WWII
William P. Cox
Rate / Rank
Fireman
Birthdate
1914
Date of Death
April 2 1942
Branch
USMM
Active Duty Service
- April 2 1942
Conflicts & Campaigns
- Atlantic
Significant Duty Stations
- On the night of April 2, 1942, the unarmed steamer SS David H. Atwater was en route from Norfolk, Virginia to Fall River, Massachusetts with a full load of 4,000 tons of coal. The ship was sunk by an 88 mm deck gun of the German submarine U-552. The submarine crew continued firing as the crew abandoned the ship and tried to launch lifeboats. Of a crew of 27, only three of the Atwater crew survived.
Decorations & Citations
- The Liberty Ship, SS William Cox (#2485), was built by the J. A. Jones Company of Brunswick, Georgia. It was launched at Savannah, Georgia on December 30, 1944 and christened by Aralee Cox, William's widow and was named in honor of William.
Notes
Born; Cairo, Georgia. Missing in action and body not recovered.