James Powell

Killed In Action
Prisoner of War

Service Information

Branch of Service: Army

Unit: 262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry

Theater of Operation: European

Enlisted / Commissioned: Apr 13, 1943

Highest Rank: Pfc.

Military Honors: Purple heart

Honored By: The Eisenhower Foundation

Biography

James Powell was born in 1924 and reported living in Baltimore Maryland when he enlisted in the US Army. He was single with no dependents. The 66th Infantry arrived in England from the United States in early December 1944. On Dec. 25th they were loaded onto two transport vessels the SS Leopoldville and the HMS Cheshire for the the journey over the English Chanel. 5 miles out of the port, the SS Leopoldville was torpedoed by German U Boat U 486 and sunk, taking the lives of 14 officers, 748 enlisted soldiers and 56 members of the crew. James was declared missing in action. Courtesy of findagrave.com