88th division Veteran - how to find out more ?

[all1knew]

Hello all,

Is there a way to find out any information on a soldier named Albert Cousins that fought with the 88th division?

William Kramer

[RelicHunter]

Which war?

I know some of the 88th Division as its from my state.

[Luftm40]

Do you know his middle initial?

[all1knew]

Hello again,

World War Two, and this is the only additional information I have:

1925 and died in 1973.

William Kramer

[RelicHunter]

Found him:

Albert L. Cousins, Jr.
New York Tec 5 AT Co 349 Inf WW II

Birth: Apr. 6, 1925
Death: Jan. 10, 1973
Spouse: Concetta M Cousins (1926 - 2006)

Burial:
Mount View Cemetery
Olean
Cattaraugus County
New York, USA
Plot: Field of Honor-317

[all1knew]

Hello again,

Thank you very much. So he was part of the 88th then?

(I'm sorry if that's an ignorant question but I don't know much about US military units)

William Kramer

[RelicHunter]

Originally Posted by all1knew

Hello again,

Thank you very much. So he was part of the 88th then?

(I'm sorry if that's an ignorant question but I don't know much about US military units)

William Kramer

Yup, the 349th was an infantry regiment in the 88th Division.

They fought in Italy during WW2 with their primary campaigns being the following:
Rome-Arno
North-Apennines
Po Valley

[all1knew]

Originally Posted by RelicHunter

Yup, the 349th was an infantry regiment in the 88th Division.

They fought in Italy during WW2 with their primary campaigns being the following:
Rome-Arno
North-Apennines
Po Valley

well he picked up a German Para helmet in Italy and was with the 88th I was told so that story is legit thus far. Did they participate in Monte Cassino by chance? Was told that's where the helmet actually came from.

Also, any chance I could see if he was decorated for valor during the war?

William Kramer

[RelicHunter]

The 349th did fight at Monte Cassino I believe.

Any further information on him you're probably going to have to request from the National Archives or from some other local government office.

I would suggest starting with the city of Olean in Cattaraugus County, New York.

You should be able to find a newspaper clipping of his obituary around the week he died. The state archives, newspaper for that county, or a local library should have that on file somewhere and they should be able to get a copy for you. That may clue you in as to whether he was awarded anything. But it may not. Beyond that, you'll need to request his service records, if they even exist.

[all1knew]

Originally Posted by RelicHunter

The 349th did fight at Monte Cassino I believe.

Any further information on him you're probably going to have to request from the National Archives or from some other local government office.

I would suggest starting with the city of Olean in Cattaraugus County, New York.

You should be able to find a newspaper clipping of his obituary around the week he died. The state archives, newspaper for that county, or a local library should have that on file somewhere and they should be able to get a copy for you. That may clue you in as to whether he was awarded anything. But it may not. Beyond that, you'll need to request his service records, if they even exist.

Thank you for all of your help!

[TheCleaner]

Originally Posted by all1knew

Also, any chance I could see if he was decorated for valor during the war?

William Kramer

At www.archives.gov you can request his records. Every record from 1950 and below are public, next year it'll be 1951 and so on. In my experience they don't always find every decoration given, you might have to read the handwritten files through in order to find them all.

[Dave Danner]

The 349th did not fight at Monte Cassino. They entered the line on the southern side of the Gustav Line, near Minturno near the coast. Cassino is on the northern end, overlooking the Liri Valley from the north. Some elements of the 88th did serve briefly on the Cassino front, but this was mainly the 2nd Battalion, 351st Infantry and some artillery, which supported the New Zealanders and French there before rejoining the division for the main drive in May 1944.

The 88th Infantry Division participated in the drive on Rome from Minturno, driving with the 85th ID along the coast to link up with Allied forces in Anzio. French forces broke through the mountains between the coast and the Liri Valley to the right of the 88th and 85th, forcing the Germans to pull back from the Gustav Line or be outflanked. Polish forces moved through the mountains north of the Liri Valley to take Cassino, and British and Canadian forces then breached the Gustav Line and moved through the Liri Valley.

[tredhed2]

I have the WW 2 hx The Blue Devils in Italy. It lists everyone who was decorated in the entire division by unit. I did not see your man's name listed in any of the units.

[Luftm40]

Here is his enlistment data. The # at the top is his Army Service # (ASN), and can be used to request his record:



42025587
NAME COUSINS#ALBERT#L#JR##### COUSINS#ALBERT#L#JR#####
RESIDENCE: STATE 23 NEW YORK
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 009 CATTARAUGUS
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 2309 BUFFALO NEW YORK
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 22 22
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 09 09
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 43 43
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private
GRADE: CODE 8 Private
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION NO# No branch assignment
BRANCH: CODE 02 No branch assignment
FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
LONGEVITY ### ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
NATIVITY 23 NEW YORK
YEAR OF BIRTH 25 25
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
EDUCATION 2 2 years of high school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 340 Gardeners and grounds keepers, parks, cemetaries, etc.
MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)
CARD NUMBER # #
BOX NUMBER 1492 1492
FILM REEL NUMBER 8.4## 8.4##