USS Brownson (DD-518) was the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson (1846–1935). She was also the first of the Fletcher class to be built with a "square-bridge" configuration, which allowed greater all-around visibility than the earlier ships of the class, which had a "round bridge" or "high bridge" configuration. USS Brownson was launched on 24 September 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., commissioned on 3 February 1943.
At approximately 14:42, 26 December 1943, Brownson was hit by two bombs from a Japanese dive bomber while screening the landings on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The bombs struck to starboard of the centerline, near number two stack. A tremendous explosion followed, and the entire structure above the main deck as well as the deck plating, was gone. The ship listed 10 to 15 degrees to starboard, and settled rapidly amidships with the bow and stern canted upward. The wounded were placed in rafts and at 14:50, the order to abandon ship was given. The amidships section was entirely underwater at that time. There was a single ripple like a depth charge explosion and the ship sank at 14:59. Brownson suffered the loss of 108 of her crew. The remainder were rescued by USS Daly and USS Lamson.
S/O Christine (Noyes) & George Ephraham Bishop
Wife was Josephine Marie (Costa) Bishop. (m. 1935)
Son was George Bishop (b. 1937)
Service # 8084507 (alternate but found to be correct number #6084507)
Unit United States Naval Reserve
Rank Seaman Second Class U.S. Navy
★ Purple Heart
BISHOP, ELBERT L S2C NAVY 08084507 BROWNSON; UNITED STATES NAVY
RESERVE 12/26/1943 New Britain Island
Historical note:
Service # 8084507 is shared with S2C, Connolly, Joseph Leonard in many official documents.
Most muster records show Elbert's service number as 6084507.
Draft card name spelling was Albert, this is the only document found with that spelling.
Source material from multiple public domain websites.
USS Brownson (DD-518) was the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson (1846–1935). She was also the first of the Fletcher class to be built with a "square-bridge" configuration, which allowed greater all-around visibility than the earlier ships of the class, which had a "round bridge" or "high bridge" configuration. USS Brownson was launched on 24 September 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., commissioned on 3 February 1943.
At approximately 14:42, 26 December 1943, Brownson was hit by two bombs from a Japanese dive bomber while screening the landings on Cape Gloucester, New Britain. The bombs struck to starboard of the centerline, near number two stack. A tremendous explosion followed, and the entire structure above the main deck as well as the deck plating, was gone. The ship listed 10 to 15 degrees to starboard, and settled rapidly amidships with the bow and stern canted upward. The wounded were placed in rafts and at 14:50, the order to abandon ship was given. The amidships section was entirely underwater at that time. There was a single ripple like a depth charge explosion and the ship sank at 14:59. Brownson suffered the loss of 108 of her crew. The remainder were rescued by USS Daly and USS Lamson.
S/O Christine (Noyes) & George Ephraham Bishop
Wife was Josephine Marie (Costa) Bishop. (m. 1935)
Son was George Bishop (b. 1937)
Service # 8084507 (alternate but found to be correct number #6084507)
Unit United States Naval Reserve
Rank Seaman Second Class U.S. Navy
★ Purple Heart
BISHOP, ELBERT L S2C NAVY 08084507 BROWNSON; UNITED STATES NAVY
RESERVE 12/26/1943 New Britain Island
Historical note:
Service # 8084507 is shared with S2C, Connolly, Joseph Leonard in many official documents.
Most muster records show Elbert's service number as 6084507.
Draft card name spelling was Albert, this is the only document found with that spelling.
Source material from multiple public domain websites.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from New York.
Family Members
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George Ephraham Bishop
1870–1942
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Christine Noyes Bishop
1876–1946
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Alma Inez Bishop Larsen
1902–1971
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Floie Josephine Bishop Buell
1905–1985
Flowers
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