Winchendon man died in Normandy invasion; another died on the USS Buck during WWII

WINCHENDON – The parents of Private Kenneth Clapp felt there was something amiss when they are received a letter from their son dated June 11, 1944 stating that he had been part of the Normandy invasion and “all is well with me.”

The letter, which had been written in pencil, appeared to be censored throughout with a large part of it cut out altogether. However, one of the lines in reference to the Normandy Invasion said that it was “no cinch.”

Pvt. Clapp had been serving with the 175th Infantry but later was transferred to the 116th. Mr. and Mrs. Clapp had several of their letters sent to the 175th Infantry returned to them with the statement “missing” on the letter.

While they would hold out hope that Kenneth would be found, he was sadly claimed during that same Normandy Invasion.

Three months later, another Winchendon native was lost aboard the U.S.S. Buck which was sunk off Salerno in the Mediterranean Sea.

This is the continuation of the series Remembering Local World War II Heroes.

Pvt. Kenneth F. Clapp (1925-1944)

Kenneth Frederick Clapp was born in Winchendon on March 19, 1925, the son of Frederick Leroy and Phoebe Beatrice (Mawhinnie) Clapp and lived at 22 Prospect St.

Clapp attended Murdock High School for freshman year before he transferred to Worcester Boys Trade from which he was graduated in June 1943 as a pattern maker. While at Trade, he was a member of the staff of “Trade Wind,” the school magazine, as well as president of Car-Ney Debating Society.

Also, while growing up in Winchendon, he was a member of the local Boy Scout Troop 35, where he also served as assistant scoutmaster. In addition, he was president of the Christian Endeavor group of the North Congregational Church.

Following his trade school graduation, he entered the U.S. Army on July 20, 1943 where he trained at Camp Fannin, Texas. While there, Pvt. Clapp was presented several medals for exceptional ability during his training period; expert machine gunner, mortar, bayonet, hand grenade and sharp shooter in automatic rifle and carbine rifle.

More: Winchendon man among three locals killed on USS Birmingham

He was sent overseas in January 1944 with the 175th Infantry but later was transferred to the 116th.

When Mr. and Mrs. Clapp had several letters returned from the 175th Infantry with the statement “missing,” they held out hope that Kenneth might still be found.

Unfortunately for his family, a late July telegram that reported him missing in action was followed up on Aug. 1 with another telling them that their son, Pvt. Kenneth Clapp, had been killed in action in Normandy on June 18.

Aside from his parents, he was also survived by two brothers, Raymond and Gerald.

Kenneth was originally interred in France, but was later removed and reinterred in a plot purchased by his parents in Riverside Cemetery, Winchendon, on May 4, 1948.

Chief ECO John F. Crawford (1910-1944)

John Fiske Crawford was born on Nov. 24, 1910 in Winchendon, the son of John D. and Ethel M. (Fiske) Crawford. His father, who was born in Milnthorpe, England, was a machinist.

He graduated from Murdock High in 1930 and was a member of the school’s football team. After high school he enrolled in an architectural course at Wentworth Institute from which he graduated in 1931 and then attended Boston University.

In 1933, he enlisted in the Navy, serving a four-year enlistment. Crawford married the former Iola Stewart in 1936, and two years later his father John D. Crawford died at the age of 64 following a short illness.

In 1939, John and Iola welcomed a daughter Joan, who was born in Owossom, Washington where Crawford had been living.

He later reenlisted on Aug. 1, 1940 and was in action in the Mediterranean where he was the Chief Fire Controlman on the USS Buck. The ship was reported missing in the Tyrrhenian Sea on Oct. 9, 1944, sinking off Salerno, which was a port city southeast of Naples, and 33-year-old Chief ECO Crawford was lost at sea.

He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Lazio, Italy.

The following July, a service was held in his honor at the First Congregational Church in Old Center.

In addition to his wife and daughter, he was survived by his mother and two sisters, Frances Murphy and Marjorie Goddard.

His widow Iola later remarried Kencil Ralph Barnes in 1951 and lived in Michigan until her death in 1982.

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: Winchendon men died in World War II one in Normandy, one on USS Buck