Gilbert M. Blore

TECHNICIAN FOURTH CLASS GILBERT M. BLORE was born in 1917 in New Jersey to James P. and Mary Ella Blore. His grandfather was the late Nelson Johnson, who had been a partner in the Johnson & Holt Iron Works at the foot of Elm Street in North Camden. Gilbert Blore was the fifth child, there were four older brothers. At the time of the 1920 census the Blore family was renting a home on Haddonfield Road in Delaware Township (Cherry Hill) NJ, and James Blore was working as an electrical engineer in a factory. By 1930 the family had moved to Voorhees Township NJ, where the family had purchased a house on Lotus Avenue. Two more children had joined the family, a son and a daughter, and oldest son James Jr. had gone to work as draftsman. Both James Sr. and James Jr. were working for an electrical manufacturing company. By the time of the war Gilbert Blore had moved to 531 York Street, in Camden NJ.

Gilbert Blore was inducted in 1941. He was assigned to the HQ Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division. He went overseas with his unit in October of 1943.

Gilbert Blore died of wounds received in action on August 13, 1944. He was survived by his mother, Mary Blore, and siblings. At the time of his death, his brother John was serving with a medical unit in New Guinea, and brother Lester was stationed at Fort Bragg NC. His death was reported in the September 11, 1944 edition of the Camden Courier-Post.

HQ COMPANY:
a WW2 Unit History
by Lt. Robert "Bud" Flynn
of the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division
(from Normandy to the Ardennes- August '44-March '45)

AUGUST, 1944

The 28th Division, of which the 112th Regiment was a part, arrived in France on July 24th, about six weeks after the D-Day invasion.  This was a period of stalemate, in which the Allies, having secured a significant beachhead in Normandy, were yet surrounded by a determined and entrenched German force.  The Allied offensive of early July was designed to "breakout" of Normandy pocket and eventually drive the German army back across.  The battle was waged in a region known as the Bocage, and is sometimes called the Battle of the Hedgerows, for these mighty mechanized armies were often stymied by the tall hedgerows that surrounded each field and provided cover for enemy forces.  The fighting here was particularly bitter and exhausting, but finally the "breakout" was achieved.  The next phase would be the "breakthrough."  After much heroic effort the Allied forces would extend their line across the Cotentin Peninsula in northwest France and begin to drive the enemy eastward.  At this point the 28th in thrown into the action.  Mostly fresh from the states, their battlefield efforts do not at first satisfy the high command.  But on August 1 they help to take the town of Percy, then moving gradually eastward they are involved in serious fighting around Gathemo on the 10th, this last being a part of the effort to completely surround and crush a portion of the German Army in the Falaise Pocket.  It was a significant defeat for the German Army, and forced them to hurriedly withdraw eastward.  Thus, from mid-August to mid-September the story is one of German retreat (Lt. Flynn calls it "their famous retrograde action") and Allied pursuit.  As a result, a sense of optimism spreads through the troops, a feeling that the tide had indeed turned.  The month of August culminates with the the Division's triumphal parade through Paris on the 28th.  By the end of the month they are still in pursuit of the back-pedaling and apparently doomed German Army.

Unit History for August, 1944 
Hq. Co., 2nd Bn., 112th Inf.
APO #28  US Army

17 September 1944
Subject: Unit History, August 1944
To: S-1, 112 Infantry

On the 1st we are still engaged in battle begun the night before on Hill 210 near Maupartuia.  The enemy had good observation of the hill from positions on higher ground, and had been putting plenty of 88 shells fire into our position. Tree bursts were responsible for a large percentage of the casualties.  No fatalities occurred here, but the following were wounded: 1st Lt. McShane, T/Sgt. Fornabaie, S/Sgt. Busch, Cpl. Riley, PFC Coseboon, PFC McConnell, PFC Pennington, and Pvt. Counte.

During that night, the enemy withdrew, and the following morning we advanced to a point one mile from St. Martin, where we again ran into heavy enemy resistance.  Capt. Francis, our company commander, 1st Lt. Nelson, S-2, T/5 Haiman, and PFC Owen Paul were wounded.  That night the enemy again pulled out, due to our mortar and machine gun fire, supplemented by supporting artillery and plenty of bombing by p-47s.  No sound is more heartening than that of our own artillery ("Outgoing Mail") swishing overhead, and no sight is more welcome to our eyes than that of our planes diving into an enemy position to strafe or "lay a few eggs."

The next morning we advanced on foot to La Chienne de la Plaine where units of the 2nd Armored Division were engaged in a firefight with the enemy.  We remained there for the night.

The following morning, August 4, we advanced to Le Mesnil, running into heavily mined and booby-trapped area on the way.  Lt. Hedman was made Company Commander, and Lt. Robert F. Flynn of E Company was transferred to us to be Transportation Officer, and Company executive.

On the 5th, we advanced to a position at St. Manvieu de Bocage, still  encountering plenty of mines, booby-traps, and 88 fire.

On the 6th, we advanced toward Hill 193, SE of Manvieu de Bocage and again ran into heavy resistance.  We were held up for a time by a farm at which Captain Plaskew was wounded by a tree burst of an 88 shell, Lt. Miller, was also wounded, and PFC Watts was killed by the same burst.  Sgt. Plansky, PFC Stanik, and Pvt.  Ogden were killed by 88 fire.  That evening we continued the advance, and reached our objective under cover of darkness.  S/Sgt. Harden, T/5 Slimmer, PFCs Bills and Wall, and Pvt. Mackell were all wounded.  PFC Holumzer became sick and was evacuated.

On the 7th we received replacements.

On the 8th, we advanced toward La Juliere, but had to withdraw slightly, due to heavy enemy mortar fire.  PFC Allen accidentally shot himself in the foot, and was evacuated.  Pvt. Markham was evacuated due to sickness.  S/Sgt. Zande and Pvt. Peltz were both killed, and S/Sgt. Cohen, and PFCs Hellmuth and Scheffner were injured due to enemy fire.

On the 9th, we advanced to hill 246, which is several miles south of St. Germain de Tallevende.  We encountered plenty of 88 and sniper fire here, and remained for the night.  The following morning we advanced toward RW 338, which is due south of Hill 246.  We were again held up by enemy fire.  PFC Kambeitz and Pvt. Koval were both wounded.  Pvt. Smith died of wounds received on the 11th.  On the 12th we crossed the E-W highway that comes into RJ 338, but were forced to withdraw by friendly artillery fire.  As a result of this, the enemy, whom (sic) had been caught off guard, had a chance to reorganize, and we were unable to advance the following day.  Lt. Col. Dreibelbiss, our Battalion Commander, S/Sgt. Burke, T/4 Blore, and PFC Poskie were wounded in action.  T/5 Todd and PFC Gregor were both killed, and PFC Kirby was listed as missing.

Technician Fourth Class Gilbert M. Blore died of his wounds the next day, August 13, 1944. He is buried in France.