Rank and Name, Seaman First Class Benjamin Franklin Ables.
Unit/Placed in, SS Meriwether Lewis (Cargo) Liberty ship, United States Navy.
Benjamin is born on 1923 in Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina.
Father, Benjamin Clayton Ables.
Mother, Jessie B. (Sanders) Ables.
Sister(s), Helen and Maude Faye Ables.
Brother(s), Willy, Grade Mckenny and T.D. Abeles.
Benjamin enlisted the service in South Carolina with service number # 5522576.
Benjamin was KIA When it was straggling from the Convoy initial first sighted by the Uboat-759 but had some engine problems, leading the Uboat-643 to her and she Torpedoed it and she Sank in the North Atlantic near Iceland on 2 March 1943, he is honored with a Merchant Marine Mariners Medal, Good Combat Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal.
Benjamin is buried/mentioned at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.
Walls of the missing.
Thanks to, https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/215225?page=1#sr-56287266
https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?30835
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LT74-NSX
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com ww2-europe.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
WW2 Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Medals Forum, https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
WordPress en/of Wooncommerce oplossingen, https://www.siteklusjes.nl/
Military Recovery, https://www.dpaa.mil/
The SS Meriwether Lewis left New York on February 7, 1943, loaded with ammunition and tires. It was Messman Walter F. Meisner’s first voyage. The Liberty Ship joined Convoy HX-227 on February 18. The convoy consisted of seventy ships plus destroyer escorts bound for the United Kingdom.
While about 210 miles south of Iceland in the North Atlantic, on March 2, 1943, the SS Meriwether Lewis fell back from the main body of the convoy. She was promptly attacked by German submarine U-759, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Rudolf Friedrich.
The attack was unsuccessful and the U-boat was forced to retire due to mechanical difficulties. However, the straggling freighter was in a vulnerable position and the wolves were closing in. German submarine U-634, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Brosin, was summoned to the scene.
The ship was disabled by one of four torpedoes fired at 06:43 hours. Two more torpedoes, one at 07:52 hours and another at 09:05 hours finished off the doomed Liberty Ship. The second torpedo caused a massive detonation in the cargo hold when the ammunition ignited.
The ship broke in two and sank bow first. The crew aboard the SS Meriwether Lewis included forty-four merchant sailors and a twenty-five man Naval Armed Guard. Despite a two-day search by Coast Guard Cutter Ingham (WPG-35), no survivors were found. Only a thirty mile long trail of automobile tires was sighted.
