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name
SIMCOX, Charles Franklin - Date of
birth
22 October 1922 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Mortonville, Chester County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Mortonville, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
33325634 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Squad Leader -
Unit
A Company,
1st Battalion,
317th Infantry Regiment,
80th Infantry Division
-
Awards
Distinguished Service Cross,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 December 1944 - Place of
death
unknown
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 3 | 24 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Charles F. Simcox (father)
Emma G. (Brown) Simcox (mother)
Alice Simcox (sister)
Elwood F. Simcox (brother)
Amos R. Simcox (brother)
Sara E. Simcox (sister)
Marion Simcox (sister)
Eleanor M. Simcox (sister)
Walter Simcox (brother)
Estelle M. Simcox (sister)
Edward Simcox (brother)
Stephen Simcox (brother)
More information
S/Sgt Charles F. Simcox attended West Chester Junior High School but had to leave school early to help his family because of the depression and started working at the Bickham Paper Mills in Downington.He enlisted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 1 August 1942.
He was wounded in action on 16 September 1944 and returned to duty after recovery. At that time he was still a private first class.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Medal posthumously for extraordinary heroism in action against enemy forces in France, on 15 September 1944. During action near Pont-a-Mousson, France, Sgt Simcox advanced upon two enemy soldiers, killed one as he attempted to run and then turned his BAR upon the other one as he was mounting a machine gun and killed him with an accurate burst. He courageously continued his aggressive actions killing a third German soldier and then eliminated another group of four with fire from a captured machine gun. Later that evening while on patrol Sgt Simcox fired into a seven-man German patrol, killing several, but was seriously wounded himself.
Source of information: Leo Minne, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com – 1930 Census / U.S. Headstone and Interment Record / U.S. Draft Cards Young Men / Pennsylvania Veteran Compensation Applications, www.80thdivision.com
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Luxembourg American Cemetery, https://abmceducation.org/understandingsacrifice/soldier/charles-f-simcox