Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-04-22
| oOth Division Saves
|47 Americans Taken
By Nazis in Ardennes
BY EDWARD d. BALL,
Associated Press War CORRESPONDENT,

ny EDWAND -. BALL,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH UNITED STATES Goth
DIVISION, April 21.-Freedom ar
rived just ahead of death from
starvation for a number of Ameri-
can soldiers in a German hospital
overrun by the Goth Division.
| Forty-seven American Doughboys,
captured in the Belgian break
through last December, were nber-
ated yesterday by the Goth. All of
them were suffering from acute NAL
nutrition, overwork and frequent
beatings administered by the Ger
mans, who had worked them in a
rock quarry.
Fifteen of the AZ were wasted away
to little more than living skeletons.
All OF the men were crawling with
lice; some still bore livid welts and
infected sores from the beatings by
German civilian and military guards.
Many Others Died.
The satisfaction of liberation was
doubled by the fact that one of the
two German soldiers who had been
most brutal was captured. The
other German was in hiding here
abouts today and the order went
out to get him-dead or alive.
The freed Americans said many
of their comrades died of malnutri-
ton. disease and mistreatment
while they shaved in the quarry at
Burgau. They estimated that out of
308 men originally employed there,
only 142 survived.
Medicos said some were in so ad-
vanced stage of starvation that
they could not have survived much
longer. One man died at Fusch-
muehl where the Americans stayed
for five days after they were aban-
doned by the Germans.
While the prisoners worked II
hours day in the quarry, they were
given two helpings of thin soup
daily plus one loaf of bread for five
men. On the march they were given
one loaf for 10 men and nothing else.
Clubbed With Rifles.
The men said that when, because
Of hunger. they were unable to work
as fast as the Germans demanded,
they were beaten with shovels,
dubbed with rifle butts and then
kicked when they were down.
One day group of Jewish pris-
oners, too weak to go into the
quarry, were prodded out of their
barracks by Germans with bay
onetS.
Tank-riding troops of the 357th
Infantry under 1t. Fred MCGUIRE
and Capt. Ralph Merrick, Akron,
Ohio, liberated the prisoners late
Friday. When word of their con-
dition reached regimental head
quarters, 1t. Col Gilbert Stricken,
New Glarus, Wis, gave priority
to ambulances to 60 into Fusch-
muehl, which was then in the front
lines, to bring them out.
On arriving back at the aid sta
ton early this morning, a number of
litter cases were too weak from
hunger and excitement to talk.
Others were only half-conscious.
Youth Is Delirious.
Il see only rainbows in those
lights ~ one delirious l9-year-eld1
said as he was brought into the
clearing room.
Medics passed around coffee and
cigarettes to those able to walk and
used tubes to feed those unable to
move from the filters.
A captured German guard sat In
a corner looking at the men. He
was perspiring freely. He had a
bandage around his head and his
nose had been bloodied. Somebody
said he had boil on his head.
The liberated Doughboys unani-
mously recommended for the Hall
Of Fame Pvt. Samuel Fahrer, New
York City. He had turned down a
chance to escape because he wanted
to stay and look after his COM
rades.
They said Pvt. Fahrer was re-
sponsible for keeping many men
alive. He had been forced to-
work in the rock quarry by the
Germans who accused him of "in-
science" when he asked that he be
permitted to use Red Gross parcel
which had belonged to dead
American to feed those who were
still living. The Germans kept the
parcel.
Freed Men Listed.
Following is partial list of lib
Grated men:
Pfc. James L. Watkins, Oakland,
Calf; Pfc. Joseph Guigno, Wal
than, Mass; Pfc. Daniel Steckler,
Brooklyn, N. Y; Pfc. Roy D. Moser,
Dorchester, Mass; Pvt. william
Mimic, Chicago; Pic. Harvey Yensel,
indianapolis, Ind; Pvt. Daniel Null
herin, Wilkes-Barre, Pa; Pfc. Leo
j. Miller, Ellenburg Depot, N. Y;
Pfc. Seymour kohn, New York City;
Pvt. Charles E. Turner, Mount Car
HI