Rank and Name, Private Joseph Ahart.
Unit/Placed in, Marine Detachment, Naval Operating Base Iceland.
is born approx. on 28 June 1922 in Paterson, New Jersey.
Father, Charles Louis Ahart.
Mother, Mildred (White) Ahart.
Sister(s), Julia Ahart.
Brother(s), Charles Ahart.
Joseph enlisted the service in New York with service number # 502053.
Joseph was MIA onboard the USS Henry J. Mallory (troop transport) with the Marine Detachment to the Naval Operating Base Iceland when it was Torpedoed in the Atlantic Sea by the U-402 on 7 February 1943, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal.
Joseph is buried/mentioned at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.
Walls of the missing.
Thanks to,
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/
Private Joseph Ahart was assigned to the Naval Operating Base, Iceland, as his first duty station after boot camp. He boarded the USS Henry R. Mallory, an ocean liner turned transport, at New York City on 23 January 1943. Mallory carried 494 passengers and crew, plus a cargo of food, clothing, cigarettes, mail, and vehicles bound for Reykjavik. Although capable of reasonably fast speeds, she was assigned to a slow convoy (SC-118) for the dangerous North Atlantic crossing.
At 0659 on 7 February 1943, a single torpedo fired by U-402 hit the Mallory’s #3 hold where the Marines were quartered. An untold number died in the initial explosion and rapid flooding; others managed to scramble topside. Only three of the ship’s ten lifeboats cleared the ship – men jumped overboard into fifty-degree water as the Mallory settled by the stern and slipped from sight.
The torpedo struck in a hold occupied by Marines, probably accounting for the relatively small number of Marines rescued.
His Body lost at sea. Joseph Ahart was officially declared dead on 8 February 1944.
