Grover D. Shinn

Private Grover D. Shinn was born on January 17, 1918 to Vernon and Florence Shinn, the fourth of at least 8 children. When the census was taken in 1920, Vernon Shinn was working as a laborer for the Public Service Gas company, located a few blocks north of the Shinn home at 293 Liberty Street, the corner of South 3rd and Liberty. Vernon Shinn later worked as a foreman in one of Camden’s wool mills. In April of 1930, when the next census was taken, the family lived at 1234 Morton Street in Camden NJ.

Grover D. Shinn was inducted into the Army before Pearl Harbor, shortly after the civilian draft was instituted. He was assigned to an army engineers unit, the 528th Engineer Light Ponton Company, which specialized in building light bridges across streams and rivers.

Grover Shinn had married prior to his being sent overseas. Grover and Rose Shinn had lived at 341 Liberty Street in South Camden.

Private Shinn was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge. He was sent to POW camp, Stammlager XII-A at Limburg an der Lahn, Germany, where he remained until liberated in the spring of 1945. Upon coming back to America he and wife Rose lived with his widowed mother at 1116 Kaighn Avenue in Camden.

Last a resident of Somerdale NJ, Grover D. Shinn died on December 4, 1993.