Thomas William Dare

Rank: Machinist Second Class, U.S. Navy

Serial: 06500965

Unit: USS Ingraham (DD-444)

Entered service from: New Jersey

Died: August 22, 1942

Memorial: Tablets of the Missing, East Coast Memorial, New York City, NY

Machinist Second Class Thomas William Dare was lost in the sinking of destroyer USS Ingraham (DD-444), which was sunk after a collision with the tanker USS Chemung (AO-30) in dense fog off Nova Scotia on August 22, 1942. A Gleaves-class destroyer, the Ingraham was launched February 15, 1941, by the Charleston Navy Yard, and commissioned July 17, 1941, with Lieutenant Commander W. M. Haynsworth Jr. in command. After shakedown and local operations along the East Coast, Ingraham commenced duties as convoy escort in December of 1941, as the Japanese surprise attack drew America into the fight for freedom. During 1942 she escorted convoys between the United States, Iceland, and the United Kingdom, bringing supplies desperately needed by the Allies to stem Hitler’s advance and to take the offensive. Under constant threat from German U-boats, Ingraham continued her escort duty to Europe and as far south as the Panama Canal.

On the night of August 22nd, as she was investigating a collision between the U.S. destroyer Buck and a merchant vessel, Ingraham collided with the tanker Chemung. Ingraham sank almost immediately. Depth charges on her stern exploded as she went down. Only 11 men survived. The USS Ingraham was struck from the Navy Register on September 11, 1942. Initially listed as missing, Thomas William Dare was declared dead a year and a day later.