WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL - PFC Robert L. Mansfield

 

Private First Class 

Robert Leroy Mansfield

Robert L. Mansfield

Robert Mansfield was tall and thin (5'11" and 130 pounds) when he filled out his draft registration. With brown hair and eyes and a ruddy complexion, he was a handsome, young man who lived with his parents at 319 Tacoma Street in Defiance.

Born on December 8, 1924, in Defiance County, he was the son of John H. and Esther Z. (Dirr)

Mansfield. He attended Defiance High School and lived with six siblings: Emmagene, Paul, Leland, Marvin, Helen and Jacqueline. A brother, James, was deceased.

Before enlisting, he worked as a truck driver for Mayer Coal and Ice Company and Nolan's Grocery Store.

When he was 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 9, 1943.  He would become a part of the 297th Infantry Engineer Combat Battalion. His training was mainly in Camp Rucker, Alabama.

On January 25, 1944, he landed in England with his battalion. The Engineering Battalion left the city of Bournemouth, England to reach its marshalling camp on June 4, 1944.

The 297th working on structures.
Their insignia, with the French motto, "Essayons" means
"Let us try."

During the first night of the D-Day invasion, on June 6, 1944, the troops were loaded onboard their landing craft for the crossing of the English Channel. PFC Mansfield was part of the first wave of the invasion that landed on Utah and Omaha beaches.   PFC Mansfield was killed in action on Utah Beach on that night - June 6, 1944, the first casualty from Defiance County in the D-Day invasion.

The Crescent-News July 24, 1944, pg 1

"ROBERT MANSFIELD - INVASION VICTIM

Pfc Robert L. Mansfield, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Mansfield, 319 Tacoma Street, was killed in action in France with invasion forces on the Normandy beachhead D-Day, June 6.

He is the first invasion casualty reported from Defiance County and the 31st man to lose his life in the war.

News of his death was contained in a second telegram received Friday. An earlier message on July 4 had listed him as seriously wounded

Private Mansfield was a member of the Engineers Corps attached to the paratroopers. He entered service March 9, 1943, and received his training at Camp Rucker, Ala. He went to England last Dec. 22.

He was born in Defiance December 8, 1924, and had spent his entire life here except for a short time in Montpelier. He was employed as a truck driver by the Maher Coal and Ice. Co. and Nolan's Grocery.

He leaves his parents, three sister, Mrs. Grant Patrick, Wellston, O., and Helen and Jacquelyn at home; three brothers, Paul Mansfield S2/C, Camp Pendleton, Va; Leland, Hartsburg, and Marvin at home.; and maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Dirr, New Bavaria. A brother, James, is dead.

Arrangements for a memorial service have been deferred, pending official word from the government." 

He was first interred at the Sainte Mere Eglise Cemetery #2 (France), but in July 1948, his remains were recovered and brought home for burial in Riverside Cemetery, Defiance.

The Crescent-News, August 28, 1944

Private First Class Robert Mansfield received the Purple Heart, the World War II Victory Medal and the European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal.  His remains were returned home from France in July 1948 when they were buried in Riverside Cemetery, Defiance.

Rhonda Casler, Researcher