Parents: Jesse Bell (Sanders) and Benjamin Clayton Ables
Siblings: Maude Faye, Helen, Grady M., T. D. and Ben's twin, William E. (Willie)
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USN
Service No: 5522576
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the service from South Carolina
Seaman 1st Class BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ABLES was a member of a US Navy Armed Guard unit that had been assigned to the SS Meriwether Lewis. The ship was an American steam merchant, known as a Liberty ship, that had been built the year before.
On March 2, 1943 Seaman ABLES was on board as the ship, enroute from New York to the UK to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led another German sub, U-634, to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes, and one hit in the forward part of the ship. After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first. A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found only a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
Benjamin Ables' name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Siblings: Maude Faye, Helen, Grady M., T. D. and Ben's twin, William E. (Willie)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USN
Service No: 5522576
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the service from South Carolina
Seaman 1st Class BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ABLES was a member of a US Navy Armed Guard unit that had been assigned to the SS Meriwether Lewis. The ship was an American steam merchant, known as a Liberty ship, that had been built the year before.
On March 2, 1943 Seaman ABLES was on board as the ship, enroute from New York to the UK to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led another German sub, U-634, to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes, and one hit in the forward part of the ship. After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first. A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found only a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
Benjamin Ables' name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Parents: Jesse Bell (Sanders) and Benjamin Clayton Ables
Siblings: Maude Faye, Helen, Grady M., T. D. and Ben's twin, William E. (Willie)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USN
Service No: 5522576
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the service from South Carolina
Seaman 1st Class BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ABLES was a member of a US Navy Armed Guard unit that had been assigned to the SS Meriwether Lewis. The ship was an American steam merchant, known as a Liberty ship, that had been built the year before.
On March 2, 1943 Seaman ABLES was on board as the ship, enroute from New York to the UK to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led another German sub, U-634, to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes, and one hit in the forward part of the ship. After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first. A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found only a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
Benjamin Ables' name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Siblings: Maude Faye, Helen, Grady M., T. D. and Ben's twin, William E. (Willie)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
USN
Service No: 5522576
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the service from South Carolina
Seaman 1st Class BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ABLES was a member of a US Navy Armed Guard unit that had been assigned to the SS Meriwether Lewis. The ship was an American steam merchant, known as a Liberty ship, that had been built the year before.
On March 2, 1943 Seaman ABLES was on board as the ship, enroute from New York to the UK to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led another German sub, U-634, to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes, and one hit in the forward part of the ship. After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first. A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found only a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.
There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.
Benjamin Ables' name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
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Inscription
ABLES BENJAMIN F SEAMAN 1C USN SOUTH CAROLINA
Gravesite Details
BODY LOST AT SEA. Seaman Ables was on the SS Meriwether Lewis when the ship was torpedoed and sunk during WWII.
Family Members
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