Soldier Details

Division:

Army
262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry

Highest Rank:

Pfc.

Theater of Operation:

European

Served:

Apr 13, 1943

Military Honors:

Purple heart

Honored By:

The Eisenhower Foundation

Prisoner of War

Killed In Action

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