Eells, Charles B. Jr (01180175)

Charles Burton Eells, Jr
Personal details
Born	31 January 1918
Died	3 August 1991
Nativity	United States
Religion	Protestant
Awards	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Arm / service	Field Artillery
ASN	01180175
Rank	First Lieutenant
Specialty	Terrain intelligence
Unit / division	Battery B, 246th Field Artillery Battalion
Battles / wars	Guadalcanal Bougainville

Awards and honors

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one bronze service star	American Campaign Medal	World War II Victory Medal

Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.

Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.

Charles Burton Eells Jr. (31 January 1918 – 3 August 1991) was a field artillery officer and Ritchie Boy who completed terrain-intelligence training at Camp Ritchie in 1943 and served with Battery B, 246th Field Artillery Battalion, on Guadalcanal and Bougainville.

Biography

Charles Burton Eells Jr. studied business administration for three years at the University of Illinois and worked as a tabulating-machine operator before entering the Army. He first served under enlisted ASN 17060489, including basic training with the 2nd Cavalry Division at Fort Clark, Texas (October 1942 – April 1943), and rose to corporal.

In January–April 1943 he attended Field Artillery Officers Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Class 59-43). In April 1943 he was honorably discharged from enlisted service to accept a commission as a second lieutenant (officer ASN 01180175). The same year he completed eight weeks of terrain-intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. From December 1943 through November 1944 he served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater with Battery B, 246th Field Artillery Battalion—including New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and Bougainville—preparing firing data for 105 mm howitzers and taking command when the unit commander was absent. His Separation Qualification Record lists him as a first lieutenant and field artillery unit commander. He left active wartime service in May 1946.

Eells was recalled to active duty around 1950 and was honorably discharged again in 1953. He died on 3 August 1991.

Research notes

• Eells's enlisted records use ASN 17060489; his later officer and retired-reserve records use ASN 01180175.
• The gallery contains service, training, education, and campaign-award records from both stages of his Army career.

Gallery

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  246th Field Artillery Battalion, Bougainville Island, Dec 1943–Nov 1944 (RB Archive)
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  246th Field Artillery Battalion, Bougainville Island, Dec 1943–Nov 1944 (RB Archive)
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  246th Field Artillery Battalion, Bougainville Island, Dec 1943–Nov 1944 (RB Archive)
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  246th Field Artillery Battalion, Bougainville Island, Dec 1943–Nov 1944 (RB Archive)
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  246th Field Artillery Battalion, Bougainville Island, Dec 1943–Nov 1944 (RB Archive)
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  Army recall telegram, c. 1950 (RB Archive)
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  Fort Sill officers meal card, page 1 (RB Archive)
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  Fort Sill officers meal card, page 2 (RB Archive)

Technical record

Field	Imported value
Approx Age at Death	73
row_source	demographics

Timeline

• 31 January 1918 — Born.
• University of Illinois — three years of college (business administration).
• October 1942 – April 1943 — Basic training, 2nd Cavalry Division, Fort Clark, Texas (enlisted ASN 17060489).
• January–April 1943 — Field Artillery OCS, Fort Sill (Class 59-43).
• April 1943 — Honorable discharge as enlisted man to accept commission (officer ASN 01180175).
• 1943 — Eight weeks terrain-intelligence training, Camp Ritchie.
• December 1943 – November 1944 — Battery B, 246th Field Artillery Battalion: New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Bougainville.
• 16 May 1946 — WWII honorable discharge / “ruptured duck” button period; Separation Qualification Record as first lieutenant.
• c. 1950 — Army recall to active duty; Fort Sill officers meal-card period in family papers.
• 1953 — Honorable discharge.
• 3 August 1991 — Died.

Sources

• RB Archive folder “Charles Burton Eells Jr.…” additional photographs (Bougainville unit photos, 1950 recall telegram, Ft. Sill meal card)
• Ancestry private member materials noted in RB Archive source.txt (identity and service confirmation; tree not publicly viewable)
• Family service packet for Charles Burton Eells Jr. (RB Archive: Separation Record 1946, WWII service record, honorable discharges 1943/1953, Fort Sill meal card, Army recall telegram 1950; private copies, not re-uploaded this batch)
• Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
• Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
• NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
• 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
• Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-10-27 (1 post)
• OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5810812955607244.jpg
• Eells gallery document/photo
• Eells identity record
• Eells 1943 officer-appointment discharge
• Eells enlisted record
• Eells Separation Qualification Record
• Eells military education and civilian record
• Eells certificate of service