Bertie County NcArchives Military Records.....WWII Killed In Action, Bertie 
WWII 
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Gerald Thomas gerald_thomas00@comcast.net January 14, 2018, 4:35 pm

Eternal Sacrifice

		ETERNAL SACRIFICE:
BERTIE COUNTY’S MILITARY SERVICE
PERSONNEL WHO WERE KILLED IN ACTION, DIED OF WOUNDS, OR DIED AS
PRISONERS OF WAR DURING
WORLD WAR II

by

Gerald W. Thomas

Copyright © 2018





"Death is eternal."1

On Friday, September 1, 1939, Germany’s military forces invaded Poland and
ignited World War II – the largest armed conflict in world history. The war
erupted slightly more than two decades following the end of World War I, or the
"Great War" as it was termed at the time. The United States did not enter the
second war until after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.
The global conflict pitted Germany, Japan, and Italy against Great Britain, the
Soviet Union, the United States and other countries. Hostilities did not end
until Japan surrendered to the United States on August 14, 1945. During the six
years of world-wide war more than fifty million people – military personnel and
civilians – died.2
	During every war in which America has been involved, a small percentage of the
country’s citizens – predominantly young men – served in the nation’s armed
forces. A much smaller percentage gave their lives in combat while serving their
country. America’s citizens are profoundly indebted to the men and women, who,
for more than 240 years, have served in the nation’s armed forces – during
peacetime and wartime – to protect the country and preserve national freedom.
Two days each year – Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November – are
designated by the United States to honor the men and women who served in the
armed forces.
On September 16, 1940 – as war raged on the European continent – Congress passed
the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 which established the first
peacetime conscription in United States history. The act originally required all
men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five to register with their local
draft boards. Under the law conscripted men were to serve in the armed forces
for twelve months. However, in 1941 Congress increased the term of required
service to eighteen months. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and
the United States’ declarations of war against Japan and Germany, the service
period was extended to last for the duration of the war. The age range was also
expanded to include men aged eighteen to thirty-seven years.
Dr. Cola Castelloe (Windsor), John Leonard Parker Sr. (Colerain), and T. N.
Peele (Lewiston) were appointed by North Carolina governor Clyde R. Hoey to
serve as Bertie County’s draft board. Castelloe functioned as chairman. Arthur
C. Mitchell served as clerk to the board. On October 16, 1940, 3,069 Bertie
County men registered for the draft at their voting precincts. The first county
men to enter the army under the provisions of the selective service law departed
Windsor on a bus destined for Fort Bragg on Wednesday, December 4.
During World War II more than 16.1 million Americans served in the nation’s
armed forces of whom 10.1 million were conscripted. Almost 292,000 personnel
were killed in action or died of wounds received in combat.3 More than 362,500
North Carolinians served, including approximately 7,000 women. The vast majority
of the individuals served in the army. Casualties suffered by North Carolinians
totaled 6,458 battle deaths. More than 3,000 persons from the state died from
non-battle causes (accidents, disease, illness, etc.)4
More than 1,700 Bertie County citizens, including women, served in the military
from the late 1930s through 1945. The county’s sons and daughters served in the
army, the navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. The vast
majority of the military service personnel were inducted and served
predominantly in the army.5
The county’s sons fought in Africa, Europe, the southwest Pacific islands, and
on the oceans of the world. Thirty-one Bertie County citizens lost their lives
as a result of combat – twenty-four individuals were killed in action and five
men died of wounds received in battle. Two men were killed while they were
incarcerated as prisoners of war.6
This paper presents biographical sketches of the Bertie County residents who
died as a result of combat, or as prisoners of war. It also presents information
on two individuals who were natives of the county, having lived substantial
portions of the pre-adult lives in Bertie prior to relocating to other locations
shortly before the war commenced. This document is not intended to present a
comprehensive history of Bertie County’s overall involvement in the war, nor
does it convey complete accounts of the military service performed by the
individuals who lost their lives.7
	
BERTIE COUNTY RESIDENTS

Norman Shaw Dunning
Norman Shaw Dunning was born January 16, 1919, at Aulander. His surname at birth
was Askew. Norman’s uncle, John Dunning, and wife, Maggie Early, adopted Norman
at a young age and changed his name to Dunning. Norman enlisted as a private in
the army on February 13, 1940, at age 21. He was assigned to the 20th Engineer
Combat Regiment, a unit organized and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia in
early July 1940. During 1941 the regiment achieved full strength with a
regimental headquarters and two combat battalions of four companies each. In
November 1942 the regiment was transported to North Africa and disembarked at
Casablanca, French Morocco. On March 15, 1943, the regiment embarked on a
1,100-mile line of march across the northern edge of French North Africa
(Morocco and Algeria). On April 5 it was ordered to move to Gafsa, Tunisia to
repel an anticipated attack by German forces. However, the attack never
materialized. On April 15 the regiment, as a component of Gen. Omar Bradleys’ II
Corps, advanced northward toward the Mediterranean Sea to Tunisia. Dunning, who
had been promoted to private first class, was killed Easter Sunday, April 23,
1943. He was the first Bertie County military service member to be killed in
action during the war.

PFC Norman Shaw Dunning
Image from Amelia Perry (White), comp., Special Memories: Bertie County Natives
of World War II, 1941-1945 (commonly known as Bertie County World War II
Scrapbook), Albemarle Regional Library, www.arlnc.org, (hereafter cited as
Bertie County Scrapbook).

Joseph Bryan Spivey Jr
Joseph Bryan Spivey Jr., the son of Joseph Bryan Spivey and Helen Sittison, was
born June 12, 1920, at Windsor. He graduated from Windsor High School in 1938.
Joseph Jr. enlisted as a private in the army at Fort Bragg on May 16, 1942, at
age 21. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps and trained as a radio operator.
Spivey served in the 68th Bomber Squadron, 44th Bomber Group (Heavy). The group
flew B-24 bombers (known as "Liberators") and was assigned to the Eighth Air
Force at Cheddington, England on September 11, 1942. The unit was temporarily
transferred to the Ninth Air Force at Benina Main, Libya on June 28, 1943, to
support the invasion of Sicily during July 1943. The 44th Bomber Group
participated in the August 1, 1943, raid on the oil field and refineries at
Ploesti, Rumania. One of the bomber crews slated to participate in the mission
was short its radioman, so Technical Sergeant Spivey volunteered to go on the
mission with the crew. It was Spivey’s first raid over enemy territory.
Thirty-seven B-24s participated in the mission; however, eleven of the aircraft
did not return, including the bomber on which Spivey was serving. The War
Department initially informed Spivey’s parents that he was missing in action,
but later determined that he – along with the other crewmembers on the plane –
had been killed. The bomber had been shot down by a German fighter. Spivey was
shot in the stomach and died on board the plane before it crashed. On February
21, 1944, Joseph B. Spivey Sr. was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross in
behalf of his son’s service at a ceremony held at Seymour Johnson Field,
Goldsboro.8 

Tech. Sgt. Joseph B. Spivey Jr.
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

James S. Flood
James S. Flood, the son of Paul Flood and Alberta Lee, was born September 4,
1912, at Kelford. James was inducted as a private into the army on October 26,
1942, at age 30. He served in a combat engineer unit and was assigned to the
Army Air Corps. By November 11, 1943, Flood had been promoted to sergeant when
he died. His military service record indicates that army officials issued a
"finding of death." A finding of death – in the absence of a recovered body –
was issued for a military service member who was determined to be dead under the
provisions of Section 5 of the Missing Persons Act, Public Law 490, 77th
Congress, 7 March 1942, as amended. Such a finding was made in any case after at
least one year from the time of disappearance, when there was conclusive proof
that the individual was dead, or equally overwhelming evidence that the person
could not have remained alive.

Jerome Speller Jr.
Jerome Speller Jr., the son of Jerome Speller and his wife, Lizzie, was born
December 6, 1918, at Windsor. The younger Speller enlisted as a private in the
army at Richmond, Virginia, on October 24, 1942, at age 23. The 855th Engineer
Aviation Battalion was activated at March Field, California, on January 1, 1943.
Private Speller was assigned to the unit which was comprised of all
African-American enlisted men commanded by white officers (a customary practice
during this period of segregation in the nation’s armed forces). The battalion –
an aviation and construction outfit assigned to the Army Air Corps – built and
repaired airstrips. During the fall of 1943 the 855th was ordered to "ship out"
to the Pacific. Members of the battalion, along with personnel of a couple other
units, boarded the Cape San Juan which set sail from San Francisco on October
28. The ship’s destination was Townsville, Australia, approximately 7,000 miles
across the Pacific Ocean. The voyage proceeded uneventfully for two weeks as the
Cape San Juan sailed through what were considered to be safe waters behind
American-controlled lines. The ship’s skipper followed established precautionary
procedures, including all lights out at night, steering a zig-zig course, and
posting armed guards and "lookouts" at all times, to avoid Japanese submarines
that might be lurking near its travel route. However, the precautions were not
sufficient. In the predawn hours of November 11, 1943 (Veterans Day), lookouts
aboard the Cape San Juan spotted the periscope of a Japanese submarine and the
unmistakable wake of a sea-launched torpedo. Submarine I-21 had launched the
projectile which slammed into the troop ship at the spot where the men of the
855th Engineer Aviation Battalion were lodged. A horrendous explosion
drastically crippled the ship which immediately began to list. About fifteen
minutes after the attack the ship’s commander ordered the crew and passengers to
evacuate the vessel. The number of initial casualties from the explosion are not
known. PFC Jerome Speller Jr. was killed in the attack, or died shortly
thereafter of wounds received. Most survivors scrambled into lifeboats, but some
jumped into the oily, debris-filled waters and drowned. Allied ships and
amphibious aircraft came to the scene to rescue survivors.

The Cape San Juan listing following a torpedo attack by a Japanese submarine.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.,
www.history.navy.mil; photograph number NC 89892.


Members of the 855th Engineer Aviation Battalion who were rescued from the
waters of the Pacific Ocean by a United States Navy warship. Image from Warfare
History Network, http://warfarehistorynetwork.com.

William Hildreth Butler
William Hildreth Butler, the son of Willie J. Butler and Bettie Alice White, was
born August 14, 1922, near Askewville. Butler attended Wake Forest College at
Winston-Salem and was a member of the class slated to graduate in 1943. However,
Butler was inducted as a private into the army at Fort Bragg on August 16, 1942,
at age 20. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps and trained as a tail gunner on
a "heavy" bomber. Butler visited his home while on leave in July 1943 and
married Florence Hoggard of Windsor. Upon returning to duty from leave he was
sent to England and assigned to the 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bombardment
Group, Eighth Air Force. The 385th Bombardment Group flew B-17s (commonly known
as "Flying Fortresses") from the Royal Air Force’s Great Ashfield station,
Suffolk. The group’s strategic mission involved bombing industrial centers, oil
refineries, air bases, and communication centers, primarily in Germany. By
November 1943 Butler had achieved the rank of staff sergeant (SSgt). Butler was
killed during a bombing raid over Germany on November 13, 1943. On February 21,
1944, Mrs. Florence R. Butler was presented the Air Medal with an Oak Leaf
cluster in behalf of her husband’s service at a ceremony held at Seymour Johnson
Field, Goldsboro.

SSgt William H. Butler
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

A formation of B-17s – Flying Fortresses – on a bombing run over Germany during
World War II. SSgt. William H. Butler served as a tail gunner on a B-17. Image
from Wikimedia Commons.
 
Douglas W. Parker
Douglas W. Parker, the son of John Leonard Parker Sr. and wife, Louise P.
Parker, was born at Colerain in 1921. Douglas attended Wake Forest College for
two years prior to enlisting as an aviation cadet in the army at Fort Bragg on
November 18, 1941, at age 20. Parker was assigned to the Army Air Corps and sent
to the South Pacific. Parker, who had been promoted to first lieutenant,
participated in a combat mission over Burma on June 28, 1944. He and other
members of his unit were returning to their home base in India when Parker
became separated from his flight leader after encountering heavy clouds. His
plane disappeared. American military personnel conducted searches – both on the
ground and from the air – for several days but failed to find any sign of
Lieutenant Parker or his aircraft. As a consequence, Parker’s body was never
recovered. Lieutenant Parker had completed forty combat missions over Burma when
he was lost. His father was a member of the Bertie County draft board.

Lt. Douglas W. Parker
Image from Bertie Ledger-Advance, July 28, 1944.

Willis Ervin Nixon
Willis Ervin Nixon, the son of Edward T. Nixon and Elizabeth Bass, was born
April 5, 1920, in Chowan County. As a resident of White’s Township in Bertie
County, Willis enlisted as a private in the army at Richmond, Virginia on
January 7, 1942, at age 21. Nixon had been promoted to Technician Fourth Grade
(a rank commonly known as "Tech. 4" and often addressed as "sergeant") when he
was killed in action on July 11, 1944. No further pertinent details (unit to
which assigned, location of death, etc.) are derived from Nixon’s available
military service record.

Jimmie Parker
Jimmie Parker was born November 27, 1918, near Aulander. He was inducted as a
private into the army at Fort Bragg on March 14, 1941, at age 22. Parker was
assigned to the 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. The division
was sent overseas, arriving in England during February 1944. The 30th Division
participated in the Normandy Campaign during June and July 1944. During that
period the 117th Infantry Regiment was engaged in various actions against German
forces. On July 29, the 117th Infantry, with a tank battalion and a company from
a chemical battalion, attacked enemy positions in the vicinity of La
Gonnivierre, but failed to advance against strong opposition. Sgt. Jimmie Parker
was wounded in action and died later that day. Parker was buried in Normandy
American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

Burnell Wayne Rose
Burnell Wayne Rose, the son of William "Billy" J. Rose and Lucy Hodges, was born
January 29, 1917, in Hyde County. Burnell married Merlise (also known as
Murrell) Turner in Hertford County on December 24, 1941. Burnell and Merlise
were residents of Colerain on May 15, 1942, when he was inducted as a private
into the army at Fort Bragg, at age 25. Private Rose was assigned to the 40th
Engineer Combat Regiment which was organized at Camp Pickett, near Blackstone,
Virginia, in January 1943. The regiment was attached to the 45th Infantry
Division. The division sailed from Hampton Roads for the Mediterranean region
aboard multiple transport and cargo ships on June 8, 1943. The division arrived
in North Africa on June 22 and was shortly designated to participate in the
Sicily invasion (July 1943) since the Allies had largely secured the African
theater. The 45th Division participated in the Italian Campaign (July 1943 – May
1945) and landed at St. Maxine in southern France in mid-August 1944. Rose, a
staff sergeant, was killed in action on August 29, 1944. He was buried in Rhone
American Cemetery, Draguignan, France.

SSgt. Burnell W. Rose
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

Kenneth Mills Cobb
Kenneth Mills Cobb, the son of Peter F. Cobb and Sally White, was born January
24, 1918, at Merry Hill. Cobb enlisted as a private in the army on April 1,
1941, at age 23. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps. In September 1941, the
19th Bombardment Group was formed at Clark Field in the Philippines and the 28th
Bomber Squadron, which had been a constituent unit at the field for
approximately two decades, was assigned to the group. Thirty-four B-17s were
flown from other United States air bases to Clark Field for the use of the 28th
Bomber Squadron. Cobb was assigned to the squadron. On December 8, 1941,
Japanese aircraft attacked Clark Field and virtually damaged or destroyed all
the military assets. The entire 28th Squadron was ordered to evacuate the field.
There were little mission-oriented actions that squadron personnel could
undertake due to the heavy destruction of the air field. Members of the squadron
evacuated Clark Field on Christmas Eve, 1941, and traveled by train to Bataan.
On December 28, military authorities ordered the 28th to travel to the port of
Mariveles where the squadron members boarded a ship for passage away from the
immediate combat zone. Under the cover of nighttime darkness, the ship sailed
out of Mariveles harbor and at daylight anchored off the Island of Mindoro. But
Japanese patrol aircraft spotted and attempted to bomb the ship, but failed to
hit the vessel. The next evening the ship again sailed and arrived at the port
of Bugo, Mindanao the following morning. At Bugo the members of the 28th Bomber
Squadron were issued Enfield rifles – they were no longer functioning as air
force personnel but as infantrymen. The enlisted men, with a few officers, were
bused to Carmen Ferry on the Pulangi River and ordered to guard the ferry and
patrol the river. The Battle of Bataan, the most intense phase of the Japanese
invasion of the Philippines, was underway. The personnel remained at Carmen
Ferry until April 16, 1942, when most of the members of the 28th Bomber Squadron
were ordered to Maramag, Mindanao. Military authorities intended to activate a
secret air field for the United States Air Corps at Maramag. Japanese offensive
operations prevented the intended activation. On May 7 most of the personnel of
the 28th Bomber Squadron, along with servicemen from other units of the 19th
Bomber Group, were ordered to embark for Alanib in central Mindanao. The men
turned in their Enfield rifles for shovels. At Alanib the men were directed to
trek to Bosok twenty-three kilometers (approximately fourteen miles) from Alanib
and prepare entrenchments for Filipino troops to guard a trail that authorities
surmised might be utilized by Japanese troops. When less than a mile from Bosok
Japanese ground forces ambushed the Americans. PFC Kenneth M. Cobb was captured.
The Americans – without weapons to defend themselves – immediately began
backtracking to Alanib. At Alanib, on May 10, 1942, the members of the 28th
Bomber Squadron learned that all of the armed forces in the Philippine Islands
had been ordered to surrender that day. All squadron personnel had become
prisoners of war. Cobb was initially listed by the military as
missing-in-action, but subsequently the War Department determined that he had
been captured. The American and Filipino prisoners were forced into the "Bataan
Death March," a 55-mile trek from Mariveles to San Fernando during which at
least 5,600 prisoners (including 600 Americans) perished due to inhumanely cruel
treatment by the Japanese. Sometime after his capture Cobb was able to send a
card to his parents which noted that he was "well and uninjured." Cobb remained
a prisoner at the prisoner of war camp at Davao, Mindanao, the Philippines. On
September 7, 1944, Cobb was aboard a Japanese merchant vessel, the Shinyo Maru,
which was being used to transport prisoners of war. The vessel, known to
American prisoners of war as a "hell ship," was several miles off the Zamboanga
Peninsula of the island of Mindanao. During the day an American submarine, the
USS Paddle – whose crew had been informed that the Shinyo Maru was transporting
Japanese soldiers – located the "hell ship" sailing in a small convoy. The
Paddle fired two torpedoes into the enemy vessel, unaware that 750 Filipino and
American prisoners were on board. The Shinyo Maru sank taking the lives of 663
Americans, including PFC Kenneth M. Cobb and a fellow Bertie County resident,
Tech. Sgt. Lloyd Tyler Leicester. Both men were reportedly shot and killed by
Japanese guards as they attempted to escape from the sinking ship. Cobb was lost
at sea and his name is memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Manila
American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. Cobb had remained a prisoner of the
ruthless Japanese for two years and four months.9

Lloyd Tyler Leicester
Lloyd Tyler Leicester, the son of Paul Leicester and Ella Tyler, was born at
Kelford on August 11, 1912. Leicester enlisted as a private in the army on
August 18, 1939, at age 27. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps and served in
the 28th Bomber Squadron, 19th Bomber Group (Heavy) which was formed in
September 1941, at Clark Field in the Philippines. Kenneth M. Cobb of Bertie
County also served in the squadron. (See the above summary for "Kenneth Mills
Cobb" for a synopsis of the capture of the 28th Bomber Squadron during the
Battle of Bataan and the treatment of squadron personnel who became prisoners of
war.) Leicester was imprisoned at the prisoner of war camp at Davao, Mindanao,
the Philippines. On September 7, 1944, Leicester – who had achieved the rank of
technical sergeant – was aboard the Japanese "hell ship," Shinyo Maru, when it
was sunk by the USS Paddle. Leicester died during the incident and was lost at
sea. He and fellow Bertie County citizen, Kenneth M. Cobb, were reportedly shot
and killed by Japanese guards as they attempted to escape from the sinking ship.
 Leicester’s name is memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Manila American
Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. Leicester had remained a prisoner of the
ruthless Japanese for two years and four months.
?	?
(Left) The Japanese prisoner-of-war "hell ship," Shinyo Maru. (Right) The USS
Paddle. Images from NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archives, Paddle (SS-263),
http://navsource.org/archives.

Nathan Loren
Nathan Loren was born August 1, 1914, in New York City. Nathan’s parents were
immigrants – his father, Sam Loren, came from Latvia and his mother, Rebecca,
from Poland. By 1940 Nathan had married. He and his wife, Minnie, were residing
in Windsor where Nathan operated a retail store. He was inducted as a private
into the army at Fort Bragg on January 27, 1944, at age 29. Private Loren was
killed in action in France on September 18, 1944. No further pertinent details
(unit to which assigned, location of death, etc.) are derived from Loren’s
available military service record.

Charlie Merton Pierce
Charlie Merton Pierce, the son of Samuel Gaston Pierce and Eva Gertrude Skiles,
was born February 15, 1915, at Merry Hill. He was inducted as a private into the
army at Fort Bragg on June 4, 1941, at age 26. Pierce was killed in action in
France on October 1, 1944. He had been promoted to staff sergeant at the time of
his death. No further pertinent details (unit to which assigned, location of
death, etc.) are derived from Pierce’s available military service record.

SSgt. Charlie M. Pierce
Image from Bertie Ledger-Advance, November 3, 1944

George Stanley Daniels
George Stanley Daniels, the son of George R. Daniels and Annie Mary Perry was
born March 8, 1913, at Colerain. Daniels was inducted as a private into the army
at Fort Bragg on May 15, 1942, at age 29. He was assigned to the 337th Infantry
Regiment, 85th Infantry Division. The members of the 337th Regiment departed
Hampton Road, Virginia on Christmas Eve, 1943, and were transported to
Casablanca, French Morocco, North Africa, where they landed on January 2, 1944.
While stationed in North Africa the regiment was trained in amphibious warfare
until being transferred to Naples, Italy on March 27, 1944. The 85th Division
was attached to the Fifth Army and participated in the Italian Campaign. By the
fall of 1944 the division had penetrated the Gothic Line (the Allies’ offensive
line in northern Italy). PFC George S. Daniels was killed in action in Italy on
October 23, 1944. He was buried in Florence American Cemetery, Impruneta, Italy.

PFC George S. Daniels
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

Oscar Woodrow Britt
Oscar Woodrow Britt, the son of Robert B. Britt and Susan Charlotte Phillips,
was born November 5, 1918, at Merry Hill. Oscar was inducted as a private into
the army at Fort Bragg on February 6, 1942, at age 23. He was assigned to the
94th Field Artillery Battalion, 4th Armored Division. The division departed
Boston on December 29, 1943, in preparation for the invasion of Normandy,
France. It trained in England from January 1944 to early July 1944. The division
landed at Utah Beach, Normandy, France on July 11, more than a month after the
initial Normandy landings on "D Day" (June 6, 1944). Six days later the division
experienced its first combat and was continually involved in Allied offensive
operations during the summer and autumn. On a cold, rainy, overcast day –
December 5 – the 94th Field Artillery Battalion went into position near Ste.
Madeleine Farmer and unleashed concentrated fire on German positions. During the
day’s action a dozen American tanks were destroyed by the Germans’ heavy
armor-piercing fire, including the tank in which Tech. 4 Oscar W. Britt was
serving. While several of the tank’s crew miraculously escaped, Britt was killed
along with one other crew member. Tech. 4 Britt’s burial took place at Limey
Cemetery, Toul, France. His remains were subsequently disinterred and
re-interred in Lorrain American Cemetery, St. Avold, France.

Tech. 4 Oscar W. Britt
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

Luther McBee Lawrence
Luther McBee Lawrence, the son of Luther C. Lawrence and Annie Perry, was born
December 21, 1924, at Colerain. He was inducted as a private into the army at
Fort Bragg on March 30, 1943, at age 18. Private Lawrence was assigned to the
264th Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division. The division shipped overseas
on November 26, 1944, and all constituent units had arrived in England by
December 12, 1944. The division’s intended role was to contain and eliminate
pockets of German soldiers in northern France. On December 24, members of the
262nd and 264th Infantry Regiments (both constituent units of the 66th Infantry
Division) boarded the Belgium transport, Leopoldville, to be ferried across the
English Channel to Cherbourg, France. When the ship was within five miles of the
port of Cherbourg, a German U-boat (submarine) torpedoed the vessel, sinking it
and claiming the lives of more than 780 military personnel. After the ship had
been rocked by the explosion, Sergeant Lawrence voluntarily proceeded to a
damaged compartment and assisted in evacuating the wounded. Later, although in
the comparative safety of the open deck, Lawrence, "with utter disregard for his
safety," declined to board a rescue vessel and again descended to the hold of
the ship to render further assistance to those trapped below. The Bertie County
soldier was last observed going below deck. Lawrence’s courageous devotion to
his fellow servicemen cost him his own life. His actions reflected the highest
credit upon himself at the chaotic scene. Lawrence was buried in Normandy
American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. On Saturday, August 18, 1945,
Luther C. Lawrence accepted the soldier’s medal which was posthumously awarded
to his son in military exercises at Riddick Stadium, Raleigh. The younger
Lawrence had attended State College prior to entering the army.

Tech. Sgt. Luther M. Lawrence
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.


Wreck of the Leopoldville located on the bottom of the English Channel in 1984.
Image from www.armed-guard.com/leopoldville.html.

Thomas Jefferson Cowan
Thomas Jefferson Cowan, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Cowan, was born October
24, 1915, in Bertie County. Thomas married Lattie Miller in Bertie County. He
enlisted as a private in the army at Richmond, Virginia on October 23, 1942, at
age 27. Cowan was assigned to the Army Air Corps and served in the 565th Bomber
Squadron, 389th Bomber Group (Heavy). He was trained as a tail gunner on a B-24
"Liberator." The 389th Bomber Group flew strategic bombing missions from Hethel,
England. By December 1944, Cowan had achieved the rank of staff sergeant. On
Christmas Day, 1944, Cowan was reported as missing in action during a bombing
mission over Germany. Subsequently, the Bertie-Ledger Advance reported that his
wife had been informed by the War Department that Cowan had been killed in
action. The newspaper further reported that Sergeant Cowan had completed
thirty-two of a required thirty-five combat missions and was planning to return
to the States in January 1945. His name is memorialized on the Tablets of the
Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England.

SSgt. Thomas J. Cowan
Image from Bertie Ledger-Advance, March 30, 1945


A B-24 "heavy" bomber delivering its payload during World War II. SSgt. Thomas
J. Cowan was killed on Christmas Day, 1944, when the B-24 on which he was
serving as tail gunner was shot down over Germany. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

William Penn Grandy
William Penn Grandy, the son of Joseph Grandy and Texanna Ward, was born in
Bertie County in 1918. Grandy enlisted in the United States Navy before the
summer of 1940 and by late 1944 was serving aboard the USS Swordfish, a
submarine. The Swordfish left Pearl Harbor on December 22, 1944, and was ordered
to patrol in the vicinity of Nansei Shoto (also known as the Ryukyu Islands).
The mission was to be the ship’s thirteenth patrol in the area. The Swordfish
stopped at Midway on December 26, topped off its fuel, and departed port that
same day in route to its assigned patrol area. On January 2, 1945, naval
authorities ordered the Swordfish to delay carrying out is assignment in order
to stay clear of Nansei Shoto until scheduled airstrikes in the immediate area
were completed. The vessel acknowledged the orders on January 3. The
acknowledgement was the last communication that naval authorities received from
the Swordfish. On February 15, 1945, the Navy reported that the Swordfish was
presumed lost due to unknown causes. The navy publicly announced on May 4, 1945,
that the vessel was lost. Steward’s Mate First Class William P. Grandy was one
of the submarine’s crew and was listed as missing in action. Grandy’s name is
memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.

William Penn Grandy
Image from www.oneternalpatrol.com.

USS Swordfish. Image from www.google.com.

Homer B. Lassiter
Homer B. Lassiter, the son of J. Will Lassiter and Sophie Barnes, was born
September 16, 1923, at Aulander. Lassiter entered the army as a private at
Richmond, Virginia on March 30, 1943, at age 19. He was assigned to the 194th
Glider Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. The regiment had been
constituted on December 16, 1942, and activated at Camp Mackall, south of
Southern Pines, on April 15, 1943. The regiment departed Boston on August 20,
1944, and arrived in England on August 28. On December 16, 1944, the Germans
launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest in southeast Belgium.
The 17th Airborne Division was still in England, but was quickly flown to
reinforce Allied forces at Bastogne. The division was attached to Gen. George
Patton’s Third United States Army. The 194th Glider Infantry Regiment
immediately engaged in heavy combat, during which SSgt. Homer B. Lassiter was
severely wounded. Lassiter died of his wounds in a Belgium hospital on January
7, 1945. 

Asa Biggs Phelps Jr.
Asa Biggs Phelps Jr., the son of Mr. and Mrs. Asa Biggs Phelps, was born October
2, 1920, at Windsor. On October 30, 1943, Asa Jr. married Sarah Pearson Sawyer
in Windsor. Phelps attended Wake Forest College and State College (Raleigh)
prior to his military service. He was inducted as a private into the army at
Fort Bragg on July 20, 1944, at age 23. Phelps was assigned to the 30th Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. The division had been serving overseas since
November 1942, fighting in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France. The unit had
been engaged in some of the most intense combat of the war. Private Phelps
joined the 30th Regiment in France on an undisclosed date. By mid-January 1945
Allied forces were preparing to attack strongly intrenched German forces at
Colmar Pocket in central Alsace, France. French forces attacked on January 20,
while the 3rd Infantry Division attacked on January 22 and 23. Pvt. Asa B.
Phelps Jr. was killed in action on January 24, 1945.

Herman Spivey
Herman Spivey, the son of Alex Spivey and Fannie Bunch, was born August 2, 1920,
in Bertie County. Herman was inducted as a private into the army at Fort Bragg
on September 29, 1942, at age 22. Spivey was assigned to the 371st Infantry
Regiment, an all-African-American unit of the 92nd Infantry Division. The
division was sent overseas in September 1944, and participated in the Italian
Campaign (July 1943 – May 1945) during which it experienced heavy combat.
Private Spivey was killed in action, likely in, or near, the Serchio River
Valley in Italy, on February 11, 1945.

Edward Gray Cherry Jr.
Edward Gray Cherry Jr., the son of Edward Gray Cherry and Annie Mae Sutton, was
born December 16, 1924, at Windsor. After graduating from Windsor High School
Edward Jr. attended The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina, before being
inducted into the army as a private on March 30, 1943, at age 18. Cherry was
assigned to the 406th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division. The division
was sent overseas in September 1944, arriving at Cherbourg, France on September
23. Following a short period of training the division moved to the
Germany-Netherlands border where in early November it assumed responsibility for
the sector from the Wurm River to Waurichen. The division attacked across the
Roer River on February 23, 1945, and captured Krefeld on March 3, reaching the
Rhine River. During March 1945, the 102nd Division was in defensive position
along the Rhine. Sergeant Edward G. Cherry Jr. was wounded near Krefeld, Germany
on March 15. He died of his wounds later in the day. Cherry was buried in
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten.

Edward G. Cherry Jr.
Image from The Citadel, www.citadel.edu.

Andrew Cleveland Smith
Andrew Cleveland Smith, the son of Cleveland S. Smith and his wife, Sarah Smith,
was born January 12, 1920, in Edenton, Chowan County. The Smith family relocated
to rural White’s Township in Bertie County during the 1920s. Andrew enlisted as
a private in the army at New Richmond, St. Croix County, on January 25, 1940, at
age 20. Smith was assigned to the 70th Coast Artillery Regiment (anti-aircraft)
and initially served at Fort Monroe, Virginia. By 1945 the regiment had been
transferred to several locations, both stateside and overseas, and was serving
in the southwest Pacific region. PFC Andrew C. Smith was killed in action at an
undisclosed location in the region on March 16, 1945. No further pertinent
details are derived from Smith’s available military service record.

Lee Eston Cooke
Lee Eston Cooke, the son of Eston Cooke and Ivy Tillery, was born June 23, 1921,
at Kelford. Lee enlisted as a private in the army at Richmond, Virginia, on July
17, 1940, at age 19. He was assigned to the field artillery. He subsequently
married Maggie Ruth Johnson in Bertie County. Cooke was assigned to the 99th
Field Artillery Battalion. The battalion was attached to the 1st Cavalry
Division on March 2, 1943, and soon thereafter the division sailed for the South
Pacific. By July 26, 1943, all elements of the division had arrived at
Strathpine, Australia. There, the division trained in amphibious and jungle
warfare, as well as constructing its camp. The 1st Cavalry Division participated
in the Admiralty Islands Campaign, (February 1944 – May 1944), the Leyte-Samar
Campaign (October 1944 – December 1944), and the Luzon Campaign (January 1945 –
August 1945). Cpl. Lee Eston Cooke died on March 29, 1945, of injuries received
in combat during the fight for Luzon.

Raleigh Eugene Phelps
Raleigh Eugene Phelps, the son Eugene H. Phelps and Ellar Lawrence, was born
September 27, 1922, at Windsor. Raleigh enlisted in the army as an aviation
cadet on March 18, 1942, at age 19. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in
the Army Air Corps on January 2, 1943, and assigned to the 73rd Bomber Wing
(Heavy). The 73rd Bomber Wing flew B-29s (known as "Superfortresses") from
Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. First Lieut. Raleigh E. Phelps was
reported as missing in action during a bombing mission over Japanese targets on
April 1, 1945. His name is memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at the
Honolulu Memorial in Hawaii.

 A B-29, "Superfortress," during World War II. Image from United States Air
Force Museum.

Silas Edward Wilson
Silas Edward Wilson, the son of Silas Wilson and Georgianna Morris, was born
September 22, 1920, at Woodard. Silas E. Wilson was inducted as a private into
the army at Fort Bragg on September 29, 1942, at age 22. Wilson was assigned to
the 370st Infantry Regiment, a constituent unit of the all-African-American 92nd
Infantry Division. The division was sent overseas in September 1944, and
participated in the Italian Campaign during which it experienced heavy combat.
Private First Class Wilson was killed in action in Italy, on April 5, 1945. He
was buried in Florence American Cemetery, Impruneta, Italy.

James Franklin Congleton Jr.
James Franklin "Frank" Congleton Jr., the son of James Franklin Congleton and
Annie Minnie Minton, was born May 12, 1926, at Aulander. Frank (as he was
commonly known) was inducted as a private into the army at Fort Bragg on October
27, 1944, at age 18. He was assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry
Division. The division had been fighting in North Africa and Europe since 1942.
By 1945 the division was serving on French soil. Private Congleton died on April
20, 1945, of injuries received in combat at Nuremburg, Germany. At his death he
was three weeks short of his nineteenth birthday. Congleton was Bertie County’s
youngest service member to die as a result of combat during World War II.

Pvt. James Franklin Congleton Jr.
Image from Bertie Ledger-Advance, May 18, 1945.

Aubrey Spencer Pierce
Aubrey Spencer Pierce, the son of John William Pierce and Clara Cotton Taylor,
was born June 11, 1920, at Merry Hill. Aubrey was inducted as a private into the
army at Fort Bragg on April 17, 1942, at age 21. He was sent overseas and
assigned to the Fifth Army which was heavily engaged in the Italian Campaign
(July 1943- May 1945). PFC Aubrey S. Pierce was killed in action on April 21,
1945. His unit was engaged in the final offensive operation of the Italian
Campaign against German forces.

PFC Aubrey S. Pierce
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

James Godsey Early
James Godsey Early, the son of Hutham Watson Early and Blanche Godsey, was born
June 9, 1920, at Aulander. Early graduated from Wake Forest College,
Winston-Salem in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He enlisted in the
United States Navy Reserve on October 7, 1941, and was commissioned as an ensign
on May 15, 1942. Most likely Early had attended the Naval Reserve Officer
Training Corps. By early 1945 Early had progressed to the rank of lieutenant. On
January 23, 1945, he was appointed commander of the Eagle 56 in a
change-of-command ceremony at the United States Navy Frontier Base, Portland –
the warship’s home port. Early succeeded Lt. Cmdr. John L. Barr Jr. as the
skipper of the World-War-I-era submarine chaser assigned to the Navy’s Atlantic
Fleet. The Eagle 56’s overall mission was to patrol the waters off the
northeastern United States in search of German U-boats (submarines).  Shortly
after noon on April 23rd, the Eagle 56 had come to a dead stop in the water – a
precarious position for a warship operating in an area where German U-boats were
known to be hunting for American ships. Such stoppage was in violation of Navy
regulations as an immobile ship made an inviting target for an enemy submarine.
The vessel was about five miles out from Cape Elizabeth. Suddenly and without
forenotice or warning, the vessel exploded amidships. She broke apart and the
two sections sank within minutes. Some crew members were strewn into the frigid
ocean waters while others were inescapably trapped in the sinking wreckage. A
few men frantically plunged into the North Atlantic to save themselves. Amidst
the chaos and confusion, several men spotted a German U-boat that briefly
surfaced near the remnants of the Eagle 56. Within a few minutes other United
States Navy ships operating in the vicinity arrived and desperately began
pulling crew members from the waters. However, by the time the ships reached the
chaotic scene hypothermia was taking the lives of men who clung to any pieces of
wreckage and debris that would keep them afloat. Forty-nine men lost their
lives, including Lieutenant Early. Early’s body was lost at sea. The German
U-boat, U-853, commanded by Helmut Froemsdorf, had torpedoed the Eagle 56.
However, a Navy court of inquiry concluded that a boiler explosion of
undetermined cause destroyed the warship. In June 2001 the Navy – after
extensive investigative research by a Navy archivist – formally recognized that
the Eagle 56 had been destroyed by a torpedo attack by the German U-boat, U-853.

Lt. James G. Early
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

James Thurman Evans
James Thurman Evans, the son of Henry Grady Evans and Rosa Perry, was born
November 14, 1924, at Merry Hill. James was inducted as a private into the army
at Fort Bragg on September 27, 1944, at age 20. He was assigned to the 385th
Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division. The division trained in the Hawaiian
Islands from July 1944 to September 1944, before entering combat at Leyte, the
Philippines, in October. The division left the Philippines on March 27, 1945,
for Okinawa and made an assault landing on the island on April 1 without
encountering enemy resistance. Subsequently, Japanese resistance raged with
fanatical enemy troops battling the soldiers of the 96th Division. James Thurman
Evans had been promoted to private first class when he was killed in action at
Okinawa on May 13, 1945.

PFC James T. Evans
Image from Bertie County Scrapbook.

John Lee Roulhac
John Lee Roulhac, the son of John Roulhac and Mary Gillam, was born January 28,
1923, at Merry Hill. He married Catherine Winston on September 12, 1942, and was
inducted as a private into the army at Fort Bragg on February 19, 1943, at age
20. Private Roulhac was assigned to the 368th Infantry Regiment of the
all-African-American 93rd Infantry Division. The division had arrived at
Guadalcanal by March 5, 1944. The division was transferred to New Guinea in
early 1945, where it was primarily involved in skirmishes with Japanese
soldiers. Roulhac had been promoted to private first class when he was killed in
action on July 17, 1945.

BERTIE COUNTY NATIVES WHO RESIDED AT OTHER LOCATIONS
UPON ENTRY INTO THE ARMED FORCES

A couple of individuals who were born in Bertie County and resided in the county
for substantial portions of their pre-war lives, but who were residing at other
locations across the nation prior to entering the military services, were killed
in action during the war. Following are sketches for those persons.

Grover Cleveland Young Jr.
Grover Cleveland Young Jr., the son of Grover Cleveland Young and Nannie E.
Trumbell, was born January 29, 1922, at, or near, Powellsville. The Young family
resided in Bertie County in 1930, but by 1940 had relocated to Holmes County,
Florida. Grover Jr. enlisted as a private in the army at Camp Blanding, Clay
County, Florida, on November 6, 1942, at age 20. Shortly after Young’s
enlistment, his family returned to Bertie County. Private Young was assigned to
the 169th Infantry Regiment, 43rd Infantry Division. The regiment had been
organized and trained at Camp Blanding. The 169th Infantry Regiment departed San
Francisco on September 30, 1942, and arrived in New Zealand on October 22. The
regiment trained in New Zealand for a month then moved to Nouméa, New Caledonia
where it garrisoned the island and conducted intensive jungle warfare training
until mid-February 1943. The 169th embarked for Guadalcanal on February 15,
1943, where, it arrived on February 19. On February 23 and 24, elements of the
regiment made an amphibious assault on the island of Pavuvu in the Russell
Islands. The regiment was one the American units that occupied Pavuvu until it
was designated to participate as part of the 43rd Infantry Division’s operation
in the invasion of New Georgia. The regiment landed on June 30 and faced light
opposition from the Japanese forces. Two days later the regiment, in cooperation
with the 172nd Infantry Division, began marching toward Munda Point intending to
capture the airfield at that location. The Americans were quickly indoctrinated
to the cruel realities of jungle warfare. The central attack on the airfield was
scheduled to begin July 9, but the men of the 169th Regiment – totally
unaccustomed to combat – were exhausted and did not reach the objective by the
ninth.  Engaged in static jungle combat, the regiment still had not reached
Munda Point by July 17. The next day, Japanese forces countered and attempted to
push a battalion of the 169th Regiment off "high ground" known as Kelley Hill.
Private Young was killed during the day’s action. The airfield was finally
captured on August 5, 1943, following heavy losses by the American forces.
Young’s parents resided in the community of Powellsville throughout the war.

Cecil Vernon Cowan
Cecil Vernon Cowan, the son of Fred Cowan and Flora Rebecca Floyd, was born
August 26, 1922, at Windsor. By 1944 Cecil was residing in New York when he
entered the army as a private at Buffalo on August 28, 1944 – two days past his
twenty-second birthday. Private Cowan was assigned to the 117th Infantry
Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. The division was fighting in France when Cowan
entered the service, having landed at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France on June 11,
1944 – five days after the "D Day" landings of June 6. Cowan, a private first
class, was killed in action near the Rhine River in France on March 23, 1945. He
was killed by German machine gun fire while attempting to bring ammunition to
his machine gun crew which was facing a strong enemy assault. Cowan was
posthumously awarded the Silver Medal for gallantry in action. The medal was
presented to his wife, Mrs. Jennette Cowan, at Akron, New York, in September
1945. Cowan’s parents remained residents of Bertie County.

* * * * *

THE PURPLE HEART

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces of the United States
who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and
posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or
die of wounds received in action. The medal is specifically a combat decoration.
Presumably, the Purple Heart was posthumously awarded to all the residents and
natives of Bertie County who were killed in action or died of wounds received in
combat and provided to the men’s appropriate next of kin. 


NOTES
1. Navy officials did not inform the crewmembers of the USS Paddle that they had
sunk a ship transporting hundreds of American prisoners until after the
conclusion of the war.

2. There is no confirmed number of individuals who died worldwide during World
War II and estimates of the dead vary considerably. For example, information
published by George Washington University indicates the war caused an estimated
50 million military and civilian deaths over six continents and all the world’s
oceans. George Washington University, "Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt Glossary,"
www2.gwu.edu. The National World War II Museum conveys that 60 million persons
(15 million military personnel and 45 million civilians) died during the war.
www.nationalww2.museum.org. Information from Wikipedia indicates that total
death estimates range upwards to 80 million. www.en.wikipedia.org.

3. "America’s Wars Fact Sheet," Office of Public Affairs, U. S. Department of
Veteran Affairs, Washington, D.C., www.va.gov.

4. NCPedia, "World War II," www.ncpedia.org.

5. Statistics on the number of Bertie County citizens who served in the armed
forces were compiled by the author from North Carolina, Discharge and Statement
of Service Records, 1940-1948, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org, citing
Bertie County, North Carolina, United States, North Carolina State Archives,
Raleigh (hereafter cited as Bertie County Discharge and Service Records).

6. Statistics for the number of Bertie County casualties were compiled by the
author from information contained in "World War II Honor List of Dead and
Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from North Carolina, 1946," National
Archives, Washington, DC.; "State Summary of War Casualties from World War II
for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel from North Carolina, 1946,"
National Archives; Bertie County Discharge and Service Records; and the Bertie
Ledger-Advance (various issues).
Fourteen Bertie County citizens died of non-battle causes (disease, illness,
accidents, etc.): Lloyd Dail Cherry, Milton Elmo Evans, Whitmon Harris, Arthur
Harrison, Johnnie Rudolph Heckstall, Fred Day Hughes, Earl Lassiter, Robert
Judson Mitchell, John Dorsey Nelms, Joseph Andrew Northcott, Lawrence Outlaw
Parker, Rodney S. Perry, James Thaddeus Spivey, and Lowell Burden Spivey. 

7. Certain casualty records published by the National Archives and North
Carolina, as well as various articles published in the Bertie Ledger-Advance
during the war, include names of some men who died as a result of combat and
were noted as Bertie County residents, but whom the author determined were not.
The individuals were Elton F. Helmke (Nebraska), Karl H. Ward (Virginia), and
Charles W. Heckstall (Maryland). Biographical sketches of those men are not
included in this paper.

8. Two of Joseph B. Spivey’s brothers – James Thaddeus Spivey and Lowell Burden
Spivey – subsequently perished during the war while serving in the nation’s
armed forces. Ensign James T. Spivey, a Navy fighter pilot, was killed on March
3, 1944, when his aircraft and another navy fighter collided in mid-air and
crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the California coast near San Diego. Ensign
Spivey’s body was not recovered. PFC Lowell Burden Spivey, a member of the Army
Air Corps, 572nd Air Materiel Squadron, 91st Air Service Group, was killed on
June 6, 1945, when the B-29 bomber upon which he was a passenger crashed into
the Pacific Ocean upon takeoff from Isley Field, Saipan. Military officials had
decided to transfer Spivey from Saipan to a non-combat duty assignment in Hawaii
since his family had lost two sons in military service during the war. PFC
Spivey "hitched" a ride on the bomber. His body was not recovered.

9. Navy officials did not inform the crewmembers of the USS Paddle that they had
sunk a ship transporting hundreds of American prisoners until after the
conclusion of the war.




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