Leopoldville - A WWII Tragedy Shrouded In Secrecy

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Leopoldville troopship disaster was shrouded in secrecy for half a century.   There are still many families who do not know the true circumstances of the disaster that took their loved ones' lives.  Even today, there is no mention of the catastrophe in almost all major WWII history books.  A recent exception is the best-selling book Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.  Leopoldville.org is an online memorial seeking to raise the awareness of the tragedy and reach the families of the disaster victims.

On December 24, 1944, the Belgian troopship Leopoldville transported over 2,000 American soldiers assigned to the 66^th Infantry Division across the English Channel to France.  Just five and a half miles from its destination, Cherbourg, the Leopoldville was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-486.  763 soldiers were killed and the bodies of 493 were never recovered from the frigid 48 degree waters.

The Leopoldville.org website is proud to announce its collaboration with Leopoldville historian/author Allan Andrade to commemorate the 70^th anniversary of the troopship disaster.  The website's purpose is to promote public awareness of the tragedy and to honor and recognize the sacrifice and valor of those brave soldiers who died on that night 70 years ago. The website has the following features:

• Complete list of victims and some photographs
• Leopoldville Memorial at Ft. Benning
• Wall of the Missing in Normandy
• Illustrations by Richard Rockwell

Family members of Leopoldville victims are urged to post a message on the leopoldville.org message board where Allan Andrade and others can share any available information regarding the loss of their loved one.  

News media, museums, libraries, veterans groups and other interested organizations are encouraged to display the Leopoldville 70^th Anniversary poster and post it on websites and social media.  Visit leopoldville.org to download the digital poster or request a printed copy.

About Leopoldville.org
Leopoldville.org is an online memorial dedicated to building the awareness of the Leopoldville tragedy.  

About Allan Andrade
Allan Andrade is a Leopoldville historian and author.  The research conducted for his book Leopoldville:  A Tragedy Too Long Secret was a key source of the photos and information on the leopoldville.org website. 

SOURCE Leopoldville.org

Related Links

http://www.leopoldville.org/