Remembering Our War Dead

 

REMEMBERING
ALMOUS C. NEW

Number Thirteen in a series in remembrance of our World War II dead

By Joe C. Fling

Almous C. New was born at Iago in Wharton County, on June 29, 1922, the son of Johnnie Joshua New and Lalla Beatrice New. He lived in Bonus for 12 years, and graduated from nearby Crescent High School in 1939. With such strong ties to Wharton County, including as you will see, his place of burial, it could be assumed that New was actually a Wharton County man.

As has been previously stated in these articles, "home county" designations were often indistinct. This was of course most true to the heroic dead, who are often honored in multiple counties. One might think this was the case with New. You would be wrong. New was listed on the original 1946 War Department list of Colorado County casualties, and is not duplicated on the Wharton County Veterans marker, or on the list provided for Wharton County casualties by the War Department.

New joined the Army Air Corps in September, 1942 and trained at Sheppard Field, Texas; Ypsilanti, Michigan and Harlingen, Texas where he received his wings. He received training as a gunner. New was sent oversees around Thanksgiving, 1943. New went first to England, then North Africa and Italy, where he served with the 15th Air Force. New was assigned to the 451 AAF Bombardment Group. New was a B-24 waist gunner and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant.

New was awarded numerous citations, including the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and three battle stars. The crew of New's bomber was lost in a raid on the French harbor at Toulon on March 11, 1944. Toulon was a primary Nazi held port on the French Mediterranean coast and was vital both for supply of Italy and the defense of southern France, which was invaded by American troops later in the year. New's plane was shot down and crashed into the sea. German records found at the close of the war showed that New's body was recovered, identified and buried, later being moved into an American cemetery.

New was survived by his parents, who are now buried in the same cemetery lot as Almous; two sisters: Iola (Mrs. W.C.) Dixon of Alvin, and Melba Lou New, and three brothers: Alton of Lissie, Leland and Truett of Texas City. The New family still lived in Bonus.

New's body was returned from overseas for burial in 1948. The casket was accompanied by S/Sgt. Kent D. Wisdom, who had also served in the 15th Air Force. Services were conducted in Eagle Lake at the Mill Funeral Home, with Revs. L.W. Crouch of Bay City and Albert Brown, Eagle Lake Baptist minister officiating. Burial was in a family plot in the Wharton City Cemetery. Interment was on November 19, 1948.

His gravestone states that he died in 1943; although the newspapers from his 1948 burial state that he died in 1944. Another evidence of New's Eagle Lake connection is that the town's W. Cherry-M. Perry American Legion Post handled military honors. J.B. Wesson, Earl Braden and Fred Frnka among others participated. His funeral was attended by many out of town relatives and friends.

  

 

REMEMBERING
WELDON DAVIS CAUTHAN

Number Fifteen in a series in remembrance of our World War II dead

By Joe C. Fling

Weldon Davis Cauthan was descended from a very old Eagle Lake family. Davis, as he was known was born February 19, 1917. Cauthan was named for his grandfather Weldon E. Davis; and is also descended from George Montgomery. The Montgomery family were major landowners of property in the Matthews area prior to and after the Civil War.

Davis grew up in Trinity, Texas but had close ties to the Eagle Lake community and is memorialized in the Masonic Cemetery. Davis spent much time in Eagle Lake, with his grandmother Mary Davis, and married an Eagle Lake girl, Gloria Tilson. Cauthan’s mother Christine died in 1940. Cauthan entered the navy and attained the rank of Lieutenant. He served in the Pacific theatre of war as a pilot, probably of a carrier based plane.

Sixty years ago, in the Eagle Lake Headlight of July 28, 1944, he was reported missing. It was some time before the sad news was confirmed that he was killed in action. It was later learned that his plane had been shot down in action on July 17, 1944. This chain of events would indicate that Cauthan was shot down in action at sea, and his body lost. This would necessitate the passage of some time before the Navy would change his status from Missing to Killed in Action.

In July, 1944 the fighting that had engaged the attention of the U.S. Navy and its carrier based air crews would have been the landings in the Marianas: Saipan (June 15) Guam (July 21) and Tinian (July 24), as well as the fighting leading up to the invasion of the Philippines. If it can be presumed that Cauthan piloted a carrier based aircraft, such as the Douglas Dauntless and Grumman Avenger bombers or the Grumman Wildcat and Hellcat fighters, it would be likely that Cauthan was lost in some of that fighting. If this is so, then Cauthan also likely took part in some of the fiercest carrier fighting of the Pacific war, including what came to be known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot” June 19 and the Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 20-22.

Cauthan’s sacrifice in the line of duty is remembered by enumeration of his name on the Tablets of the Missing at the West Coast Memorial at Presidio, California. There is also a memorial stone in the Eagle Lake Masonic Cemetery. The stone is surrounded by the graves of Cauthan’s close relatives including his mother Christine Cauthan; and aunts Mrs. A.F. (Mildred) Harbert, Myra Weldon Davis Shacklett, and Mary Ethel Davis Stubenvel, as well as his grandmother Mary Davis. Davis Cauthan was survived by his wife, Gloria; a brother, Hamilton Cauthan, grandmother, and aunts. His closest descendants living in Colorado County today include Davis family cousins descended from Fulton and Herbert Dromgoole.

I am reminded at this time of the fact that the memory of these men who died in the Second World War are receding into the distant past. It has been sixty years. The deaths in the last two weeks of Mrs. Lauralynne Shirley Powers and Mr. E.H. “Sonny” Breithaupt greatly reinforce this thought. Each of these had brothers (James Gerald Shirley and Reinhardt Breithaupt) who died in the war. With the passing of family and friends our community need not let the memory of those who gave their lives in battle be lost with them.

[Dorothy Cox reminds us that Gloria Tilson Cauthan was expecting their baby at the time he was killed. Gloria and Weldon had both worked in the same bank in Houston where they met, fell in love and married.]

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