Parents: Lea (Couillard) and Alcide Bleau
Siblings: Joseph (died in infancy), Xoria, Genevieve and Clarence
Spouse: Margaret Elaine Bates, married Sep 19, 1942 at Wyandotte, Michigan
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USNR
Service Number 6230791
Significant Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Entered the service from Michigan
On Dec 1, 1942, Convoy MKF-3, comprised of 26 ships, was enroute from Gibraltar to New York. Seaman Second Class SIDNEY A. BLEAU was a US Navy Armed Guard assigned to one of those ships, the SS Coamo, a steam-powered passenger ship that had been time chartered for troop transport by the U.S. Army. As they approached the coast of Ireland, Coamo and another ship, Mariposa, were ordered to leave the convoy and continue to New York via a different route. On the 2nd, German submarine U-604 sighted Coamo and followed her for 10 hours before firing a single torpedo from a distance of about 800 meters. Coamo was hit under the bridge and began to sink immediately. U-604 log entry describes Coamo in detail and indicates that there were at least three life rafts of survivors. They were never seen again, probably owing to a gale that raked the area between Dec 3rd and the 6th, making survival in the north Atlantic all but impossible.
There were 133 Merchant Marines, 37 U.S. Navy Armed Guards and 16 British Army passengers on board; none survived.
Of the many U.S. flag merchant ships that were torpedoed and sunk, this was the largest merchant crew lost during World War II.
Mike Bleau's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the U.S. 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
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Note:
There are several sources related to the sinking of the SS Coamo and research indicates the ship was torpedoed in 1942 on one of two different dates, either December 2nd or December 9th.
The official death date for those who perished with the ship is December 11, 1943.
Siblings: Joseph (died in infancy), Xoria, Genevieve and Clarence
Spouse: Margaret Elaine Bates, married Sep 19, 1942 at Wyandotte, Michigan
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USNR
Service Number 6230791
Significant Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Entered the service from Michigan
On Dec 1, 1942, Convoy MKF-3, comprised of 26 ships, was enroute from Gibraltar to New York. Seaman Second Class SIDNEY A. BLEAU was a US Navy Armed Guard assigned to one of those ships, the SS Coamo, a steam-powered passenger ship that had been time chartered for troop transport by the U.S. Army. As they approached the coast of Ireland, Coamo and another ship, Mariposa, were ordered to leave the convoy and continue to New York via a different route. On the 2nd, German submarine U-604 sighted Coamo and followed her for 10 hours before firing a single torpedo from a distance of about 800 meters. Coamo was hit under the bridge and began to sink immediately. U-604 log entry describes Coamo in detail and indicates that there were at least three life rafts of survivors. They were never seen again, probably owing to a gale that raked the area between Dec 3rd and the 6th, making survival in the north Atlantic all but impossible.
There were 133 Merchant Marines, 37 U.S. Navy Armed Guards and 16 British Army passengers on board; none survived.
Of the many U.S. flag merchant ships that were torpedoed and sunk, this was the largest merchant crew lost during World War II.
Mike Bleau's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the U.S. 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
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Note:
There are several sources related to the sinking of the SS Coamo and research indicates the ship was torpedoed in 1942 on one of two different dates, either December 2nd or December 9th.
The official death date for those who perished with the ship is December 11, 1943.
Parents: Lea (Couillard) and Alcide Bleau
Siblings: Joseph (died in infancy), Xoria, Genevieve and Clarence
Spouse: Margaret Elaine Bates, married Sep 19, 1942 at Wyandotte, Michigan
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USNR
Service Number 6230791
Significant Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Entered the service from Michigan
On Dec 1, 1942, Convoy MKF-3, comprised of 26 ships, was enroute from Gibraltar to New York. Seaman Second Class SIDNEY A. BLEAU was a US Navy Armed Guard assigned to one of those ships, the SS Coamo, a steam-powered passenger ship that had been time chartered for troop transport by the U.S. Army. As they approached the coast of Ireland, Coamo and another ship, Mariposa, were ordered to leave the convoy and continue to New York via a different route. On the 2nd, German submarine U-604 sighted Coamo and followed her for 10 hours before firing a single torpedo from a distance of about 800 meters. Coamo was hit under the bridge and began to sink immediately. U-604 log entry describes Coamo in detail and indicates that there were at least three life rafts of survivors. They were never seen again, probably owing to a gale that raked the area between Dec 3rd and the 6th, making survival in the north Atlantic all but impossible.
There were 133 Merchant Marines, 37 U.S. Navy Armed Guards and 16 British Army passengers on board; none survived.
Of the many U.S. flag merchant ships that were torpedoed and sunk, this was the largest merchant crew lost during World War II.
Mike Bleau's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the U.S. 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
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Note:
There are several sources related to the sinking of the SS Coamo and research indicates the ship was torpedoed in 1942 on one of two different dates, either December 2nd or December 9th.
The official death date for those who perished with the ship is December 11, 1943.
Siblings: Joseph (died in infancy), Xoria, Genevieve and Clarence
Spouse: Margaret Elaine Bates, married Sep 19, 1942 at Wyandotte, Michigan
~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~.~~~
USNR
Service Number 6230791
Significant Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Entered the service from Michigan
On Dec 1, 1942, Convoy MKF-3, comprised of 26 ships, was enroute from Gibraltar to New York. Seaman Second Class SIDNEY A. BLEAU was a US Navy Armed Guard assigned to one of those ships, the SS Coamo, a steam-powered passenger ship that had been time chartered for troop transport by the U.S. Army. As they approached the coast of Ireland, Coamo and another ship, Mariposa, were ordered to leave the convoy and continue to New York via a different route. On the 2nd, German submarine U-604 sighted Coamo and followed her for 10 hours before firing a single torpedo from a distance of about 800 meters. Coamo was hit under the bridge and began to sink immediately. U-604 log entry describes Coamo in detail and indicates that there were at least three life rafts of survivors. They were never seen again, probably owing to a gale that raked the area between Dec 3rd and the 6th, making survival in the north Atlantic all but impossible.
There were 133 Merchant Marines, 37 U.S. Navy Armed Guards and 16 British Army passengers on board; none survived.
Of the many U.S. flag merchant ships that were torpedoed and sunk, this was the largest merchant crew lost during World War II.
Mike Bleau's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
About the U.S. 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
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Note:
There are several sources related to the sinking of the SS Coamo and research indicates the ship was torpedoed in 1942 on one of two different dates, either December 2nd or December 9th.
The official death date for those who perished with the ship is December 11, 1943.
Inscription
SIDNEY A BLEAU SEAMAN 2C USNR MICHIGAN
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