Remembering World War II

Name: Roger B. Powers Rank: Private Service Number: 1102370 Service: Company A, 33rd Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Division, US Army Date of Birth: May 21, 1917 Place of Birth: Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: September 26, 1940 Place of Enlistment: Boston, Massachusetts Address at Enlistment: Danvers, Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 23 Marital Status: Single Date of Death: July 10, 1943 Age: 26 Cemetery: Holten Cemetery, Danvers, Massachusetts Roger Powers was the son of Aaron S. Powers (1874-1961) and Ethel E (Purdy) Powers (1881-1976). His father was born in Yarmouth, NS, on November 5, 1874; his mother – in Wenham, Mass. (Ethel’s father Stephen Purdy was also born in Nova Scotia). Roger’s parents married in Danvers, Mass. on June 10, 1903. Roger had four sisters – Ina, Madeline, Claire and Jean. Roger served with the 33rd Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Division. After participating with the Division in the "Carolina Maneuvers" and training in England, the Battalion participated in the first of its 3 assault landings near Les Analouses, North Africa. At 0832 hours on November 8, 1942, while firing in support of the 26th Regimental Combat Team, B Battery fired the first US artillery rounds in the European Theatre. Throughout the North African campaign, the 33rd Field Artillery continued to support the 26th Regimental Combat Team, including at the battle of Kasserine Pass where the Battalion provided both indirect and direct fires. On July 10, 1943, the 1st Infantry Division hit Sicily in Operation Husky. The 33rd Field Artillery landed at Gela and fought along side the Rangers and the 26th Infantry. The gun positions were less than 500 meters from the sea when the Herman Goering Division launched a counter-attack. Regimental Forward Observers directed the cannon fires and naval gunfire to stop the counter-attack just short of the beach. 8 German tanks were destroyed by direct fire from the 105mm Howitzers, while many others were damaged and pulled back. Roger Powers died on this first day of the Sicily Landings, July 10, 1943. His body was repatriated to the United States and he is buried in the Holten Cemetery in Danvers, Massachusetts.

Roger B. Powers

Sources: findagrave 1st Battalion, 33rd Field Artillery Regiment

The Rogers B. Powers Memorial Square sign at the corner of Holten and Pine Street in Danvers, Massachusetts