We would like to thank Corey and Douglas Marshall for the transfer of this account.

TEC5 Davis, Phillip D

Service number: 33169917

Age: 23

Born: March 21, 1920, Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania, USA

Hometown: Rural area near Warrington, York County, Pennsylvania

Family:

Charles W. Wilhelm (biological father)

Norman Coon Davis (adopted father)

Laura Pauline (nee Neff) Davis (mother)

Richard (T or J ?) Wilhelm (brother) born circa 1919

Theodore R. Davis (half brother)

Rank: Technician Fifth Grade

Function: Not available

Battalion: Maintenance

Division: 7th Armored Division

Company: Company C

Date of death: July 8, 1943

Status: Accidental drowning

Place of death: Yuma County, Arizona

Spot: Rural area in Yuma County, Arizona

Awards / Commendations:

Not available

Grave number: Not available

Cemetery:

Greenmount Cemetery

York, York County, Pennsylvania, USA

Date of enlistment:

Reported for duty on Feb 24, 1942, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

Other information:

Born Philip D Wilhelm

We think he probably drowned farther north, and the Colorado River carried his body down to where it was recovered.

The map provided shows where 7AD was at Camp Coxcomb. This is desert, with no roads, no towns. So, I suspect that somehow they were either on maneuvers or on leave (most of them went into Los Angeles for leave) so that he was in some part of the river near or north of Blythe, Arizona, and drowned there but was not recovered until he was somewhere in the blue box (see posted map) which is where Yuma County borders the river.

There is absolutely no civilization across the river from Yuma County, except way down on the border at Winterhaven. But there are no roads at all in the area west of Yuma County's border with the river anywhere else, no towns, no nothing.

It makes me wonder how long he had been in the river before he was recovered. I suspect his actual date of death was before July 8, 1943 and that that date of July 8, is the date he was recovered.