Records on 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division ("Yankee" Division) Technical Sergeant George T. Handford

Question

I'm searching for information on Technical Sergeant George T. Handford. He served in the 101st Infantry Regiment during WWII and was KIA on March 16, 1945. I've found where the 101st regiment was advancing into southwestern Germany at the time but I've not found much else. The family lore is that he was killed during the Battle of the Bulge but the timeline doesn't add up to that. 
 Any information or starting points or other tips for how to research would be greatly appreciated.

Dave Smoot · Answer

Greetings and thank you for posting your question on History Hub. 
 I can't tell you where exactly the event happened but I can narrow it down for you quite a bit. You are right in that the timeline does not add up. The Battle of the Bulge hasdended several weeks before the event that you are asking about. 
 Two men, Carl P. DeVasto, and David J. Clymer, both WWII veterans of the 101st Infantry Regiment, prepared a list of locations for the regimental headquarters during the war. You can find this at. http://yd-info.net/page5/page21/page22/index.html On March 14, the headquarters was at Serrig, in the modern German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. On March 17, the regimental headquarters was at Mettlach, in the modern German state of Saarland. 
 In between the two dates, on March 16, 1945, the regimental headquarters was at, "pillbox". No further description, just, "pillbox". The 101st was doing battle within the Siegfried Line at the time. With the help of a good map of the area, you should be able to focus on a small area within which the event likely happened. 
 As an aside, you perhaps already know this but TSgt Handford, serial number 20742439, according to the American Battlefield Monuments Commission, currently rests in the Lorraine American Cemetery in St Avold, France in Plot B, Row 24, Grave 25. 
 Dave S. 
 History Hub Research Volunteer.

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

sthandford 
 
 Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 
 
 Military service personnel files and individual medical reports for the period in which you are interested are in the custody of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. You should complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail to the Military Personnel Records, National Personnel Records Center, 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. You may also apply online . Please be aware that there was a fire at the Records Center in 1973 and some records were destroyed. 
 
 Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPFs) for the U.S. Army for the period 1940-1976 for U.S. Army personnel with surnames that begin with the letters A-L are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL), 1 Archives Drive, Room 340, St. Louis, MO 63138; Phone: 314-801-0850; Fax: 314-801-9187; email: stl.archives@nara.gov . 
 
 Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPFs) for the U.S. Army for the period 1940-1976 for U.S. Army personnel with surnames that begin with the letters M-Z are in the legal custody of the Department of the U.S. Army. Requests for these files must be made using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and submitted to the Department of the Army, US Army Human Resources Command, ATTN: AHRC-FOIA, 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Department 107, 
 Fort Knox KY 40122. Requests may also be submitted via email to the following address: usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.foia@army.mil . When submitting your request please be sure to include the following: (1) State that you are requesting access to the file under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA; (2) Provide the full name of the individual, their date of death, and service number, if available; (3) State your willingness to pay applicable fees; (4) Include a daytime telephone number in case they need to contact you. 
 
 You may also wish to consult the relevant volume(s) of the U.S. Army&rsquo;s official history of World War II, U.S. Army in World War II. Known colloquially as the &ldquo;green books,&rdquo; these volumes can be invaluable in assisting the layman in understanding military operations during a particular phase of World War II. The &ldquo;green books&rdquo; are available electronically and without charge via the website of the U.S. Army&rsquo;s Center of Military History located at the following 
 URL: https://history.army.mil/index.html . 
 
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 We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! 
 
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 Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) 
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