What was your grandfather’s name? Was he an Armed Guard or was he in the merchant marine? I may be able to find information about him.
You may be aware that SS GILBERT STUART, a troop transport and cargo ship, was attacked in the Philippine Islands by a kamikaze on November 17, 1944, while at dockside unloading cargo. The attack resulted in the deaths of five merchant marine crewmen, one U.S. Navy Armed Guard sailor, and five U.S. Army personnel who were part of a work party handling the cargo. A number of other crewmen and Armed Guard sailors were injured. Although the ship carried a cargo largely of gasoline, fires resulting from the kamikaze attack were brought under control before the cargo ignited. 500 Army troops who had traveled on the ship had already disembarked, fortunately. Damage to the ship was surprisingly light as the ship was able to leave port under her own power days later. She eventually departed the Philippines on December 23, 1944, and reached San Francisco on January 27, 1945. The ship survived the war.
I have found a list of the merchant marine crew that was aboard GILBERT STUART. The names of those who died or who were injured and removed from the ship to hospitals are crossed out although the names are still legible. The merchant marine crew members who died during or soon after the attack were: James Hendy, chief mate; Lloyd Beyer, 3rd mate; Richard Daly, boatswain; Samuel Elkins, able-bodied seaman; Patrick Don (or Bon), ordinary seaman. The Armed Guard sailor who died was Wilbert Rhodes, seaman 1st class. One other merchant marine crewman, Donald Annis, able-bodied seaman, died aboard the ship on September 23, 1944, well prior to the attack, from unspecified causes. Finally, James Spence, fireman/watertender, died on January 5, 1945. It is not clear whether his death resulted from injuries suffered in the attack nearly two months earlier, or whether his death was due to other causes. The son of James Spence was the person who posted the initial message on this topic on August 2, 2012 (http://members.boardhost.com/armedguard/msg/1343920330.html), and to which your message replied. A summary of the attack can be found at http://www.usmm.org/cadetbio1944.html. Scroll about 3/4 of the way down the page to find the report.
Of those whose names I list above, other than James Spence, is one of them your grandfather?
Best wishes.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster
Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website
www.armed-guard.com
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