Russell F. Pederson
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Russell F. Pederson served in World War II in the European Theater.
He served in the U.S. Army from March 31, 1943, until October 22, 1945. He was assigned to Company E, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th (“Old Hickory”) Division. He was a POW in Germany.
His rank was Sergeant.
Mr. Pederson left England for Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, on June 19, 1944, as a replacement. He joined the 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, there. He saw combat, then his unit pushed forward to Belgium and then the Netherlands. They met up with the 29th Infantry and advanced toward the Siegfried Line near Aachen, Germany. They were hit hard, and after heavy fighting, the remaining 19 men of Company E were taken prisoner by the Germans.
Mr. Pederson and the other POWs were marched to a small town, and were being shelled by Allied artillery along the way. They were loaded onto trucks and transported to Bonn, Germany. From there they were put on boxcars and sent to a POW camp in Lindberg, Germany, where they stayed for two weeks and where he developed dysentery. They were again put on boxcars and were transported to Stalag 7A. They were assigned to work crews, clearing bombed out buildings in nearby Munchhausen and repairing damage to railroad tracks.
In January and February of 1945, they were not required to work, but in the spring, 200 men were chosen for work crews. They worked on bombed out buildings in Munich. Mr. Pederson was selected to cook soup and prepare ersatz coffee for the 200.
On April 29, 1945, American forces moving north out of Italy liberated his POW camp.
Mr. Pederson was born on January 23, 192_, in Superior, Wisconsin, the son of Peder G. and Dorothy Pederson.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall Veteran History Form; veteran account (see below)
"We left England and went to Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 19, 1944, as a replacement and joined the 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, and went into combat for the first time. We kept pushing forward through the hedgerows and through mountains. Then we went on to Belgium, pushing into the Netherlands. Then was held up for two weeks waiting for 29th Infantry. When they did arrive, we pushed forward towards Germany’s Siegfried Line’s pillboxes near Aachen, Germany. Getting heavy resistance from Jerry; then evening came on, and we started getting shelled from tanks. A few of us took shrapnel. But we somehow got into an empty pillbox. Then towards morning, the Germans moved 3 tanks into position against us. There were just 19 of us left in our Company E, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division. Well, needless to say, we were taken prisoner of war.
"We were herded up out of pillbox and into some small town. Meanwhile, during our march, we were being shelled by our own artillery. Then there was some kind of work building where we took refuge from shelling. When shelling slowed down, we went on to, I think it was, Aachen. There we went in trucks. The next place we stopped at was Bonn, Germany. From there we got into a boxcar on the railroad and went on into Lindberg, Germany, our first stalag. Bad place: raining, muddy, sloppy. We got fed soup, which was given to us behind the latrine on wet, muddy ground . . . sloppy. They used tin cans to put soup into, not very appetizing. Well, I ended up getting dysentery . . . not very good. Well, about two weeks at this place, then was into boxcars again for about one week. Then we ended up to Stalag 7A, there we were to stay. Then we started going about 40 kilometers into Munchhausen . . . working on bombed out buildings, etc. Also, the railroad yards on steam engine backed into a big bomb hole, which we raised and blocked up until it could be moved away, etc.
"We kept on doing work like this most all winter. Then during January and February, they stopped working us. Why? We did not know. But come spring of 1945, they took 200 men on a working party. We were living in an unused school building where we worked out of, all over Munich, on houses, buildings of all kinds [that] were bombed out. Myself, I was chosen to be cook, to make soup and so-called coffee for the 200 men, etc. This went on until April 29th, 1945, when our troops were coming up from Italy and we were liberated by American troops.
"I spent 7 months in POW captivity: 1944 October 22 until 1945 April 29."
