Roy L Basham
Awards and Citations: Purple Heart
Enlisted: 12/05/1942
Deceased: 7/28/1944 (KIA) Killed in action
Location: Pont-Hébert, Normandy, France
Hometown: Grayson, Kentucky
Army Serial Number: 6472162
Burial:Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Colleville-sur-Mer
Departement du Calvados
Basse-Normandie, France
Plot: Plot I Row 8 Grave 6
GPS (lat/lon): 49°21’38.1″N 0°51’34.7″W
Biografische informatie
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Ohio County Kentucky War Memorial in Hartford Kentucky
Location grave Staffsergeant Roy L Basham Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Location where Roy L Basham lived as an 4 year old with his family in the year 1910:
Where was Staffsergeant Roy L Basham killed in action:
Combat Command ”A” was to be the divisional’s big stick in the coming operation, so had an Engineer Company assigned to each of its columns. Co. ”A” on the right and Co. ”C” on the left. Co. ”B” was with the Combat Command ”B” and Co. ”D” with the 82nd Rcn Bn. After a long march from the La Mine area, the companies proceeded in column to Pont Herbert and vicinity 25 July, where after a terrific bombardment of the enemy lines a little south, the Infantry Divisions pushed off and were shortly afterwards followed by our armoured columns. Bomb craters were everywhere, and Engineer platoons and bull dozers kept forward fixing roads or making by-passes through the hedgerow; also sweeping for mines. Proceeding through Saint- Gilles and Canisy, the right column of CC. ”A” was pulling into bivouac near Le Mesnil Herman 27 July.
“The BSO (Battalion Signals Officer), Captain Thomas W. Kelly, Jr. and two men from Headquarters Company were killed together by enemy bombing near Pont Herbert, France, 28 July 1944”
(Source: 17th Armored Engineer Battalion Unit History)
Summary
Our research revealed that the other two man, stated in the 17th Engineers Unit History, who were killed are Private Eldon W. Akins and Staffsergeant Roy Basham.
Location where Staffsergeant Roy L Basham was killed in action:
Enlistment details
Race: White
Birth: 1907
Residence: Grayson County, Kentucky
Height: 69 inch
Weight: 153 lbs
Civilian Occupation: Tobacco products manufacturing occupations
Marital Status: Married
Education: Grammer School
Citizenship: U.S. Citizen
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Enlistment date: 12/05/1942
Enlistment Term: Enlistment for duration of War plus six months.
Newspaper article
Mrs J.J,Miller Deanefield, has received word that her brother, Sgt. Roy Basham, has arived safely overseas.
Roy Basham Burial notice detail
Temporary Grave at La Cambe, Normandy, France 30 july 1944
Newspaper article
Sgt. Roy Basham Killed In France Sgt. Roy Basham, formerly of Deanfield, was killed in action in France July 28, according to word received by his sister, Mrs. J. J. Miller, of Deanfield. Sgt. Basham, who was with the Engineer department, had been in the Army 26 years and overseas 22 months. Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Jean Basham, San Antonio, Tex., three sisters. Mrs. Miller, Mrs. B. B. Jett, Hopkinsville, and Mrs. Ada Vincent, Lafe, Ark., and one brother Floyd Basham, Livermore.

Roy Basham – Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, Daviess, Kentucky, United States of America) · 9 May 1945,
— Sgt. Roy Basham, Deanefield, killed in action in France.
Official Casualtylist Georgia, Burke County, United States
Houshold with the family where Roy L Basham lived as an 4 year old:
CENSUS 1910 Household family | Role | Gender | Age | Birthplace |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elbert D Basham | Head | M | 32 | Kentucky |
Sarah A Basham | Wife | F | 36 | Kentucky |
Zelmes H Basham | Daughter | F | 12 | Kentucky |
Effie M Basham | Daughter | F | 7 | Kentucky |
Clarence G Basham | Son | M | 6 | Kentucky |
Roy L Basham | Son | M | 4 | Kentucky |
————
Research and photos© by: Moos Raaijmakers & Martijn Brandjes
Text© by: Martijn Brandjes