Memorial

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Pfc Edwin F. Willert enlisted on 28 May 1941.

He was taken prisoner in Tunesia, North-Africa on 17 February 1943 and was helt in POW Camp Stalag III-B in Furstenberg (since 1961 the town is called Eisenhüttenstadt). This camp was evacuated in February 1945 and the prisoners were send to a school in Brandenburg am den Havel, that was used as the POW hospital. The building was bombed by the Americans, killing Pfc Willert.

He was buried in a marked grave at the Crematorium Cemetery, two miles outsite Brandenburg, together with 18 Americans and about 100 Allied prisoners who were all killed during the same bombing raid.

At first, on 26 September 1949, Willert's body was identified at the Ardennes Cemetery but further investigation of his dental records couldn't comfirm this identification for 100%. It was then decided to mark the body as unkown and transport it to another cemetery for final burial. It is believed that Pfc Willert is now buried as an unknown soldier at the American War Cemetery Ardennes, Grave D, Row 5, Grave 119.