William Nielsen, born 24 Oct 1902, was the second of 9 children born to William Romanger and Mary Josephine (Nielsen) Stewart who married 13 July 1901 in Ogden, Weber, UT. His siblings were Lyona Elmira, Melvin Rominger, Marian Iline, Gertrude Ethella, Nola Bernice, Joseph Francis, Doris Marguerite and Mary Maxine Stewart. William Sr., lived in the Ogden area for at least 20 years (1900-1920), several years with his mother Emma E. Stewart and then with his wife, Mary Josephine, and their growing family. William R., worked at various jobs including as a Hack Driver, Laborer with a transfer co., and day labor jobs. It was a challenge to provide for the growing family. The Stewart family moved to Rupert, ID about 1920 where William R., worked in a lumber yard as a teamster. The family lived in Rupert for several years before moving to Paul, ID where their youngest child was born in 1925. About 1929, the Stewarts returned to Ogden, UT (according to the 1930 Ogden, UT census) where William R., worked as a brick cleaner for a contractor. He apparently obtained a job at a construction company near Halleck, NV later in 1930. It was at this camp that he died unexpectedly on 24 Apr 1931.
William N., attended school in Ogden, UT and Rupert, ID. He worked odd jobs while attending school to help supplement the family's meager income. William N. decided in 1923 that military service offered him the chance at a steady income with which to help the family; the opportunity to learn a trade and experience the world. William N. applied to enlist in the Navy at the Naval Recruiting Station (NRS) in Salt Lake City, UT in the summer of 1923. Over the next month, Robert completed general aptitude examinations; submitted personal references, completed administrative paperwork, passed background checks and successfully passed physical and dental examinations. He also obtained his father's permission as he was just about six weeks short of his 21st birthday. Robert was accepted for enlistment in late Sep 1923.
William N Stewart enlisted in US Navy (NSN: 368-00-80) as a Seaman Apprentice (SA) on 23 Sep 1923 in Salt Lake City, UT for a period of four years. He was sent to the Naval Training Station (NTS) San Diego, CA for ten weeks of training. During his training he took another aptitude test that indicated he qualified for the Torpedoman Service School. Upon completion of recruit training, he was granted 10 days of "Recruit Leave" to visit home. He returned to NTS San Diego where he presumably attended the Torpedoman "Class A" Service School. Over the years, AS Stewart advanced in rate from Seaman Second Class (S2c) to Seaman First Class (S1c) while serving on ships of the Pacific fleet. In 1930, now Torpedoman Third Class (TM3) Stewart received orders to report to Asiatic Station in the Philippines for assignment.
It was while he was in China in April 1931 that his father died in Nevada. Due to the great distance involved, TM3 Stewart was unable to attend his father funeral. During the Great Depression the Navy's budget shrank dramatically. That affected advancements in rate. After several years, TM3 Stewart was finally advanced in rate to Torpedoman Second Class (TM2). On Christmas Eve, 1936, Petty Officer Stewart reenlisted for four more years. He was assigned to the Navy Torpedo Station, Newport, RI (NavTorpSta, NPT, RI) for duty. It was while he was in Newport that he advanced in rate to Torpedoman First Class (TM1). On 21 Apr 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from NavTorpSta, NPT, RI and reported to the destroyer tender, USS Whitney (AD-4), for temporary duty in Limon Bay, Panama Canal Zone. Whitney got underway and returned to San Diego in May. On 01 May, Petty Officer Stewart completed his temporary duty on Whitney and reported for duty on the destroyer tender, USS Melville (AD-2). He had no sooner reported to Melville when he was sent on another temporary duty assignment on board the destroyer tender, USS Altair (AD-11). It would seem the Petty officer Stewart's professional skill, re: torpedoes, was much in demand.
On 31 May 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from Altair in San Diego and reported for duty on board Melville also in San Diego. Stewart's stay on Melville was not to be long. On 14 Aug 1939, Stewart detached from Melville with orders to report to Asiatic Station in Manila, Philippines for assignment. He reported on board the fleet oiler, USS Ramapo (AO-12) on 14 Aug for transport to Manila. Underway on 28 Aug, Ramapo and her cargo of oil, passengers and supplies steamed first to San Pedro, CA. Then she got underway and pointed her bow toward Pearl Harbor, then Midway, Guam and finally Manila arriving on 05 Oct 1939. Stewart disembarked from Ramapo and reported later that day to the destroyer, USS Edsall (DD-219) for duty.
---------------------------------
Prelude to War and the Disappearance of the USS Edsall (DD-219)
In 1940, bellicose Japanese adventures in China caused Asiatic Fleet CINC, Admiral Thomas C. Hart to withdraw all blue-water ships from Shanghai to Manila. The US – Japan political situation continued to grow more tense by the day and the Japanese Army and Navy continued to push the red line between war and peace. On 5 Jan 1941, TM1 Stewart agreed to extend his enlistment for 3 years. His enlistment would expire on 4 Jan 1944.
The threat of hostilities between the United States and Japan grew closer to the boiling point as the year 1941 began. Admiral Hart, determined then it was time to send all of the families of his sailors home. There was push-back from the resentful spouses who initially declined to leave their husbands. It was only a threat to indefinitely restrict their spouses to their ships without leave that finally convinced the families; it was time to comply with orders and return to the continental United States (CONUS). Admiral Hart's directive probably saved many family members from internment by the Japanese or worse. For many of the married and unmarried sailors, it was the last time they would ever see their families.
Then, in July 1941, as Japanese aggression intensified with their move south into lower Indo-China, Admiral Hart warned his officers that he had no doubt that war would come although he didn't know how of when it would start. Hart trained his destroyer crews hard keeping them on a war-footing for extended periods and away from Cavite naval base as much as possible exercising his "defensive deployment."
Ordered to comply with the Adm. Hart's "defensive deployment" well south of Manila, units of the Asiatic Fleet including destroyer tender USS Blackhawk (AD-9), USS Edsall (DD-219) and other ships of Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 57, got underway on 25 Nov 1941, and arrived on the morning of 29 Nov 1941 in Balikpapan, a major oil port on the eastern coast of Borneo.
Upon commencement of hostilities between Japan and the United States on 08 Dec 1941 in the Far East Time Zone, Edsall was at sea with other units of DESDIV 57 enroute to Batavia (Djakarta) when they received the war notice. They were rerouted to Singapore to provide anti-submarine (ASW) protection for the new British battleship, HMS Prince of Wales and the older battle cruiser HMS Repulse, known collectively as Force Z. Both ships were sunk by Japanese bombers on 10 Dec 1941 before DesDiv 57 units could rendezvous with Force Z. The US destroyers conducted search and rescue operations for the crew of the two British War ships, but none were found. It was learned later that several British ships have already retrieved the survivors of the sinking. DesDiv 57 remained in Singapore until 14 Dec when they were ordered to Surabaja, Java.
Over the next month, Edsall helped provide convoy escort and ASW protection to various allied shipping. As Edsall and her sister ship, USS Alden (DD-211), were escorting the oiler Trinity to Darwin, Australia on Tuesday, 20 Jan 1942 Alden detected an enemy submarine. The destroyers promptly began an aggressive, yet unsuccessful initial search. The ships broke off the search and proceeded to Darwin arriving later that morning. Later that afternoon the two destroyers were ordered back to sea to attack enemy submarines off Port Darwin. Edsall and Alden joined three Australian navy corvettes who had located a submarine.
The HMAS Deloraine began attacking the contact and was joined by Edsall. It was soon evident from an emerging oil slick that the two ships had sunk the IJN submarine I-124 in late afternoon on the 20th. Several days later navy divers from USS Holland (AS-3) confirmed the sinking of I-124. Edsall had participated in the first detection, attack, and destruction of a full-sized IJN submarine sunk (at least in part) by U.S. surface forces in WWII. Contrary to the belief of some no code books or any important written information was recovered from the wreck of I-124. No divers ever penetrated the hull of the submarine in 1942.
Several days later on 23 Jan, Edsall sustained damage during another attack on a suspected submarine. One of her depth charges exploded prematurely in shallow water damaging one of two propeller shafts. This damage would play an important role in her eventual sinking about five weeks later.
On 3 February, Edsall and other American units of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Force (ABDA) moved up to Tjilatjap, Java in order to be closer to the combat theater and refueling facilities. She continued her service as a patrol vessel off southern Java. On 26 February, she steamed from Tjilatjap with her sister ship USS Whipple (DD-217) to rendezvous with the converted seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3) carrying P-40E pursuit planes and crews for the defense of Java. On 27 February, the Langley, along with Edsall and Whipple, came under attack by sixteen (16) Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the Japanese 21st and 23rd Naval Air Flotillas and escorted by fifteen (15) A6M Reisen fighters. The attack fatally damaged Langley. She had to be abandoned and later scuttled by Whipple. Edsall rescued 177 survivors; Whipple, 308.
On 28 February, the two destroyers rendezvoused with the fuel replenishment ship USS Pecos (AO-6) off Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island some 250 miles southwest of Tjilatjap. A sudden attack by land based Japanese bombers forced Edsall and the other ships to head for the open sea. They headed directly south into the Indian Ocean for the rest of 28 February in high winds and heavy seas. Early in the pre-dawn hours of 1 March, Whipple and Edsall transferred all the Langley survivors to Pecos less 31 Army Air Force pilots. There were now close to 700 personnel on board the ship. Whipple then set off for Cocos Islands as protection for the tanker Belita sent to meet her there. The Pecos, carrying a large number of survivors was ordered to Australia. Edsall had retained 31 USAAF pilots from Langley needed to assemble and fly an additional 27 P-40E fighters shipped to Tjilatjap aboard the transport Sea Witch. Edsall was instructed to return these "fighter crews" to Tjilatjap. At 0830, she reversed course and headed back to the northeast for Java.
At noon that day, planes from Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu attacked Pecos and struck again an hour later. Finally, in mid-afternoon, third and fourth strikes from aircraft carriers Hiryu and Akagi fatally wounded the Pecos. While under attack, Pecos radioed for help. After Pecos sank, Whipple returned to the scene intentionally arriving after dark. She eventually rescued 232 survivors. Many other survivors, although visible to crewmembers on board Whipple, had to be abandoned at sea because Whipple made sonar contact with what was believed to be several Japanese submarines. It was just too dangerous for her to remain in the area.
Edsall may have heard Pecos's call for help or she may have been complying with orders to reverse course and steam toward Australia. For whatever the reason, Edsall reversed course and was never heard from again. The US Navy Department simply said Edsall was lost due to enemy action.
TM1 Williams was listed as missing in action on 01 Mar 1942. The US Navy Department declared all Edsall crewmembers "presumed dead" on 25 Nov 1945. This finding of presumptive death date was fixed in order to take care of settlements and claims. At that point, no one suspected that survivors from Edsall were among many victims of war crimes on Celebes.
After WWII ended, an Allied War Crimes Tribunal was convened in Java. During the course of the Tribunal's investigations, an eyewitness to Japanese executions was discovered and interviewed. He testified that he witnessed the execution by the Japanese of a number of POWs in 1942. He led investigators to the Japanese Execution Grounds mass grave, Kendari II, Celebes, N.E.I. Five sets of remains in a group of about 10 were later identified from ID tags as USS Edsall crewmen. The other five were unknown but were possibly US Army Air force personnel on board Edsall from the Langley. A sixth set of remains were found in another burying ground on Celebes. They were identified by an ID tag as those of Fireman Second Class (F2) Loren Stanford Myers, a crewman from the Edsall.
All of these remains were disinterred and reburied in the US Military Cemetery, Barrackpore, India on 12 Nov 1946. After three years, their remains were disinterred again and reburied in a mass grave at the National cemetery at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO on 20 Dec 1949. The remains of F2 Myers were reinterred according to immediate family wishes in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI on 31 Mar 1950. With the discovery of these remains, their presumed date of death was amended to 02 Mar 1942.
-------------------------------
The Truth Finally Told
Because no known survivors lived to tell the story, the details surrounding the sinking of Edsall remained largely a mystery for more than a half century. Finally, after historians compiled bits and pieces of information from various allied sources over the years, Japanese records and eyewitnesses on the Chikuma recently became available. The new information points to a short but epic battle involving the aging Edsall and one of the world's strongest naval forces of its day.
After Edsall reversed her course on 01 Mar 1942 and steamed away from Java, she stumbled upon Admiral Nagumo's battle force, Kido Butai that had been prowling the Indian Ocean in search of enemy shipping. Unfortunately, Edsall was spotted first. She was misidentified as a light cruiser of the Marblehead class. IJN battleships Hiei and Kirishima and heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma were detached from the battle force to attack Edsall with surface gunfire.
The old four-stacker began evasive maneuvers frustrating the Japanese for the next hour and half. However, because of the damage done previously to one of her propeller shafts, Edsall was unable to make top speed or maneuver fully. At one point, Edsall turned and launched her torpedoes narrowly missing Chikuma. The Japanese fired some 1400 rounds resulting in only one or two direct hits. The frustrated Admiral Nagumo called upon his carriers to finish off the Edsall. She was attacked by dive-bombers from two Japanese carriers (Kaga, Soryu,) and possibly a third (Hiryu) before succumbing to this devastating attack. The Edsall went down at 1900 hours, 01 Mar 1942, 430 miles south of Java.
Japanese eyewitnesses confirm that at least eight Edsall crewman from a large number of survivors were fished out of the water and brought on board the Chikuma. The rest of the survivors were left to their fate in the water. Chikuma and the rest of the battle force arrived at Staring Bay anchorage, Celebes on 11 Mar 1942. Three dozen POWs, 8 or more from the Edsall and the remainder from a Dutch ship, were turned over to the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces based at Kendari where they were executed on 24 Mar 1942 near Kendari II airfield.
TM1 Williams was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and (posthumously) awarded the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with fleet clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense Medal with clasp. He is likely eligible for the Combat Action Ribbon and the China Service Medal.
-------------------------------
A commemoration in honor of TM1 Williams' service from President Harry S. Truman reads: In Grateful Memory of William Nielsen Stewart, Who Died In The Service Of His Country At Sea, Asiatic Area, attached U.S.S. Edsall, 25 November 1945 (presumed). He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives – in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.
Signed,
Harry Truman
President of the United States of America
----------------------------
Bio #326 composed by Gerry Lawton (G47/GML470)
Military Hall of Honor ID#164495
William N., attended school in Ogden, UT and Rupert, ID. He worked odd jobs while attending school to help supplement the family's meager income. William N. decided in 1923 that military service offered him the chance at a steady income with which to help the family; the opportunity to learn a trade and experience the world. William N. applied to enlist in the Navy at the Naval Recruiting Station (NRS) in Salt Lake City, UT in the summer of 1923. Over the next month, Robert completed general aptitude examinations; submitted personal references, completed administrative paperwork, passed background checks and successfully passed physical and dental examinations. He also obtained his father's permission as he was just about six weeks short of his 21st birthday. Robert was accepted for enlistment in late Sep 1923.
William N Stewart enlisted in US Navy (NSN: 368-00-80) as a Seaman Apprentice (SA) on 23 Sep 1923 in Salt Lake City, UT for a period of four years. He was sent to the Naval Training Station (NTS) San Diego, CA for ten weeks of training. During his training he took another aptitude test that indicated he qualified for the Torpedoman Service School. Upon completion of recruit training, he was granted 10 days of "Recruit Leave" to visit home. He returned to NTS San Diego where he presumably attended the Torpedoman "Class A" Service School. Over the years, AS Stewart advanced in rate from Seaman Second Class (S2c) to Seaman First Class (S1c) while serving on ships of the Pacific fleet. In 1930, now Torpedoman Third Class (TM3) Stewart received orders to report to Asiatic Station in the Philippines for assignment.
It was while he was in China in April 1931 that his father died in Nevada. Due to the great distance involved, TM3 Stewart was unable to attend his father funeral. During the Great Depression the Navy's budget shrank dramatically. That affected advancements in rate. After several years, TM3 Stewart was finally advanced in rate to Torpedoman Second Class (TM2). On Christmas Eve, 1936, Petty Officer Stewart reenlisted for four more years. He was assigned to the Navy Torpedo Station, Newport, RI (NavTorpSta, NPT, RI) for duty. It was while he was in Newport that he advanced in rate to Torpedoman First Class (TM1). On 21 Apr 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from NavTorpSta, NPT, RI and reported to the destroyer tender, USS Whitney (AD-4), for temporary duty in Limon Bay, Panama Canal Zone. Whitney got underway and returned to San Diego in May. On 01 May, Petty Officer Stewart completed his temporary duty on Whitney and reported for duty on the destroyer tender, USS Melville (AD-2). He had no sooner reported to Melville when he was sent on another temporary duty assignment on board the destroyer tender, USS Altair (AD-11). It would seem the Petty officer Stewart's professional skill, re: torpedoes, was much in demand.
On 31 May 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from Altair in San Diego and reported for duty on board Melville also in San Diego. Stewart's stay on Melville was not to be long. On 14 Aug 1939, Stewart detached from Melville with orders to report to Asiatic Station in Manila, Philippines for assignment. He reported on board the fleet oiler, USS Ramapo (AO-12) on 14 Aug for transport to Manila. Underway on 28 Aug, Ramapo and her cargo of oil, passengers and supplies steamed first to San Pedro, CA. Then she got underway and pointed her bow toward Pearl Harbor, then Midway, Guam and finally Manila arriving on 05 Oct 1939. Stewart disembarked from Ramapo and reported later that day to the destroyer, USS Edsall (DD-219) for duty.
---------------------------------
Prelude to War and the Disappearance of the USS Edsall (DD-219)
In 1940, bellicose Japanese adventures in China caused Asiatic Fleet CINC, Admiral Thomas C. Hart to withdraw all blue-water ships from Shanghai to Manila. The US – Japan political situation continued to grow more tense by the day and the Japanese Army and Navy continued to push the red line between war and peace. On 5 Jan 1941, TM1 Stewart agreed to extend his enlistment for 3 years. His enlistment would expire on 4 Jan 1944.
The threat of hostilities between the United States and Japan grew closer to the boiling point as the year 1941 began. Admiral Hart, determined then it was time to send all of the families of his sailors home. There was push-back from the resentful spouses who initially declined to leave their husbands. It was only a threat to indefinitely restrict their spouses to their ships without leave that finally convinced the families; it was time to comply with orders and return to the continental United States (CONUS). Admiral Hart's directive probably saved many family members from internment by the Japanese or worse. For many of the married and unmarried sailors, it was the last time they would ever see their families.
Then, in July 1941, as Japanese aggression intensified with their move south into lower Indo-China, Admiral Hart warned his officers that he had no doubt that war would come although he didn't know how of when it would start. Hart trained his destroyer crews hard keeping them on a war-footing for extended periods and away from Cavite naval base as much as possible exercising his "defensive deployment."
Ordered to comply with the Adm. Hart's "defensive deployment" well south of Manila, units of the Asiatic Fleet including destroyer tender USS Blackhawk (AD-9), USS Edsall (DD-219) and other ships of Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 57, got underway on 25 Nov 1941, and arrived on the morning of 29 Nov 1941 in Balikpapan, a major oil port on the eastern coast of Borneo.
Upon commencement of hostilities between Japan and the United States on 08 Dec 1941 in the Far East Time Zone, Edsall was at sea with other units of DESDIV 57 enroute to Batavia (Djakarta) when they received the war notice. They were rerouted to Singapore to provide anti-submarine (ASW) protection for the new British battleship, HMS Prince of Wales and the older battle cruiser HMS Repulse, known collectively as Force Z. Both ships were sunk by Japanese bombers on 10 Dec 1941 before DesDiv 57 units could rendezvous with Force Z. The US destroyers conducted search and rescue operations for the crew of the two British War ships, but none were found. It was learned later that several British ships have already retrieved the survivors of the sinking. DesDiv 57 remained in Singapore until 14 Dec when they were ordered to Surabaja, Java.
Over the next month, Edsall helped provide convoy escort and ASW protection to various allied shipping. As Edsall and her sister ship, USS Alden (DD-211), were escorting the oiler Trinity to Darwin, Australia on Tuesday, 20 Jan 1942 Alden detected an enemy submarine. The destroyers promptly began an aggressive, yet unsuccessful initial search. The ships broke off the search and proceeded to Darwin arriving later that morning. Later that afternoon the two destroyers were ordered back to sea to attack enemy submarines off Port Darwin. Edsall and Alden joined three Australian navy corvettes who had located a submarine.
The HMAS Deloraine began attacking the contact and was joined by Edsall. It was soon evident from an emerging oil slick that the two ships had sunk the IJN submarine I-124 in late afternoon on the 20th. Several days later navy divers from USS Holland (AS-3) confirmed the sinking of I-124. Edsall had participated in the first detection, attack, and destruction of a full-sized IJN submarine sunk (at least in part) by U.S. surface forces in WWII. Contrary to the belief of some no code books or any important written information was recovered from the wreck of I-124. No divers ever penetrated the hull of the submarine in 1942.
Several days later on 23 Jan, Edsall sustained damage during another attack on a suspected submarine. One of her depth charges exploded prematurely in shallow water damaging one of two propeller shafts. This damage would play an important role in her eventual sinking about five weeks later.
On 3 February, Edsall and other American units of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Force (ABDA) moved up to Tjilatjap, Java in order to be closer to the combat theater and refueling facilities. She continued her service as a patrol vessel off southern Java. On 26 February, she steamed from Tjilatjap with her sister ship USS Whipple (DD-217) to rendezvous with the converted seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3) carrying P-40E pursuit planes and crews for the defense of Java. On 27 February, the Langley, along with Edsall and Whipple, came under attack by sixteen (16) Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the Japanese 21st and 23rd Naval Air Flotillas and escorted by fifteen (15) A6M Reisen fighters. The attack fatally damaged Langley. She had to be abandoned and later scuttled by Whipple. Edsall rescued 177 survivors; Whipple, 308.
On 28 February, the two destroyers rendezvoused with the fuel replenishment ship USS Pecos (AO-6) off Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island some 250 miles southwest of Tjilatjap. A sudden attack by land based Japanese bombers forced Edsall and the other ships to head for the open sea. They headed directly south into the Indian Ocean for the rest of 28 February in high winds and heavy seas. Early in the pre-dawn hours of 1 March, Whipple and Edsall transferred all the Langley survivors to Pecos less 31 Army Air Force pilots. There were now close to 700 personnel on board the ship. Whipple then set off for Cocos Islands as protection for the tanker Belita sent to meet her there. The Pecos, carrying a large number of survivors was ordered to Australia. Edsall had retained 31 USAAF pilots from Langley needed to assemble and fly an additional 27 P-40E fighters shipped to Tjilatjap aboard the transport Sea Witch. Edsall was instructed to return these "fighter crews" to Tjilatjap. At 0830, she reversed course and headed back to the northeast for Java.
At noon that day, planes from Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu attacked Pecos and struck again an hour later. Finally, in mid-afternoon, third and fourth strikes from aircraft carriers Hiryu and Akagi fatally wounded the Pecos. While under attack, Pecos radioed for help. After Pecos sank, Whipple returned to the scene intentionally arriving after dark. She eventually rescued 232 survivors. Many other survivors, although visible to crewmembers on board Whipple, had to be abandoned at sea because Whipple made sonar contact with what was believed to be several Japanese submarines. It was just too dangerous for her to remain in the area.
Edsall may have heard Pecos's call for help or she may have been complying with orders to reverse course and steam toward Australia. For whatever the reason, Edsall reversed course and was never heard from again. The US Navy Department simply said Edsall was lost due to enemy action.
TM1 Williams was listed as missing in action on 01 Mar 1942. The US Navy Department declared all Edsall crewmembers "presumed dead" on 25 Nov 1945. This finding of presumptive death date was fixed in order to take care of settlements and claims. At that point, no one suspected that survivors from Edsall were among many victims of war crimes on Celebes.
After WWII ended, an Allied War Crimes Tribunal was convened in Java. During the course of the Tribunal's investigations, an eyewitness to Japanese executions was discovered and interviewed. He testified that he witnessed the execution by the Japanese of a number of POWs in 1942. He led investigators to the Japanese Execution Grounds mass grave, Kendari II, Celebes, N.E.I. Five sets of remains in a group of about 10 were later identified from ID tags as USS Edsall crewmen. The other five were unknown but were possibly US Army Air force personnel on board Edsall from the Langley. A sixth set of remains were found in another burying ground on Celebes. They were identified by an ID tag as those of Fireman Second Class (F2) Loren Stanford Myers, a crewman from the Edsall.
All of these remains were disinterred and reburied in the US Military Cemetery, Barrackpore, India on 12 Nov 1946. After three years, their remains were disinterred again and reburied in a mass grave at the National cemetery at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO on 20 Dec 1949. The remains of F2 Myers were reinterred according to immediate family wishes in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI on 31 Mar 1950. With the discovery of these remains, their presumed date of death was amended to 02 Mar 1942.
-------------------------------
The Truth Finally Told
Because no known survivors lived to tell the story, the details surrounding the sinking of Edsall remained largely a mystery for more than a half century. Finally, after historians compiled bits and pieces of information from various allied sources over the years, Japanese records and eyewitnesses on the Chikuma recently became available. The new information points to a short but epic battle involving the aging Edsall and one of the world's strongest naval forces of its day.
After Edsall reversed her course on 01 Mar 1942 and steamed away from Java, she stumbled upon Admiral Nagumo's battle force, Kido Butai that had been prowling the Indian Ocean in search of enemy shipping. Unfortunately, Edsall was spotted first. She was misidentified as a light cruiser of the Marblehead class. IJN battleships Hiei and Kirishima and heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma were detached from the battle force to attack Edsall with surface gunfire.
The old four-stacker began evasive maneuvers frustrating the Japanese for the next hour and half. However, because of the damage done previously to one of her propeller shafts, Edsall was unable to make top speed or maneuver fully. At one point, Edsall turned and launched her torpedoes narrowly missing Chikuma. The Japanese fired some 1400 rounds resulting in only one or two direct hits. The frustrated Admiral Nagumo called upon his carriers to finish off the Edsall. She was attacked by dive-bombers from two Japanese carriers (Kaga, Soryu,) and possibly a third (Hiryu) before succumbing to this devastating attack. The Edsall went down at 1900 hours, 01 Mar 1942, 430 miles south of Java.
Japanese eyewitnesses confirm that at least eight Edsall crewman from a large number of survivors were fished out of the water and brought on board the Chikuma. The rest of the survivors were left to their fate in the water. Chikuma and the rest of the battle force arrived at Staring Bay anchorage, Celebes on 11 Mar 1942. Three dozen POWs, 8 or more from the Edsall and the remainder from a Dutch ship, were turned over to the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces based at Kendari where they were executed on 24 Mar 1942 near Kendari II airfield.
TM1 Williams was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and (posthumously) awarded the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with fleet clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense Medal with clasp. He is likely eligible for the Combat Action Ribbon and the China Service Medal.
-------------------------------
A commemoration in honor of TM1 Williams' service from President Harry S. Truman reads: In Grateful Memory of William Nielsen Stewart, Who Died In The Service Of His Country At Sea, Asiatic Area, attached U.S.S. Edsall, 25 November 1945 (presumed). He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives – in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.
Signed,
Harry Truman
President of the United States of America
----------------------------
Bio #326 composed by Gerry Lawton (G47/GML470)
Military Hall of Honor ID#164495
William Nielsen, born 24 Oct 1902, was the second of 9 children born to William Romanger and Mary Josephine (Nielsen) Stewart who married 13 July 1901 in Ogden, Weber, UT. His siblings were Lyona Elmira, Melvin Rominger, Marian Iline, Gertrude Ethella, Nola Bernice, Joseph Francis, Doris Marguerite and Mary Maxine Stewart. William Sr., lived in the Ogden area for at least 20 years (1900-1920), several years with his mother Emma E. Stewart and then with his wife, Mary Josephine, and their growing family. William R., worked at various jobs including as a Hack Driver, Laborer with a transfer co., and day labor jobs. It was a challenge to provide for the growing family. The Stewart family moved to Rupert, ID about 1920 where William R., worked in a lumber yard as a teamster. The family lived in Rupert for several years before moving to Paul, ID where their youngest child was born in 1925. About 1929, the Stewarts returned to Ogden, UT (according to the 1930 Ogden, UT census) where William R., worked as a brick cleaner for a contractor. He apparently obtained a job at a construction company near Halleck, NV later in 1930. It was at this camp that he died unexpectedly on 24 Apr 1931.
William N., attended school in Ogden, UT and Rupert, ID. He worked odd jobs while attending school to help supplement the family's meager income. William N. decided in 1923 that military service offered him the chance at a steady income with which to help the family; the opportunity to learn a trade and experience the world. William N. applied to enlist in the Navy at the Naval Recruiting Station (NRS) in Salt Lake City, UT in the summer of 1923. Over the next month, Robert completed general aptitude examinations; submitted personal references, completed administrative paperwork, passed background checks and successfully passed physical and dental examinations. He also obtained his father's permission as he was just about six weeks short of his 21st birthday. Robert was accepted for enlistment in late Sep 1923.
William N Stewart enlisted in US Navy (NSN: 368-00-80) as a Seaman Apprentice (SA) on 23 Sep 1923 in Salt Lake City, UT for a period of four years. He was sent to the Naval Training Station (NTS) San Diego, CA for ten weeks of training. During his training he took another aptitude test that indicated he qualified for the Torpedoman Service School. Upon completion of recruit training, he was granted 10 days of "Recruit Leave" to visit home. He returned to NTS San Diego where he presumably attended the Torpedoman "Class A" Service School. Over the years, AS Stewart advanced in rate from Seaman Second Class (S2c) to Seaman First Class (S1c) while serving on ships of the Pacific fleet. In 1930, now Torpedoman Third Class (TM3) Stewart received orders to report to Asiatic Station in the Philippines for assignment.
It was while he was in China in April 1931 that his father died in Nevada. Due to the great distance involved, TM3 Stewart was unable to attend his father funeral. During the Great Depression the Navy's budget shrank dramatically. That affected advancements in rate. After several years, TM3 Stewart was finally advanced in rate to Torpedoman Second Class (TM2). On Christmas Eve, 1936, Petty Officer Stewart reenlisted for four more years. He was assigned to the Navy Torpedo Station, Newport, RI (NavTorpSta, NPT, RI) for duty. It was while he was in Newport that he advanced in rate to Torpedoman First Class (TM1). On 21 Apr 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from NavTorpSta, NPT, RI and reported to the destroyer tender, USS Whitney (AD-4), for temporary duty in Limon Bay, Panama Canal Zone. Whitney got underway and returned to San Diego in May. On 01 May, Petty Officer Stewart completed his temporary duty on Whitney and reported for duty on the destroyer tender, USS Melville (AD-2). He had no sooner reported to Melville when he was sent on another temporary duty assignment on board the destroyer tender, USS Altair (AD-11). It would seem the Petty officer Stewart's professional skill, re: torpedoes, was much in demand.
On 31 May 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from Altair in San Diego and reported for duty on board Melville also in San Diego. Stewart's stay on Melville was not to be long. On 14 Aug 1939, Stewart detached from Melville with orders to report to Asiatic Station in Manila, Philippines for assignment. He reported on board the fleet oiler, USS Ramapo (AO-12) on 14 Aug for transport to Manila. Underway on 28 Aug, Ramapo and her cargo of oil, passengers and supplies steamed first to San Pedro, CA. Then she got underway and pointed her bow toward Pearl Harbor, then Midway, Guam and finally Manila arriving on 05 Oct 1939. Stewart disembarked from Ramapo and reported later that day to the destroyer, USS Edsall (DD-219) for duty.
---------------------------------
Prelude to War and the Disappearance of the USS Edsall (DD-219)
In 1940, bellicose Japanese adventures in China caused Asiatic Fleet CINC, Admiral Thomas C. Hart to withdraw all blue-water ships from Shanghai to Manila. The US – Japan political situation continued to grow more tense by the day and the Japanese Army and Navy continued to push the red line between war and peace. On 5 Jan 1941, TM1 Stewart agreed to extend his enlistment for 3 years. His enlistment would expire on 4 Jan 1944.
The threat of hostilities between the United States and Japan grew closer to the boiling point as the year 1941 began. Admiral Hart, determined then it was time to send all of the families of his sailors home. There was push-back from the resentful spouses who initially declined to leave their husbands. It was only a threat to indefinitely restrict their spouses to their ships without leave that finally convinced the families; it was time to comply with orders and return to the continental United States (CONUS). Admiral Hart's directive probably saved many family members from internment by the Japanese or worse. For many of the married and unmarried sailors, it was the last time they would ever see their families.
Then, in July 1941, as Japanese aggression intensified with their move south into lower Indo-China, Admiral Hart warned his officers that he had no doubt that war would come although he didn't know how of when it would start. Hart trained his destroyer crews hard keeping them on a war-footing for extended periods and away from Cavite naval base as much as possible exercising his "defensive deployment."
Ordered to comply with the Adm. Hart's "defensive deployment" well south of Manila, units of the Asiatic Fleet including destroyer tender USS Blackhawk (AD-9), USS Edsall (DD-219) and other ships of Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 57, got underway on 25 Nov 1941, and arrived on the morning of 29 Nov 1941 in Balikpapan, a major oil port on the eastern coast of Borneo.
Upon commencement of hostilities between Japan and the United States on 08 Dec 1941 in the Far East Time Zone, Edsall was at sea with other units of DESDIV 57 enroute to Batavia (Djakarta) when they received the war notice. They were rerouted to Singapore to provide anti-submarine (ASW) protection for the new British battleship, HMS Prince of Wales and the older battle cruiser HMS Repulse, known collectively as Force Z. Both ships were sunk by Japanese bombers on 10 Dec 1941 before DesDiv 57 units could rendezvous with Force Z. The US destroyers conducted search and rescue operations for the crew of the two British War ships, but none were found. It was learned later that several British ships have already retrieved the survivors of the sinking. DesDiv 57 remained in Singapore until 14 Dec when they were ordered to Surabaja, Java.
Over the next month, Edsall helped provide convoy escort and ASW protection to various allied shipping. As Edsall and her sister ship, USS Alden (DD-211), were escorting the oiler Trinity to Darwin, Australia on Tuesday, 20 Jan 1942 Alden detected an enemy submarine. The destroyers promptly began an aggressive, yet unsuccessful initial search. The ships broke off the search and proceeded to Darwin arriving later that morning. Later that afternoon the two destroyers were ordered back to sea to attack enemy submarines off Port Darwin. Edsall and Alden joined three Australian navy corvettes who had located a submarine.
The HMAS Deloraine began attacking the contact and was joined by Edsall. It was soon evident from an emerging oil slick that the two ships had sunk the IJN submarine I-124 in late afternoon on the 20th. Several days later navy divers from USS Holland (AS-3) confirmed the sinking of I-124. Edsall had participated in the first detection, attack, and destruction of a full-sized IJN submarine sunk (at least in part) by U.S. surface forces in WWII. Contrary to the belief of some no code books or any important written information was recovered from the wreck of I-124. No divers ever penetrated the hull of the submarine in 1942.
Several days later on 23 Jan, Edsall sustained damage during another attack on a suspected submarine. One of her depth charges exploded prematurely in shallow water damaging one of two propeller shafts. This damage would play an important role in her eventual sinking about five weeks later.
On 3 February, Edsall and other American units of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Force (ABDA) moved up to Tjilatjap, Java in order to be closer to the combat theater and refueling facilities. She continued her service as a patrol vessel off southern Java. On 26 February, she steamed from Tjilatjap with her sister ship USS Whipple (DD-217) to rendezvous with the converted seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3) carrying P-40E pursuit planes and crews for the defense of Java. On 27 February, the Langley, along with Edsall and Whipple, came under attack by sixteen (16) Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the Japanese 21st and 23rd Naval Air Flotillas and escorted by fifteen (15) A6M Reisen fighters. The attack fatally damaged Langley. She had to be abandoned and later scuttled by Whipple. Edsall rescued 177 survivors; Whipple, 308.
On 28 February, the two destroyers rendezvoused with the fuel replenishment ship USS Pecos (AO-6) off Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island some 250 miles southwest of Tjilatjap. A sudden attack by land based Japanese bombers forced Edsall and the other ships to head for the open sea. They headed directly south into the Indian Ocean for the rest of 28 February in high winds and heavy seas. Early in the pre-dawn hours of 1 March, Whipple and Edsall transferred all the Langley survivors to Pecos less 31 Army Air Force pilots. There were now close to 700 personnel on board the ship. Whipple then set off for Cocos Islands as protection for the tanker Belita sent to meet her there. The Pecos, carrying a large number of survivors was ordered to Australia. Edsall had retained 31 USAAF pilots from Langley needed to assemble and fly an additional 27 P-40E fighters shipped to Tjilatjap aboard the transport Sea Witch. Edsall was instructed to return these "fighter crews" to Tjilatjap. At 0830, she reversed course and headed back to the northeast for Java.
At noon that day, planes from Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu attacked Pecos and struck again an hour later. Finally, in mid-afternoon, third and fourth strikes from aircraft carriers Hiryu and Akagi fatally wounded the Pecos. While under attack, Pecos radioed for help. After Pecos sank, Whipple returned to the scene intentionally arriving after dark. She eventually rescued 232 survivors. Many other survivors, although visible to crewmembers on board Whipple, had to be abandoned at sea because Whipple made sonar contact with what was believed to be several Japanese submarines. It was just too dangerous for her to remain in the area.
Edsall may have heard Pecos's call for help or she may have been complying with orders to reverse course and steam toward Australia. For whatever the reason, Edsall reversed course and was never heard from again. The US Navy Department simply said Edsall was lost due to enemy action.
TM1 Williams was listed as missing in action on 01 Mar 1942. The US Navy Department declared all Edsall crewmembers "presumed dead" on 25 Nov 1945. This finding of presumptive death date was fixed in order to take care of settlements and claims. At that point, no one suspected that survivors from Edsall were among many victims of war crimes on Celebes.
After WWII ended, an Allied War Crimes Tribunal was convened in Java. During the course of the Tribunal's investigations, an eyewitness to Japanese executions was discovered and interviewed. He testified that he witnessed the execution by the Japanese of a number of POWs in 1942. He led investigators to the Japanese Execution Grounds mass grave, Kendari II, Celebes, N.E.I. Five sets of remains in a group of about 10 were later identified from ID tags as USS Edsall crewmen. The other five were unknown but were possibly US Army Air force personnel on board Edsall from the Langley. A sixth set of remains were found in another burying ground on Celebes. They were identified by an ID tag as those of Fireman Second Class (F2) Loren Stanford Myers, a crewman from the Edsall.
All of these remains were disinterred and reburied in the US Military Cemetery, Barrackpore, India on 12 Nov 1946. After three years, their remains were disinterred again and reburied in a mass grave at the National cemetery at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO on 20 Dec 1949. The remains of F2 Myers were reinterred according to immediate family wishes in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI on 31 Mar 1950. With the discovery of these remains, their presumed date of death was amended to 02 Mar 1942.
-------------------------------
The Truth Finally Told
Because no known survivors lived to tell the story, the details surrounding the sinking of Edsall remained largely a mystery for more than a half century. Finally, after historians compiled bits and pieces of information from various allied sources over the years, Japanese records and eyewitnesses on the Chikuma recently became available. The new information points to a short but epic battle involving the aging Edsall and one of the world's strongest naval forces of its day.
After Edsall reversed her course on 01 Mar 1942 and steamed away from Java, she stumbled upon Admiral Nagumo's battle force, Kido Butai that had been prowling the Indian Ocean in search of enemy shipping. Unfortunately, Edsall was spotted first. She was misidentified as a light cruiser of the Marblehead class. IJN battleships Hiei and Kirishima and heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma were detached from the battle force to attack Edsall with surface gunfire.
The old four-stacker began evasive maneuvers frustrating the Japanese for the next hour and half. However, because of the damage done previously to one of her propeller shafts, Edsall was unable to make top speed or maneuver fully. At one point, Edsall turned and launched her torpedoes narrowly missing Chikuma. The Japanese fired some 1400 rounds resulting in only one or two direct hits. The frustrated Admiral Nagumo called upon his carriers to finish off the Edsall. She was attacked by dive-bombers from two Japanese carriers (Kaga, Soryu,) and possibly a third (Hiryu) before succumbing to this devastating attack. The Edsall went down at 1900 hours, 01 Mar 1942, 430 miles south of Java.
Japanese eyewitnesses confirm that at least eight Edsall crewman from a large number of survivors were fished out of the water and brought on board the Chikuma. The rest of the survivors were left to their fate in the water. Chikuma and the rest of the battle force arrived at Staring Bay anchorage, Celebes on 11 Mar 1942. Three dozen POWs, 8 or more from the Edsall and the remainder from a Dutch ship, were turned over to the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces based at Kendari where they were executed on 24 Mar 1942 near Kendari II airfield.
TM1 Williams was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and (posthumously) awarded the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with fleet clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense Medal with clasp. He is likely eligible for the Combat Action Ribbon and the China Service Medal.
-------------------------------
A commemoration in honor of TM1 Williams' service from President Harry S. Truman reads: In Grateful Memory of William Nielsen Stewart, Who Died In The Service Of His Country At Sea, Asiatic Area, attached U.S.S. Edsall, 25 November 1945 (presumed). He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives – in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.
Signed,
Harry Truman
President of the United States of America
----------------------------
Bio #326 composed by Gerry Lawton (G47/GML470)
Military Hall of Honor ID#164495
William N., attended school in Ogden, UT and Rupert, ID. He worked odd jobs while attending school to help supplement the family's meager income. William N. decided in 1923 that military service offered him the chance at a steady income with which to help the family; the opportunity to learn a trade and experience the world. William N. applied to enlist in the Navy at the Naval Recruiting Station (NRS) in Salt Lake City, UT in the summer of 1923. Over the next month, Robert completed general aptitude examinations; submitted personal references, completed administrative paperwork, passed background checks and successfully passed physical and dental examinations. He also obtained his father's permission as he was just about six weeks short of his 21st birthday. Robert was accepted for enlistment in late Sep 1923.
William N Stewart enlisted in US Navy (NSN: 368-00-80) as a Seaman Apprentice (SA) on 23 Sep 1923 in Salt Lake City, UT for a period of four years. He was sent to the Naval Training Station (NTS) San Diego, CA for ten weeks of training. During his training he took another aptitude test that indicated he qualified for the Torpedoman Service School. Upon completion of recruit training, he was granted 10 days of "Recruit Leave" to visit home. He returned to NTS San Diego where he presumably attended the Torpedoman "Class A" Service School. Over the years, AS Stewart advanced in rate from Seaman Second Class (S2c) to Seaman First Class (S1c) while serving on ships of the Pacific fleet. In 1930, now Torpedoman Third Class (TM3) Stewart received orders to report to Asiatic Station in the Philippines for assignment.
It was while he was in China in April 1931 that his father died in Nevada. Due to the great distance involved, TM3 Stewart was unable to attend his father funeral. During the Great Depression the Navy's budget shrank dramatically. That affected advancements in rate. After several years, TM3 Stewart was finally advanced in rate to Torpedoman Second Class (TM2). On Christmas Eve, 1936, Petty Officer Stewart reenlisted for four more years. He was assigned to the Navy Torpedo Station, Newport, RI (NavTorpSta, NPT, RI) for duty. It was while he was in Newport that he advanced in rate to Torpedoman First Class (TM1). On 21 Apr 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from NavTorpSta, NPT, RI and reported to the destroyer tender, USS Whitney (AD-4), for temporary duty in Limon Bay, Panama Canal Zone. Whitney got underway and returned to San Diego in May. On 01 May, Petty Officer Stewart completed his temporary duty on Whitney and reported for duty on the destroyer tender, USS Melville (AD-2). He had no sooner reported to Melville when he was sent on another temporary duty assignment on board the destroyer tender, USS Altair (AD-11). It would seem the Petty officer Stewart's professional skill, re: torpedoes, was much in demand.
On 31 May 1939, TM1 Stewart detached from Altair in San Diego and reported for duty on board Melville also in San Diego. Stewart's stay on Melville was not to be long. On 14 Aug 1939, Stewart detached from Melville with orders to report to Asiatic Station in Manila, Philippines for assignment. He reported on board the fleet oiler, USS Ramapo (AO-12) on 14 Aug for transport to Manila. Underway on 28 Aug, Ramapo and her cargo of oil, passengers and supplies steamed first to San Pedro, CA. Then she got underway and pointed her bow toward Pearl Harbor, then Midway, Guam and finally Manila arriving on 05 Oct 1939. Stewart disembarked from Ramapo and reported later that day to the destroyer, USS Edsall (DD-219) for duty.
---------------------------------
Prelude to War and the Disappearance of the USS Edsall (DD-219)
In 1940, bellicose Japanese adventures in China caused Asiatic Fleet CINC, Admiral Thomas C. Hart to withdraw all blue-water ships from Shanghai to Manila. The US – Japan political situation continued to grow more tense by the day and the Japanese Army and Navy continued to push the red line between war and peace. On 5 Jan 1941, TM1 Stewart agreed to extend his enlistment for 3 years. His enlistment would expire on 4 Jan 1944.
The threat of hostilities between the United States and Japan grew closer to the boiling point as the year 1941 began. Admiral Hart, determined then it was time to send all of the families of his sailors home. There was push-back from the resentful spouses who initially declined to leave their husbands. It was only a threat to indefinitely restrict their spouses to their ships without leave that finally convinced the families; it was time to comply with orders and return to the continental United States (CONUS). Admiral Hart's directive probably saved many family members from internment by the Japanese or worse. For many of the married and unmarried sailors, it was the last time they would ever see their families.
Then, in July 1941, as Japanese aggression intensified with their move south into lower Indo-China, Admiral Hart warned his officers that he had no doubt that war would come although he didn't know how of when it would start. Hart trained his destroyer crews hard keeping them on a war-footing for extended periods and away from Cavite naval base as much as possible exercising his "defensive deployment."
Ordered to comply with the Adm. Hart's "defensive deployment" well south of Manila, units of the Asiatic Fleet including destroyer tender USS Blackhawk (AD-9), USS Edsall (DD-219) and other ships of Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 57, got underway on 25 Nov 1941, and arrived on the morning of 29 Nov 1941 in Balikpapan, a major oil port on the eastern coast of Borneo.
Upon commencement of hostilities between Japan and the United States on 08 Dec 1941 in the Far East Time Zone, Edsall was at sea with other units of DESDIV 57 enroute to Batavia (Djakarta) when they received the war notice. They were rerouted to Singapore to provide anti-submarine (ASW) protection for the new British battleship, HMS Prince of Wales and the older battle cruiser HMS Repulse, known collectively as Force Z. Both ships were sunk by Japanese bombers on 10 Dec 1941 before DesDiv 57 units could rendezvous with Force Z. The US destroyers conducted search and rescue operations for the crew of the two British War ships, but none were found. It was learned later that several British ships have already retrieved the survivors of the sinking. DesDiv 57 remained in Singapore until 14 Dec when they were ordered to Surabaja, Java.
Over the next month, Edsall helped provide convoy escort and ASW protection to various allied shipping. As Edsall and her sister ship, USS Alden (DD-211), were escorting the oiler Trinity to Darwin, Australia on Tuesday, 20 Jan 1942 Alden detected an enemy submarine. The destroyers promptly began an aggressive, yet unsuccessful initial search. The ships broke off the search and proceeded to Darwin arriving later that morning. Later that afternoon the two destroyers were ordered back to sea to attack enemy submarines off Port Darwin. Edsall and Alden joined three Australian navy corvettes who had located a submarine.
The HMAS Deloraine began attacking the contact and was joined by Edsall. It was soon evident from an emerging oil slick that the two ships had sunk the IJN submarine I-124 in late afternoon on the 20th. Several days later navy divers from USS Holland (AS-3) confirmed the sinking of I-124. Edsall had participated in the first detection, attack, and destruction of a full-sized IJN submarine sunk (at least in part) by U.S. surface forces in WWII. Contrary to the belief of some no code books or any important written information was recovered from the wreck of I-124. No divers ever penetrated the hull of the submarine in 1942.
Several days later on 23 Jan, Edsall sustained damage during another attack on a suspected submarine. One of her depth charges exploded prematurely in shallow water damaging one of two propeller shafts. This damage would play an important role in her eventual sinking about five weeks later.
On 3 February, Edsall and other American units of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Force (ABDA) moved up to Tjilatjap, Java in order to be closer to the combat theater and refueling facilities. She continued her service as a patrol vessel off southern Java. On 26 February, she steamed from Tjilatjap with her sister ship USS Whipple (DD-217) to rendezvous with the converted seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3) carrying P-40E pursuit planes and crews for the defense of Java. On 27 February, the Langley, along with Edsall and Whipple, came under attack by sixteen (16) Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the Japanese 21st and 23rd Naval Air Flotillas and escorted by fifteen (15) A6M Reisen fighters. The attack fatally damaged Langley. She had to be abandoned and later scuttled by Whipple. Edsall rescued 177 survivors; Whipple, 308.
On 28 February, the two destroyers rendezvoused with the fuel replenishment ship USS Pecos (AO-6) off Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island some 250 miles southwest of Tjilatjap. A sudden attack by land based Japanese bombers forced Edsall and the other ships to head for the open sea. They headed directly south into the Indian Ocean for the rest of 28 February in high winds and heavy seas. Early in the pre-dawn hours of 1 March, Whipple and Edsall transferred all the Langley survivors to Pecos less 31 Army Air Force pilots. There were now close to 700 personnel on board the ship. Whipple then set off for Cocos Islands as protection for the tanker Belita sent to meet her there. The Pecos, carrying a large number of survivors was ordered to Australia. Edsall had retained 31 USAAF pilots from Langley needed to assemble and fly an additional 27 P-40E fighters shipped to Tjilatjap aboard the transport Sea Witch. Edsall was instructed to return these "fighter crews" to Tjilatjap. At 0830, she reversed course and headed back to the northeast for Java.
At noon that day, planes from Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu attacked Pecos and struck again an hour later. Finally, in mid-afternoon, third and fourth strikes from aircraft carriers Hiryu and Akagi fatally wounded the Pecos. While under attack, Pecos radioed for help. After Pecos sank, Whipple returned to the scene intentionally arriving after dark. She eventually rescued 232 survivors. Many other survivors, although visible to crewmembers on board Whipple, had to be abandoned at sea because Whipple made sonar contact with what was believed to be several Japanese submarines. It was just too dangerous for her to remain in the area.
Edsall may have heard Pecos's call for help or she may have been complying with orders to reverse course and steam toward Australia. For whatever the reason, Edsall reversed course and was never heard from again. The US Navy Department simply said Edsall was lost due to enemy action.
TM1 Williams was listed as missing in action on 01 Mar 1942. The US Navy Department declared all Edsall crewmembers "presumed dead" on 25 Nov 1945. This finding of presumptive death date was fixed in order to take care of settlements and claims. At that point, no one suspected that survivors from Edsall were among many victims of war crimes on Celebes.
After WWII ended, an Allied War Crimes Tribunal was convened in Java. During the course of the Tribunal's investigations, an eyewitness to Japanese executions was discovered and interviewed. He testified that he witnessed the execution by the Japanese of a number of POWs in 1942. He led investigators to the Japanese Execution Grounds mass grave, Kendari II, Celebes, N.E.I. Five sets of remains in a group of about 10 were later identified from ID tags as USS Edsall crewmen. The other five were unknown but were possibly US Army Air force personnel on board Edsall from the Langley. A sixth set of remains were found in another burying ground on Celebes. They were identified by an ID tag as those of Fireman Second Class (F2) Loren Stanford Myers, a crewman from the Edsall.
All of these remains were disinterred and reburied in the US Military Cemetery, Barrackpore, India on 12 Nov 1946. After three years, their remains were disinterred again and reburied in a mass grave at the National cemetery at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO on 20 Dec 1949. The remains of F2 Myers were reinterred according to immediate family wishes in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI on 31 Mar 1950. With the discovery of these remains, their presumed date of death was amended to 02 Mar 1942.
-------------------------------
The Truth Finally Told
Because no known survivors lived to tell the story, the details surrounding the sinking of Edsall remained largely a mystery for more than a half century. Finally, after historians compiled bits and pieces of information from various allied sources over the years, Japanese records and eyewitnesses on the Chikuma recently became available. The new information points to a short but epic battle involving the aging Edsall and one of the world's strongest naval forces of its day.
After Edsall reversed her course on 01 Mar 1942 and steamed away from Java, she stumbled upon Admiral Nagumo's battle force, Kido Butai that had been prowling the Indian Ocean in search of enemy shipping. Unfortunately, Edsall was spotted first. She was misidentified as a light cruiser of the Marblehead class. IJN battleships Hiei and Kirishima and heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma were detached from the battle force to attack Edsall with surface gunfire.
The old four-stacker began evasive maneuvers frustrating the Japanese for the next hour and half. However, because of the damage done previously to one of her propeller shafts, Edsall was unable to make top speed or maneuver fully. At one point, Edsall turned and launched her torpedoes narrowly missing Chikuma. The Japanese fired some 1400 rounds resulting in only one or two direct hits. The frustrated Admiral Nagumo called upon his carriers to finish off the Edsall. She was attacked by dive-bombers from two Japanese carriers (Kaga, Soryu,) and possibly a third (Hiryu) before succumbing to this devastating attack. The Edsall went down at 1900 hours, 01 Mar 1942, 430 miles south of Java.
Japanese eyewitnesses confirm that at least eight Edsall crewman from a large number of survivors were fished out of the water and brought on board the Chikuma. The rest of the survivors were left to their fate in the water. Chikuma and the rest of the battle force arrived at Staring Bay anchorage, Celebes on 11 Mar 1942. Three dozen POWs, 8 or more from the Edsall and the remainder from a Dutch ship, were turned over to the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces based at Kendari where they were executed on 24 Mar 1942 near Kendari II airfield.
TM1 Williams was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and (posthumously) awarded the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with fleet clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense Medal with clasp. He is likely eligible for the Combat Action Ribbon and the China Service Medal.
-------------------------------
A commemoration in honor of TM1 Williams' service from President Harry S. Truman reads: In Grateful Memory of William Nielsen Stewart, Who Died In The Service Of His Country At Sea, Asiatic Area, attached U.S.S. Edsall, 25 November 1945 (presumed). He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives – in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.
Signed,
Harry Truman
President of the United States of America
----------------------------
Bio #326 composed by Gerry Lawton (G47/GML470)
Military Hall of Honor ID#164495
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