Remembering World War II

Name: Harold John Conrad Rank: Private Service Number: 20112198 Service: Company B, 104th Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, US Army Awards: Purple Heart Date of Birth: September 29, 1920 Place of Birth: Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: January 16, 1941 Place of Enlistment: Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Address at Enlistment: Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 20 Marital Status: Single Date of Death: November 17, 1944 Age at Death: 24 Cemetery: Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Harold J. Conrad was the son of James Watson Conrad (1879-1946) and Ellen Loretta (Collins) Conrad (1881), and the brother of Muriel Remiah Conrad (b. 1896), Grace L Conrad (b. 1903), Margaret Dorothy Conrad (1906-1973), James Robert Conrad (1917-1995), and Edward S Conrad (1917-1995). Harold’s father was born in Bridgewater, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. His mother was born in Massachusetts. Harold enlisted in the US National Guard in January of 1941, prior to the US entering WWII in December 1942. During the war, he served with Company B of the 104th Infantry Regiment in the 26th Division (the Yankee Division) of the US Army. The 104th Infantry Division landed in France on September 7, 1944. It moved into defensive positions in the vicinity of Wuustwezel, Belgium, October 23, 1944, and went over to the offensive on the 26th, taking Zundert, gaining control of the Breda-Roosendaal Road and overrunning Damne Canal (Damse Vaart) defenses. Etten-Leur fell as the Division advanced to the Mark River, October 31st. A coordinated attack over the Mark River at Standdaarbuiten, November 2, 1944, established a bridgehead. Zevenbergen was captured and the Maas River reached on November 5th. While the bulk of the Division moved near Aachen, Germany, elements remained to secure Moerdijk before being relieved on November 7th. The 104th attacked, November 16th, taking Stolberg in the Rhineland, Germany and pushing on against heavy resistance. Private Harold John Conrad was killed in action the next day on November 17, 1944. His family chose to repatriate his remains rather than a burial at an American Battle Monuments Commission Cemetery in Europe. He is interred at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Marlborough, Mass.

Harold John Conrad

Sources: findagrave history.army.mil – 104th Infantry Regt. honorstates.org