Parents: Hettie Cox Dowling and Noble C. Dowling
Sisters: Helen W., Marion L., Louise and Elizabeth
Brothers: Frank Edwin, Clinton and T. Raymond
(from 1900, 1910, 1920 Census, Wash. DC)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: B 52000
Award: Mariner's Medal
Address of record: San Jose, California
On January 24, 1942, Chief Mate NOBLE CHAPMAN DOWLING was on the SS West Ivis as the ship left New York. An American steam-powered merchant vessel, the ship was bound for Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Buenos Aires. Her cargo was listed as 'general cargo'. She was sailing alone.
The ship's complement of 45 consisted of eight officers, 28 crewmen and nine U.S. Navy Armed Guards whose job was to maintain and operate the 4in (102mm) cannon mounted on a platform on the stern, and four .30caliber and four .50caliber anti-aircraft machine guns positioned on the bow and amidships.
The West Ivis never arrived at Puerto Rico. No messages or signals were received from her once she left New York and there were no reported sightings. As time passed with no trace of the ship, and with the devastating increase in u-boat attacks on U.S. shipping along the east coast, it became more and more likely that the West Ivis had also been a victim of a u-boat.
In March, the following message was sent by the War Shipping Administration to the ship's owners who then sent a copy to the families: "No message whatever has been received or intercepted from the vessel; no wreckage has been foud and no unusual weather prevailed along the route. Under the circumstances, the vessel is declared a total loss as a result of war activities, and you are requested to notify the next of kin of the crew members." In late September, the names of the men who were on the West Ivis were included on a list of Merchant Marine casualties.
It wasn't until after the war was over that the fate of the West Ivis was revealed through the records of German submarine U-125, commanded by Ulrich Folkers.
Early in the morning hours of January 26, 1942, a lone freighter, her lights still on, was spotted off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A torpedo was fired but missed its target. Folkers believed the 'trace' was noticed because the freighter's lights were immediately extinguished. About an hour later two torpedos were fired from the sub's stern tubes, one hitting the engine room and the other underneath the stack. The ship broke in two and sank after 14 minutes. Men in lifeboats were observed but were not questioned.
They were never seen again.
There were 36 Merchant Mariners and 9 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Sisters: Helen W., Marion L., Louise and Elizabeth
Brothers: Frank Edwin, Clinton and T. Raymond
(from 1900, 1910, 1920 Census, Wash. DC)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: B 52000
Award: Mariner's Medal
Address of record: San Jose, California
On January 24, 1942, Chief Mate NOBLE CHAPMAN DOWLING was on the SS West Ivis as the ship left New York. An American steam-powered merchant vessel, the ship was bound for Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Buenos Aires. Her cargo was listed as 'general cargo'. She was sailing alone.
The ship's complement of 45 consisted of eight officers, 28 crewmen and nine U.S. Navy Armed Guards whose job was to maintain and operate the 4in (102mm) cannon mounted on a platform on the stern, and four .30caliber and four .50caliber anti-aircraft machine guns positioned on the bow and amidships.
The West Ivis never arrived at Puerto Rico. No messages or signals were received from her once she left New York and there were no reported sightings. As time passed with no trace of the ship, and with the devastating increase in u-boat attacks on U.S. shipping along the east coast, it became more and more likely that the West Ivis had also been a victim of a u-boat.
In March, the following message was sent by the War Shipping Administration to the ship's owners who then sent a copy to the families: "No message whatever has been received or intercepted from the vessel; no wreckage has been foud and no unusual weather prevailed along the route. Under the circumstances, the vessel is declared a total loss as a result of war activities, and you are requested to notify the next of kin of the crew members." In late September, the names of the men who were on the West Ivis were included on a list of Merchant Marine casualties.
It wasn't until after the war was over that the fate of the West Ivis was revealed through the records of German submarine U-125, commanded by Ulrich Folkers.
Early in the morning hours of January 26, 1942, a lone freighter, her lights still on, was spotted off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A torpedo was fired but missed its target. Folkers believed the 'trace' was noticed because the freighter's lights were immediately extinguished. About an hour later two torpedos were fired from the sub's stern tubes, one hitting the engine room and the other underneath the stack. The ship broke in two and sank after 14 minutes. Men in lifeboats were observed but were not questioned.
They were never seen again.
There were 36 Merchant Mariners and 9 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Parents: Hettie Cox Dowling and Noble C. Dowling
Sisters: Helen W., Marion L., Louise and Elizabeth
Brothers: Frank Edwin, Clinton and T. Raymond
(from 1900, 1910, 1920 Census, Wash. DC)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: B 52000
Award: Mariner's Medal
Address of record: San Jose, California
On January 24, 1942, Chief Mate NOBLE CHAPMAN DOWLING was on the SS West Ivis as the ship left New York. An American steam-powered merchant vessel, the ship was bound for Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Buenos Aires. Her cargo was listed as 'general cargo'. She was sailing alone.
The ship's complement of 45 consisted of eight officers, 28 crewmen and nine U.S. Navy Armed Guards whose job was to maintain and operate the 4in (102mm) cannon mounted on a platform on the stern, and four .30caliber and four .50caliber anti-aircraft machine guns positioned on the bow and amidships.
The West Ivis never arrived at Puerto Rico. No messages or signals were received from her once she left New York and there were no reported sightings. As time passed with no trace of the ship, and with the devastating increase in u-boat attacks on U.S. shipping along the east coast, it became more and more likely that the West Ivis had also been a victim of a u-boat.
In March, the following message was sent by the War Shipping Administration to the ship's owners who then sent a copy to the families: "No message whatever has been received or intercepted from the vessel; no wreckage has been foud and no unusual weather prevailed along the route. Under the circumstances, the vessel is declared a total loss as a result of war activities, and you are requested to notify the next of kin of the crew members." In late September, the names of the men who were on the West Ivis were included on a list of Merchant Marine casualties.
It wasn't until after the war was over that the fate of the West Ivis was revealed through the records of German submarine U-125, commanded by Ulrich Folkers.
Early in the morning hours of January 26, 1942, a lone freighter, her lights still on, was spotted off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A torpedo was fired but missed its target. Folkers believed the 'trace' was noticed because the freighter's lights were immediately extinguished. About an hour later two torpedos were fired from the sub's stern tubes, one hitting the engine room and the other underneath the stack. The ship broke in two and sank after 14 minutes. Men in lifeboats were observed but were not questioned.
They were never seen again.
There were 36 Merchant Mariners and 9 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
Sisters: Helen W., Marion L., Louise and Elizabeth
Brothers: Frank Edwin, Clinton and T. Raymond
(from 1900, 1910, 1920 Census, Wash. DC)
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
U.S. Merchant Marine
Service No: B 52000
Award: Mariner's Medal
Address of record: San Jose, California
On January 24, 1942, Chief Mate NOBLE CHAPMAN DOWLING was on the SS West Ivis as the ship left New York. An American steam-powered merchant vessel, the ship was bound for Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Buenos Aires. Her cargo was listed as 'general cargo'. She was sailing alone.
The ship's complement of 45 consisted of eight officers, 28 crewmen and nine U.S. Navy Armed Guards whose job was to maintain and operate the 4in (102mm) cannon mounted on a platform on the stern, and four .30caliber and four .50caliber anti-aircraft machine guns positioned on the bow and amidships.
The West Ivis never arrived at Puerto Rico. No messages or signals were received from her once she left New York and there were no reported sightings. As time passed with no trace of the ship, and with the devastating increase in u-boat attacks on U.S. shipping along the east coast, it became more and more likely that the West Ivis had also been a victim of a u-boat.
In March, the following message was sent by the War Shipping Administration to the ship's owners who then sent a copy to the families: "No message whatever has been received or intercepted from the vessel; no wreckage has been foud and no unusual weather prevailed along the route. Under the circumstances, the vessel is declared a total loss as a result of war activities, and you are requested to notify the next of kin of the crew members." In late September, the names of the men who were on the West Ivis were included on a list of Merchant Marine casualties.
It wasn't until after the war was over that the fate of the West Ivis was revealed through the records of German submarine U-125, commanded by Ulrich Folkers.
Early in the morning hours of January 26, 1942, a lone freighter, her lights still on, was spotted off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A torpedo was fired but missed its target. Folkers believed the 'trace' was noticed because the freighter's lights were immediately extinguished. About an hour later two torpedos were fired from the sub's stern tubes, one hitting the engine room and the other underneath the stack. The ship broke in two and sank after 14 minutes. Men in lifeboats were observed but were not questioned.
They were never seen again.
There were 36 Merchant Mariners and 9 US Navy Armed Guards on board; none survived.
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