Having actually gone missing on March 6, 1944 he was not declared officially as passing away until March 7, 1945 ~ One year and one day later as was the custom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kenneth served as a Signalman Third Class and Armed Guard on the S.S. Daniel Chester French, U.S. Navy during World War II.
He resided in Cherryfield, Washington County, Maine prior to the war.
Kenneth was declared "Missing In Action" during the war and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 2089822
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Allen L. Sproul.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On March 6th, 1944, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Signalman Kenneth Allen Sproul (armed guard), 20, of Cherryfield, Maine; beloved son of Allen L. & Esther W. Sproul; assigned duties maintaining, repairing, and manning the deck guns aboard the American merchant steamer SS DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH was listed 'missing in action' (MIA) after the Liberty ship struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Bizerta, Algeria (37°17′N 10°22′W).
A total of (24)–twenty-four U.S. Army soldiers (of the 86–eighty-six aboard), (4)-four U.S. Navy Armed Guard gunners (of the 28–twenty-eight man detachment), and (9)-nine Merchant Marine seamen (out of a total crew complement of 44–forty-four) were killed and/or went missing during the incident, with allied vessels HMS CHARON (Royal Navy), THELMA (United Kingdom), and RESCUE (United Kingdom Gibraltar) picking up survivors.
The U.S. freighter DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH had departed Newport News, Virginia on February 13th, 1944, destined for Bandar Shahpur, Iran, laden with 8,200 tons of general cargo, ammunition, troops, and vehicles, before joining in with Convoy UGS 33, which had been making its way from New York to Alexandria, Egypt.
For reasons which have not been made clear, perhaps due to strong storms and heavy seas, DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH strayed into an Allied minefield off Tunis, 30 miles off the coast of Bizerta, Tunisia, striking (2)-two mines. Beginning to sink, the order to abandon ship was given.
On a few rare occasions, some storms in the Mediterranean have been observed reaching the strength of a Category 1 hurricane, and Cyclone Ianos in 2020 was recorded reaching Category 2 intensity.
A graduate of Cherryfield Academy (Class of 1941), Kenneth was on his third tour of duty overseas when he went missing.
Today, U.S. Navy SM3 Kenneth A. Sproul is memorialized on Tablets Of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia. He is also mentioned on the web site of Narraguagus Post No. 8, American Legion (Cherryfield, Maine). HE IS NOT FORGOTTEN.
He is among (534)–five hundred & thirty-four of The Pine Tree State's missing sons and daughters who never came home from the Second World War — still, and always, "America's Greatest Generation". FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE.
Having actually gone missing on March 6, 1944 he was not declared officially as passing away until March 7, 1945 ~ One year and one day later as was the custom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kenneth served as a Signalman Third Class and Armed Guard on the S.S. Daniel Chester French, U.S. Navy during World War II.
He resided in Cherryfield, Washington County, Maine prior to the war.
Kenneth was declared "Missing In Action" during the war and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 2089822
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Allen L. Sproul.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On March 6th, 1944, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Signalman Kenneth Allen Sproul (armed guard), 20, of Cherryfield, Maine; beloved son of Allen L. & Esther W. Sproul; assigned duties maintaining, repairing, and manning the deck guns aboard the American merchant steamer SS DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH was listed 'missing in action' (MIA) after the Liberty ship struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Bizerta, Algeria (37°17′N 10°22′W).
A total of (24)–twenty-four U.S. Army soldiers (of the 86–eighty-six aboard), (4)-four U.S. Navy Armed Guard gunners (of the 28–twenty-eight man detachment), and (9)-nine Merchant Marine seamen (out of a total crew complement of 44–forty-four) were killed and/or went missing during the incident, with allied vessels HMS CHARON (Royal Navy), THELMA (United Kingdom), and RESCUE (United Kingdom Gibraltar) picking up survivors.
The U.S. freighter DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH had departed Newport News, Virginia on February 13th, 1944, destined for Bandar Shahpur, Iran, laden with 8,200 tons of general cargo, ammunition, troops, and vehicles, before joining in with Convoy UGS 33, which had been making its way from New York to Alexandria, Egypt.
For reasons which have not been made clear, perhaps due to strong storms and heavy seas, DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH strayed into an Allied minefield off Tunis, 30 miles off the coast of Bizerta, Tunisia, striking (2)-two mines. Beginning to sink, the order to abandon ship was given.
On a few rare occasions, some storms in the Mediterranean have been observed reaching the strength of a Category 1 hurricane, and Cyclone Ianos in 2020 was recorded reaching Category 2 intensity.
A graduate of Cherryfield Academy (Class of 1941), Kenneth was on his third tour of duty overseas when he went missing.
Today, U.S. Navy SM3 Kenneth A. Sproul is memorialized on Tablets Of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia. He is also mentioned on the web site of Narraguagus Post No. 8, American Legion (Cherryfield, Maine). HE IS NOT FORGOTTEN.
He is among (534)–five hundred & thirty-four of The Pine Tree State's missing sons and daughters who never came home from the Second World War — still, and always, "America's Greatest Generation". FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE.
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