05/25/2026
Burial of Pfc. George W. Bridle, January 1949 — Raymond Hill Cemetery, Carmel, NY
These photographs of the military burial service for Pfc. George W. Bridle were captured by photographer Willitt C. Jewell for the Putnam County Courier and are preserved today in the Jewell Collection at the Putnam County Historian’s Office and Archives.
Following World War I, the Bridle family settled in Carmel. George William Bridle worked at the CCC camp on Fair Street before relocating to Montrose, where the 1940 census lists his occupation as a coal digger. Around this time, he enlisted in the United States Army.
Bridle served with the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division during the Allied push into Germany. He was killed in action from multiple gunshot wounds on April 19, 1945.
Nearly four years later, in January 1949, a U.S. Army Sergeant accompanied Pfc. Bridle’s remains home to Putnam County for burial in the family plot at Raymond Hill Cemetery. Relatives gathered alongside members of Marne Post, American Legion, who served as honor guard. Former Army chaplain Rev. H. Pierce Simpson, pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, conducted the graveside service.
Pfc. Bridle was reported to be among the first local servicemen killed overseas during World War II to be returned home to Putnam County for burial.
Historical note: While the original application for his government headstone lists an incorrect death year of 1944, records on the reverse side confirm the correct date as April 19, 1945. The application was certified on behalf of Raymond Hill Cemetery by Willitt C. Jewell.
Sources:
The Jewell Collection (NE17), photographs by Willitt C. Jewell
The Putnam County Courier, January 20, 1949, Putnam County Archives
Ancestry.com in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration
Putnam County Government
