Suggested edit: Leo Bird, of Yonkers, NY. was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bird. Leo attended Sacred Heart Grammar School and Graduated from Sacred Heart High School. He followed on with studying at the Merchants and Bankers Business in New York City. He would gain employment with the New York Steamboat Company and with the Moore- McCormack lines in New York City. In January of 1942, Leo became engaged to Mary M. Tobin who worked as a librarian at Manhattan College.
Leo J. Bird entered military service in April 1942, receiving training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and Camp Atterbury, Indiana. While Participating in maneuvers in Tennessee, Leo came home to Yonkers and married Mary. The wedding took place in St. Joseph's Church on Ashburton Ave May 15th, 1943. Mary would settle their home at 44 Park Ave. Leo would be sent overseas in September of 1943. The couple would have a daughter, who Leo would never have the opportunity to meet. Mary would receive a letter from Leo dated November 19th from Oran, Algeria. The next correspondence would come from the War department notifying her that Leo was Missing in Action in the Mediterranean area.
On November 25, 1943, His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Rohna sailed from Oran, Algeria, along with four other ships. They then joined a convoy of nineteen other ships destined for Port Said, Egypt. Rohna had a crew of 195 British and Indian sailors and was carrying 1,981 American troops and 7 Red Cross personnel. The largest single American unit was the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion, which was going to India to build runways.
Technical Sergeant Leo J. Bird served with Company B of the 31st Signal Construction Battalion. The men of Company were aboard the Rhona when it sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Technical Sergeant Bird disappeared in the confusion during the sinking and was not seen again. His body was not recovered following the incident. Today, Technical Sergeant Bird is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia. He was only 27 year old. His name is Listed on the Yonkers War Monument on South Broadway.
Contributor: 50663782
---------------------------
US Army WORLD WAR II
Passenger T/Sgt. Leo J. Bird MIA/KIA
31st Signal Construction Battalion
Hometown: New York
Ship: HMT Rohna
Service # 32312785
Awards: Purple Heart
Captain:
Mission: Troop Transport Convoy KMF-26
Loss Date: November 26, 1943
Location: Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Algeria.
Cause: German guided missile
Crew: On Board 2000 · Saved 606 · Lost 1138
This was the first successful "hit" of a merchant vessel at sea carrying US troops by a German remote-controlled, rocket-boosted bomb, thus giving birth to the "Missile Age", and it resulted in the greatest loss of troops (1,015) at sea in U.S. history. Combined with the loss of ship's crew and officers, and three Red Cross workers, more lives were lost than on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
The "hit" was so devastating that the U.S. Government placed a veil of secrecy upon it. The events which followed were so shameful that the secrecy continued for decades until recently (1967), when documents were grudgingly released under pressure of the Freedom of Information Act. The government still does not acknowledge this tragedy, thus most families of the casualties still do not know the fate of their loved ones. In 1995, over fifty years later, a group of survivors, next-of-kin and rescuers, came together for the sole purpose of enabling the creation and dedication of a Rohna Memorial.
On November 26, 1943 nearly two thousand American soldiers faced the most traumatic experience of their young lives. They woke up that morning aboard a vessel that some described as unfit for human habitation. Just a bunch of kids, mostly only a year or so out of high school. Exhibiting the expected Yankee cockiness, they were ready to take on anything the war had to offer. Having survived a Thanksgiving Day dinner the day before, things just had to get better. The sad part of it was, this would be the last Thanksgiving for over half of them!
The minesweeper USS Pioneer rescued 606 survivors of the sinking.
Visit the virtual cemetery o f HMT Rohna Crew
" Click Here "
Leo J. Bird entered military service in April 1942, receiving training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and Camp Atterbury, Indiana. While Participating in maneuvers in Tennessee, Leo came home to Yonkers and married Mary. The wedding took place in St. Joseph's Church on Ashburton Ave May 15th, 1943. Mary would settle their home at 44 Park Ave. Leo would be sent overseas in September of 1943. The couple would have a daughter, who Leo would never have the opportunity to meet. Mary would receive a letter from Leo dated November 19th from Oran, Algeria. The next correspondence would come from the War department notifying her that Leo was Missing in Action in the Mediterranean area.
On November 25, 1943, His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Rohna sailed from Oran, Algeria, along with four other ships. They then joined a convoy of nineteen other ships destined for Port Said, Egypt. Rohna had a crew of 195 British and Indian sailors and was carrying 1,981 American troops and 7 Red Cross personnel. The largest single American unit was the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion, which was going to India to build runways.
Technical Sergeant Leo J. Bird served with Company B of the 31st Signal Construction Battalion. The men of Company were aboard the Rhona when it sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Technical Sergeant Bird disappeared in the confusion during the sinking and was not seen again. His body was not recovered following the incident. Today, Technical Sergeant Bird is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia. He was only 27 year old. His name is Listed on the Yonkers War Monument on South Broadway.
Contributor: 50663782
---------------------------
US Army WORLD WAR II
Passenger T/Sgt. Leo J. Bird MIA/KIA
31st Signal Construction Battalion
Hometown: New York
Ship: HMT Rohna
Service # 32312785
Awards: Purple Heart
Captain:
Mission: Troop Transport Convoy KMF-26
Loss Date: November 26, 1943
Location: Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Algeria.
Cause: German guided missile
Crew: On Board 2000 · Saved 606 · Lost 1138
This was the first successful "hit" of a merchant vessel at sea carrying US troops by a German remote-controlled, rocket-boosted bomb, thus giving birth to the "Missile Age", and it resulted in the greatest loss of troops (1,015) at sea in U.S. history. Combined with the loss of ship's crew and officers, and three Red Cross workers, more lives were lost than on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
The "hit" was so devastating that the U.S. Government placed a veil of secrecy upon it. The events which followed were so shameful that the secrecy continued for decades until recently (1967), when documents were grudgingly released under pressure of the Freedom of Information Act. The government still does not acknowledge this tragedy, thus most families of the casualties still do not know the fate of their loved ones. In 1995, over fifty years later, a group of survivors, next-of-kin and rescuers, came together for the sole purpose of enabling the creation and dedication of a Rohna Memorial.
On November 26, 1943 nearly two thousand American soldiers faced the most traumatic experience of their young lives. They woke up that morning aboard a vessel that some described as unfit for human habitation. Just a bunch of kids, mostly only a year or so out of high school. Exhibiting the expected Yankee cockiness, they were ready to take on anything the war had to offer. Having survived a Thanksgiving Day dinner the day before, things just had to get better. The sad part of it was, this would be the last Thanksgiving for over half of them!
The minesweeper USS Pioneer rescued 606 survivors of the sinking.
Visit the virtual cemetery o f HMT Rohna Crew
" Click Here "
Suggested edit: Leo Bird, of Yonkers, NY. was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bird. Leo attended Sacred Heart Grammar School and Graduated from Sacred Heart High School. He followed on with studying at the Merchants and Bankers Business in New York City. He would gain employment with the New York Steamboat Company and with the Moore- McCormack lines in New York City. In January of 1942, Leo became engaged to Mary M. Tobin who worked as a librarian at Manhattan College.
Leo J. Bird entered military service in April 1942, receiving training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and Camp Atterbury, Indiana. While Participating in maneuvers in Tennessee, Leo came home to Yonkers and married Mary. The wedding took place in St. Joseph's Church on Ashburton Ave May 15th, 1943. Mary would settle their home at 44 Park Ave. Leo would be sent overseas in September of 1943. The couple would have a daughter, who Leo would never have the opportunity to meet. Mary would receive a letter from Leo dated November 19th from Oran, Algeria. The next correspondence would come from the War department notifying her that Leo was Missing in Action in the Mediterranean area.
On November 25, 1943, His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Rohna sailed from Oran, Algeria, along with four other ships. They then joined a convoy of nineteen other ships destined for Port Said, Egypt. Rohna had a crew of 195 British and Indian sailors and was carrying 1,981 American troops and 7 Red Cross personnel. The largest single American unit was the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion, which was going to India to build runways.
Technical Sergeant Leo J. Bird served with Company B of the 31st Signal Construction Battalion. The men of Company were aboard the Rhona when it sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Technical Sergeant Bird disappeared in the confusion during the sinking and was not seen again. His body was not recovered following the incident. Today, Technical Sergeant Bird is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia. He was only 27 year old. His name is Listed on the Yonkers War Monument on South Broadway.
Contributor: 50663782
---------------------------
US Army WORLD WAR II
Passenger T/Sgt. Leo J. Bird MIA/KIA
31st Signal Construction Battalion
Hometown: New York
Ship: HMT Rohna
Service # 32312785
Awards: Purple Heart
Captain:
Mission: Troop Transport Convoy KMF-26
Loss Date: November 26, 1943
Location: Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Algeria.
Cause: German guided missile
Crew: On Board 2000 · Saved 606 · Lost 1138
This was the first successful "hit" of a merchant vessel at sea carrying US troops by a German remote-controlled, rocket-boosted bomb, thus giving birth to the "Missile Age", and it resulted in the greatest loss of troops (1,015) at sea in U.S. history. Combined with the loss of ship's crew and officers, and three Red Cross workers, more lives were lost than on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
The "hit" was so devastating that the U.S. Government placed a veil of secrecy upon it. The events which followed were so shameful that the secrecy continued for decades until recently (1967), when documents were grudgingly released under pressure of the Freedom of Information Act. The government still does not acknowledge this tragedy, thus most families of the casualties still do not know the fate of their loved ones. In 1995, over fifty years later, a group of survivors, next-of-kin and rescuers, came together for the sole purpose of enabling the creation and dedication of a Rohna Memorial.
On November 26, 1943 nearly two thousand American soldiers faced the most traumatic experience of their young lives. They woke up that morning aboard a vessel that some described as unfit for human habitation. Just a bunch of kids, mostly only a year or so out of high school. Exhibiting the expected Yankee cockiness, they were ready to take on anything the war had to offer. Having survived a Thanksgiving Day dinner the day before, things just had to get better. The sad part of it was, this would be the last Thanksgiving for over half of them!
The minesweeper USS Pioneer rescued 606 survivors of the sinking.
Visit the virtual cemetery o f HMT Rohna Crew
" Click Here "
Leo J. Bird entered military service in April 1942, receiving training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and Camp Atterbury, Indiana. While Participating in maneuvers in Tennessee, Leo came home to Yonkers and married Mary. The wedding took place in St. Joseph's Church on Ashburton Ave May 15th, 1943. Mary would settle their home at 44 Park Ave. Leo would be sent overseas in September of 1943. The couple would have a daughter, who Leo would never have the opportunity to meet. Mary would receive a letter from Leo dated November 19th from Oran, Algeria. The next correspondence would come from the War department notifying her that Leo was Missing in Action in the Mediterranean area.
On November 25, 1943, His Majesty's Transport (HMT) Rohna sailed from Oran, Algeria, along with four other ships. They then joined a convoy of nineteen other ships destined for Port Said, Egypt. Rohna had a crew of 195 British and Indian sailors and was carrying 1,981 American troops and 7 Red Cross personnel. The largest single American unit was the 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion, which was going to India to build runways.
Technical Sergeant Leo J. Bird served with Company B of the 31st Signal Construction Battalion. The men of Company were aboard the Rhona when it sank in the Mediterranean Sea. Technical Sergeant Bird disappeared in the confusion during the sinking and was not seen again. His body was not recovered following the incident. Today, Technical Sergeant Bird is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia. He was only 27 year old. His name is Listed on the Yonkers War Monument on South Broadway.
Contributor: 50663782
---------------------------
US Army WORLD WAR II
Passenger T/Sgt. Leo J. Bird MIA/KIA
31st Signal Construction Battalion
Hometown: New York
Ship: HMT Rohna
Service # 32312785
Awards: Purple Heart
Captain:
Mission: Troop Transport Convoy KMF-26
Loss Date: November 26, 1943
Location: Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Algeria.
Cause: German guided missile
Crew: On Board 2000 · Saved 606 · Lost 1138
This was the first successful "hit" of a merchant vessel at sea carrying US troops by a German remote-controlled, rocket-boosted bomb, thus giving birth to the "Missile Age", and it resulted in the greatest loss of troops (1,015) at sea in U.S. history. Combined with the loss of ship's crew and officers, and three Red Cross workers, more lives were lost than on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
The "hit" was so devastating that the U.S. Government placed a veil of secrecy upon it. The events which followed were so shameful that the secrecy continued for decades until recently (1967), when documents were grudgingly released under pressure of the Freedom of Information Act. The government still does not acknowledge this tragedy, thus most families of the casualties still do not know the fate of their loved ones. In 1995, over fifty years later, a group of survivors, next-of-kin and rescuers, came together for the sole purpose of enabling the creation and dedication of a Rohna Memorial.
On November 26, 1943 nearly two thousand American soldiers faced the most traumatic experience of their young lives. They woke up that morning aboard a vessel that some described as unfit for human habitation. Just a bunch of kids, mostly only a year or so out of high school. Exhibiting the expected Yankee cockiness, they were ready to take on anything the war had to offer. Having survived a Thanksgiving Day dinner the day before, things just had to get better. The sad part of it was, this would be the last Thanksgiving for over half of them!
The minesweeper USS Pioneer rescued 606 survivors of the sinking.
Visit the virtual cemetery o f HMT Rohna Crew
" Click Here "
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from New York.
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