Robert Downey was my grandmother's cousin.
Son of Alphonso Boniface "Faunt" Downey and Ellen L. Cornett.
He was inducted into the Army 45th Division of New Mexico and West Texas Engineers in January 1942 and was trained at El Paso, Texas (Fort Bliss). First assigned in North Africa. His Division was a part of the Sicilian Campagn, the object was to take Monte Casino on the coast of Italy. Because of the Monastery there, our forces were not allowed to bomb Monte Casino and the Germans had a huge military buildup there. While crossing Sicily in preparation for the invasion of Italy, Bob was on a forward patrol scouting for enemy positions and finding locations for our troops to move into. Several men on this patrol, including Bob, were killed by sniper fire. He was killed on July 26, 1943, his 30th birthday. He was first buried in Sicily, and then in 1947 brought back to the stated and reburied in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at Point Loma, in San Diego, California.
Son of Alphonso Boniface "Faunt" Downey and Ellen L. Cornett.
He was inducted into the Army 45th Division of New Mexico and West Texas Engineers in January 1942 and was trained at El Paso, Texas (Fort Bliss). First assigned in North Africa. His Division was a part of the Sicilian Campagn, the object was to take Monte Casino on the coast of Italy. Because of the Monastery there, our forces were not allowed to bomb Monte Casino and the Germans had a huge military buildup there. While crossing Sicily in preparation for the invasion of Italy, Bob was on a forward patrol scouting for enemy positions and finding locations for our troops to move into. Several men on this patrol, including Bob, were killed by sniper fire. He was killed on July 26, 1943, his 30th birthday. He was first buried in Sicily, and then in 1947 brought back to the stated and reburied in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at Point Loma, in San Diego, California.
Robert Downey was my grandmother's cousin.
Son of Alphonso Boniface "Faunt" Downey and Ellen L. Cornett.
He was inducted into the Army 45th Division of New Mexico and West Texas Engineers in January 1942 and was trained at El Paso, Texas (Fort Bliss). First assigned in North Africa. His Division was a part of the Sicilian Campagn, the object was to take Monte Casino on the coast of Italy. Because of the Monastery there, our forces were not allowed to bomb Monte Casino and the Germans had a huge military buildup there. While crossing Sicily in preparation for the invasion of Italy, Bob was on a forward patrol scouting for enemy positions and finding locations for our troops to move into. Several men on this patrol, including Bob, were killed by sniper fire. He was killed on July 26, 1943, his 30th birthday. He was first buried in Sicily, and then in 1947 brought back to the stated and reburied in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at Point Loma, in San Diego, California.
Son of Alphonso Boniface "Faunt" Downey and Ellen L. Cornett.
He was inducted into the Army 45th Division of New Mexico and West Texas Engineers in January 1942 and was trained at El Paso, Texas (Fort Bliss). First assigned in North Africa. His Division was a part of the Sicilian Campagn, the object was to take Monte Casino on the coast of Italy. Because of the Monastery there, our forces were not allowed to bomb Monte Casino and the Germans had a huge military buildup there. While crossing Sicily in preparation for the invasion of Italy, Bob was on a forward patrol scouting for enemy positions and finding locations for our troops to move into. Several men on this patrol, including Bob, were killed by sniper fire. He was killed on July 26, 1943, his 30th birthday. He was first buried in Sicily, and then in 1947 brought back to the stated and reburied in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at Point Loma, in San Diego, California.
Family Members
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
