Carl Monk Survived Sinking of SS Leopoldville on Christmas Eve 1944-- Part 1

From the December 24, 2020, Trib Live "Manor World War II veteran survived little-known Christmas Eve disaster off French coast" by Jeff Himler.

Carl Monk, like many WW II veterans, rarely spoke of what happened to him during the war.  He had a small scar near his left elbow that he received while fighting with his infantry unit in France and a brief tale of surviving a German U-boar attack on his transport ship SS Leopoldville on Christmas Eve 1944 about five miles from its destination, Cherbourg, France.

"All he ever said was the boat was torpedoed," said his widow, June Monk, 95, of Manor, Pennsylvania.  "He told me  somebody puled him out of the water and laid him on the deck of a small French ship."

"He never wanted to go on a large ship after that."

After her husband's death at age 85, in 2008, June Monk learned just how lucky her husband had been to be among the survivors of the torpedoed SS Leoploldville.  The Beligian vessel, a former passenger liner, was transporting  more than 2,000 members of the  U.S. Army's 66th Division from Southampton, England, to join the fighting in France.

The transport's sinking claimed the lives of 763 Americans, including more than 80 Pennsylvanians.  Area casualties included two local boys, Pfc. Glenn Elvin Lowry and PFC. Jack Nevin Lowry, twin brothers and  1942 graduates of Rostraver High School.

The incident is considered to be the largest military catastrophe to strike an infanrty division attacked by a submarine in U.S. History.

--GreGen

The USS Texas and Arkansas Duel With German Guns at Cherbourg

A few weeks after D-Day, the USS Texas and USS Arkansas dueled with German guns at Cherbourg.  The Texas was hit twice in this engagement.

One round caused a casualty  and many other injuries near the bridge  and one that was likely to skip off the water went through the hull, landed in an officer's room and did not explode.  That shell is on display on the Texas.

A photograph accompanies the blog thread.

--GreGen

Nebraskan Sailor Haunted By Burned Sailors at Pearl Harbor-- Part 2

Melvin "Bud" Kennedy was at the Battles of Midway, Coral Sea and took supplies to embattled Marines on Guadalcanal.

In 1944, his ship, the USS Clark, escorted a convoy of ships from New York to Londonderry, Northern Ireland.  Mr. Kennedy said there were 800 ships in it and that "There were ships as far as the eye could see."

Soon after that, he was in a convoy to Cherbourg, France after the Allies had captured.  He said "there was nothing left of the harbor but piles of rubble."

At the end of the war, the Clark was 100 miles north of Australia and he and his friends celebrated its conclusion in Sydney.

--GreGen

Veteran Got a U-boat Flag As a Souvenir

From the May 15, 2012, Daytona Beach (Fla.) News Journal "WWII bet kept enemy flag as souvenir of war" by Valerie Whitney.

William Lorusso, 87, was part of a special detail of sailors who landed after D-Day to look for German sound equipment which would then be shipped back to the States to be examined.

In Cherbourg, France, they saw a German battle flag flying from a U-boat.  Said Larusso, "I saw the flag waving and I said to my friend, 'I'm going to get that flag'."

Larusso did and now keeps it packed away, though he's been offered $550 for it.  He says he has no plans to sell it.  As far as the future, he thinks he might leave it to his descendants or he might donate it to a museum (which I hope he does).

Flags from U-boats are extremely rare.

During the war, they also went to a perfume factory that produced Chanel No. 5 and he picked up some and sent it to his sisters even though they were forbidden to wear perfume by their father.

A Flag and Perfume.  --GreGen