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Jean-Marc Tabard sent photographs of the excavations that the "Sillegny and the Lucky Seventh" local WWII history group conducted at and near Sillegny, France, in 2013 and also those in-progress in 2015. Elements of 7th Armored Division made multiple attacks to attempt to take Sillegny back from German forces on 18-19 September 1944, with extremely heavy losses. Jean-Marc and his colleagues sought to recover remains of some of the 7AD men who have never been recovered and identified and are thus still missing. The work in 2013 was done on three weekends, with the machine being used on the second weekend. They will return to the site in May or June 2015 with a device that lets them see forms underground.
Jean-Marc and his colleagues form the "Sillegny and the Lucky Seventh" group of local World War II historians. You can follow their activities on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SillegnyAndTheLuckySeventh
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The following 7AD men, whose last duty location was at or near Sillegny, have never been recovered and identified. This is not yet a fully researched list. There may be more. Note that the Morning Report of A/17 for 21 Sep 1944 reports MIA as of 18 Sep: Johnson (MOS 736=driver), Reusch (648=Radio Repairman), Slankard (736), West (651=Tank Commander), Baccon (736) & Mallard (604=Light Machine Gunner); Mallard & Baccon were recovered and identified.
If there is an "IDPF" or "MR" at the end of the entry, that is a clickable link to take you to the PDF file of the Individual Deceased Personnel File of that man or to the PDF file of the Morning Reports for that month of that man's company. Note that most of these men were listed as missing several days after they actually went missing. So you need to look at their MIA Morning Report and see the "as of" date and then go back to the Morning Report for the date that they actually went missing in order to see the location (which is sometimes of the rear HQ and not where the men actually were) and record of events (if there is one) for that date.
- Adams, Cpl. Hallie A. (814 TD Bn) - KIA 22 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area - possibly killed with Baldus & Goff
- Baldus, T/5 William J. (814 TD Bn) - KIA 22 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area - family told by veterans that his tank destroyer was hit by 88mm shell
- Curley, Cpl. Everett C. (814 TD Bn) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area
- Goff, Sgt. Dossie M. (814 TD Bn) - KIA 22 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area - possibly killed with Adams & Baldus
- Gongla, Sgt. Samuel P. (814 TD Bn) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area
- Johnson, Pvt. Rodger E. (A/17) - KIA 18 Sep 1944, just 3 days after joining A/17 as tank driver - no specifics yet known (MR Joined 15 Sep, MIA 25 Sep as of 21 Sep)
- McGuire, Pfc. Charles T. (B/38) - KIA 21 Sep 1944, probably at Verny and not Sillegny (official date is 22 Sep 1944 but he was last seen 21 Sep) - Jean-Marc believes McGuire's body was thrown down the well of the Hess Farm. (IDPF MR MIA 25 Sep as of 21 Sep)
- McIntosh, Pfc. Lewis W. (814 TD Bn) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area
- Reusch, T/4 Hubert L. (A/17) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - no specifics yet known (MR MIA 25 Sep as of 21 Sep)
- Shenk, S/Sgt. Charles W. (HQ Co/38 Supply Sgt) - SWA 19 Sep 1944 - captured with large group of 38 AIB men, carried about 9 miles on door to German field hospital where he died and was buried - probably never recovered from this burial but could be recovered if hospital location is ever found (IDPF)
- Slankard, T/4 Euan J. (A/17) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - no specifics yet known (MR MIA 25 Sep as of 21 Sep)
- Wells, Maj. Thomas Henry (38 AIB S/3 Officer) - KIA 19 Sep 1944 near the current location of the tennis court - possibly recovered and buried as an Unknown (IDPF)
- West, S/Sgt. Robert Dukes (A/17) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - Jean-Marc Tabard has found records that he was killed when his tank hit in the gas tank by a panzerfaust. He knows the approximate location where the tank was hit, but there are now houses there. - probably completely incinerated inside burning tank and not recoverable (MR MIA 25 Sep as of 21 Sep)
- Westcott, Pvt. Godfrey C. (B/38) - KIA 21 Sep 1944, probably at Verny and not Sillegny (IDPF MR MIA 25 Sep as of 21 Sep)
- Williams, S/Sgt. Evan (C/17) - KIA 19 Sep 1944 - no specifics yet known (MR Sep MR Oct MIA 2 Oct as of 19 Sep)
- Worthington, S/Sgt. Leo R/ (HQ Co/33) - KIA 19 Sep 1944 - no specifics yet known (MR LWA 1 Sep, RTD 3 Sep, KIA 20 Sep as of 19 Sep)
- Yurchak, Pvt. John (814 TD Bn) - KIA 18 Sep 1944 - no specifics known; not sure he was in Sillegny area
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