RESIDENCE (DURING WWII):
Xenia, Ohio
FULL NAME:
Franklin L. Cornwell
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER (ASN):
0-1284669
- DATE OF BIRTH: Jun 2, 1920
- DATE OF DEATH: Jun 19, 1944
DATE / PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:
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DATE OF ENLISTMENT:Oct 20, 1940
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PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:Xenia, Ohio
ORGANIZATION:
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MAIN UNIT:23rd Infantry Regiment
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SUBUNIT:Company A, 1st Battalion
RANK / POSITION IN UNIT (LAST KNOWN):
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RANK:Captain (Cpt.)
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POSITION IN UNIT:Company Commander
BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS:
✭ Normandy Campaign (6 June – 24 July 1944)
DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS (AWARDS):
🎖Bronze Star Medal, 🎖Purple Heart, 🎖European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, 🎖Combat Infantry Badge
SUMMARY OF HIS SERVICE:
Franklin Cornwell was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of American and active in ROTC before graduating Hight School. He initially enlisted in the Ohio National Guard that started his Military Service.
He was KIA in a German bombing of his unit while moving forward with orders to advance toward Hill 192 an important objective to enable Allied Forces to advance toward St. Lo. Captain Cornwell was the Operations Officer for the Battalion and the Commanding Officer of Company A in the 1st Battalion commanded by Major Henry G. Spencer. The Division and the Battalion received orders to participate in an offensive to secure Hill 192. The plan that was laid out was to have the Artillery Units of three Divisions totaling 20 Battalions of Artillery lay down a rolling barrage of shelling just ahead of the troops who would advance into the enemy controlled area to secure Hill 192. Early in the morning of June 19th, 1944, Capt. Cornwell and others were killed by artillery bombing as they lead the advance of their troops forward toward the enemy in the Hedgerows below Hill 192, which was about 500 yards away. My grandfather was known as Frank by many in his unit. In addition much of what I know about his time in the 2nd Infantry Division was learned by reading the book "Nineteen Days in June 1944" by Henry G. Spencer. Henry G. Spencer was my grandfather's Commanding Officer as Major over the 1st Battalion.
