his Brothers, Robert T.; John J.; Frank L.;
Richard A.; and Robert E.; "Edwin" Jr.; and his Sister,
Lorraine E. Albert. He was preceded in death by an
infant brother, Charles Robert Albert in 1927.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NEVER FORGET Sgt. Victor W. Albert's Service & Sacrifice.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&
q=33079711&bc=sl&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=3568965
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 33079711 33079711
NAME ALBERT#VICTOR#W### ALBERT#VICTOR#W###
RESIDENCE: STATE 32 PENNSYLVANIA
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 043 DAUPHIN
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 3288 NEW CUMBERLAND PENNSYLVANIA
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 14 14
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 07 07
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 41 41
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private
GRADE: CODE 8 Private
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION BI# Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
BRANCH: CODE 00 Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 0 Undefined Code
LONGEVITY ### ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
NATIVITY 32 PENNSYLVANIA
YEAR OF BIRTH 18 18
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
EDUCATION 4 4 years of high school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 484 Structural-and ornamental-metal workers
MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)
CARD NUMBER # #
BOX NUMBER 0607 0607
FILM REEL NUMBER 2.271 2.271
--
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/search/pframe.asp?HonoreeID=228295&
popcount=1&tcount=2
Victor Albert
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
HOMETOWN: Steelton, PA
HONORED BY: Mr. Bayard James, Friend

ACTIVITY DURING WWII
SERGEANT, INFANTRY, 9TH DIVISION. KILLED IN ACTION, AWARDED THE SILVER STAR
FOR BRAVERY.
--
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/registry/wardept/pframe.asp?HonoreeID=1331840&
popcount=2&tcount=2
SGT Victor W. Albert ID: 33079711
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Dauphin County, PA
Status: KIA
--
World War II Young American Patriots, 1941-1945
Name: Victor Wilson Albert
Rank: Sergeant
Branch: United States Army
Birth Date: 10 Nov 1918
Service Date: 15 Jun 1941
Parent 1 Name: Mr.
Parent 2 Name: Mrs. Robert Albert
State: Pennsylvania
County: Dauphin
--
U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963
Name: Victor W Albert
Birth Date: 10 Nov 1918
Death Date: 15 Jun 1944
Cemetery: Baldwin Cemetery
Cemetery Location: Steelton, Pennsylvania