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Cecil Earle “Buddy” McMahan
Unit: 17 Engr Bn 2nd Armd Div, C.O. of Company A Rank: CaptainBorn: 07/17/1918
Biographical Info
Gravestone McMahan
Memorial with Cecil McMahan (courtesy: http://genealogytrails.com)
Colbert County Courthouse
Cecil McMahan
McMahan at Tidworth Barracks Engeland, june, may 1944 S. Benninger
Location grave at the Cemetary Oakwood Cemetery Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Alabama, USA:
Where was Captain Cecil “Buddy” McMahan killed in Action?
Phase: Phase I – The “Break-Through”
On july 25th the company D and B were south of Pont Herbert, Normandy, sweeping mines and filling bomb craters on roads and making by-passes through hedgerows for the armored columns. Company A and Company C were heading for Canisy and St Gilles. “Company A was pulling in bivouac near Les Mesnil-Herman on july the 27th when a heavy incoming artillery barrage killed Capt. Cecil E. McHahan and five man of Company A, and wounded several others.”
(Source: 17th Armored Engineer Battalion Unit History.)
Combat Command B was with Company B (from the 17th Engineers) preparing an assault on Pont Brocard, Notre Dame le Cenilly, area around Legronne and Cambernon.
The roads were mined and some roads were in bad shape as a result of the bombing, during the night of july 26th on 27th the Engieers worked to remove mines and to make the passable.
(Source: Book “Hell on Wheels, the 2nd Armored Division by Donald E Houston, 1977.)
Summary
The Unit History cleary states what happend to Captain Cecil “Buddy” McMahan, his was killed in action during a artillery bombardment at Le Mesnil-Herman on 27th of july 1944.
Location where Captain Cecil “Buddy” McMahan was killed (supposably) Les Mesnil-Herman, Normandy France:
Temorary Grave Captain Cecil “Buddy” McMahan at Saint Maire Eglise No. 2, Normandy France on 28th july 1944
McMahan Temporary Grave
Official casualty list
Official Casualtylist – Colbert- Alabama detail
Official Casualtylist – Colbert- Alabama
Official Burial Notice
Cecil E McMahan Burial notice
Cecil E McMahan KIA
Headstone Application Card
Headstone Application McMahan
The location of the house in the year where Captain Cecil “Buddy” McMahan lived with the family, as a 21 year old Student Alabama Polytechnic Institute:
Adress: 718 N Main Street, Tuscumbia, AL 35674, United States
Info from FindaGrave.com
Buddy played football in high school at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, and was recruited to play university football at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). He played college football in 1939 and 1940, and was an outstanding athlete. He left Auburn and entered the service in 1941.
US Sensus 1920
Household |
Role |
Sex |
Age |
Birthplace |
| S H Mcmahan | Head | M | 38 | Alabama |
| Cecil E Mcmahan | Wife | F | 31 | Alabama |
| Willie H Mcmahan | Son | M | 12 | Alabama |
| Sam Mcmahan | Son | M | 10 | Alabama |
| Warren Mcmahan | Son | M | 8 | Tennessee |
| Polly Mcmahan | Daughter | F | 4 | Tennessee |
| Cecil Mcmahan | Son | M | 2 | Tennessee |
US Sensus 1920 McMahan
US Sensus 1930
| Name | Cecil E Mc Mahan | |||
| Event Type | Census | |||
| Event Date | 1930 | |||
| Event Place | Tuscumbia, Colbert, Alabama, United States | |||
| Gender | Male | |||
| Age | 11 | |||
| Marital Status | Single | |||
| Race | White | |||
| Race (Original) | White | |||
| Relationship to Head of Household | Son | |||
| Relationship to Head of Household (Original) | Son | |||
| Birth Year (Estimated) | 1919 | |||
| Birthplace | Tennessee | |||
| Father’s Birthplace | Alabama | |||
| Mother’s Birthplace | Alabama | |||
| Sheet Letter | A | |||
| Sheet Number | 2 | |||
| Sam H Mc Mahan | Male | 48 | Married | White | Head | 1882 | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | |||||
| Cecil W Mc Mahan | Female | 41 | Married | White | Wife | 1889 | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| William H Mc Mahan | Male | 22 | Single | White | Son | 1908 | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| Samuel H Mc Mahan Jr. | Jr | Male | 20 | Single | White | Son | 1910 | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | ||
| Warren Mc Mahan | Male | 18 | Single | White | Son | 1912 | Tennessee | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| Lucy W Mc Mahan | Female | 14 | Single | White | Daughter | 1916 | Tennessee | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| Cecil E Mc Mahan | Male | 11 | Single | White | Son | 1919 | Tennessee | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| Donald Mc Mahan | Male | 6 | Single | White | Son | 1924 | Tennessee | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| Sibyl A Mc Mahan | Female | 1 | Single | White | Daughter | 1929 | Tennessee | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 | |||
| Pearl Mc Kinney | Female | 31 | White | Cook | 1899 | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | A | 2 |
US Sensus 1930 McMahan
US Sensus 1940
| Sam H Mcmahan | Male | 58 | Married | White | Head | Alabama | 1882 | |||
| Ceciel Mcmahan | Female | 51 | Married | White | Wife | Alabama | 1889 | Same House | ||
| Warren Mcmahan | Male | 28 | Single | White | Son | Tennessee | 1912 | Same House | ||
| Cecil Mcmahan | Male | 21 | Single | White | Son | Tennessee | 1919 | Same House | ||
| Donald Mcmahan | Male | 16 | Single | White | Son | Tennessee | 1924 | Same House | ||
| Syble Mcmahan | Female | 11 | Single | White | Daughter | Tennessee | 1929 | Same House |
US Sensus 1940 McMahan
Enlistment details
Unknown
Pictures
Research © by: Martijn Brandjes
Text © by: Martijn Brandjes
Photos © by: Findagrave.com, familysearch.org