File No. 43-6362
USNR No. 249639
CONFIDENTIAL
10 January 1944
From: Cadet-Midshipman James L. CAHILL, Second Class, (D-1), USMMCC
To: Supervisor, U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Via: District Cadet-Midshipman Supervisor, New York.
Subject: Loss of vessel SS JOHN HARVEY; Report on
1. The subject vessel departed from Norfolk, Virginia on 15 October 1943 and arrived in Oran, North Africa on 2 November. At this port, the cargo was discharged and another cargo, consisting of ammunition was taken on. The vessel left Oran on 19 November in a convoy consisting of about 40 ships, escorted by three American destroyers and 5 DE’s. The convoy arrived in Port Augusta, Sicily the 25th of November and left the following day for Bari, Italy, in a convoy of about 30 ships escorted by English and Italian corvettes. The next day, half the ships in the convoy cut off and headed for Taranto, and the subject vessel arrived in Bari on 28 November.
2. On 2 December 1943, at 1930, while the subject vessel was anchored just inside the jetty, and with full cargo of ammunition, the harbor and port were attacked by German bombers. The subject vessel was laying alongside two other vessels also loaded with ammunition. During the attack, one of the three ships was hit by a large aerial bomb, and it exploded, the concussion of the explosion caused the other two ships to explode also. The writer was ashore at the time of the attack and consequently does not know the exact details of the sinking of the subject vessel. There were no survivors and it was presumed that all hands aboard the ship at the time are lost.
3. The writer was taken from Bari to Taranto on a British ship, the SS DEFENDER and spent one night at a transit camp in Taranto and then entrained for Naples where he was placed aboard a British transport, the HMT CAMERONIA and taken to Oran. At Oran, the writer was given passage on the SS MIRABEAU B. LAMAR and arrived in the United States on 2 January 1944.
4. The only survivors of the subject vessel, to the best of the writer’s knowledge, were the seven men ashore at the same time as the writer. The other three Cadet-Midshipmen assigned to the subject vessel, namely,
Cadet-Midshipman Richard B. GLAUCHE
Cadet-Midshipman Alvin H. JUSTIS
Cadet-Midshipman Marvin H. BRODIE
were all aboard at the time of the raid, and it is presumed that all were lost. As far as the writer was able to learn, there was no trace found of the Cadet-Midshipmen or the subject vessel
JAMES L. CAHILL
FIRST ENDORSEMENT.
10 January 1944
To: S-CC
1. Forwarded. Attention invited to paragraph 4 concerning the loss of Cadet-Midshipman Glauche, Justis, and Brodie.
P. BRENNAN
G. S. FINDLAY
By direction
CONFIDENTIAL 424 USMMCC File No. 43-6362
USNR File No. 24503
10 January, 1944
From: Cadet-Midshipman James L. CAHILL, Second Class, (D-1), USMMC
To: Supervisor, U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Via: District Cadet-Midshipman Supervisor, New York.
Subject: Loss of vessel SS JOHN HARVEY; Report on
1. The subject vessel departed from Norfolk, Virginia on 15 October 1943 and arrived in Oran, North Africa on 2 November. At this port, the cargo was discharged and another cargo, consisting of ammunition was taken on. The vessel left Oran on 19 November in a convoy consisting of about 40 ships, escorted by three American destroyers and 5 DE’s. The convoy arrived in Port Augusta, Sicily the 25th of November and left the following day for Bari, Italy, in a convoy of about 30 ships escorted by English and Italian corvettes. The next day, half the ships in the convoy cut off and headed for Taranto, and the subject vessel arrived in Bari on 28 November.
2. On 2 December 1943, at 1930, while the subject vessel was anchored just inside the jetty, and with full cargo of ammunition, the harbor and port were attacked by German bombers. The subject vessel was laying alongside two other vessels also loaded with ammunition. During the attack, one of the three ships was hit by a large aerial bomb, and it exploded, the concussion of the explosion caused the other two ships to explode also.
3. The writer was ashore at the time of the attack and consequently does not know the exact details of the sinking of the subject vessel. There were no survivors and it was presumed that all hands aboard the ship at the time are lost.
4. The writer was taken from Bari to Taranto on a British ship, the SS DEFENDER and spent one night at a transit camp in Taranto and then entrained for Naples where he was placed aboard a British transport, the HMT CAMERONIA and taken to Oran. At Oran, the writer was given passage on the SS MIRABEAU B. LAMAR and arrived in the United States on 2 January 1944.
5. The only survivors of the subject vessel, to the best of the writer’s knowledge, were the seven men ashore at the same time as the writer. The other three Cadet-Midshipmen assigned to the subject vessel, namely; Cadet-Midshipman Richard B. GLAUCHE, Cadet-Midshipman Alvin H. JUSTIS, Cadet-Midshipman Marvin H. BRODIE, were all aboard at the time of the raid, and it is presumed that all were lost. As far as the writer was able to learn, there was no trace found of the Cadet-Midshipmen and the subject vessel was demolished.
Signed (James L. Cahill)
Cadet-Midshipman James L. CAHILL, Second Class, (D-1), USMMC
FIRST ENDORSEMENT.
10 January 1944
To: Supervisor, U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Forwarded. Attention invited to paragraph 4 concerning the loss of Cadet-Midshipman Glauche, Justis, and Brodie.
P. BRENNAN
Signed (G.S. Findley)
G. S. FINDLAY
By direction