Help us find and improve next week's Connection Finder profiles: World War II Heroes

+19 votes
666 views

December 7th marks the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. We're honoring notable heroes from World War II in the Connection Finder next week, starting with a hero from the actual Pearl Harbor attack, Doris Miller

Here's  who we're getting started on:

  • Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, German Forces member who worked to save the Jewish population in Denmark (unconnected)
  • Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish businessman and diplomat who worked to save Jews in Hungary
  • Susan Ahn Cuddy, first Asian American woman to join the US Navy (unconnected)

Who else should we feature? We have room for 12 notables. We can't feature everyone who is nominated, but if we don't feature a profile you work on, we may use it sometime in the future. And, of course, all contributions help improve our shared tree.

Our choice of features will depend partly on the notable person's CC7, i.e. their connection count within seven degrees. The more connections they have, the more likely it is for all WikiTree members to find a close and interesting connection to them. So, if you nominate someone, please help grow their CC7.

Suggestions are more likely to be considered if you provide a link to the person on WikiTree, some information about who they were or why you're nominating them, and if their profile is in good condition with a connection, image, and well-written and well-sourced biography.

We'll make a final decision on which ones to feature early next week.

Please reply here with what you're working on so that we don't duplicate our efforts. Thank you!

Take note that this is not the place to discuss why you think we shouldn't feature someone if those reasons are due to politics, actions, or opinions of those being suggested. Mentioning things like their not being connected, their biography still needing work, erroneous information, etc. are all suitable for discussion here and an opportunity to correct those situations.

Help us plan Connection Finder themes for 2023 here and now the 2024 planning post is up, too!

in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (738k points)
reshown by Chris Whitten
Susan Ahn Cuddy is now Connected.
Thanks, Melanie!

15 Answers

+13 votes

Joseph Rochefort's code breaking efforts were key to the efforts in the Pacific Theater.

Three women spies of note  -

Neile Adams who as a pre-teen assisted with the Philippines resistance efforts.

Peggy Knight who assist with the French resistance efforts. 

Peggy Taylor who also assisted with the French resistance efforts including by providing valuable information related to the D-Day invasion. 

by Russell Butler G2G6 Pilot (142k points)
edited by Russell Butler
Thank you, Russell.
+14 votes

In honor of the Norwegian resistance to the Nazi occupation during the war, I nominate the following:

Odd Starheim - resistance fighter responsible for communicating German activities in Norway to England. Has photo, & a short bio (could be improved), but remains unconnected.

Einar Korsvig Rasmussen - telegraph operator responsible for contact with England & Sweden during the occupation, & the distribution of illegal newspapers, among other things; imprisoned by Nazis for hiding Starheim, & ultimately took own life to avoid giving up details of the resistance. He has a photo, a decent bio (or at least I think it's decent, having just written it), & is connected.

Nordahl Grieg - poet, & war correspondent who was killed on a bombing mission to Berlin; also a cousin of famous composer Edvard Grieg. Has photo, short bio, & is connected.

by Thomas Koehnline G2G6 Pilot (103k points)

While we have yet to connect him, if he can be connected, another great, non-Norwegian option is Chiune Sugihara, the only Japanese citizen to be recognized as Righteous Among the Nations

Thank you, Thomas.
+10 votes
Greetings Abby and all, how about https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lucas-4122 Jacklyn Harrell Lucas (1928 - 2008), awarded the medal of honor at 17, the youngest in WWII, not connected yet.  He does have a well written bio
by Kimberly Morgan G2G6 Pilot (151k points)
edited by Kimberly Morgan
Errant comma rendering page does not exist.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lucas-4122
Greetings Melanie, thank you so much.  I have corrected the ",".  It should work now.
It seems the little gremlins that live in g2g love to trip us up occasionally with those links!

Those darn gremlins "are EVERYWHERE" smiley

Just bumping up that Jack Lucas has been connected to the big tree.

I saw Erin, that was great. I stepped out to get my car inspected and viola, both profiles are connected.  I apologize I left a profile open but I was able to save it (Royal Adams).  smiley 

Thank you, Kimberly, Melanie, and Erin.
+16 votes

I have two New Zealand World War II heroes for consideration.

  1. Charles Hazlitt Upham VC & Bar is the only combat soldier to have received the Victoria Cross and Bar (Two awards of the Victoria Cross) and one of three overall. He has a CC7 of 384
  2. Nancy Grace Augusta (Wake) Forward AC GM was a British agent involved with the French Resistance and the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and was given the nickname The White Mouse by the Gestapo. She has a CC7 of 1898
by Darren Kellett G2G6 Pilot (440k points)
Thank you, Darren.
+12 votes
by Donna Lancaster G2G6 Mach 8 (87.0k points)
edited by Donna Lancaster
Thank you, Donna.
+20 votes

Please consider Hannah Lincoln Harkness. I just now connected her to the main tree through her mother. She was the first female pilot in the Army Air Forces (AAF), a predecessor of the US Air Force, who convinced them to create the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), which she ultimately commanded. Eventually becoming a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, she has a ton of amazing accomplishments and an impressive and informative profile page. A true WWII hero.

by Brian Quesnell G2G6 Mach 6 (69.0k points)
I've gotten her CC7 up to 416 now, but looking to further improve it.
Thank you, Brian.
+14 votes

Margaret Irene (Anderson) O'Bryan GM (1915-1995) was a nurse in the Australian Army Nursing Service. She was awarded the George Medal for bravery when the ship MV Empire Star, carrying 2100 people including numerous wounded—her patients—was attacked by enemy aircraft between Singapore and Java in February 1942.

The profile has a good biography thanks to Kenneth Evans, and an image of a portrait painting of Margaret. It should be connected to the main tree by tomorrow. The CC7 is already showing as 636.

by Jim Richardson G2G Astronaut (1.0m points)
I added some further connections (all on her husband's side), and the CC7 is now 748.
Thank you, Jim.
+14 votes

Princess Alice of Battenberg (hid Jewish family in home in Greece  (very connected)

Nicholas Winton  organised and took in  part in the evacuation of   669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakiagood bio (only 19 connections so far) 

Eileen Nearne  wireless operator, imprisoned in Ravensbruck. After war lived reclusive life and when died was to have been buried in municipal unmarked  grave  until her story was discovered and publicised (good bio but still unconnected; British  and Spanish ancestry)

Looking hard for a representative of the heroes of the  home front 

Edited link

by Helen Ford G2G6 Pilot (474k points)
edited by Helen Ford
Thank you, Helen.
+13 votes

Canada Project nominates William Samuel Clouston (Stanger) Stephenson, the spymaster known as Intrepid, who coordinated Allied intelligence between the British and Americans. He operated the forerunner of what became the Five Eyes Alliance after the war.

And also Margaret Osla (Benning) Henniker-Major, Canadian debutante, girlfriend of Prince Philip, and code breaker at Bletchley Park.

by Dave Rutherford G2G6 Pilot (128k points)
Thank you, Dave.
+11 votes

I would like to highlight the 505th Infantry Regiment.  They were involved in multiple efforts, but the one I think really highlights their contributions particularly the Battle of the Bulge, and were award the Belgian Fourragere by Prince Charles of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom with the following award citation:

“From 2 December 1944 to 26 January 1945, in the course of the German offensive in the Ardennes, the 9th Infantry Division and attached units, received the mission to defend the north flank of the counteroffensive led by the V Corps of the United States Army in the sector of Eupen (Belgium) and Monschau (Germany). Facing an obstinate defense, it attacked without respite. The enemy counterattacked but was unable to enlarge the breach caused by its break-through. After the enemy attack was unsuccessful, the 9th Infantry Division and the attached units attacked and forced the German Army to retreat and abandon the Belgian Territory in that region”.

I found a website with individuals involved with this unit here: The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) during World War II - 1st Battalion Trooper Pictures (ww2-airborne.us)  

I found this in my research for my own grandfather Frank Edward Mullenberg Jr (1923-1985).

by Kirby Drake G2G6 Mach 2 (23.9k points)
Thank you, Kirby.
+14 votes

Hedy Lamarr, Hedwig Eva Maria (Kiesler) Lamarr (1914 - 2000) came to mind, but I see that her 1942 frequency hopping patent for secure communications wasn't actually applied by the military until 1962 or so.

Maybe another time, if she hasn't been recently featured.  Female, decent biography with good pictures, born in Austria, husbands from 4 countries, and a CC7 of 1461.  Not bad for interest level.  Apparently she was even in some movies :).

by Steve Ryan G2G6 Mach 8 (83.7k points)
Thank you, Steve.
+12 votes

Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, brilliant high officer in the French Navy, who joined the Resistance as early as September 1940. Betrayed in January 1941, he was arrested and sentenced to death, executed on Mont Valérien in August 1941.

I just improved his profile bio in both French and English. He has a reasonably decent number of connections (CC7 currently at 330).

[edited] : Will add ASAP the profile of his nephew David Régnier, also a heroe of French Resistance, executed at age barely 19. https://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/compagnons/david-regnier

by Bernard Vatant G2G6 Pilot (175k points)
edited by Bernard Vatant

Update : David Régnier has now a profile, along with more close relatives of Honoré. CC7 is up to 376.

Thank you, Bernard.
The France project has worked hard over the week-end to expand Honoré's circles. His CC7 just passed 500.
+10 votes

Audie Murphy comes to mind. Well connected, lots of photos and appears to be well sourced, but he's been featured before. Could be used though if you if you need one more. His story never gets old.

by Ken Parman G2G6 Pilot (121k points)
Thank you, Ken.
+8 votes

I propose 23 year-old Lieutenant Gordon Leaney MC; killed in action on the Kokoda Trail on 21st November 1942.  He had earlier seen action in North Africa and the Greek-Crete Campaign as well as spent time garrisoning both Syria and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).  He was posthumously awarded the Military Cross for 'leadership and courage of high order' in an action just weeks before his death. 

by Kenneth Evans G2G6 Pilot (249k points)
Thank you, Kenneth.
+6 votes

Oskar Schindler sounds like a good candidate to me. His profile is in decent shape, but unfortunately he is still not connected.

by Josef Klamo G2G3 (3.7k points)

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