PVT Charles William Reynolds (WWII)

Remembering PVT Charles William Reynolds (Fairmont/Crossroads)

March 16, 1914 - August 27, 1944

----

PVT Charles William Reynolds (service #35847826) was born in Fairmont, WV on March 16, 1914, the son of William and Lessie (Lake) Reynolds. William, a farmer, lived with his family on what was listed on census records as Goose Creek (1920-1950 censuses), but more specifically, on what is now Levels Road, near Cross Roads.

In 1929, Charles' only brother, Robert, died at age 17 of influenza and pneumonia.

Charles attended East Fairmont High School for three years (Enlistment Record), and likely would have been in the graduating class of 1932 if he had completed his time there.

Charles married Pauline Emma Tatterson on July 27, 1933. Three years later, in 1936, they welcomed a daughter named Patricia. Their family lived next door to Charles' parents, William and Lessie, on the family farm, while Charles worked as an apprentice mold maker at Owens-Illinois (1940 Census, Draft Card).

Military Service:

PVT Charles William Reynolds entered the draft on October 16, 1940, at which time he was 5'11" and 148 lbs, with brown eyes, black hair, and light skin. 

He enlisted in Clarksburg, WV on December 31, 1943 according to enlistment records, but the book Young American Patriots records his entry into the Army as January 21, 1944. 

Charles trained in Camp Blanding (Florida) and England before traveling to France, where he was part of the landing on Utah Beach with the 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division.

Charles was killed in the line of service near Fontenay-Saint Père on August 27, 1944. According to his Hospital Admission Form, Charles was struck by a bullet that penetrated his small intestine, and died despite the best efforts of medical staff who performed a laparotomy on him. 

Legacy and Survivors:

PVT Charles William Reynolds is officially buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in France. He also shares a gravestone (cenotaph) with his beloved wife, Pauline, at the Mount Zion Cemetery in Fairmont, WV.

Charles was survived by his wife, Pauline, and their eight-year-old daughter, Patricia. Pauline never remarried. He was also survived by his parents, and one sister, Mildred Reynolds (Dennis). 

Within two months of Charles' death, Pauline's brother-in-law, John Edwin West (KIA 8/29/1944) and brother, Carl Tatterson (POW 10/20/1944), were also killed in the line of service.

Charles is honored on a memorial dedicated to the memory of soldiers killed during the Liberation of Vexin, France, inaugurated in 2021. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star posthumously (Young American Patriots). 

Sources and More Information:

Photo restoration courtesy of Lee Barber


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