Clinton and William Chadsey (Brothers)

Wartime Heritage ASSOCIATION

Remembering World War II

Name: Clinton Joseph Chadsey Rank: Corporal Service Number: 11037989 Service: 36th Bomber Squadron, 28th Bomber Group, 11th Air Force, United States Army Air Force Date of Birth: October 7, 1915 Place of Birth: Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: December 29, 1941 Place of Enlistment: Boston, Massachusetts Address at Enlistment: Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 26 Height: 5 feet, 4 inches Occupation: Upholsterer Marital Status: Single Next of Kin: George Chadsey (Father) Date of Death: January 21, 1943 Age: 27 Cemetery: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii Grave: Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial ________________________________________ Name: William Lyman Chadsey Rank: Radioman Third Class Service Number: 2020220 Service: USS Emmons (DD-457, DMS-22), United States Navy Awards: Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon Date of Birth: 1921 Place of Birth: Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: September 29, 1941 Place of Enlistment: Boston, Massachusetts Address at Enlistment: Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 20 Marital Status: Single Next of Kin: George Chadsey (Father) Date of Death: April 6, 1945 Age: 24 Cemetery: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii Grave: Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial Clinton Joseph Chadsey and William Lyman Chadsey were the sons of George Bell Chadsey (1882-1995) and Jenny May (Bell) Chadsey (1883-1926). Their father was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and their mother was born in Eastport, Washington County, Maine. They married in Eastport on September 4, 1904. Clinton and William had seven siblings, Clinton Bruce Chadsey (1904–1910), Roy S. Chadsey (1905–1976), George E. Chadsey (1908–1987), Della M. Chadsey (1911–1986), Bruce Bell Chadsey (1913–2003), Ada Charlotte Chadsey (1914–1915), and Ralph William Chadsey (1917–1985). Bruce Bell Chadsey and George E. Chadsey also served in the US military during WWII. Bruce served in the US Navy enlisting 24 January 24, 1942, and serving until he was discharged June 23, 1945. Bruce served on the USS Niblack DD-424, a Gleaves-class destroyer. George served in the US Army, enlisting June 13, 1942, and serving until he was discharged October 16, 1945. In 1940, the family lived on Salem Street in Malden, Mass. Clinton was working as helper in the upholstery business, and William’s occupation is listed as ‘new worker’. Clinton Joseph Chadsey After enlistment at the end of December of 1941, Clinton was assigned to the 36th Bomber Squadron, 28th Bomber Group, of the 11th Air Force in the United States Army Air Force. On January 21, 1943, Clinton’s aircraft, B-17E Flying Fortress Serial Number 41-2586, took-off piloted by 1st. Lt. Major H. McWilliams on a mission. While flying between Umnak Island and Adak Island, their B-17 41- 2586 collided with a second B-17E Flying Fortress, Serial Number 41-9094, causing Clinton’s bomber to crash into a mountain in the Aleutians. The other bomber sustained damage to the tail and right stabilizer but managed to land at Adak Airfield. The other crew of 41-2586 lost were: 1st. Lt. Major H. McWilliams, Pilot, Service No. O-425019 of Mississippi Captain Robert H. Bennington, Service No. O-474415 of Ohio 2nd Lt. Bernard M. Dowd, Service No. O-725415 of Hamilton, Ohio 2nd Lt. Richard M. Johnson, Service No. O-660758 of Iowa 2nd Lt. William E. Osburn, Service No. O-789800 of Indiana MSgt Henry E. Fretwell, Service No. 6545796 of California SSgt Samuel L. Herron, Service No. 6285858 of Oklahoma SSgt John A. Reeves, Service No. 18008692 of Kingsville, Texas Cpl Stanley E. Earls, Service No. 39083528 of California Cpl Harold Holcombe, Service No. 18044424 of Arizona Cpl Royal C. Kinsman, Service No. 36227890 of Wisconsin Cpl Louis T. Madore, Service No. 39165970 of California Pvt Julian W. Meeks, Service No. 12033607 of Georgia Pvt Thomas M. Wright, Service No. 20828515 of Okfuskee County, Oklahoma Clinton has no known grave and is memorialised on the Courts of the Missing on the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. William Lyman Chadsey William enlisted in the Navy in December 1941 and was received from the United States Navy Training Station (USNTS) in Newport Rhode Island on December 3, 1941, before serving on the USS Emmons, another Gleaves-class destroyer. The Emmons was commissioned 2 days after William joined the ship on December 5, 1941 (as DD-457). William served with the USS Emmons in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific. The was based out of Naval Station Argentia in Newfoundland in the summer of 1942, escorting ships between Boston and Halifax. The ship served many other duties throughout 1942 and 1943 including escorting the battleship HMS Duke of York to Iceland and back to Scapa Flow in Scotland, serving as escort for convoys to the Soviet Union, guarded British carriers in air attacks on Norway in July, and voyaged to Gibraltar between November 3rd and December 19th in the advance scouting line guarding the battleship Iowa, carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Teheran Conference. Between December 1943 and April 1944, Emmons guarded carriers during their operations at Newport and in Casco Bay, aiding in the training of aviators. On April 20th, she sailed from Maine waters for the Azores, and Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, arriving May 1st for antisubmarine patrols. On May 17th, her group teamed with British aircraft to sink the German submarine U-616, and the next day, Emmons sailed for England, and final preparations for the invasion of France. The Emmons served supporting the D-Day Normandy Landings. After guarding pre-assault minesweeping, she joined in the heavy bombardment prior to the landing. Emmons and other destroyers engaged in combat, less than a thousand yards, with onshore batteries. She remained off the beachhead for three days as watchdog for the vast armada of ships lining up with men and supplies, then retired across the English Channel to Plymouth, England, screening the battleship Texas. Returning to the assault area June 11th, Emmons served in the screen guarding transports and supply ships from submarine attack. After replenishing at Portland, England, from June 21-24, she kept watch around battleships and cruisers on June 25th in the Task Force 129 Bombardment of Cherbourg supporting the US First Army VII Corps victory at the Battle of Cherbourg. Emmons returned to Mers-el-Kebir July 10, 1944 with a transport convoy she had brought across from Portland, then had escort duty in the Mediterranean ports preparing for the assault on southern France. She sailed from Taranto, Italy, for the beachheads, August 11th, and on the 15th began pre-invasion bombardment. She remained off the beaches all day to provide fire support to troops storming ashore. Escort duty took her away to Italian and Corsican ports, but she returned to patrol off the French Riviera until October. Emmons put into Boston on November 9, 1944, for conversion to a high-speed destroyer minesweeper, and was reclassified as DMS-22. After training in the Atlantic and exercises in the Hawaiian Islands, she entered Ulithi to stage for the invasion of Okinawa. Her squadron put to sea March 19, 1945 for the dangerous, vital task of clearing Okinawa's waters to let assault ships close the beaches for the landings on April 1st. She then took up picket duty, and on April 6th, during one of the first of the massive kamikaze attacks, was a target as she sailed with USS Rodman (DD- 456/DMS-21, another Gleaves-class destroyer). One of the first planes to attack struck Rodman, and as Emmons circled the stricken ship to provide anti-aircraft cover, both DMS’s were overwhelmed by kamikazes. Many were shot down, but Emmons was struck by five, almost simultaneously. One hit her fantail, the rest to starboard of her pilot house, of No. 3 gun mount on her waterline, aft, and the port side of her combat information center. Crippled and ablaze, with ammunition exploding in bulk, Emmons found damage control a desperate, losing struggle. That day her crew, who had already won the Navy Unit Commendation for Okinawa, lost 60 dead, 77 wounded. The rest had to abandon ship. Next day, 7 April, the hulk was sunk to prevent its falling into enemy hands. For outstanding heroism in action while attached to Mine Squadron Twenty, operating under Commander Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, from March 24-31; and thereafter under the operational control of Commander Transport Screen, from April 1-6, 1945, during operations for the seizure of enemy-held Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. Although lightly armed and highly vulnerable while operating in dangerous mined waters, the USS Emmons rendered heroic service in mine-sweeping, fire support, radar picket, anti-suicide boat, antisubmarine and anti-aircraft screen missions. A natural and frequent target for heavy Japanese aerial attack, she was constantly vigilant and ready for battle, firing her guns valiantly against a group of Japanese suicide planes striking in force on 6 April, and downing six of the attackers before five others crashed her in rapid succession, killing or wounding many personnel and inflicting damage which resulted in her sinking. By her own aggressiveness and the courage and skill of her officers and men, the U.S.S. Emmons achieved a record of gallantry in combat reflecting the highest credit upon herself and the United States Naval Service.

Clinton Joseph Chadsey William Lyman Chadsey