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Numbers and name on duffel bag

Discussion in 'Those Who Served' started by llamallamaduck, Mar 20, 2018.

  1. llamallamaduck

    llamallamaduck New Member

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    Hi,
    I'm from Germany and I have a duffel bag (hope this is what they are called) that I inherited from my grandfather. He was a soldier in El Alamein and a prisoner of war somewhere around Lake Michigan.

    There's a name and some numbers on the fabric:
    James Reaves
    33641274
    and
    U.S.
    RM-333 (a)-29

    Since he came back after the war ended, I think this was a duffel bag no longer in use wich was given to him to transport his belongings back to Germany. The other possibility is that he simply stole it which wouldn't be that far fetched :)

    I'd love to find out, who this bag belonged to or at least, in wich force or company he served. I've attached some pictures of the bag. Maybe someone can help me. The greatest thing for me of course would be to tell the family of this soldier that I have his duffel bag. Thank you!
     

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    Last edited: Mar 20, 2018
  2. mcoffee

    mcoffee Son-of-a-Gun(ner)

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    James Reaves enlistment record:


    Field Title Value Meaning
    ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 33641274 33641274
    NAME REAVES#JAMES############ REAVES#JAMES############
    RESIDENCE: STATE 33 VIRGINIA
    RESIDENCE: COUNTY 003 ALBEMARLE
    PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 5174 SHELBYVILLE INDIANA
    DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 01 01
    DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 12 12
    DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 45 45
    GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION CPL# Corporal
    GRADE: CODE 6 Corporal
    BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION FA# Field Artillery
    BRANCH: CODE 30 Field Artillery
    FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
    TERM OF ENLISTMENT 3 Enlistment for Hawaiian Department
    LONGEVITY ### ###
    SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 6 Enlisted Man, Philippine Scout or recall to AD of an enlisted man who had been transferred to the ERC
    NATIVITY 33 VIRGINIA
    YEAR OF BIRTH 24 24
    RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 2 Negro, citizen
    EDUCATION 2 2 years of high school
    CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 590 Undefined Code
    MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
    COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 1 Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
    CARD NUMBER # #
    BOX NUMBER 0688 0688
    FILM REEL NUMBER 1.205 1.205
     
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  3. llamallamaduck

    llamallamaduck New Member

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    Oh wow... thank you so much. That's more than I could have hoped for.
     
  4. mcoffee

    mcoffee Son-of-a-Gun(ner)

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