John E. Shackleton
World War II
John E. Shackleton. Honored by Ms. Ethel Bennett.
| Rank | Private First Class |
|---|---|
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Service Number | 12033905 |
| Unit | 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division |
| Entered the Service from | New Jersey |
| Died | November 21, 1944 |
| Buried at | St. John's Methodist Cemetery, Black Horse Pike & Greentree Road, Turnersville, N.J. |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
Introduction
Private John E. Shackleton, 22, of 26 East 4th Street, Runnemede, N.J. was the son of Joseph Littleton Shackleton and his wife, Esther Shackleton. His father had served in the United States Navy during World War I.
John Shackleton enlisted in the Army on December 29, 1941. Assigned to the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, he shipped out with his unit in November of 1942. He saw action in North Africa, Sicily, and in France, before being killed in action on November 21, 1944 in Germany.
John Shackleton's mother became President of the Camden County chapter of the Gold Star Mothers after the war. She took part in the dedication ceremonies for the Runnemede War Memorial in October of 1947.
Private Shackleton was brought home to New Jersey in the fall of 1948. He was buried at the St. John's Methodist Cemetery in Turnersville, N.J. on December 4, 1948, where he rests next to his father.
Runnemede War Memorial Dedication
Camden Courier-Post —
Esther Shackleton, president of the Camden County Gold Star Mothers, at the Runnemede War Memorial dedication, October 27, 1947.
J. E. Shackleton Will Be Buried In Turnersville
Camden Courier-Post —
J. E. Shackleton Will Be Buried In Turnersville — Services will be held for Pfc. John E. Shackleton tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Gardner funeral home, 122 Black Horse pike, Runnemede, where friends may call tonight. Burial will be in the Turnersville Methodist cemetery with military honors.
Private Shackleton, who was the son of Mrs. Esther A. Shackleton, 18 East Fourth avenue, Runnemede, president of the Gold Star Mothers of Camden county, was killed in action Nov. 21, 1944, in Germany at the age of 22. Also surviving is a sister, Ethel, at home.
A guard of honor will be posted tonight in the funeral home by Black Horse pike post, 3324, VFW, Runnemede. Military rites will be conducted by the VFW post and John Irvin post, 250, American Legion and bugle corps. He was born in Grenloch, and worked for the Camden County Park Commission before he entered the service.
He joined the Army a few days after Pearl Harbor and trained at Ft. Benning, Ga. He went overseas in the force that made the North African invasion, fought through French Morocco and Tunisia. He was also in the invasion of Sicily and later was sent to England.
He landed in Normandy with the invasion force and fought at Carentan, was in the St. Lo breakthrough and fought in the race of the German army across the Seine. With his unit of the Second army, he entered Belgium near Tournai on Sept. 2, 1944, and pushed on to Maastretent, Holland, two weeks later.
The Second army broke into Germany Sept. 18 and breached the Siegfried line near Ubach on Oct. 1. He was killed by a machine gun bullet in a German counterattack. His father, Joseph, was a Navy veteran of World War I.
After the burial of Private Shackleton in the United States military cemetery at Margraten, Holland, the Dutch father of seven children wrote to Private Shackleton's parents and pledged “adoption” of the soldier's grave.
“When we put flowers on the grave of your John,” wrote A. Hustin, Heerlen, Holland, “we do that in your name and think of the sorrow which you suffered.”