Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

1st Lieutenant (Lieutenant)

Unit:

Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 415th Infantry Regiment, 104th Infantry Division "Timberwolf", U.S. Army

Awarded for action performed somewhere in the period of 30 October-3 November 1944 at crossing the Mark river near Standdaarbuiten/North Brabant, the Netherlands.

Newspaper article:
"Capt. Neill, Garfield (NJ), Wins Silver Star; Cut Bridge Mine Wires Under Heavy Fire
GARFIELD - Captain Robert G. Neill, 19 Belmont Avenue, has been awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry in action against the Nazis in Holland on October 31, 1944.
On that day the battalion to which he was assigned and while he was a first lieutenant, Neill was approaching a footbridge over which the soldiers had to pass in order to make a successful river crossing.
"Lieutenant Neill," the citation read, "realizing the footbridge had been mined by the enemy, did, in the face of heavy enemy artillery, mortar and machine gun fire, and with utter disregard for his personal safety, approach the bridge, successfully overcome an enemy guard stationed at the bridge and thereafter cut the wires leading to the mines causing the bridge to be safe for crossing insofar as the mines were concerned.
"He later, under the same hazards to his life assisted the engineers in the movement of assault boats to the crossing site. These courageous acts inspired his men to a more zealous performance of their duties and reflected great credit to himself and to the military service. He entered the military service from Garfield, N.J."
A few days later he suffered a shrapnel wound in the leg.
Captain Neill is the son of Mrs. A.M. Neill of Providence, R.I. His wife, Mildred Ziegler Neill, formerly of Clifton, is living with her mother, Mrs. Martha Murling, at the Belmont Avenue home. Captain and Mrs. Neill have a son, R.G. Neill, Jr., seven months old.
Captain Neill has been in the Army for six years. He spent a year in Hawaii and has been in the European war zone since last August. Before going into service, he was manager of the New York City terminal of the Cadsco Trucking Company."

The exact date of action as well as the citation are unknown to us.