Paul J. Hagemann
Seaman First Class Paul Jackson “Jack” Hagemann, Serial: 06505451, Naval Armed Guard, SS Santa Maria, U.S. Navy. Awards: Purple Heart. He lived at 3001 River Avenue, Camden NJ. Memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia.
Seaman First Class Paul Jackson Hagemann was born in August of 1921 to Albert C. and Elsie Hagemann Jr., of 3015 River Avenue, Camden NJ. His father and his grandfather worked in the wholesale fish and oyster trade. His grandfather, Albert C. Hagemann Sr., had been a principal in an oyster business as far back as 1890 in Philadelphia, before coming to New Jersey to settle in Merchantville. Paul Jackson Hagemann, known to friends and family as Jack, was the third of 6 children, coming after George W. and Albert C. III, and before Elsie A., Ernest C., and Fred W. Hagemann. The Hagemann family had moved to Delaware Township (now Cherry Hill) NJ by 1930. His parents had parted ways prior to World War II, and Elsie Hagemann, her son Paul, and the younger children had moved back to 3001 River Avenue, where Elsie Hagemann operated a coal business with assistance from her sons.
After working for the RCA-Victor Corporation in Camden, Paul Jackson Hagemann enlisted in the Navy in January of 1942. He served as a member of the Naval Armed Guard that manned the guns on merchant shipping in the North Atlantic. During his time in service, he made trips across the North Atlantic to the British Isles, to North Africa, and the dangerous Murmansk run past Nazi-occupied Norway to Murmansk, Russia.
Seaman First Class Paul Jackson Hagemann was declared missing in action on June 20, 1943. He was serving aboard the freighter SS Santa Maria on that date. At 0816 GCT on June 20, 1943, while en route from Dakar in French West Africa with a cargo of sisal hemp, the SS Santa Maria struck a mine. Paul Hagemann was one of two Armed Guards stationed on the bow when the ship hit the mine and both were blown overboard. One was rescued but Seaman First Class Hagemann was lost. He is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia.
Paul Jackson Hagemann was survived by his father, Albert C. Hagemann Jr., of Merchantville NJ, his mother Elsie Hagemann, of 3001 River Avenue, Camden NJ, and his sister and brothers.
SS Santa Maria
SS Santa Maria, Grace Line, Inc., New York NY. Built 1942 at Kearny, NJ. The SS Santa Maria was mined on June 20, 1943 off Dakar, French West Africa, while en route from Dakar to New York with a cargo of sisal hemp. The mine had been laid by U-214. Two Navy Armed Guard gunners stationed on the bow were blown overboard — one was rescued; the other, Seaman First Class Paul Hagemann, was never found. The SS Santa Maria survived the incident; the U-214 was sunk on July 26, 1944 in the English Channel by HMS COOKE (K-471).
Sees Son in Dream, Learns He's Missing
Camden Courier-Post —
Mrs. Elsie Hagemann Says Sailor ‘Appeared,’ Injured, Oil Dripping From Face
A Camden mother who dreamed three weeks ago that her sailor son came to her bedside injured, and with burning oil dripping from his face, has been notified by the Navy Department that the youth is missing at sea.
Members of the family and friends of Mrs. Elsie W. Hagemann, of 3001 River road, comforted her yesterday in awestruck silence, remembering the strange dream that she recounted regarding her son, Paul Jackson “Jack” Hagemann, first class seaman.
The telegram which informed Mrs. Hagemann that Jack was missing and said no further information could be given at the present time, was received from the Navy Department last Monday.
Jack, whose 22nd birthday anniversary is next month, enlisted in January, 1942. He was assigned to active duty in April of the same year, and since then, has served as a Navy gunner on ships bound for Russia, Africa, England, Ireland and other theatres of war.
He embarked on his last voyage on May 22. A few weeks later — his mother isn’t sure whether it was June 8 or 9, Mrs. Hagemann had her strange dream, although she declares it wasn’t a dream.
“I saw it just as plain,” she recalls, “Jack was standing there beside my bed. One side of his face was covered with oil and he was standing with his arms clasped around his body.
“‘Jack, what’s the matter with your face?’ I cried.
“‘That’s nothing, just oil that splashed on me when the tank blew up,’ he answered. Then I seemed to become aware that he was injured about the body but when I asked him, he tried to reassure me that his wounds weren’t serious and when I raised myself in bed to get a good look at him, he disappeared.”
Even after she had recounted this strange event to her family and friends, Mrs. Hagemann couldn’t rid herself of a sense of foreboding. The Navy Department telegram appeared to be the answer.
“My one hope is that he was injured and was picked up by other craft,” she declares. “But it’s hard for a mother even to feel that much hope in the face of such a tragedy.”
Before entering the service, Hagemann assisted his mother in the coal business which she formerly conducted. His father is Albert C. Hagemann Jr., of Merchantville.
S1/c Paul Hagemann
Camden Courier-Post —
Services for Paul “Jack” Hagemann, S1/c, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert C. Hagemann Jr., 3001 River road, will be held at 2.30 p.m. June 26 in St. Andrew’s Church, Lois and River avenues. Seaman Hagemann was last seen June 20, 1943, when the SS Santa Maria, to which he was assigned, struck a mine off Dakar, Africa.