Robert frink
A pedestal mount with a 50 cal machine gun mount was in the back and on the front affixed to the bumper as a vertical piece of angle iron at the top of which was a sharpened hook. Our jeep, driven by Pfc Lionel Littlewas without a top and the windshield was folded in the down position. On that same morning, April 5th a courier run was being made to the city of Braunchweig to the north of us. This was near the town of Bad Lauterburg. On April 5th we found comfortable and dry billets in a German factory that formerly had manufactured hydrogen fuel for the German rockets. In early April we were reassigned to the 2nd Armored Division and within just a day or so were assigned back to the 8th Armored Division.
(By the end of the war our unit had shot down 87 German aircraft and a number of probables).
Most of our action involved protecting bridges over which our tanks had to pass. We were in constant action from that point onward and we were transferred to the 8th Armored Division on February 11, 1945. Since I was now a member of this unit with my brother I will refer to it as our unit. My brothers unit was part of the force that had, along with other forces, penned in about 60,000 Germans who were protecting the submarine pens at St. My ride was on top of equipment on a 6 X 6 truck through rain, mortar and artillery barrages for three days making our way to the Brittany peninsula and the town of Heric. The Red Ball Express was a famous transportation outfit that ran trucks of all sizes along those roads leading to the front delivering supplies, fuel, ammunition and rations to all the units of the invasion force. Reaching a tent of officers who were nothing but traffic directors my orders were read and I was told to head up the road and contact somebody in the Red Ball Express and have them take me toward the Brittany peninsula and watch for signs of my brothers unit, the 473rd AAA AW Bn (SP). The ship pulled up to one of the famous Mulberry docks that had been towed from England in the first days of the invasion.Īll the troops, including me, went topside and over the side on cargo nets. It's not hard to imagine what would have happened if we had been hit by artillery or a torpedo. This was a fairly large ship and the remarkable thing about it that below decks all the bulkheads were removed and you could see from the bow to the stern without seeing anything but me and infantrymen. My official War Department orders for me to be assigned to my twin brothers unit had their impact on the personnel people because I was released and sent on my way to South Hampton where on JI boarded a British vessel bound for Omaha Beach. This is the Sergeant Major's story in his own words: Survived an execution attempt by the NAZI SS. and Mrs.Chief Robert Frink, Sergeant Major of the Safeside Security Police. two sisters, Minnie Woods of Whiteville, Blanchie Thurman of Hallsboro six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.įriends may visit at the home of Mr. of Whiteville, David Richardson of Fayetteville, Terry Gene Richardson of Hampton, Va., Clifton Richardson of Newport News, Va. She is survived by her children, Joseph Junea Richardson, Robert Frink and Rachel Frink, all of Whiteville, Allison Edwards of Philadelphia, Pa. Burial will be in Belvue Cemetery in Chadbourn. There will be no viewing after the service. Thursday, June 16 in the chapel of Smith Funeral Home in Whiteville and Friday, June 17 one hour prior to the service at the association building. Friday, June 17 at the Brunswick Waccamaw Baptist Association building, 600 Pinelog Road, Whiteville with Dr. Richardson Frink, 61, died Sunday, Jat New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington.įinal rites will be held at 1 p.m.