[Verrieres]

The Chaplains who perished that day were;Ernest Warburton Stewart “Pat” Macdonald ,Captain David H. Youngdahl; 1st Lt. Fr. Valmore Savignac; 1st Lt. Horace E. Gravely and 1st Lt. James E. Liston. Two other chaplains were saved that day, Chaplains Ira Bentley and G. J. Whelan

Ernest Warburton Stewart “Pat” Macdonald was born on December 25, 1911 to John Ernest and Patience (Stewart) Macdonald in Boston, MA
Captain “Pat” Macdonald was on board USS Henry R. Mallory,on route to Iceland a journey that never made it to their intended destination but Captain Macdonald would do his duty in giving aid and comfort Captain Macdonald gave his life on Sunday, February 7, 1943 along four other chaplains aboard the USS Henry R.Mallory.

29 July 1943

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Macdonald:
It is with profound regret that I must inform you of the death of your son, Chaplain (Captain) Ernest W. S. Macdonald, 0-449-888, Corps of Chaplains, who died as a result of enemy action in the North Atlantic Ocean. A Telegram announcing his death was sent to his wife, Mrs. Katherine B. Macdonald, 21 Langley Circle, Wollaston, Massachusetts, who had been designated by him as the person to be notified in case of an emergency.
He was a passenger on a ship, which was attacked shortly after midnight by an enemy submarine. After the vessel was struck every effort was made to effect the rescue of those who were aboard. Such efforts were continued long beyond the period of time that human life could survive the elements in the area. In view of the compelling evidence, it has been determined and entered officially on the records of the War Department that he was killed in action on 7 February 1943.
I regret exceedingly that because of the necessity for extensive inquiry to substantiate the fact of death, it has been necessary to delay this report until every possible source of information could be checked.
It is distressing that this tragic message must be added to the burden of grief you have borne so bravely since our original missing in action report. May the thought that he gave his life heroically in action be of sustaining comfort to you.
Please accept me deepest sympathy in your great loss.

Sincerely yours,

Signed

J. A. Ulio

Major General,

The Adjutant General.

Captain David H. Youngdahl, O448376, Protestant Chaplain, US Army Chaplain Corps awarded the Purple Heart Posthumously and his name appears on a monument in Cambridge, England inscribed with the names of the men Missing in Action or Lost at Sea.

Valmore G. Savignac, the son of a policeman was killed in action on February 7, 1943 and was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. His family was notified of his missing in action status about a month after the sinking and then as per American law was declared dead one year and a day after the sinking on February 8, 1944. Padre Valmore G. Savignac, 1st Lt. Army Chaplain Corps was the first chaplain killed in action during the war from the state of Rhode Island.

James M. Liston was a native of the Chicago area and was born on 16 th September 1905 in Chicago On August 3, 1943 a letter from the War Department arrived at 6613 S. Honore St. addressed to Mr. And Mrs. James Joseph Liston informing them that their son 1st Lt. James M. Liston, O462733, United States Army, Chaplain Corps gave his life on February 7, 1943. Chaplain Liston was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously

A survivor that day was Padre Ira Bentley

On April 22, 1942 he was appointed a Chaplain in the Army Corps of Chaplains at the rank of Captain Chaplain Bentley could not know at that time that his services would be required before they even got to the battlefields in Europe. Chaplain Bentley’s first taste of battle would be in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Once the USS Henry R Mallory had slipped from the surface of the angry waters Chaplain Bentley found himself lucky to be among the living, for now. Men were drowning and freezing all around him. He would endure the icy waters for over seven hours, until rescued by the USCGC Bibb.Father Gerald J. Whelan was the only other Padre to survive the sinking.

The ill fated USS Henry R Mallory On 7 February 1943, while en route to Northern Ireland from New York with convoy SC-118, SS Henry R. Mallory was torpedoed and sunk south of Iceland by the German submarine U-402. Of the nearly 500 crewmen, Navy Armed Guardsmen and passengers on board, over 270 lost their lives in the torpedoing or while awaiting rescue in the winter seas of the North Atlantic.

For anyone wanting more information on the History/sinking/Crew rescue then there is a lot of information here;- USS Henry R. Mallory

Regards
Verrieres