World War II Roll of Honor and In Memoriam

In 1945, The Acton Beacon, which had started that year as a bi-weekly paper for service people, memorialized eleven Acton men who died while serving their country:

Robert F. Britt
Francis John Conroy
Peter J. Duggan
Theodore H. Ehrhardt  (not an Acton native, but Principal at West Acton Elementary School)
David L. Jenks
Robert McAllaster
Ansel Rice Smart
Herbert E. Sprague
Robert B. Taylor
Robert Thatcher
Robert Townsend

John M. Nichols, Aviation Machinist’s Mate First Class, USNR, was reported missing in action in the June 26, 1945 issue of The Acton Beacon. John Marshall Nichols, born April 19, 1921 in Acton, was the son of Orla E. and Mary O. (Briggs) Nichols* and the husband of Mrs. Vieno Elizabeth Nichols.** His name is recorded on the Missing in Action or Buried at Sea Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. Death date: January 16, 1946. Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 2 Gold Stars, Purple Heart.***

* 1921 Town of Acton Annual Report, p. 40.
** State Summary of War Casualties from World War II for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel from Massachusetts, 1946, in Fold3 (online database).
*** American Battle Monuments Commission, in Fold3 (online database).

In 1945, The Acton Beacon also published the names of Acton men and women serving in the armed forces. Images of these Roll of Honor and In Memoriam pages appear below.

Free access to these articles and all of the library’s newspaper holdings through 1975 is available online, no library card required: https://acton.advantage-preservation.com/

Access to Fold3 is available through the library’s E-Resources page. Remote access is limited to Acton residents.