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name
WELBORN, James Jr - Date of
birth
1 June 1920 -
Age
24 -
Place of birth
Jonesville, Yadkin County, North Carolina -
Hometown
Jonesville, Yadkin County, North Carolina -
Ethnicity
African American
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
34317671 -
Rank
Private -
Function
Tank Driver -
Unit
C Company,
761st Tank Battalion
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
25 November 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Givrycourt, France
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 16 | 109 |
More information
Pvt James Jr Welborn was a construction worker.He enlisted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 21 August 1942.
He was killed instantly when his tank was hit by enemy shell fire. His body slammed forward and jammed the control levers, causing the tank to reverse at a high speed. The tank bounced over a roadside drainage ditch and smashed backward into a tree. Its engine continued to wind up as the survivors got out.
The 761st Tank Battalion was the first African American armored unit to see combat and apart from some officers consisted entirely of African American soldiers.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, wwiiregistry.abmc.gov, History of the 761st TB, www.ancestry.com, www.archives.gov, www.abmc.gov
Photo source: -