James Stone Ward was the son of Eva (Parker) and John I. Ward
The Bladen Journal; Elizabethtown, North Carolina; Thursday, April 16, 1942; Page 1
BLADENBORO BOY IS FEARED LOST: JAMES STONE WARD, 26, SEAMAN ON U.S. MERCHANT SHIP, REPORTED AMONG MISSING
Bladenboro, April 15--James Stone Ward, age 26, of Bladenboro, assistant
engineer on a U.S. merchant ship, is missing and is presumed to be lost at sea,
according to information received by relatives here.
The vessel sailed from Trinidad on February 13 for Philadelphia and has not
been heard from since, the report stated. It is now several weeks over due.
Ward had been a sailor for the past six years and his work had taken him to
many parts of the world. He was in line for promotion to engineer. If he is
lost, as is feared, he is the second Bladen county casualty of the present war.
He was in the employ of the Waterman Steamship Company, of Mobile, Ala.
The son of Mrs. J.I. Ward, of Bladenboro, he formerly made his home here,
being popular and well known. His brother, B.O. Ward, also lives here. Other
brothers are Edward B. Ward and Benjamin Ward, of Wilmington [NC] and First Lieutenant R. Delaney Ward, of Citadel, Charleston, S.C...
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: Z 123479
Significant Awards: MARINER'S MEDAL, MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR, ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
Address of Record: Bladenboro, North Carolina
JAMES STONE WARD, age 25, signed on the SS Azalea City in early December 1941 as Fireman. Azalea City was an American merchant ship, docked at the Port of Norfolk, VA at the time, with an expected departure date of Dec 5th for Buenos Aires Argentina via Trinidad.
Mr. Ward was on the unarmed, unescorted freighter as it left Trinidad on Feb. 12, 1942 with a cargo of 7806 tons of linseed, bound for Philadelphia. The ship did not arrive as expected and after several months without receiving any kind of notification, the ship was presumed to be 'missing.' The fate of the Azalea City and her 38-man crew was a mystery until after the war when German naval records revealed what had actually happened.
On Feb 21st the ship was spotted by German submarine U-432 in heavy seas about 125 miles east-southeast of Ocean City, Maryland. Two torpedoes were fired, the first one missed but the second hit amidships. A little over an hour later, a third torpedo was fired which struck forward of the bridge, and the Azalea City capsized. It is thought that the cargo of linseed, rather than the torpedo hits, caused the ship to capsize.
There were thirty-eight men on board; none survived.
The Bladen Journal; Elizabethtown, North Carolina; Thursday, April 16, 1942; Page 1
BLADENBORO BOY IS FEARED LOST: JAMES STONE WARD, 26, SEAMAN ON U.S. MERCHANT SHIP, REPORTED AMONG MISSING
Bladenboro, April 15--James Stone Ward, age 26, of Bladenboro, assistant
engineer on a U.S. merchant ship, is missing and is presumed to be lost at sea,
according to information received by relatives here.
The vessel sailed from Trinidad on February 13 for Philadelphia and has not
been heard from since, the report stated. It is now several weeks over due.
Ward had been a sailor for the past six years and his work had taken him to
many parts of the world. He was in line for promotion to engineer. If he is
lost, as is feared, he is the second Bladen county casualty of the present war.
He was in the employ of the Waterman Steamship Company, of Mobile, Ala.
The son of Mrs. J.I. Ward, of Bladenboro, he formerly made his home here,
being popular and well known. His brother, B.O. Ward, also lives here. Other
brothers are Edward B. Ward and Benjamin Ward, of Wilmington [NC] and First Lieutenant R. Delaney Ward, of Citadel, Charleston, S.C...
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: Z 123479
Significant Awards: MARINER'S MEDAL, MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR, ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
Address of Record: Bladenboro, North Carolina
JAMES STONE WARD, age 25, signed on the SS Azalea City in early December 1941 as Fireman. Azalea City was an American merchant ship, docked at the Port of Norfolk, VA at the time, with an expected departure date of Dec 5th for Buenos Aires Argentina via Trinidad.
Mr. Ward was on the unarmed, unescorted freighter as it left Trinidad on Feb. 12, 1942 with a cargo of 7806 tons of linseed, bound for Philadelphia. The ship did not arrive as expected and after several months without receiving any kind of notification, the ship was presumed to be 'missing.' The fate of the Azalea City and her 38-man crew was a mystery until after the war when German naval records revealed what had actually happened.
On Feb 21st the ship was spotted by German submarine U-432 in heavy seas about 125 miles east-southeast of Ocean City, Maryland. Two torpedoes were fired, the first one missed but the second hit amidships. A little over an hour later, a third torpedo was fired which struck forward of the bridge, and the Azalea City capsized. It is thought that the cargo of linseed, rather than the torpedo hits, caused the ship to capsize.
There were thirty-eight men on board; none survived.
James Stone Ward was the son of Eva (Parker) and John I. Ward
The Bladen Journal; Elizabethtown, North Carolina; Thursday, April 16, 1942; Page 1
BLADENBORO BOY IS FEARED LOST: JAMES STONE WARD, 26, SEAMAN ON U.S. MERCHANT SHIP, REPORTED AMONG MISSING
Bladenboro, April 15--James Stone Ward, age 26, of Bladenboro, assistant
engineer on a U.S. merchant ship, is missing and is presumed to be lost at sea,
according to information received by relatives here.
The vessel sailed from Trinidad on February 13 for Philadelphia and has not
been heard from since, the report stated. It is now several weeks over due.
Ward had been a sailor for the past six years and his work had taken him to
many parts of the world. He was in line for promotion to engineer. If he is
lost, as is feared, he is the second Bladen county casualty of the present war.
He was in the employ of the Waterman Steamship Company, of Mobile, Ala.
The son of Mrs. J.I. Ward, of Bladenboro, he formerly made his home here,
being popular and well known. His brother, B.O. Ward, also lives here. Other
brothers are Edward B. Ward and Benjamin Ward, of Wilmington [NC] and First Lieutenant R. Delaney Ward, of Citadel, Charleston, S.C...
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: Z 123479
Significant Awards: MARINER'S MEDAL, MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR, ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
Address of Record: Bladenboro, North Carolina
JAMES STONE WARD, age 25, signed on the SS Azalea City in early December 1941 as Fireman. Azalea City was an American merchant ship, docked at the Port of Norfolk, VA at the time, with an expected departure date of Dec 5th for Buenos Aires Argentina via Trinidad.
Mr. Ward was on the unarmed, unescorted freighter as it left Trinidad on Feb. 12, 1942 with a cargo of 7806 tons of linseed, bound for Philadelphia. The ship did not arrive as expected and after several months without receiving any kind of notification, the ship was presumed to be 'missing.' The fate of the Azalea City and her 38-man crew was a mystery until after the war when German naval records revealed what had actually happened.
On Feb 21st the ship was spotted by German submarine U-432 in heavy seas about 125 miles east-southeast of Ocean City, Maryland. Two torpedoes were fired, the first one missed but the second hit amidships. A little over an hour later, a third torpedo was fired which struck forward of the bridge, and the Azalea City capsized. It is thought that the cargo of linseed, rather than the torpedo hits, caused the ship to capsize.
There were thirty-eight men on board; none survived.
The Bladen Journal; Elizabethtown, North Carolina; Thursday, April 16, 1942; Page 1
BLADENBORO BOY IS FEARED LOST: JAMES STONE WARD, 26, SEAMAN ON U.S. MERCHANT SHIP, REPORTED AMONG MISSING
Bladenboro, April 15--James Stone Ward, age 26, of Bladenboro, assistant
engineer on a U.S. merchant ship, is missing and is presumed to be lost at sea,
according to information received by relatives here.
The vessel sailed from Trinidad on February 13 for Philadelphia and has not
been heard from since, the report stated. It is now several weeks over due.
Ward had been a sailor for the past six years and his work had taken him to
many parts of the world. He was in line for promotion to engineer. If he is
lost, as is feared, he is the second Bladen county casualty of the present war.
He was in the employ of the Waterman Steamship Company, of Mobile, Ala.
The son of Mrs. J.I. Ward, of Bladenboro, he formerly made his home here,
being popular and well known. His brother, B.O. Ward, also lives here. Other
brothers are Edward B. Ward and Benjamin Ward, of Wilmington [NC] and First Lieutenant R. Delaney Ward, of Citadel, Charleston, S.C...
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: Z 123479
Significant Awards: MARINER'S MEDAL, MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR, ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
Address of Record: Bladenboro, North Carolina
JAMES STONE WARD, age 25, signed on the SS Azalea City in early December 1941 as Fireman. Azalea City was an American merchant ship, docked at the Port of Norfolk, VA at the time, with an expected departure date of Dec 5th for Buenos Aires Argentina via Trinidad.
Mr. Ward was on the unarmed, unescorted freighter as it left Trinidad on Feb. 12, 1942 with a cargo of 7806 tons of linseed, bound for Philadelphia. The ship did not arrive as expected and after several months without receiving any kind of notification, the ship was presumed to be 'missing.' The fate of the Azalea City and her 38-man crew was a mystery until after the war when German naval records revealed what had actually happened.
On Feb 21st the ship was spotted by German submarine U-432 in heavy seas about 125 miles east-southeast of Ocean City, Maryland. Two torpedoes were fired, the first one missed but the second hit amidships. A little over an hour later, a third torpedo was fired which struck forward of the bridge, and the Azalea City capsized. It is thought that the cargo of linseed, rather than the torpedo hits, caused the ship to capsize.
There were thirty-eight men on board; none survived.
Inscription
Lost At Sea Feb 14, 1942
World War II
Gravesite Details
This is a memorial marker ONLY. Mr. Ward was on the SS Azalea City when the ship was torpedoed and sunk. His remains were not recovered.
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