Frank I. Bessinger from Irvington, New Jersey, was born on September 3, 1920 to George and Jenney Bessinger. He was fifth of six children having one brother and four sisters. Frank finished High School at the Irvington High School with the Class of 1942 before he joined the Army (#32762727). Frank was a T/5 in the 83rd Infantry Division.

Based on the background, it looks like they are at Medic school in the US.  Frank Bessinger on the right in both pictures. (courtesy Drew Bessinger)

The Morning Reports of Medical Detachment, Headquarters, Special Troops August 16, 1944 listed Bessinger Frank I. Pvt. as assigned and joined this unit from the 48th Replacement Battalion.

Frank I. Bessinger was reported missing in action on January 12, 1945. Checking the after action reports for the division, he presumably was in the Petite-Langlire area, Ardennes, Belgium, because that is where they were in action.  He was however never reported MIA in the official reports. Again, based on the fact that he was captured he presumably was assigned as a medic to a company in action or a field hospital that got overrun by the Germans.

His parents, received following Western Union telegram later that week. They did not receive any information or confirmation that he was alive and a POW until the latter part of March.

 

On January 31, 1945, a letter was sent from the War Department to Mr. George Bessinger, Frank's father, to confirm the recent telegram.

 

On March 11, 1945, two months after the first telegram, there is another Western Union telegram to his mother Mrs. G. (Troban) reporting Frank Bessinger as a Prisoner of War (POW).

Frank Bessinger was first in the POW camp at Moosburg, north of Munich, and then transferred to Sandbostel.  He had a schrapnel wound and jaundice, and was initially treated in Moosburg.

 

On May 27, 1945, there is another Western Union telegram to his father reporting Frank Bessinger as Returned to Military Control.

Frank was repatriated in April 45 from Stalag 10B in Sandbostel, northeast of Bremen. Over 50000 Russians died there, along with lots of others.

 

In amongst his Dad's stuff, Drew Bessinger, his son, found this armband. He took it to the POW Camp in Germany and the curator was not sure what it was from. Based on limited research this type of brassard was used by civilain workers to identify them from POW's. It has a small inked stamp on it.

	Drew Bessinger got this drawing from the curator who discovered these in the archives of Stalag 10B. One of the drawings was of his dad, done in 1945 by an Italian POW.

 

Frank Bessinger survived the War but never spoke to his family about his POW experience and his Army time. His son Drew Bessinger tried to find out how and when he was captured and, as mentioned before, based on the official Reports of January 12, 1945 he probably was captured within the Langlire area.

Frank died on January 4, 1971 and is burried, togheter with his wife Ruth (1924-1992) at the Saint Catherine's Cemetery, Sea Girt, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Thanks to Drew Bessinger, son of Frank I. Bessinger, for all the information on his father. All pictures and documents are his courtesy.