Pvt. Irving Cecil Lockwood
643rd Medical Clearing Company
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Irving C. Lockwood was born on November 20, 1924 in Binghamton, New York. His father was James Wilson Lockwood Jr. (1892-1960) and his mother was Ethel Mae Davis (1901-1943). They were married in January of 1919 in Delaware County, New York. They had seven children (five sons and two daughters). Irving was the third oldest. Irving’s mother died at the young age of 42, resulting in Irving’s father having to raise four children under the age of 18. Irving had just turned 18. His father remained in 1947.
Irving enlisted on April 28, 1943 in the U.S. Army (Service Number: 32857979). He entered the Army’s 643rd Medical Clearing Company. A medical clearing company was essentially a mobile medical unit capable of operating with combat troops. It neither had the personnel nor the equipment to perform major medical treatment. It stabilized a wounded person and moved the person on to a more established medical facility. Irving had no medical training background but people were needed to support the medical personnel. Throughout 1943 the 643rd was preparing for the invasion of Europe.
Medics Administering First Aid in Easy Red Sector.
On June 6, 1944, the 643rd came ashore at Omaha Beach, Normandy with the regular military forces. It mission was to provide definitive surgical care to casualties and to provide holding facilities for casualties to be evacuated by sea and air to the UK. Omaha Beach had been divided into different amphibious landing sectors that were given individual codenames. The 643rd was dealing with the “Easy Red” sector. With the possible exception of the “Dog Green” sector, the Easy Red sector encountered the heaviest fighting on Omaha Beach. Easy Red had several vital ravines stretching from the beach to the top of the bluffs that the Germans controlled. A very important ravine was the “Easy-1 Exit.” The map shows the various sectors along Omaha Beach and the location of the main German bunkers. It also has a recent picture of the Easy-1 Exit. At the bottom of the exit or ravine was a bunker that can be seen in the picture. It is the only exit that had a bunker at the beach level, indicating the importance of the ravine in providing access between the beach and the bluffs. Once taken Easy-1 Exit was then used as one of the main routes inland by tanks and armored vehicles.
Easy Red Map – Omaha Beach
On June 6, during the Normandy landing, the 643rd medical unit in the Easy Red sector suffered two fatally and nine wounded individuals, one being Irving C. Lockwood. The blast from an artillery shell had resulted in him experiencing some hemorrhaging, loss of blood from a damaged blood vessel. However, after a short recovery period he was able to return to active duty with the 643rd.
On March 4, 1945, while working with his medical unit at an unknown location on the Belgium – German border, he experienced another artillery shell blast that resulted in his death. His father received a letter from the headquarters of the Second Medical Battalion expressing the sympathy of his officers and fellow comrades. Portions of that letter are provided below:
“The funeral service was performed by a Protestant chaplain, and the place of burial was in a well situated American military cemetery in Belgium.
“Irving was wounded by an artillery shell which landed near him while he was performing his duty as litter bearer and evacuating other American soldiers wounded by enemy action.
“Irving was highly respected by all those who knew him. His devotion to duty and to our nation was unswerving. Since our arrival in the combat area he had been an ardent worker. The hours were long and the work hard and arduous, but he was never one to complain or shirk his duties.
“His loss is a personal one to every officer and man in this command and our sympathy is with you at this time.”
Irving was 20 years old when he died. Flags throughout Oneonta were flown at half staff when he was buried at the Oneonta Plains Cemetery. Military services were conducted by Oneonta posts of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com.
Sources
James Wilson Lockwood Jr in the U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current accessed September 2, 2022
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100731916/james-wilson-lockwood
Ethel Mae Lockwood in the U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current accessed September 2, 2022
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228336591/ethel-mae-lockwood
1930; Census Place: Conklin, Broome, New York; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0059; FHL microfilm: 2341143 accessed September 2, 2022
1940; Census Place: Oneonta, Otsego, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02717; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 39-32 accessed September 2, 2022
National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 05752; Reel: 239 accessed September 2, 2022
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https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6694272:61817
Pfc Irving G Lockwood in the U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current accessed September 2, 2022
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117398896/irving-g-lockwood
The Normandy Invasion:The Technical Services in OVERLORD, Chapter VII Medical Service in the European Theater of Operations accessed September 2, 2022
https://history.army.mil/html/reference/Normandy/TS/MD/MD7.htm
Omaha Beach Project Easy Red Sector accessed September 2, 2022
http://www.omaha-beach.eu/?page_id=34
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