Zanelli Joseph J.

Name:

Joseph J. Zanelli

Rank:

Private

Serial Number:

32775753

Unit:

294th Engineer Combat Battalion

Date of Death:

1944-03-20

State:

New Jersey

Cemetery:

Cambridge American Cemetery, United Kingdom

Plot:

B

Row:

5

Grave:

32

Decoration:

Comments:

Joseph J. Zanelli entered the military service in New Jersey. He served in the C Company, 294th Engineer Combat Battalion as a Private during World War II.

In the grounds of 228th Station Hospital, Haydon Park, Sherborne, England, recovering mines after mine-laying exercise on March 20, 1944, a truck rolled back over a live mine killing 29 members of C Company, 294th Engineer Combat Battalion. Company "C" had just finished an exercise with mine laying and then picked up the anti-tank mines and placed them alongside a truck to be taken to a safe area until the next exercise. The truck accidentally backed up over some mines and about 90 mines exploded.

PVT Zanelli was one of the soldiers killed in the accident. He is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov