A hero from Connecticut is on Line 1 of Panel 1 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Back in the early 1980s, I was at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, where I had the opportunity to purchase a Missing in Action (MIA) bracelet. So many to honor, so I looked up the first person from Connecticut who was MIA during the Vietnam War. His name is Staff Sergeant Alfons Aloyze Bankowski, U.S. Air Force, from Stamford, Connecticut. I wore the bracelet for a few years and have lost track of it after 40 years of moving and losing belongings along the way. I never forgot the goal, though, and that was to honor one of Connecticut’s fallen.

A point of interest about SSgt Bankowski’s life and service is that he is on Line 1 of Panel 1 East of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. What makes that significant is that the layout of names on the memorial is chronological. There are three names to the left of his who were killed before him. The seven names that follow those three all died in the same plane crash in Laos in 1961. On Panel 1E (east), Line 1, you will find “Alfons A. Bankowski,” making him one of the first 10 killed in the war.

Graphic courtesy of vvmf.org

This is his story.

STAFF SERGEANT ALFONS ALOYZE “AL” BANKWOSKI;
U.S. AIR FORCE

DOB/DOD: June 15, 1930 (Stamford, CT) – March 23, 1961 (Laos); 30 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried; found evidence of a divorce from Reba Palmer Bankowski in the June 28, 1957, edition of the Greenville (SC) News newspaper. No record of a marriage or of Reba Palmer could be found.
LOCAL ADDRESS: 15 Manor Street, Stamford (house no longer there)
ENLISTED: 1949 and served in Korea; and again in 1960
SERVICE NUMBER: 11 165 069
AIR FORCE SPECIALTY CODE: 113X0 – Flight Engineer
UNIT: 314th Air Division, Pacific Air Forces; Stationed at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea; deployed to Vientiane, Laos
ON THE WALL: Panel 01E, Line 1

STATUS: Based on all information available, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) assesses the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit. The definition of that category is, “a missing person file has sufficient information to justify ongoing field work, research, or recovery operations. It serves as a top priority for resource allocation and operational planning to justify ongoing field work, research, or recovery operations.”

In November 1991, the remains of four of the crew members with SSgt Bankowski (Magee, Matteson, Garside, and Sampson) were positively identified. To this day, the remains of Edgar Weitkamp, Oscar Weston, and Alfons Bankowski have not been recovered. 

FAMILY:  Born to Wladyslaw “Walter” (1886-1930) and Anastasia Romanowska Bankowski Maleski (1895-1989). Both parents were born in Poland. Alfons was the youngest of eight children. Three sisters, Mary Bankowski Stepnowski (1915-1984), Frances V. Bankowski Kupidlowski (1916-1968), and Anastasia H.N. Bankowski Mossman Adams (1926-1995). Four brothers, Stanley S. (1918-1969), Walter A. [Navy/WWII veteran] (1922-1987), Edward B. (1923-1978), and Harry P. [Army/WWII veteran] (1925-1996).

Photo from Ancestry.com
The above three photos are from the Wall of Faces, vvmf.org.

DECORATIONS: Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Citation, Republic of Korea War Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Air Force Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Gallantry Cross

CIRCUMSTANCES: C-47B (tail number 44-76330) departed Vientiane, Laos, enroute to Saigon. The aircraft flew over the Plaines des Jarres (Plain of Jars) area with the intention of monitoring North Vietnamese and Soviet activity. It was hit by enemy fire and crashed about 4 miles north of Phon Savan airfield, Xiangkhoang Province, Laos.

Wright State University, Roger Lee Miller Aviation Slide Collection Special Collections Repository

THE CREW

1st Lt Ralph W. Magee, Pilot; Port Sulphur, LA (Accounted For)
1st Lt Oscar B. “OB” Weston, Co-Pilot; Norfolk, VA (Unaccounted For)
2nd Lt Glenn Matteson, Navigator; Appleton, WI (Accounted For)
SSgt Alfons A. “Al” Bankowski, Flight Engineer; Stamford, CT (Unaccounted For)
SSgt Frederick T. Garside, Assistant Flight Engineer; Plymouth, MA (Accounted For)
SSgt Leslie V. “Les” Sampson, Radio Operator; Richey, MT (Unaccounted For)

Passengers, both Army Attachés Office, American Embassy Vientiane, Laos
Major Lawrence R. “Bob” Bailey, Jr.; Laurel, MD (Survived)
Warrant Officer Edgar W. Weitkamp Jr.; York, PA (Unaccounted For)

Major Bailey, who always wore a parachute when he flew, jumped from the falling aircraft and was captured by the Pathet Lao. Bob Bailey spent seventeen months as a prisoner in Sam Neua, the Pathet Lao headquarters near the North Vietnamese border, before being repatriated after the signing of the Geneva Agreements on Laos in 1962. The caves at Sam Neua were said to have held scores of American prisoners during and after the war. Lawrence Bailey was the first Prisoner of War in Southeast Asia captured after the Geneva Agreements of 1954.

The photo below is of Major Bailey receiving the Bronze Star Medal from President Kennedy in 1962 after his release from captivity. It is from the August 31, 1962, edition of the Republican and Herald newspaper in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

Testimonials on the Wall of Faces website

Al, Here’s a great photo of your ’59 Galaxy 500 4-door. It has many memories for a few of us. There’s your Mom sitting in the driver’s seat doing one of the engine runs you asked her to do while you were gone. And, when Carole and I got married, you stood up and volunteered to be our driver in the “Limo.” Ed Johnson, MSGT, USAF (Ret)

Moments like those in the photo of Harriet and you will forever be remembered. Though lost in the flesh, your love for family and friends remains with us. Harriet Conte, January 22, 2015

Memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii; Court A, Panel 88.

Memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, 5 Henry Bacon Drive SW, Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of VirtualWall.org.

“In Memory Of” Marker in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Drive, Arlington, Virginia; Section ME, Grave 158. Photo courtesy of FindAGrave.com and contributor “Hope.”

END

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS VIRGINIA ALICE BLAKE

DOB/DOD: June 27, 1899 (Salisbury, CT) – August 23, 1964 (New York City); 65 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Clarence M. Blake (1897-1926) on March 30, 1923, in Waterbury. After Clarence’s death, Virginia married Clarence’s brother, Walter Blake (1889-1948), on May 3, 1928, in New York.
CHILDREN: None
LOCAL ADDRESS: Goshen Road, Litchfield
ENLISTMENT: August 2, 1943, in New York City
DISCHARGED: November 15, 1945
SERVICE NUMBER: A-203087

FAMILY: Born to William M. (1873-1954) and Ora B. Brown Branch (1876-1944). Four sisters, Lida (1903-1903), Cecelia (1904-1982), Frances (1906-1991), and Marion B. Branch Reed (1917-2019). Four brothers, Jesse H. (1908-1954), Marcus W. (1911-1992), Judge Douglas (1912-1952), and John W. (1914-1992).

OTHER: In a voter registry in New York City, she is listed as working as a postal clerk

Members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) pose at Camp Shanks, New York, before leaving from New York Port of Embarkation on Feb. 2, 1945. The women are with the first contingent of Black American WACs to go overseas for the war effort From left to right are, kneeling: Pvt. Rose Stone; Pvt. Virginia Blake; and Pfc. Marie B. Gillisspie. Second row: Pvt. Genevieve Marshall; T/5 Fanny L. Talbert; and Cpl. Callie K. Smith. Third row: Pvt. Gladys Schuster Carter; T/4 Evelyn C. Martin; and Pfc. Theodora Palmer. Thanks to tanitasdavis.com.

Special Order 89; roster of the Six Triple Eight while in England

Buried in Salisbury (Center) Cemetery, 29 Under Mountain Road, Salisbury, Connecticut.

Photo from FindAGrave.com and contributor “Cyndi”

END

PRIVATE PEARL ETHLEEN COOKS

DOB/DOD: March 8, 1921 (New Britain, CT) – June 9, 2003 (Santa Barbara, CA); 82 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Jake H. Rhine (1919-?). Divorced in 1961. Married Joseph C. Cooks, Sr. (1927-1986) on June 7, 1968, in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Divorced on August 7, 1979, in Alameda, California.
CHILDREN: One son, William R. Rhine (1941-2008).
LOCAL ADDRESS: 25 Hurlburt Street, New Britain
ENLISTMENT: May 28, 1943, in New York City
DISCHARGED: December 24, 1945
SERVICE NUMBER: A-205784

FAMILY: Born to Howard F.S. (1874-1939) and Lillian E. Burnett Cumberbatch (1889-1984). Three sisters, Doris E. (1910-1934), Cynthia Cumberbatch King (1919-2022), and Ruth W. Cumberbatch Hassan (1928-1989). Three brothers, Adrian Oswald (1912-2006), Allan B. (1914-1984), and Fitz Stephen (1924-1991).

OTHER: The family moved to Brooklyn, New York, between 1924 and 1926. First training was at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and then on to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. After the service, Pearl was the first former servicewoman to join American Legion Post 269 in Oakland. In 1951, while working at the Oakland Naval Ordnance Depot, Pearl received a $150 award for a suggestion that saved the Navy money.

Photo from Ancestry.com. Modified to make it less blurry using ChatGPT.

Buried in Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, California; Section 50, Site 1381

Photo from FindAGrave.com and contributor “Doug B.”

END

Honoring Connecticut’s Military Heroes

Welcome to Connecticut Military Heroes.

The website went live on February 10, 2025. I sent an email with an announcement to a limited number of people from my contact list. I wanted to gather some initial feedback in order to enhance the site BEFORE I make a more public announcement. A huge thank you to everyone who helped me modify some of the content. I appreciate it.

This website is dedicated to honoring men and women with a connection to the State of Connecticut who served in the United States military. At its heart, the site focuses on those who made the ultimate sacrifice during their service to our nation. Their lives, service, and loss deserve to be remembered with dignity and respect.

In addition, Connecticut Military Heroes will also share the stories of veterans whose service reflects extraordinary courage, commitment, and heroism. These narratives help tell a fuller story of service—one that goes beyond dates and ranks to highlight character, sacrifice, and impact.

The goal is simple but vital: to preserve these stories, honor their service, and ensure that the sacrifices made in defense of our freedoms are never forgotten.

MASTER CHAUNCEY HOMER WILLIAMS

DOB/DOD: August 7, 1906 (New Brunswick, Canada) – February 24, 1942; 36 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Gertrude E. Harrison (1911-1995) on September 23, 1933, in Bridgeport
CHILDREN: One son, Roy A. (1937-2014).
LOCAL ADDRESS: Bridgeport
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-003095

FAMILY: Born to Alfred E. (1879-1930) and Henrietta Baker Williams (1880-?). Two brothers, Gerald B. (1913-1999) and Lloyd B. (1918-2006). All were born in Canada.

Photo from Seaman’s Protection application

CIRCUMSTANCES: The sinking of the Norlavore is unknown. Some have reported that she was sunk by the German U-boat U-432. On February 22, 1942, she left her home port, Baltimore, for Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela, and never arrived. Initial reports after the war report that the U-432 was in the area when she went down. Uboat.net reports that the sinking occurred during heavy weather and has removed it from its ships attacked database.

Memorialized on a headstone in Oak Lawn Cemetery, 1530 Bronson Rd, Fairfield, Connecticut.

FIREMAN WATERTENDER STANLEY JOSEPH WETART

DOB/DOD: 1921 (Connecticut) – June 10, 1943; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Manchester
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-358589

FAMILY: Born to Adam [born Vitartas] (1875-1934) and Johanna “Jennie” Bajoaris Wetart (1886-1962) [both born in Lithuania]. Two brothers, Joseph J. (1906-2002) and Anthony [Army veteran] (1915-2006). One sister, Mary “May” A. Wetart Frazzino (1917-2006).

CIRCUMSTANCES: At 2000 hours on June 10, 1943, the unescorted Esso Gettysburg (Master Peder A. Johnson, lost) was hit by two torpedoes from U-66 about 100 miles southeast of Savannah, Georgia, shortly after she received a U-boat warning, steaming on a zigzag course at 15.5 knots. One torpedo struck the port side between the #6 and #7 tanks, ripped up 25 feet of deck, blew oil 100 feet into the air, and disabled the steering gear. Seconds later, the second struck on the port side at the engine room, causing an immediate fire as she began to settle by the stern and listed to port. Oil from the two tanks was spread into the water and was ignited by the second explosion. The flames spread 100 feet on both sides, while smoke rose over 1000 feet in the air. The eight officers, 37 men, and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in, and eight 20mm guns) attempted to launch some lifeboats, but failed because of the intense flames. Only 15 men (seven armed guards, three officers, and five crewmen) survived because they jumped overboard and swam away as fast as they could. The entirely submerged tanker, except for a small part of the bow, was last seen about 03.00 hours on 12 June and eventually sank. The survivors found a badly burned lifeboat after swimming for three hours and extinguished the fire. All were picked up by the American steam passenger ship George Washington the next day after they were sighted by a US Army patrol aircraft and landed in Charleston, South Carolina, the same day. The armed guard ensign was awarded the Navy Cross.

Photo from aukevisser.nl

The fate of U-66

Sunk on May 6, 1944, in the Atlantic west of the Cape Verde Islands, in position 17.17N, 32.29W, by depth charges, gunfire, and ramming from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-55 USN) of the US escort carrier USS Block Island and by the US destroyer escort USS Buckley. 24 dead and 36 survivors.

From the Hartford Courant on July 13, 1943

HARTFORD MAN LOST IN MERCHANT MARINE SERVICE

Stanley J. Wetart of the Merchant Marine, son of Mrs. Jennie Wetart of 277 Main Street, has been reported missing in action, according to the Associated Press. He served as a fireman and watertender. Seaman Wetart joined the Merchant Marine in August 1942. Previous to his enlistment, he worked in the assembling department at Pratt and Whitney. He attended the Wilson Street School. His sister, Mrs. Mary Fazzino, lives in Manchester, and his brother, Joseph, in Coventry. Another brother, Master Sergeant Anthony J. Wetart, is serving in the Army at Camp Hulen, Texas.

MESSMAN CLIFFORD BOERUM TWISS

DOB/DOD: May 24, 1904 (Bridgeport, CT) – September 24, 1942; 38 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Anna V. Booth (1899-1995) on October 24, 1927, in Shelton
CHILDREN: One son, John H. Twiss (1928-2019).
LOCAL ADDRESS: Devon
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-234204

FAMILY: Born to Clifford G. (1877-1946) and Florence J. Hiltz Twiss (then Geary, then Lee) (1883-1973). No siblings.

CIRCUMSTANCES: At 0924 hours on September 24, 1942, the SS West Chetac (Master Frank Matthew Jasper), dispersed about seven hours earlier from convoy TRIN-14, was hit on the port side at #2 hold by one torpedo from U-175 about 100 miles north of Georgetown, British Guiana. The U-boat reported that the ship had an aircraft escort for some time, was zigzagging at various speeds, and was hit by a spread of three torpedoes at 0645 hours. The explosion blew off the hatch covers and beams and caused the ship to sink by the bow within two minutes. The nine officers, 30 crewmen, and eleven armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four 20mm, and two .30cal guns) tried to abandon ship in four lifeboats, but rough seas and the suction of the sinking ship capsized all boats, drowning many men. Three officers, 14 crewmen, and two armed guards rescued themselves on three rafts and were questioned by the Germans. The survivors were picked up on October 1, 1942, by USS Roe (DD 418) about 20 miles off Trinidad and landed at Port of Spain, where six crewmen and the armed guards were hospitalized.

Photo from uboat.net

The fate of U-175

Sunk on April 17, 1943, in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, in position 47.53N, 22.04W, by depth charges and gunfire from the US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Spencer. 13 dead and 41 survivors. [uboat.net]

ABLE SEAMAN JOSEPH PAUL TIRIOLO

DOB/DOD: January 9, 1919 (Greenwich, CT) – January 27, 1942; 23 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 90 Pemberwich Road, Greenwich
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-206440

FAMILY: Born to Bruno (1881-1984) and Carmela Morabito Tiriolo (1893-1971). One brother, Patrick (1916-1970). Three sisters, Mary Tiriolo Provost-Slocum [died at 111 years old] (1912-2023), Grace Tiriolo LaRusso (1921-), and Mildred “Millie” Tiriolo Popp (1929-)

Greenwich High School Class of 1937

The following information was in the mid-year yearbook about Joseph Tiriolo.

Nickname: Joe
Disposition: Merry
Worst Failing: Women
Favorite Occupation: Farming
Will Be: Agriculturist

The information was provided by Karen Gilder, Media Assistant, Greenwich High School.

CIRCUMSTANCES: At 0943 hours on January 27, 1942, the unarmed and unescorted Francis E. Powell (Master Thomas J. Harrington) was hit by the last torpedo from U-130 about eight miles northeast of the Winter Quarter Light Vessel, while proceeding completely blacked out at 10.5 knots. The torpedo struck on the port side aft of the midships house, between the #4 and #5 tanks. The explosion started a small fire in the pump room and destroyed the radio antenna. Then the U-boat was sighted a few hundred yards away, which had planned to attack with the deck gun but gave up when other vessels came into sight. The eight officers and 24 crewmen abandoned ship in two lifeboats. The master was crushed to death when he slipped and fell between the boat and the ship. The same boat was lifted back on the ship by a wave, and the occupants had to launch another boat. Another officer and two men were also lost. The tanker later broke in two, caught fire, and sank at about 1400 hours.

After five hours, 17 men in one of the boats were picked up by the American steam tanker W.C. Fairbanks and landed at Lewes, Delaware. The remaining eleven survivors in the other boat were picked up by a US Coast Guard boat from the Assateague Station and landed at Chincoteague, Virginia.

The fate of U-130

Sunk at 0010 CET on March 13, 1943, by depth charges from the USS Hobby in position 37°12N, 40°32W. 53 dead (all hands lost). [Axel Niestlé, 2024].

From The Daily Item (Port Chester, NY) on January 28, 1942

JOS. TIRIOLO OFFICER ON LOST TANKER
Pemberwick Youth Not Listed Among Known Survivors
NEARLY ALL RESCUED

Axis submarine activities along the Atlantic Coast may have claimed the first victim from this section, it was feared today. At press time, parents of Joseph Paul Tiriolo, 22, of 90 Pemberwick Road, East Port Chester, a quartermaster aboard the torpedoed tanker Francis E. Powell, had not been told by the Navy Department whether their son was among the 30 survivors accounted for up to noon today.

The tanker was torpedoed early Tuesday. Seventeen seamen were brought ashore at Lewes, Delaware, last night, and today, 12 survivors and the body of at least one crew member were landed at Chincoteague, Virginia.

This accounted for at least 80 of the ship’s normal complement of 32 men, the Fifth Naval District announced.

Home For Christmas

According to young Tiriolo’s older brother, Patrick, he had been aboard the Francis E. Powell for the past year and a half. “He was home for a couple of days before Christmas, but the last we heard from him was several weeks ago when he said he was in ‘a Texas port’ and expected to sail north soon,” the brother said this morning.

The young seaman graduated from Greenwich High School in January. After a short stay in a CCC Camp, he took an examination for admission as a cadet in the Maritime Service, his brother said. Later, he obtained a position with the Atlantic Refining Corp. and was assigned to the Francis E. Powell as a quartermaster.

His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Bruno Tiriolo. Besides his parents and older brother, he has three sisters, Grace and Mildred Tirole, of the Pemberwick Road address, and Mrs. Mary Slocum, of Pelham.

Although the loss of the 7,006-ton Powell brought to eight the number of ships sent to the bottom by marauding Axis submarines off the eastern seaboard, the lengthening period of silence from another attack tanker increased hope it might have escaped.

The Navy reported that nothing had been heard from the Pan Maine, 7,236-ton tanker with a

normal complement of 40 since it flashed yesterday afternoon that it had been attacked. This gave rise to a belief that it may have eluded the enemy, a spokesman said.

Captain Missing

The torpedo burst into the Powell shortly after 2 A.M. Tuesday. “It just broke her back,” said Second Assistant Engineer Carroll M. Walker of Philadelphia. “No effort was made to finish her off. As far as I know, she could still be afloat.”

He was one of 14 who hurriedly scrambled into No. 4 lifeboat. A short distance from the ship, they picked up three others.

Captain T. J. Harrington of Baltimore was among the missing.

Grinning Joseph Orits, 22, of Santa Fe, N. M., at sea only nine months, considered himself one of

the luckiest sailors now looking for a new berth. He was asleep when the explosive struck, and

“Just made the boat,” clad in a light pair of pants and one shoe. Fortunately, he explained, others had two pairs of pants, two shirts, and extra sweaters.

PURSER JOHN LYNN THURMOND

DOB/DOD: May 6, 1906 (Mt. Lebanon, LA) – December 2, 1943; 37 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Stanton Patience Sharpe (1909-1995) on August 25, 1928
CHILDREN: Two daughters, Patricia “Patsy” A. Thurmond Bergman (1932-) and Jane L. Thurmond Turner Eisele (1937-).
LOCAL ADDRESS: New London
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-338722

FAMILY: Born to John H. (1858-1930) and Lula I. Lynn Thurmond (1866-1910). One brother, Albert H. [Navy veteran] (1900-1987). One sister, Eunice S. Thurmond Cole (1898-1964).

1927 Kansas City School of Law yearbook

From Ancestry.com

CIRCUMSTANCES: The John L. Motley was named for John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877), a historian and diplomat. Motley served as Minister to Austria from 1861 to 1867, and Minister to Great Britain from 1869 to 1870.

The SS John L. Motley was in the port at Bari, Italy, waiting to, or already unloading, its cargo of ammunition. Also in port that day was the SS John Harvey, which was loaded with a secret cargo: 2,000 M47A1 mustard gas bombs, each of which held 60-70 pounds of sulfur mustard.

The Port was attacked by 105 German Junkers Ju 88 bombers of Luftflotte 2. The bombers achieved surprise and bombed shipping and personnel operating in support of the Allied Italian Campaign.

The SS John L. Motley was destroyed, along with 27 other ships in what has become known as the “Bari Port Disaster,” in a huge explosion which caused the liquid sulfur mustard on the SS John Harvey to spill into the water, mixing with oil from the sunken ships, and a cloud of sulfur mustard vapor to blow over the city.

It is believed that nearly all crewmen of the SS John L. Motley perished in the sinking. The rescuers were prevented from knowing the danger they faced until a M47A1 bomb fragment was later retrieved from the wreckage.

The ship Master / Captain of the ” SS John L. Motley ” was Constantine Tsimenis. He resided in New York City, New York, before the war. Constantine was lost in this sinking.

The only known photo of the SS John Motley (RussPicket.com)

COOK LEON HENRY THOMAS

DOB/DOD: February 1, 1921 (Providence, RI) – March 29, 1943; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: New Haven
SERVICE NUMBER: Z-286859
FAMILY: Born to Milton H. (1897-1958) and Marion K. Edmondson Thomas (1901-1940). Five sisters, Constance M. Thomas Copeland (1918-1985), Marion N. (1926-1992), Jean (1929-1992), Carolyn A. Thomas-Greene (1932-2017), and Martha B. Thomas-Dublin (1933-1994). Three brothers, Milton H. III (1923-1990), Phillip E. (1934-2002), and John P. (1934-2006).

CIRCUMSTANCES: At 2336 hours on March 29, 1943, the unescorted William Pierce Frye (Master Meinhard Scherf), a straggler from convoy HX-230 due to engine trouble since 28 March, was hit on the starboard side in #1 hold by one of three torpedoes from U-610, while steaming on a zigzag course at 12.5 knots. At 2340 hours, a coup de grâce was fired that hit forward of amidships and caused the ship to sink by the bow within five minutes. Three of the lifeboats had previously been damaged by heavy weather and two more by the torpedo explosions, so only one boat was launched but it swamped in the rough seas and the four rafts and two floats were carried away before any of the eight officers, 32 crewmen and 24 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 3in and nine 20mm guns) could board them. The men had to jump overboard when the ship sank, and only seven of them managed to swim to one of the landing craft that floated free. The two officers, three crewmen, and two armed guards were picked up after five days by HMS Shikari (D 85) (LtCdr D.A. Rayner, DSC, RNVR) and landed in Londonderry. [uboat.net]

From uboat.net

The fate of U-610

Sunk on 8 October 1943 in the North Atlantic north-west of Ireland, in position 55.45N, 24.33W, by depth charges from a Canadian Sunderland aircraft (423 Sqn RCAF/J). 51 dead (all hands lost). [uboat.net]