Francis Joseph Deveau - World War II

Wartime Heritage ASSOCIATION

Remembering World War II

Name: Francis Joseph Deveau Rank: Seaman First Class Service Number: 2021170 Service: United States Navy Date of Birth: September 13, 1923 Place of Birth: Northbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: December 26, 1941 Place of Enlistment: Boston, Massachusetts Address at Enlistment: Whitinsville, Worcester Co., Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 18 Occupation: Messenger Boy Marital Status: Single Date of Death: April 17, 1943 Age: 19 Cemetery: Saint Patrick’s Cemetery, Northbridge, Worcester Co., Mass Francis Joseph Deveau was the son of Frank John Deveau (1886-1972), born in Lake Doucette, Clare, Digby Co., Nova Scotia, and Mrs. Alice Marie (Pinette) Deveau (1895-1983), born in Eagle Lake, Aroostook Co., Maine. Francis’ father moved to the United States in 1913, and married Alice in 1920 in Wallagrass, in Aroostook Co., Maine. Alice was living in Bangor at the time. Francis had a brother Daniel F. Deveau (1921-2002), born in Connecticut, and a sister Marion Bernice Deveau Racicot (1927-2021), born in Whitinsville, Mass. Francis’ brother Daniel served as a Technician Fourth Class in the US Army in WWII. His sister Marion’s husband Earl Thomas Racicot (1927-2012) served as a Private in the US Army in WWII. The family lived at 19 B Street in Whitinsville, Mass. In 1940 Francis was working as a Messenger Boy for Western Union. His father was a painter at the Whitin Machine Works in Whitinsville, and his brother Daniel was working as a machinist in a machine shop, likely the same as business as his father. After enlistment in December of 1941, Francis trained at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. He was received at Quonset Point from the US Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island, on February 28, 1942, as an Able Seaman. He appears on the muster rolls at Quonset Point again in March and April. By June 30, 1942, he was promoted to Seaman Second Class. Family tree records indicate Francis was stationed in Pensacola, Escambia Co., Florida. The United States Navy had a Naval Air Station at Pensacola. At the time of his death in 1943, Francis was stationed at the Sub Chaser Training Center in Miami, Dade County, Florida. Seaman First Class Francis Joseph Deveau was interred at the Saint Patrick’s Cemetery in Northbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts. On Thursday, April 22, 1943, both the Tampa Bay Times in St Petersburg and the Panama-City News Herald, in Florida, reported: A coroner’s inquest at Miami resulted in a verdict of justifiable homicide of Francis J. Deveau, a sailor of Whitinsville, Mass. The sailor was killed by a shot fired by J.R. Partain, who said he thought the man was trying to break into his home.

Francis Joseph Deveau