Two men from Winchendon with similar names shared the same fate in WWII
WINCHENDON – Their surnames were quite comparable – Lafreniere and Lafrennie – and that was just one of several similarities these two soldiers from the town of Winchendon shared.
One was a native of the town, while the other moved only a few months after his birth. They also came from large families with a total of 18 siblings between them.
They may not have known one another, as six years separated them in age. However, one thing that they did share was the same year of their death – both killed in action during the costliest year for local soldiers during World War II – 1944.
Of the total of 183 soldiers being featured in this series, 85 of them died in 1944 and 10 of the 26 from Winchendon died that year.
This is the continuation of the series Remembering Local World War II Heroes.
Tech. Sgt. Oliver H. Lafreniere (1924-1944)
Oliver Henry Lafreniere was born on Sept. 25, 1924 in Winchendon, the son of Maxime and Antoinette C. (Plouffe) Lafreniere and the family lived at 42 Woodlawn Ave. in town.
He was from a large family that included four brothers, Ernest M., Anthony J., Douglas. A. and Richard A. Lafreniere, and six sisters, Germaine M. Hutchinson, Jeanette A. Ward, Beatrice M. Tatro, Pauline A. Laverge, Joanne E. Rajaniemi and Juanita F. Prentice.
Not much had been recorded of the young Lafreniere during the years he grew up in town. In fact, there were not even reports of his death while in the military in either the Winchendon Courier or The Gardner News.
According to later military reports, Lafreniere was a Technical Sergeant in the U.S. Army and died from war wounds on Jan. 16, 1944 at the age of 19.
Lafreniere was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Winchendon.
Pfc. Albert E. Lafrennie (1918-1944)
Albert E. Lafrennie was born on Aug. 24, 1918 in Springfield, Mass., the son of the late Allen J. and Matilda (Watson) Lafrennie. He moved to Winchendon when he was 7 months of age and the family lived at 4 Hale St.
He graduated from Murdock in 1937. Following graduation, he was employed for six years as a printer for the Charles E. Burt Company in Springfield.
His father, Allen J. Lafrennie Sr., died on May 31, 1942 at the age of 55. He was married to the former Mary Elizabeth Ryan of Springfield.
More: Winchendon honored those who sacrificed everything in World War II
He entered military service in February 1943 and went overseas on April 20, 1944. He was attached to the 89th Infantry Division out of Camp Swift, Texas. His last furlough was in January 1944.
He was reported killed at the age of 25 while in action on July 2, 1944 at Myitkyina, North Burma, according to a telegram from the War Department. He was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Aside from his mother and his wife, he was survived by five brothers: Sgt. Ralph C., who had been an aerial gunner in Corsica; Francis M., located at the time in the Pacific area; Allen, Charles and Paul of Winchendon, and three sisters, Mrs. Helen Dumont, Maybelle and Mary Lafrennie.
Comments and suggestions for Remembering Local World War II Heroes can be sent to Mike Richard at mikerichard0725@gmail.com or in writing to Mike Richard, 92 Boardley Road, Sandwich, MA 02563.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: WWII heroes from Winchendon Oliver Lafreniere and Albert E. Lafrennie
