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Wednesday,
" August 30, 2023 "
( This webpage originally created in March, 2015 )
The steam tanker " S.S. India Arrow " was built in 1921 by the " Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation ", Quincy, Massachusetts for the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Inc., New York.
On February 4, 1942 the unescorted and unarmed " India Arrow " was enroute from Corpus Christi, Texas to Carteret, New Jersey with a cargo of 88.369 barrels of diesel fuel. They were hit by a torpedo fired by German Submarine U-103 approximatley 20 miles southeast of " Cape May, New Jerse ".
The torpedo struck on the starboard quarter at about the #10 bunker. The " India Arrow " caught fire and began to sink rapidly by the stern. The nine officers and 29 crewmen immediately began to abandon ship. Two lifeboats were destroyed by the explosion and a third was pulled beneath the water by the sinking tanker, drowning 18 of the 20 occupants in it.
U-103 then surfaced and fired seven shells from her deck gun at two minutes intervals from a distance of 250 yards into the bow section which remained above water as the stern was sinking. Two men died as a result of the shelling.
The " S.S. India Arrow " lost " 8 " officers and " 18 " of her crew. Only " 1 " officer and " 11 " crewmen survived.
The ship Master/Captain of the " S.S. India Arrow " was : Carl Samuel Johnson
who was the only surviving officer in this sinking !
The " 11 " other survivors from the sinking were:
- Fred Baker ~ Machinist ~ Johns Island, South Carolina
- N.J. Baugh ~ Officer's Steward ~ Alpaus, New York
- Alva Curtis Bradford, Jr. ~ Fireman ~ Pine Bluff, AR
- Gordon Chambers ~ Wiper ~ Bronx, New York
- Sam Coulquitt ~ Officer's Messman ~ Madisonville, Texas
- Michael Charles Kusy ~ Able-Bodied Seaman ~ New York City, New York
- Dale I. Montgomery ~ Bosun ~ Englewood, California
- Bert F. Palmer ~ Fireman ~ Sayville, New York
- Edward J. Proehl ~ Officer's Steward ~ Jersey City, New Jersey
- Charles Louis Seerveld ~ Able-Bodied Seaman ~ Center Moriches, New York
- Edward Joseph Sheer ~ Radio Operator ~ Hammonton, Indiana
The following below list was created in the memory of those who
" Gave Their All ! "
on the
" S.S. India Arrow ! "There are personal " Online Memorials " for each of these honored men that were created for them by using the " Find A Grave Website ". On the " Majority " of the online memorials you will see a small biography for each soldier which may include:
Parent's, Grandparent's & Sibling's Names,
where & when they were born,
where they grew up,
when & where they enlisted in the service,
the military unit they were part of,
" AND "
where and how they actually died during the war !
MM = Awarded the " Mariner's Medal "
( Awarded for being wounded, Missing or Killed In Action )MM * = Awarded the " Combat Bar ( Ribbon ) "
( Awarded to those who served under combat conditions )MM ** = Awarded the " Combat Star "
( Awarded to those who are forced to abandon ship when attacked or damaged )PMM = Awarded the " Mariner's Prisoner of War Medal "
( Awarded to Mariner's held as prisoners of war during World War II )PH = Awarded the " Purple Heart "
( Awarded to soldiers & sailors for being Wounded and/or Killed in action )Other Medals = Such as Good Conduct Medals, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals, American Defense Service Medals, etc. " Are Not " included in this listing.
= Picture of person shown on online memorial.
= Picture of tombstone shown on online memorial.
An " N/A " in the " Photo, Awards, or Notes Area " means that they are not available for that Mariner, Soldier or Sailor .....
Cenotaph = A memorial stone only ~ " OR " ~ Remains not recovered ~ " OR " ~ Interred somewhere unknown.
( Those letters shown in " Red " did not have names to list for this ship )
[ A ] -
[ B ] -
[ C ] -
[ D ] -
[ E ] -
[ F ] -
[ G ] -
[ H ] -
[ I ]
[ J ] -
[ K ] -
[ L ] -
[ M ] -
[ N ] -
[ O ] -
[ P ] -
[ Q ] -
[ R ]
[ S ] -
[ T ] -
[ U ] -
[ V ] -
[ W ] -
[ X ] -
[ Y ] -
[ Z ]
Last Name ~ First Name ~ Middle Name Notes ( If Available ) |
Rank |
of Service |
Of Residence ~ ~ ~ Cause Of Passing |
Memorial |
Memorial ~ ~ ~ Click Below |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baldwin, Ernest Donald |
Seaman | ~ ~ ~ U.S. Merchant Marine |
~ ~ ~ " Missing " In Action |
Cemetery ~ ~ ~ Bridgeport, Connecticut ~ ~ ~ Cenotaph |
~ ~ ~ Last Bell : ~ ~ ~ February 4, 1942 |
Brittingham, Thomas E. |
Engineer | ~ ~ ~ U.S. Merchant Marine |
~ ~ ~ " Missing " In Action |
Cemetery ~ ~ ~ Uniondale, New York ~ ~ ~ Cenotaph |
~ ~ ~ Last Bell : ~ ~ ~ February 4, 1942 |
Brouillet, Arthur Lowe |
Mate | ~ ~ ~ U.S. Merchant Marine |
Massachusetts ~ ~ ~ " Missing " In Action |
None Found ~ ~ ~ Cenotaph |
~ ~ ~ Last Bell : ~ ~ ~ February 4, 1942 |
Buhrman, Ira Harrison" Family Link Included " |
~ ~ ~ U.S. Merchant Marine |
County, Maryland " Click Here " ~ ~ ~ " Missing " In Action |
National WW II Memorial ~ ~ ~ Annapolis, Maryland ~ ~ ~ Cenotaph |
~ ~ ~ Last Bell : ~ ~ ~ February 4, 1942 |
" C " " There Were None Lost ! " |
" G " " There Were None Lost ! " |
" I " " and " " J " " There Were None Lost ! " |
" O " ~ " P " ~ " Q " " and " " R " " There Were None Lost ! " |
" U " " and " " V " " There Were None Lost ! " |
" X " ~ " Y " " and " " Z " " There Were None Lost ! " |
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