Frank Florestine Philabert, Jr., was born on March 24, 1918, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Frank Philabert and Olivia Montgomery Philabert. He had one sister, Olivia Philabert Burkey (Noel). He grew up in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, and the family can be found in the 1940 census.
Like his father, Frank was a chemical engineer. He graduated from the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. http://www.atoalabama.com/history2.html?height=600&width=800. He was not married and did not have any children.
In the proud tradition of his family, Frank served his country during World War II (he was descended from Capt. William McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War, his son, Col. John McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and his grandson, Gen. William Blount McClellan, who was a graduate of West Point, a brigadier-general of local Alabama militia, and later a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate States Army). Frank was a graduate of the United States Submarine School in New London, CT, and was an ensign aboard the USS Shark. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/philabert-f-f.htm. The Shark was the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. There were no survivors. After the war, captured Japanese naval records revealed that voices were heard in the water, but there was no attempt to rescue possible survivors. Here is part of the Wikipedia article on the USS Shark:
"On 6 January 1942, Shark was almost hit with a torpedo from an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. A few days later, she was ordered to Ambon Island, where an enemy invasion was expected. On 27 January, she was directed to join the submarines patrolling in Strait of Malacca, then to cover the passage east of Lifamatola and Bangka Strait. On 2 February, Shark reported to her base at Soerabaja that she had been depth-charged 10 mi (16 km) off Tifore Island and had failed to sink a Japanese ship during a torpedo attack. Five days later, she reported chasing an empty cargo ship headed northwest, for which Admiral Wilkes upbraided her commanding officer. No further messages were received from Shark. On 8 February, she was told to proceed to Makassar Strait and later was told to report information. Nothing was heard and, on 7 March, Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes, the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 June.
Post-war, Japanese records showed numerous attacks on unidentified submarines in Shark's area at plausible times. At 01:37 on 11 February, for example, the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze opened fire with her 5 in (130 mm) guns and sank a surfaced submarine. Voices were heard in the water, but no attempt was made to rescue possible survivors."
Like his father, Frank was a chemical engineer. He graduated from the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. http://www.atoalabama.com/history2.html?height=600&width=800. He was not married and did not have any children.
In the proud tradition of his family, Frank served his country during World War II (he was descended from Capt. William McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War, his son, Col. John McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and his grandson, Gen. William Blount McClellan, who was a graduate of West Point, a brigadier-general of local Alabama militia, and later a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate States Army). Frank was a graduate of the United States Submarine School in New London, CT, and was an ensign aboard the USS Shark. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/philabert-f-f.htm. The Shark was the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. There were no survivors. After the war, captured Japanese naval records revealed that voices were heard in the water, but there was no attempt to rescue possible survivors. Here is part of the Wikipedia article on the USS Shark:
"On 6 January 1942, Shark was almost hit with a torpedo from an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. A few days later, she was ordered to Ambon Island, where an enemy invasion was expected. On 27 January, she was directed to join the submarines patrolling in Strait of Malacca, then to cover the passage east of Lifamatola and Bangka Strait. On 2 February, Shark reported to her base at Soerabaja that she had been depth-charged 10 mi (16 km) off Tifore Island and had failed to sink a Japanese ship during a torpedo attack. Five days later, she reported chasing an empty cargo ship headed northwest, for which Admiral Wilkes upbraided her commanding officer. No further messages were received from Shark. On 8 February, she was told to proceed to Makassar Strait and later was told to report information. Nothing was heard and, on 7 March, Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes, the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 June.
Post-war, Japanese records showed numerous attacks on unidentified submarines in Shark's area at plausible times. At 01:37 on 11 February, for example, the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze opened fire with her 5 in (130 mm) guns and sank a surfaced submarine. Voices were heard in the water, but no attempt was made to rescue possible survivors."
Frank Florestine Philabert, Jr., was born on March 24, 1918, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Frank Philabert and Olivia Montgomery Philabert. He had one sister, Olivia Philabert Burkey (Noel). He grew up in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, and the family can be found in the 1940 census.
Like his father, Frank was a chemical engineer. He graduated from the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. http://www.atoalabama.com/history2.html?height=600&width=800. He was not married and did not have any children.
In the proud tradition of his family, Frank served his country during World War II (he was descended from Capt. William McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War, his son, Col. John McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and his grandson, Gen. William Blount McClellan, who was a graduate of West Point, a brigadier-general of local Alabama militia, and later a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate States Army). Frank was a graduate of the United States Submarine School in New London, CT, and was an ensign aboard the USS Shark. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/philabert-f-f.htm. The Shark was the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. There were no survivors. After the war, captured Japanese naval records revealed that voices were heard in the water, but there was no attempt to rescue possible survivors. Here is part of the Wikipedia article on the USS Shark:
"On 6 January 1942, Shark was almost hit with a torpedo from an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. A few days later, she was ordered to Ambon Island, where an enemy invasion was expected. On 27 January, she was directed to join the submarines patrolling in Strait of Malacca, then to cover the passage east of Lifamatola and Bangka Strait. On 2 February, Shark reported to her base at Soerabaja that she had been depth-charged 10 mi (16 km) off Tifore Island and had failed to sink a Japanese ship during a torpedo attack. Five days later, she reported chasing an empty cargo ship headed northwest, for which Admiral Wilkes upbraided her commanding officer. No further messages were received from Shark. On 8 February, she was told to proceed to Makassar Strait and later was told to report information. Nothing was heard and, on 7 March, Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes, the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 June.
Post-war, Japanese records showed numerous attacks on unidentified submarines in Shark's area at plausible times. At 01:37 on 11 February, for example, the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze opened fire with her 5 in (130 mm) guns and sank a surfaced submarine. Voices were heard in the water, but no attempt was made to rescue possible survivors."
Like his father, Frank was a chemical engineer. He graduated from the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. http://www.atoalabama.com/history2.html?height=600&width=800. He was not married and did not have any children.
In the proud tradition of his family, Frank served his country during World War II (he was descended from Capt. William McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War, his son, Col. John McClellan, who served in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and his grandson, Gen. William Blount McClellan, who was a graduate of West Point, a brigadier-general of local Alabama militia, and later a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate States Army). Frank was a graduate of the United States Submarine School in New London, CT, and was an ensign aboard the USS Shark. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/philabert-f-f.htm. The Shark was the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. There were no survivors. After the war, captured Japanese naval records revealed that voices were heard in the water, but there was no attempt to rescue possible survivors. Here is part of the Wikipedia article on the USS Shark:
"On 6 January 1942, Shark was almost hit with a torpedo from an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. A few days later, she was ordered to Ambon Island, where an enemy invasion was expected. On 27 January, she was directed to join the submarines patrolling in Strait of Malacca, then to cover the passage east of Lifamatola and Bangka Strait. On 2 February, Shark reported to her base at Soerabaja that she had been depth-charged 10 mi (16 km) off Tifore Island and had failed to sink a Japanese ship during a torpedo attack. Five days later, she reported chasing an empty cargo ship headed northwest, for which Admiral Wilkes upbraided her commanding officer. No further messages were received from Shark. On 8 February, she was told to proceed to Makassar Strait and later was told to report information. Nothing was heard and, on 7 March, Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes, the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 June.
Post-war, Japanese records showed numerous attacks on unidentified submarines in Shark's area at plausible times. At 01:37 on 11 February, for example, the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze opened fire with her 5 in (130 mm) guns and sank a surfaced submarine. Voices were heard in the water, but no attempt was made to rescue possible survivors."
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Birmingham, Alabama.
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