JONES, ERNEST ARTHUR, Machinist's Mate First Class (no. 3682666), USS Pillsbury (DD-227), US Navy, †01/03/1942
Mother, Mrs. Erma Jones, 819 Washington St., Salt Lake City, Utah
MIA on USS Pillsbury March 1, 1942; later declared dead November 25, 1945
Another cenotaph memorializing MM1 Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sinking of USS Pillsbury (DD-227)
While steaming through Badoeng Strait on the night of 19-20 February 1942, Pillsbury fired three torpedoes at a Japanese ship without result. A searchlight was trained on Pillsbury, and several shots were fired at her. She turned to starboard and made smoke to escape the light. The relatively small Allied forces at this time were forced to lightning strikes and rapid evasive retirement in the face of superior Japanese forces in the dim hope of disrupting the enemy advance.
At 0210 Pillsbury sighted a ship dead ahead and opened up with her main battery and .50 calibre guns. The amidships gun crew of the Japanese ship was put out of action by the first burst of the .50 calibre machine guns. The target ship then received a direct hit with a shell from either Pillsbury or from the destroyer in the opposite column. This caused the Japanese destroyer to swing to starboard. The spotter then observed three sure hits from Pillsbury: one on the bridge, one amidships and one on the fantail. As soon as the last shot hit, the Japanese ship erupted in flames, and her firing ceased.
At this time Pillsbury and Parrott (DD-218) were detached from the striking force and sent to Tjilatjap. After the action around Bali the ships had few torpedoes and were sadly in need of overhaul.
A few days later gallant Pillsbury met her end. There are no logs or battle reports giving the details of the action in which Pillsbury, Asheville (PG-21) and Edsall (DD-219) were sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942. A powerful force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from that area. The Japanese force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers, aircraft carrier Soryu and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4.
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pillsbury-i.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit: Machinist's Mate Ernest A "Arthur" Jones, born 10 Jun 1914, was the son of Ernest Stratford Jones and Erma Hilda (Johnson) Jones of 819 Washington Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the 1920 census 5-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 4, in Salt Lake City. His father is a musician.
In the 1930 census 15-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 14 at 819 Washington Street in Salt Lake City. His father is a theatre musician, and his mother is a seamstress for a drapery shop.
Arthur enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and reenlisted in 1939.
Arthur is listed as a MM2c in the 31 Jan 1940 muster roll of the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12). He had just transferred from the destroyer tender USS Rigel via the USS Henderson.
On 8 Sep 1940 Arthur transferred to the USS Black Hawk for assignment by COMDESRON 29 (DEStroyer SquadRON 29).
Arthur's father died 18 May 1941 at age 47.
Arthur transferred to the USS Pillsbury (DD 227) 4 Nov 1941. DESRON 29 was in the Java Sea from 8 Dec 1941 until 4 Mar 1942. There were 13 Destroyers in DESRON 29.
The NARA Navy WWII combat casualty listings show Jones, Ernest Arthur, Machinist's Mate 1c from Salt Lake City as killed in action 1 Mar 1942. Since he went missing, an FOD (Finding of Death) must have been determined 25 Nov 1945.
USS Pillsbury (DD 227), USS Asheville (Gunboat, PG-21) and USS Edsall (DD 219) were all sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942.
Destroyers Edsall, Pillsbury and gunboat Asheville vanished on the run south from Java: Edsall was bombed and then sunk by gunfire from cruiser Chikuma that evening with only a few survivors (whose beheaded bodies were discovered postwar at the site of a Japanese prison camp); Pillsbury was sunk the following evening by cruisers Takao and Atago, which picked up no survivors; Asheville survived until 3 March.
A cenotaph marker in memory of Arthur was placed at Memory Grove Memorial Park in Salt Lake City.
Contributor: 48021049
Mother, Mrs. Erma Jones, 819 Washington St., Salt Lake City, Utah
MIA on USS Pillsbury March 1, 1942; later declared dead November 25, 1945
Another cenotaph memorializing MM1 Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sinking of USS Pillsbury (DD-227)
While steaming through Badoeng Strait on the night of 19-20 February 1942, Pillsbury fired three torpedoes at a Japanese ship without result. A searchlight was trained on Pillsbury, and several shots were fired at her. She turned to starboard and made smoke to escape the light. The relatively small Allied forces at this time were forced to lightning strikes and rapid evasive retirement in the face of superior Japanese forces in the dim hope of disrupting the enemy advance.
At 0210 Pillsbury sighted a ship dead ahead and opened up with her main battery and .50 calibre guns. The amidships gun crew of the Japanese ship was put out of action by the first burst of the .50 calibre machine guns. The target ship then received a direct hit with a shell from either Pillsbury or from the destroyer in the opposite column. This caused the Japanese destroyer to swing to starboard. The spotter then observed three sure hits from Pillsbury: one on the bridge, one amidships and one on the fantail. As soon as the last shot hit, the Japanese ship erupted in flames, and her firing ceased.
At this time Pillsbury and Parrott (DD-218) were detached from the striking force and sent to Tjilatjap. After the action around Bali the ships had few torpedoes and were sadly in need of overhaul.
A few days later gallant Pillsbury met her end. There are no logs or battle reports giving the details of the action in which Pillsbury, Asheville (PG-21) and Edsall (DD-219) were sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942. A powerful force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from that area. The Japanese force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers, aircraft carrier Soryu and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4.
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pillsbury-i.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit: Machinist's Mate Ernest A "Arthur" Jones, born 10 Jun 1914, was the son of Ernest Stratford Jones and Erma Hilda (Johnson) Jones of 819 Washington Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the 1920 census 5-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 4, in Salt Lake City. His father is a musician.
In the 1930 census 15-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 14 at 819 Washington Street in Salt Lake City. His father is a theatre musician, and his mother is a seamstress for a drapery shop.
Arthur enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and reenlisted in 1939.
Arthur is listed as a MM2c in the 31 Jan 1940 muster roll of the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12). He had just transferred from the destroyer tender USS Rigel via the USS Henderson.
On 8 Sep 1940 Arthur transferred to the USS Black Hawk for assignment by COMDESRON 29 (DEStroyer SquadRON 29).
Arthur's father died 18 May 1941 at age 47.
Arthur transferred to the USS Pillsbury (DD 227) 4 Nov 1941. DESRON 29 was in the Java Sea from 8 Dec 1941 until 4 Mar 1942. There were 13 Destroyers in DESRON 29.
The NARA Navy WWII combat casualty listings show Jones, Ernest Arthur, Machinist's Mate 1c from Salt Lake City as killed in action 1 Mar 1942. Since he went missing, an FOD (Finding of Death) must have been determined 25 Nov 1945.
USS Pillsbury (DD 227), USS Asheville (Gunboat, PG-21) and USS Edsall (DD 219) were all sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942.
Destroyers Edsall, Pillsbury and gunboat Asheville vanished on the run south from Java: Edsall was bombed and then sunk by gunfire from cruiser Chikuma that evening with only a few survivors (whose beheaded bodies were discovered postwar at the site of a Japanese prison camp); Pillsbury was sunk the following evening by cruisers Takao and Atago, which picked up no survivors; Asheville survived until 3 March.
A cenotaph marker in memory of Arthur was placed at Memory Grove Memorial Park in Salt Lake City.
Contributor: 48021049
JONES, ERNEST ARTHUR, Machinist's Mate First Class (no. 3682666), USS Pillsbury (DD-227), US Navy, †01/03/1942
Mother, Mrs. Erma Jones, 819 Washington St., Salt Lake City, Utah
MIA on USS Pillsbury March 1, 1942; later declared dead November 25, 1945
Another cenotaph memorializing MM1 Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sinking of USS Pillsbury (DD-227)
While steaming through Badoeng Strait on the night of 19-20 February 1942, Pillsbury fired three torpedoes at a Japanese ship without result. A searchlight was trained on Pillsbury, and several shots were fired at her. She turned to starboard and made smoke to escape the light. The relatively small Allied forces at this time were forced to lightning strikes and rapid evasive retirement in the face of superior Japanese forces in the dim hope of disrupting the enemy advance.
At 0210 Pillsbury sighted a ship dead ahead and opened up with her main battery and .50 calibre guns. The amidships gun crew of the Japanese ship was put out of action by the first burst of the .50 calibre machine guns. The target ship then received a direct hit with a shell from either Pillsbury or from the destroyer in the opposite column. This caused the Japanese destroyer to swing to starboard. The spotter then observed three sure hits from Pillsbury: one on the bridge, one amidships and one on the fantail. As soon as the last shot hit, the Japanese ship erupted in flames, and her firing ceased.
At this time Pillsbury and Parrott (DD-218) were detached from the striking force and sent to Tjilatjap. After the action around Bali the ships had few torpedoes and were sadly in need of overhaul.
A few days later gallant Pillsbury met her end. There are no logs or battle reports giving the details of the action in which Pillsbury, Asheville (PG-21) and Edsall (DD-219) were sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942. A powerful force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from that area. The Japanese force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers, aircraft carrier Soryu and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4.
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pillsbury-i.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit: Machinist's Mate Ernest A "Arthur" Jones, born 10 Jun 1914, was the son of Ernest Stratford Jones and Erma Hilda (Johnson) Jones of 819 Washington Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the 1920 census 5-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 4, in Salt Lake City. His father is a musician.
In the 1930 census 15-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 14 at 819 Washington Street in Salt Lake City. His father is a theatre musician, and his mother is a seamstress for a drapery shop.
Arthur enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and reenlisted in 1939.
Arthur is listed as a MM2c in the 31 Jan 1940 muster roll of the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12). He had just transferred from the destroyer tender USS Rigel via the USS Henderson.
On 8 Sep 1940 Arthur transferred to the USS Black Hawk for assignment by COMDESRON 29 (DEStroyer SquadRON 29).
Arthur's father died 18 May 1941 at age 47.
Arthur transferred to the USS Pillsbury (DD 227) 4 Nov 1941. DESRON 29 was in the Java Sea from 8 Dec 1941 until 4 Mar 1942. There were 13 Destroyers in DESRON 29.
The NARA Navy WWII combat casualty listings show Jones, Ernest Arthur, Machinist's Mate 1c from Salt Lake City as killed in action 1 Mar 1942. Since he went missing, an FOD (Finding of Death) must have been determined 25 Nov 1945.
USS Pillsbury (DD 227), USS Asheville (Gunboat, PG-21) and USS Edsall (DD 219) were all sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942.
Destroyers Edsall, Pillsbury and gunboat Asheville vanished on the run south from Java: Edsall was bombed and then sunk by gunfire from cruiser Chikuma that evening with only a few survivors (whose beheaded bodies were discovered postwar at the site of a Japanese prison camp); Pillsbury was sunk the following evening by cruisers Takao and Atago, which picked up no survivors; Asheville survived until 3 March.
A cenotaph marker in memory of Arthur was placed at Memory Grove Memorial Park in Salt Lake City.
Contributor: 48021049
Mother, Mrs. Erma Jones, 819 Washington St., Salt Lake City, Utah
MIA on USS Pillsbury March 1, 1942; later declared dead November 25, 1945
Another cenotaph memorializing MM1 Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sinking of USS Pillsbury (DD-227)
While steaming through Badoeng Strait on the night of 19-20 February 1942, Pillsbury fired three torpedoes at a Japanese ship without result. A searchlight was trained on Pillsbury, and several shots were fired at her. She turned to starboard and made smoke to escape the light. The relatively small Allied forces at this time were forced to lightning strikes and rapid evasive retirement in the face of superior Japanese forces in the dim hope of disrupting the enemy advance.
At 0210 Pillsbury sighted a ship dead ahead and opened up with her main battery and .50 calibre guns. The amidships gun crew of the Japanese ship was put out of action by the first burst of the .50 calibre machine guns. The target ship then received a direct hit with a shell from either Pillsbury or from the destroyer in the opposite column. This caused the Japanese destroyer to swing to starboard. The spotter then observed three sure hits from Pillsbury: one on the bridge, one amidships and one on the fantail. As soon as the last shot hit, the Japanese ship erupted in flames, and her firing ceased.
At this time Pillsbury and Parrott (DD-218) were detached from the striking force and sent to Tjilatjap. After the action around Bali the ships had few torpedoes and were sadly in need of overhaul.
A few days later gallant Pillsbury met her end. There are no logs or battle reports giving the details of the action in which Pillsbury, Asheville (PG-21) and Edsall (DD-219) were sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942. A powerful force of Japanese ships was operating to the south of Java to prevent the escape of Allied ships from that area. The Japanese force consisted of four battleships, five cruisers, aircraft carrier Soryu and the destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 4.
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/pillsbury-i.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit: Machinist's Mate Ernest A "Arthur" Jones, born 10 Jun 1914, was the son of Ernest Stratford Jones and Erma Hilda (Johnson) Jones of 819 Washington Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
In the 1920 census 5-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 4, in Salt Lake City. His father is a musician.
In the 1930 census 15-year-old Arthur is living with his parents and brother Lester 14 at 819 Washington Street in Salt Lake City. His father is a theatre musician, and his mother is a seamstress for a drapery shop.
Arthur enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and reenlisted in 1939.
Arthur is listed as a MM2c in the 31 Jan 1940 muster roll of the light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12). He had just transferred from the destroyer tender USS Rigel via the USS Henderson.
On 8 Sep 1940 Arthur transferred to the USS Black Hawk for assignment by COMDESRON 29 (DEStroyer SquadRON 29).
Arthur's father died 18 May 1941 at age 47.
Arthur transferred to the USS Pillsbury (DD 227) 4 Nov 1941. DESRON 29 was in the Java Sea from 8 Dec 1941 until 4 Mar 1942. There were 13 Destroyers in DESRON 29.
The NARA Navy WWII combat casualty listings show Jones, Ernest Arthur, Machinist's Mate 1c from Salt Lake City as killed in action 1 Mar 1942. Since he went missing, an FOD (Finding of Death) must have been determined 25 Nov 1945.
USS Pillsbury (DD 227), USS Asheville (Gunboat, PG-21) and USS Edsall (DD 219) were all sunk between the 1st and 4th of March 1942.
Destroyers Edsall, Pillsbury and gunboat Asheville vanished on the run south from Java: Edsall was bombed and then sunk by gunfire from cruiser Chikuma that evening with only a few survivors (whose beheaded bodies were discovered postwar at the site of a Japanese prison camp); Pillsbury was sunk the following evening by cruisers Takao and Atago, which picked up no survivors; Asheville survived until 3 March.
A cenotaph marker in memory of Arthur was placed at Memory Grove Memorial Park in Salt Lake City.
Contributor: 48021049
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JONES ERNEST A - MACHINIST'S MATE 1C - USN - UTAH
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