World War II Honoree

William Henry Welsh

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

St. Louis, Missouri

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

PETTY OFFICER ONBOARD USS SCULPIN (SS 191). HE WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE USS SCULPIN TO DIE IN A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP. DECORATIONS: PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART. USS SCULPIN LEFT PEARL HARBOR ON 5 NOVEMBER 1943 UNDER THE COMMAND OF COMMANDER FRED CONNAWAY. AFTER TOPPING OFF WITH FUEL, SCULPIN LEFT JOHNSTON ISLAND ON 7 NOVEMBER 1943 TO CONDUCT HER NINTH WAR PATROL IN AN AREA IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS. SCULPIN MADE RADAR CONTACT WITH A LARGE, HIGH-SPEED CONVOY ON THE NIGHT OF 18 NOVEMBER 1943. IN THE SURFACE AND SUBMERGED BATTLE WITH A JAPANESE DESTROYER THAT FOLLOWED ON 19 NOVEMBER 1943 SCULPIN SUFFERED HEAVY DAMAGE AND WAS SCUTTLED 12 MEN WENT DOWN WITH THE BOAT FORTY-TWO MEN WERE RESCUED. THE SURVIVORS WERE QUESTIONED FOR ABOUT TEN DAYS AT THE JAPANESE NAVAL BASE AT TRUK, AND THEN WERE EMBARKED ON TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS RETURNING TO JAPAN. ALL OF THE 21 SURVIVORS WHO WERE ONBOARD THE CARRIER YAMAGUMO, WERE SENT TO WORK AS PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE COPPER MINES OF ASHIO.