Crosses in the Wind: Graves Registration Service in the Second World War

by Joseph J. Shomon

Crosses in the Wind , first published in 1947, is the first-hand account by the commander of the 611th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company during the Second World War in Europe. In an under-reported but vital part of the war effort, the Graves Registration Service was responsible for the massive task of collecting fallen soldiers, identifying remains, preparing bodies for internment, forwarding personal effects to families, and establishing military cemeteries across Europe. In addition to providing an overview of the major European battles, the book focuses on the activities of author Major Joseph Shomon, from the formation of his company at Fort Francis E. Warren in Wyoming, followed by the unit's transfer to England where they began processing D-day casualties, and then continuing eastward across Europe with the advancing U.S. armies. The book closes with the Company in southern France awaiting deployment to the Pacific theater, but after the atomic bomb drops on Japan and the subsequent ending of the war, the unit is broken up, with some troops returning to Germany and others to the U.S. Included are 30 pages of photographs.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

Reviews

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published in 1947, before most of the overseas American cemeteries were officially open. But it follows the 611th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company, and the author was the commanding officer for twenty-one months, giving the reader a first-hand account of the dreadful but important job they undertook to care for our war dead. Their unit along buried more than 21,000 bodies, following the D-Day landings and on though Europe--"a work of respect for their dead comrades. . . ."

I was interested in the technical training the unit underwent in Colorado before deploying to England. And the great care they took to make sure that identifications were certain and that personal items were protected to send home to loved ones. An important piece of history, especially since I have a young uncle buried at an American cemetery in France. 

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for more details on what a soldier's point of view was involving graves registration, however, the book was written in 1947 just after the war and from the viewpoint of an officer worried about what Gold Star Families might be experiencing. I can understand that. It did give a thumbnail sketch of WWII actions in Europe which would be good for a person who hasn't read up much on the Americans involvement in WWII.

[Miles Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are certain aspects of war which have been written about endlessly. Memoirs by infantrymen, for example, abound. Ditto paratroopers, fighter pilots, bomber crewmen, snipers, commandos, submariners, etc. There are other areas, however, which are neglected or in some cases, totally unexplored. CROSSES IN THE WIND covers a subject which, up 'til now, I had only seen briefly examined by the legendary WW2 journalist Ernie Pyle: Graves Registration. The guys who had to collect the dead, identify them, and bury their remains. Joe Shoeman was well qualified to paint this picture, having commanded a G.R. company in WW2 (European Theater) which buried 21,000 American soldiers and probably two or three times that many Germans.

Shomon takes the reader from his training in the States, to deployment to England, and finally to France just after D-Day. He explains how the unit operated and what its responsibilities were, which included the creation of both temporary and permenent military cemeteries. He explains what tasks the individual soldiers in the company had, and some of the difficulties they faced -- internally, from interfering superiors, and externally, from German bombs and shells. (In one instance he records a massive night air raid by the Luftwaffe which blew up some fuel and ammo dumps near his position.) He takes the reader from Normandy to the end of the war, when much additional work was done locating bodies, identifying and burying them, and erecting some of the largest military cemeteries in Europe. I was struck, and moved, by his pride in his unit and by the reverence he and his men had for the dead. They took everything they did with the utmost seriousness and never seemed to become cynical, taking great care to produce cemeteries, even temporary ones, of the greatest aesthetic beauty possible: they went as far as to obtain truckloads of gravel, enormities of seeds and flowers, and all other items necessary to beautify the cemeteries. They even created grave sites for dead Germans, though they were somewhat less ornate and always kept well separated from Allied dead. His greatest passion, and that of his men, was in doing everything possible to identify unknown soldiers. Dental records, photographs, fingerprints and various other methods were used, including the rehydration of fingertips to get prints, and when these sometimes failed, the unit did not give up but sidelined the case for additional investigation when time permitted. The respect an army shows its fallen goes a long way to explaining what kind of values it has -- witness the dead of the present-day Russian army in Ukraine, abandoned and left to rot.

Now I would be lying if I said the book had the detail that I wanted. It's under 200 pages (a lengthy appendix gives it a deceptive thickness), and Shomon provides too much poorly written historical background, and not enough detail about what he and his company did. If memory serves, he explicitly states in the opening that he doesn't want to go into too much anecdotal detail because it would be too painful for those who lost loved ones in the war to read about. Since he wrote this book in 1947, just two years after the end of the war, I completely understand that, but it left me with the feeling that there was a great deal left on the table. Gruesome details kind of go hand in hand with war memoirs, and I would think most especially in this case.

That having been said, Shomon's picture of the Graves Registration companies in war is just about the only one we have of which I'm aware, and this little book is highly readable and quite informative despite its omissions and modest size. It's fascinating to think that the graves of which he speaks are still standing and still just as meticulously tended in 2022 as they were in 1946.

[David Schoorens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a special book for me. I received a copy of LtCol Shomon's book as a gift from two very special people. Walter and Annie Jager lived through the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands and went on to live very full lives. Walter served as a resistance fighter. He proudly told the story that his first act of resistance came on May 10, 1940, as the German army rolled through his village in South Limburg. He helped a Dutch soldier escape capture. Friends to every American they met, Walter would greet American servicemembers as their "liberators."

Near Maastricht, a city in the Dutch province of South Limburg, there is an American military cemetery. Known as the Margraten Cemetery, its story is told by this book, Crosses in the Wind. Shomon tell the story of the cemetery's beginning, the Graves Registration unit he commanded, and the heartbreaking but essential work done by his men. He also speaks of the reverence held by the local Dutch citizens for the cemetery. That feeling continues to this day. I remember a brief conversation I had with someone from Maastricht who referred to it as the "field of honor." Though that happened over twenty years ago, I have no doubt the respect for the men buried there continues to this day.

Crosses in the Wind tells a forgotten story of the soldiers who did the work necessary to honor the fallen and bring some solace to their families.

[Chris DiPasqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent description of the Graves Registry Service during World War Two. Quality photos, detailed appendix, and respectful information for families who lost loved ones in service to our country. Additionally, very nice job of addressing collection and dispersal of the deceased personal effects.

[Kris Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by the deputy superintendent at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands. It’s the story of this cemetery, the story of a necessary but under-reported aspect of war. Written by the company commander of the 611th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company immediately after the war, it portrays the dedication and professionalism of the men tasked with the final care of the American casualties of WWII, and also clearly presents the love and appreciation of the Dutch people for their liberators.
I highly recommend this book for any student of history. It provides a unique viewpoint of WWII and its aftermath.