World War II Honoree

Edward Martin Driscoll

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Portland, Maine

Honored By

Paul M. Driscoll

Relationship

Son

SERVED FROM JUNE 14, 1941 TO MAY 4, 1947 AS A MESSMAN AND UTILITYMAN IN THE STEWARD'S DEPARTMENT AND AS AN ORDINARY SEAMAN IN THE DECK DEPARTMENT OF U.S. MERCHANT VESSELS. SERVED ON 17 SHIPS ON 21 VOYAGES FOR A TOTAL OF 1017 DAYS OF SEA TIME IN THE ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN WAR ZONES AND THE PACIFIC. SERVICE WAS ABOARD 6 TANK SHIPS; EDWARD L. SHEA, WALLACE E. PRATT, GULFPOINT, E.W. SINCLAIR, DURANGO AND KITTANING; A PASSENGER SHIP CONVERTED TO TROOPSHIP: SS ARGENTINA; AND 10 FREIGHT SHIPS, 8 OF WHICH WERE OF THE 'LIBERTY' DESIGN; ETHAN ALLEN, PAT HARRISON, JOHN CATRON, HENRY BARNARD, BENJAMIN HAWKINS, MORIS SIGMAN, W.C. LATTA AND GEORGE GIPP; AND 1 OF THE 'VICTORY' DESIGN: WEST LINN VICTORY; AS WELL AS THE MV SEA SERPENT FOR THE U.S. ARMY TRANSPORT SERVICE. ON MAY 8, 1943, AT 0605, WHILE SERVING ABOARD THE LIBERTY SHIP SS PAT HARRISON, WITH A CREW OF 40 PLUS A NAVAL ARMED GUARD CONTINGENT OF 27 ALSO ON BOARD, THE VESSEL WAS STRUCK BY A MINE. THE VESSEL WAS ANCHORED OFF GIBRALTAR HARBOR HAVING JUST ARRIVED FROM ORAN, ALGERIA AND WAS WAITING TO JOIN CONVOY GUS-7 BACK TO A U.S. PORT. THE VIOLENT EXPLOSION DIRECTLY BELOW THE BOILERS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED HULL AND DECK PLATING, THREW MOST OF THE CREW OUT OF THEIR BUNKS, CAUSED THE ENGINE ROOM AND NUMBER 3 CARGO HOLD TO FLOOD, AND KILLED TWO CREW MEMBERS OF THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT. SURVIVORS WERE ORDERED INTO THE LIFEBOATS. THE SHIP WAS TOWED TO GIBRALTAR AND BEACHED IN BRITISH WATERS AND LATER SCRAPPED. ON JUNE 24, 1943, MEMBER WAS REPATRIATED ABOARD THE USS LAKEHURST TO NORFOLK, ARRIVING ON JULY 30, 1943. THE MINE HAD BEEN SET FROM A HUMAN TORPEDO OF THE ITALIAN ROYAL NAVY'S 'DECIMA FLOTTIGLIA MAS', THE 10TH ASSAULT VEHICLE FLOTILLA, OPERATING FROM THE TANK SHIP OLTERRA IN LIEU OF A SUBMARINE. IT ALSO SANK THE BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS MAHSUD AND CAMERATA ON THE SAME DAY. THE MINE WAS DELIVERED BY A MANNED TORPEDO, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS STILL A SECRET NAVAL WEAPON IN WWII. THESE WERE ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN TORPEDOES, LAUNCHED NEAR THE TARGET, WITH TWO CREWMEN EQUIPPED WITH DIVING SUITS RIDING ASTRIDE. THEY STEERED THE TORPEDO AT SLOW SPEED TO AN ENEMY SHIP, GENERALLY ON NIGHTS WITH LOW VISIBILITY. THE DETACHABLE WARHEAD WAS THEN USED AS A LIMPET MINE AND THE CREW RODE THE TORPEDO AWAY. AWARDED THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE DEFENSE MEDAL, THE ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MEDAL, THE MEDITERRANEAN-MIDDLE EAST WAR ZONE MEDAL AND THE MERCHANT MARINE VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO EARNED THE MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT RIBBON BAR WITH ABANDON SHIP STAR AND THE MERCHANT MARINE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.