Clarence A Baumann
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Clarence A. Baumann
Mr. Baumann inducted into the Army on December 11, 1943, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Home at entry: Floodwood, Minnesota.
He served as a Staff Sergeant in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe, with Company B of the 11th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was wounded in action on November 7, 1944.
He received the following: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze battle stars.
Mr. Baumann was honorably discharged on November 26, 1945, at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, page 33.
Mr. Baumann was born in Cedar Valley Township in November of 1919. He was the son of late Bertha and Henry Baumann. Mr. Baumann graduated from Floodwood High School in 1938.
Clarence served in the US Army during World War II. While Clarence was 24 and working on the Great Northern Railroad he was told to report to Fort Snelling. It was December 11, 1943. Clarence was sent home after being sworn into the army to await further orders.
By January 3, 1944, Clarence had left for Camp Blanding, Florida, for his basic training. After about 18 weeks of basic training he was awarded two medals; the first for expert marksmanship rifle and the second was for handling a Browning automatic rifle.
Next he was sent to Chicago, where he boarded a train for Fort Meade, Maryland. Here he spent two weeks trying to get ready for the trip overseas with 25,000 other men. The journey itself was excruciating, because the ship would zig-zag across the Atlantic to prevent detection from enemy ships.
After arriving in Glasgow, Scotland, they hopped a train to Yeovil, England. After a four day recovery time in Yeovil, Clarence and 400 others boarded a ship toward Omaha Beach. They waded ashore and proceeded to walk eight miles. Here they dug foxholes and stayed until they were assigned to a Division.
Clarence was made a Private First Class. He was assigned to the Company “B” First Battalion, 28th Division. The 28th Division was already in combat in Normandy. This infantry unit fought the Germans and pushed them all the way back to Paris, France. His unit, being the first to enter Paris, was allowed to pass through the Arch of Triumph. While leaving Paris, Clarence and his comrades were once again engaged, they fought their way inside of Belgium. During the push Clarence was named Squad Leader due to his predecessor being injured.
From here they pressed on into Holland, Luxemburg and Aachen, Germany. The Germans fought harder and pushed the unit back into Belgium. At this time they turned and headed for Cologne, Germany, where they were overpowered and taken as prisoners of war.
The Germans took everything of value and marched them 20 miles. They stayed at Limburg, Netherlands, for four weeks before being loaded into boxcars for the next 13 days. The boxcar eventually pulled into a railroad station, near where the Americans or the British were dropping bombs that rattled each container every time one hit the ground.
They traveled across Germany to Furstenberg, where Clarence and his unit stayed there until February 2nd, 1945. Approximately 50 prisoners of war, Clarence included, sat down and came up with a plan to escape. They knew that an American supply truck brought food into the camp weekly. Therefore, they snuck out of the compound and hid in the nearby woods. When the truck was leaving they all hopped aboard.
Fortunately they learned that six days after their escape came VE Day, so the Russians were only holding them prisoners until they were bought back. The truck brought them all the way to Hildershem Airfield. After about four weeks Clarence boarded a ship that took him home. He landed in New York on June 15th, 1945.
Of his experience as a POW, Baumann says, "Food in the prison camp was very minimal. At noon we would receive a cup of soup made from such things as rutabagas, beets, barley or even just flour in water. With the soup we received one or two slices of dark bread and a boiled, unpeeled potato. For supper we received only a cup of tea again."
"For exercise, the men walked around the compound. Some of them played cards, etc. Finally, from lack of food, they became too weak and had to give these up."
"About every two weeks or so the guards would come and get 40 or 50 men, take them to the showers to be deloused and sprayed with delousing power. The beds were made of wooden slats with loose straw as a mattress. When the straw was too infested with lice, we would burn it."
Clarence A. Baumann passed away Tuesday, May 12, 2009 in Duluth, MN.
