Peter Lamar ACRI

 

acri peter
NUMBER OF SERVICE33500924
AGE21 yo
DATE OF BIRTH6 October 1923
Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PENNSYLVANIA
ETATPENNSYLVANIA
FAMILY

Parents:  James Jesse Sr. & Bessie GRESO

Siblings: James Jesse Jr., Robert, Oscar, & Patrick

RANKPrivate First Class
FONCTIONInfantry
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENTApprentice ElectricianPA
DATE of ENLISTEMENT15 February 1943 Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PENNSYLVANIA
COMPANYCompany E
REGIMENT262nd Infantry Regiment
DIVISION66th Infantry Division
"Black Panther Division"
ARMY12th Army
DATE OF DEATH25 December 1944acri peter l mur
STATUSMIA
PLACE OF DEATHAt Sea Off Cherbourg
CEMETERYNORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
Wall of Missing-
DECORATION

Purple Heart

Photo FDLM

victory medal

combat infantryman badge

 

 

  

us army div 66 262ir

 

STORY

Peter Lamar Acri was born in 1923 to James Jesse Acri Sr. and Bessie Greso. He was active in Boy Scouts through his youth and later became an Assistant Scoutmaster.

He attended William Penn High School where he played Saxophone in the band and symphony orchestra. After high school, Peter became an electrician for HP Foley Company.

He and his friends decided to enlist in the army in 1943 but Peter was initially turned down for failing a urine test. Peter came back every day after for a week trying to enlist, having enough resilience that the officers sent special papers to have him enlisted. Eventually, he was put in the Army Air Force Training Group 713 before getting married to his High School sweetheart, Velma. Velma and Peter had a baby boy by the name of James Douglas Peter Acri, who was approximately 3 months old before Peter was reassigned and sent to the European Theatre.

Peter was one of the many victims of the SS Leopoldville incident on Christmas Eve, 1944.

His body was never recovered.

Acri peter Family

A Picture of Peter next to his wife and son.

 

memorial plaqueSee History of Leopoldville (Click on the picture)

div 66

66th  INFANTRY DIVISION - BLACK PANTHER  

 

Activated/Activé

 Normandy/Normandie

15 Apr 1943  Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  91
   Casualties/Victimes 1 452

Entered Combat/Entré au combat

 
1 Jan 1945  

Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux

Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (Apr 43 - Aug 45)
Maj. Gen. Walter F. Lauer (Aug 45 - inactivation) 5)

Campaigns/Campagnes

Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44)

   

PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP

carte campagne europe

DIVISION CHRONICLE


The three regiments of the 66th Infantry Division arrived in England, 26 November 1944, and the remainder of the Division, 12 December 1944, training until 24 December 1944 when the Division crossed the English Channel to Cherbourg. A German torpedo ripped into the transport as it was crossing the Channel, and 14 officers and 748 enlisted men were lost. Attached to the 12th Army Group and designated the 12th Army Group Coastal Sector, with operational control of all French forces in the area, the 66th relieved the 94th Division in the BrittanyLoire area, 29 December 1944. Its mission of containing the enemy in the St. Nazaire and Lorient pockets was carried out by daily reconnaissance patrols, limited objective attacks, and the maintenance of harassing and interdictory fires on enemy installations. A heavy German attack near La Croix was repulsed, 16 April 1945, and several strongly emplaced enemy positions were taken, 19-29 April 1945. Enemy troops in the Lorient and St. Nazaire pockets surrendered to the Division upon the end of hostilities in Europe, 8 May 1945. The 66th moved to Germany on occupation duty, in the Koblenz subarea, 20 May 1945, and left for Marseille, 26 May 1945. It sailed for home 27 October 1945.

CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION


Les trois régiments de la 66e division d'infanterie arrivent en Angleterre, le 26 novembre 1944, et le reste de la division, le 12 décembre 1944, s'entraînant jusqu'au 24 décembre 1944 lorsque la division traverse la Manche jusqu'à Cherbourg. Une torpille allemande s'est faufilée dans le convoi alors qu'elle traversait la Manche, et 14 officiers et 748 soldats ont été perdus. Attaché au 12ème Groupe d'Armée et désigné Secteur de la 12ème division du Groupe d'Armées, avec le contrôle opérationnel de toutes les forces françaises dans la région, le 66th a relevé la 94ème Division dans la région BrittanyLoire, le 29 décembre 1944. Sa mission Les poches de Nazaire et de Lorient ont été réalisées par des patrouilles de reconnaissance quotidiennes, des attaques objectives limitées et le maintien de feux de harcèlement et d'interception sur les installations ennemies. Une forte attaque allemande près de La Croix fut repoussée le 16 avril 1945 et plusieurs positions ennemies fortement implantées furent prises, du 19 au 29 avril 1945. Des troupes ennemies dans les poches de Lorient et de Saint-Nazaire se rendirent à la Division à la fin des hostilités en Europe , Le 8 mai 1945. Le 66ème émigra en Allemagne en service d'occupation, dans la sous-zone de Coblence, le 20 mai 1945, et partit pour Marseille, le 26 mai 1945. Il partit pour la maison le 27 octobre 1945.
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOArmydivs.squarespace.com

SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOLeopoldville Bookfamilysearch.orgLeopoldville.org, Garrett MAST
PROGRAMMERGarrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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