Name: Ralph S Harris
First Name(s): Ralph S
Last Name: Harris
Place of birth: Illinois, McDonough Cnty, Macomb
Rank: S/Sgt
ASN: 36432108
Company: C
Unit: 41st Tank Bn 11th AD
Reported as: DNB
Date of incident: 03-01-1945
Place of incident: Mande-Saint-Étienne
His story: On January 2, 1945 C Company was prepared for a counter attack at midnight and had to hold off until 0200 because reinforcements would arrive then. They doubled their guard and waited but were fortunate for the counter attack did not materialize. The following morning 17th Airborne showed up to relieve them.
Unfortunately the relief came too late to prevent a tragedy. Early that morning the ammunition arrived and C Company was loading op. The enemy was still on the other side of the ridge and were not bashful about sending artillery. C Company must have been in plain view of their forward observers. S/Sgt Ralph Harris was outside his tank bringing the ammunition over when a burst got him. He died being carried back to the hospital in the Medic Jeep.
note: in the history of C Company 41st Tank Battalion, compiled by David Kasavan, the name of S/Sgt Ralph S Harris is mentioned
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