Bernard Leo Shanley
Private Bernard L. Shanley served with Able Company, First Battalion, 8th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal on 23 November 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 378620
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
December 6, 1924
in Providence, RI
Parents
Daniel Joseph Shanley
Ella M. (Paine) Shanley
Education
Mount Pleasant High School / La Salle Academy (ex-1944)
Occupation & Employer
High school student
Service Life
Entered Service
March 9, 1942
at Boston, MA
Home Of Record
56 Lawrence Street
Providence, RI
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Daniel Shanley
Military Specialty
—
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 23 November 1942, Able and Charlie Companies of First Battalion, 8th Marines, passed through Army defensive positions in an attempt to break a deadly stalemate in the hills west of Guadalcanal’s Matanikau River. While they expected to show the Americal Division a thing or two about fighting – “time to send in the Marines,” remarked one officer – they were almost immediately raked by incessant machine gun fire, mortars, and hand grenades lobbed from camouflaged defensive positions on a ridge to their front. Their operations log managed to condense the day’s action into a few short lines:
At approx. 0715 our companies jumped off in an offensive, 'A' + 'C' on the line with 'B' in reserve with excellent support from 'D' Co. We advanced some 150 yards, but at night had to drop back to make the front line even with supporting units. Mach. gun nests are taking a terrific toll of our assault co's.
Even though 1/8 managed to gain a few yards, their sister battalion 2/8 was badly mauled and Army units were unable to advance at all. The assault was called off at 1345 hours and much to their dismay, the Americans returned to their original positions for the night. 1/8 evacuated 21 wounded Marines and buried four others. Two privates from Able Company – William F. Richey and Bernard L. Shanley – were interred in temporary field graves.
Burial Information or Disposition
Private Shanley was reportedly buried at coordinates (70.09-200.3) on the standard Map 104 of Guadalcanal’s north coast.
In April 1944, a Graves Registration team located the isolated graves of several 1/8 Marines killed in the November 1942 action: Privates Richey, Clarence Evans, Gilbert Gray, and PFC William Florence from Able Company, and Private McCoy Reynolds from Baker Company. All were identified and returned to their families after the war.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. Daniel Shanley.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of Shanley’s field burial, now part of Honiara.
