The William Pierce Frye was a Liberty Ship during World War II. She was built 15 November 1942, and launched 11 February 1943 at the Portland, Maine Iron Works. Her dimensions were 441’ x 57’ x 37’, her gross tonnage was 7,175. She was skippered by German born Meinhard Scheif and was on her maiden voyaged. Liberty Ships were cargo ships built for the war. They were named “Liberty” after they named the first cargo ship the Patrick Henry, other would call these ships the Ugly Ducklings of the sea because of there looks.
Wm Pierce Frye set sail form New York to Liverpool, England via Halifax Nova Scotia with 40 other ships of the convoy HX-230. She carried in hold number one wheat, and the other holds held military stores, 750 tons of explosives, along with Landing craft lashed to her decks. She had a Merchant Mariners crew of 40 and an Armed Guard contingent of 24. The Convoy encountered foul weather on its voyage that turns into what some call a gale to hurricane force.
18 Mar 1943 2105 GCT
The U-boat 610 came under attack from an aircraft of RAF 1WO Squadron. She was moderately damaged by the attack, but kept on her patrol until 8 October 1943. If this squadron distroyed this u-boat would the William Pierce Frye make it to England?
28 Mar 1943 11:23 GCT
The Wm Pierce Frye begins to experiencing engine trouble; she has to stop her engines to make repairs. She is now a lame duck in a storm with u-boats in the area. At 18:40 hours while making repairs a u-boat that was trailing her fired two torpedoes but missed.
Group Seeteufel has instructed its pack to break off operations against the SW convoy and converge on HX-230. They have trouble keeping contract with the convoy.
29 Mar 1943 12:00 GCT
The William Pierce Engineers had made repairs and got under way using the zig-zag pattern. She maintained a steady speed of 12.5 knots, but as the afternoon light began to fad U-610 was on station waiting for her prey.
23:36 hours U-610 sighted the Wm Pierce Frye and fired number one torpedo on her starboard side. The torpedo hit the Frye in Cargo hold number one, were the wheat was, this cushioned the blow, but four minutes later at 23:40 her number two torpedo hit just forward of amidships. She went down fast, by the bow in about 5 minutes. Location 56*56’N by 24.15W North Atlantic
20:45 seven survivors make it to a landing craft that broke free in the dead of night. They had to make it to a landing craft in high seas with little to no light except for the oil fires on the surface of the stormy waters; the water was ice cold as the Atlantic Ocean is ice this time of the month. They were on that landing craft for five days and six nights.
The Shikuri hears Ensigns Dalbeys SOS and went looking for survivors.
30 Mar 1943
The seven survivors make a small fire in the engine room of the barge with small scraps of wood. They have five carrots for food and no fresh water. The seven survivors are Chief Engineer Ensign Benjamin Barrett of East Boston, S1C Signalman Armed Guard Howard Bauer, GM3C Gunners Mate Armed Guard Walker B. Elder, a Radioman, and three Philippine Ships Stewards.
3 Apr 1943 Saturday
British destroyer HMS Shikari rescues the seven survivors from the SS William Pierce Frye, they are transported to Londonderry, Ireland were they were shipped back to New York.
8 Oct 1943
U-610 unsuccessfully attacked an escort of SC143, she returns to St Nazaire after more than three weeks. The William Piece Frye would be the last ship she would sink.
19:30 hous the 423rd SQN Sunderland RCAF (FO A H Russell) sights U-610 that is surfaced heading back to St Nazaire. The Sunderland closes in on the U-boat west-south-west of Rackall striffing her deck as the u-boat returns fire. The Russell came around for a full attack and dropped three D/Cs witch rocked the boat. Some men were seen afterwards in the water, but no rescues were sent. All 51 men died with U-610.
5 Dec 1943
The air crew of the Sunderland RCAF (FO A H Russell) were asked to make a routine flight over Stranraer, Scotland. There were about 18-20 on board. They flew into a mountain in County Antrim overlooking the coastal town of Ball Castle. Bert Russell, recipient of the DFC was court marshaled two months earlier along with two other crewmembers.
Read the story of 2nd Engineer John Poole, and Ensign Carl S. Dalby Jr., by Alan Poole.
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Crossed the Bar
Crew of the William Piecre Frye
Name/Rank Position/Home/Age/Positons
Abrams, Jerry E./S1c/PA/Unk/Signalman, Armed Guard
Alvarez, Octavio/Oiler/Boston MA/Unk/Oiler, Engine room
Anderson, Oscar/Chief Engineer/Wollaston MA/Unk/Chief Engineer
Atwood, Arthur Everett/Bosun/West Bridgewater MA/Unk/Boatswain Mate
Bates, Lester L./S1c/WI/Unk/Signalman, Armed Guard
Blalock, Hugh T./S1c/NC/Unk/Signalman, Armed Guard
Boyer, Earl W./S1c/IN/Unk/Signalman, Armed Guard
Braundmeier, Elmer E./S1c/IL/Unk/Signalman, Armed Guard
Brown, Bernard H./S1c/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Brundrett, Everett L./SM3C/NY/Unk/Signalman, Armed Guard
Bush, Russell Howard/Oiler/Unk/Somerville NJ/Oiler Engine Rm
Clough, Robert John,/Utility/Somerville MA/Unk/Utility Supplyman
Corea, Arthur George/Utility/New Bedford MA/Unk/Utility Supplyman
Corriera, Manuel/A.B./Fall River MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Czupailo, Henry Francis/Wiper/South Boston MA/Unk/Wiper Engine Rm
Dalbey, Carl Shepard Jr./Radio Officer/Oklahoma City OK/Unk/Radio Room
Duffy, Francis/A.B./Lowell MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Embree, Arthur Seymour/1st Engineer/South Braintree MA/Unk/1st Engineer
Finn, Gerard/Deck Engineer/South Boston MA/Unk/Deck Engineer
Franz, Charles Joseph/O.S./Roslindale MAUnk/Ordinary Seaman
Golden, Robert J./Ens./CA/Unk/Ensign Armed Guard
Gunter, Ray Anderson/A.B./Malden MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Hagbourne, William/Chief Steward/Duxbury MA/Unk/Chief Steward
Hanley, James Joseph/Wiper/Providence RI/Unk/Wiper Engine Rm
Hopkins, Walter Pepper/Chief Cook/Baltimore MD/Unk/Chief Cook
Iverson, Arthur Eugene/Messman/Roxbury MA/Unk/Messman
Ivone, Frank Angelo Jr./O.S./Medford MA/Unk/Ordinary Seaman
Janowich, Frances Michael/A.B./East Boston MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Jaslowich, John Stanley/2nd Mate/Ipswich MA/Unk/2nd Mate/Jamie Hicks G-Uncle
Klinski, Casimir M./S1c/IL/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Lipskas, Benedict/A.B./North Wilmington MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Mann, Jacob A./GM3c/IA/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
McHale, William Joseph/F-W/Central Falls RI/Unk/Fireman Waterman
Miller, Rutledge Lincoln/Utility/Derry NH/23/Utility Supplyman/My Uncle
Miller, Colie J./S1c/SC/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Montoney, Elliott R./S1c/WV/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Neal, Leslie Gordon/Oiler/Belmont MA/Unk/Oiler Engine Rm
Nichols, Luther B./S1c/OH/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Nightman, Frank J./S1c/PA/Signalman Armed Guard
Perrin, Robert J./S1c/NE/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Perry, Elmer C./S1c/DC/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Peters, Robert Joseph/O.S./Dorchester MA/Unk/Ordinary Seaman
Poore, John/2nd Eng/Auburn MA/53/2nd Engineer/GrandFather Allen Poole
Puorro, Joseph/A.B./Winthrop MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Rhine, Orville D./S1c/ND/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Scherf, Meinhard/Master/Ridgefield CT/Unk/Captain
Sermons, Carl W./GM3c/NC/Unk/Gunner Mate AG
Serra, Charles Carver/A.B./Malden MA/Unk/Able Seaman
Settles, Warner J./S1c/KY/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Sherman, H. D./S1c/MS/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Shulditski, Anthony Jerome/F-W/Winchester MA/Unk/Fireman Waterman
Smyth, John J./S1c/WI/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Spear, Thomas Edward/3rd Eng/Beverly MA/Unk/3rd Engineer
Thomas,Leon Henry/Cook/New Haven CT/Unk/Cook
Tzirvilakis, George Nicklas/Cook/Boston MA/Unk/Cook
Wagner, Raymond Charles/Purser/Elmwood Park IL/22/Purser
Young, Lewis E./S1c/OH/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Survivors
Bauer, Howard/S1c/Unk/Unk/Signalman Armed Guard
Elder, Walker B./GM3c/Unk/Unk/Gunners Mate AB
Barrett, Benjamin/Chief Eng/East Boston/Unk/Ensign
Unkown/Radioman/Unk/Unk/Radioman
Unkown/S-S/Philippines/Unk/ShipSteward
Unkown/S-S/Philippines/Unk/ShipSteward
Unknown/S-S/Philippines/Unk/ShipSteward
The Canadian crew aboard the Sunderland that day included:F/O (Flying Officer)
A.H. Russell
F/O A. Menaul
W/C Frizzle
F/O. H. Forrest
Sgt. W. Alexander
Sgt. R. Locke
Sgt. W. Lanchaster
Sgt. Bromhead
W/O F. Harr
Sgt. D. Douglas
Sgt. A. Caterham
Crew of U-Boat 610/ Died 8 Oct 1943
Name/Rank/Born
Badersbach, Ernst/OFkMt/17.09.1917
Bensemann, Walter-Otto/BtsMt/10.02.1919
Böhme, Ernst/OMasch/28.02.1918
Clausen. Karl-Heinz/Mtr/26.09.1921
Deubel, Friedrich/OMaschMt/17.09.1915
Essl, Rudolf/OGfr/04.10.1923
Feldmann, Hans-August/OGfr/13.03.1923
Franzkowiak, Gerd/MaschOGfr/27.06.1922
Freyberg-Eisenberg von Walter/KpLt./05.11.1915
Frommelt, Heinz/MechMt/19.12.1919
Gerding, Bernhard/BtsMt01.10.1921
Gosch, Werner/OMaschMt/09.09.1920
Grade, Walter/OFkMt/20.06.1920
Gruschow, Hans/MtrOGfr/15.01.1922
Gunkel, Heinz/MaschOGfr/06.05.1923
Habig Dr., Herbert/Mar.Ass.Arzt/15.09.1914
Hahn, Werner/StOMasch10.04.1911
Haprich, Herbert/MtrOGfr/23.12.1923
Hartmann, Joachim/OMaschMt/28.07.1917
Hartmann, Werner/MtrOGfr/06.04.1924
Hechler, Fritz/ObGfr/03.10.1923
Heimburger, Hermann/MaschOGfr/06.03.1920
Höhne, Heinz/MaschOGfr/11.04.1923
Kastner, Heinz/MtrGfr/30.06.1923
Kemper/Reinhold/MaschOGfr/27.05.1923
Lemke, Siegfried/MechOGfr/30.08.1923
Liebetrau, Gunther/MechGfr/21.09.1924
Luther, Wilfried/OLt.ing28.09.1919
Merettig, Horst/ObGfr/13.11.1923
Moritz, Gerhard/OGfr/18.05.1922
Naue, Herbert/ObGfr/06.07.1922
Nicolas, Horst/ObGfr/06.09.1922
Petruschke, Bernhard/Gfr/08.06.1924
Pyko, Kurt/ObGfr/19.12.1923
Reinhardt, Rudolf/OStrm/14.07.1914
Reining, Walter/ObGfr/24.06.1922
Rutz, Günther/ObGfr/07.03.1923
Scharke, Gerhard/ObGfr/23.08.1922
Schecht, Ewald/ObGfr26.06.1923
Scheitza, Bernhard/Mt/25.09.1920
Schröder, Gustav/ObMt/13.03.1914
Springer, Willi/ObGfr/26.02.1922
Teipel, Hans/Lt.z.S/06.06.1911
Tholl, Paul/ObGfr/11.10.1919
Tiedemann, Alfred/OLt.z.S/25.03.1915
Walther, Fritz/Gfr/03.03.1921
Werner, Ernst/ObGfr/01.03.1924
Wettig, Fritz/Gfr/24.04.1924
Winkelmann, Paul-Gerhard/Lt.z.S/04.07.1923
Wuschko, Ernst/ObGfr/26.12.1923
