SS Leopoldville

Thank you for posting! One of the things that saddens me is that I probably know more about what happened to James than my mother ever did (due to the secrecy maintained for so long). She did get the Western Union telegram that stated he was MIA in January of 1945 and finally a notice that he was presumed dead in (received March of 1945). I'm sure she maintained some hope during that period even though the Army knew James died on Dec 24.

 

Thanks for keeping this interesting thread alive. If anything else shows up , I'm sure our members will post more.

 

As rvisdew has already mentioned, there is a book (A Night Before Christmas) available on the topic.Openlibrary has a version of the book that is readable online. Here's the link if someone is interested:

https://openlibrary.org/works/OL15147796W/A_night_before_Christmas_the_sinking_of_the_troopship_Leopoldville.

 

Thanks for posting the link, RHP. Interestingly, I just found out within the last year that a brother of one of my uncles (in-law type) was in the 266th Engineers and witnessed the sinking of the Leopoldville.

 

The victims on the Leopoldville account for a large proportion of the names on the memorial to the missing at the cemetery above Omaha beach.

 

You're welcome, TD-Tommy776.

I can't even imagine what it must have been like, to witness such a tragedy.

 

My wife, brother and his girlfriend and myself dispersed my mothers ashes 70 years after the incident in Cherbourg ... we also went to Omaha Beach to see the Wall of the Missing. James Hutchens was listed there. All very moving.

 

Saw this on the news earlier today .
US veteran pays tribute to SS Leopoldville troopship
Link >> Veteran's ferry tribute to lost troopship