William Henry Merryfield
Oiler, United States Merchant Marine
SS Pan Atlantic
Entered the Service from: New Jersey
Died: July 6, 1942
Buried: At Sea
Introduction
William Henry Merryfield was born in Pennsylvania. By 1930 his father had passed on, and his mother had re-married, to a metal-stamper, William J. Smith, who owned a home at 221 Milton Street, in the Poet’s Row section of North Camden. At the time of the 1930 census, William Henry was 21, and living with his mother, step-father, brother John E. Merryfield, and step-sisters Margaret, Emma, and Ida at the Camden NJ address. He was working as a repairman in a typewriter shop. He went to sea for the first time around 1932.
William Henry Merryfield was serving aboard merchant ships when America entered World War II in December of 1941. On January 25, 1942 in Newark NJ he married Marie DeVall, of New York City. For reasons not known, the Merryfields kept their marriage a secret from their families at that time.
William Henry Merryfield shipped out as an Oiler on the freighter SS Pan Atlantic. This ship was on its way to Russia on the Murmansk run, when it was bombed and sunk by dive-bombers of the German Luftwaffe on July 6, 1942, 180 miles north of Cape Canin. Merryfield’s crewmates who survived this attack were picked up by the SS Bellingham, which was subsequently torpedoed herself; all hands fortunately survived. The Pan Atlantic lost 18 of her crew, and 7 of the naval armed guard.
By August of 1942, the 200 block of Milton Street had sent fourteen of its sons off to war. Besides William Henry Merryfield, two others did not return home, Wilbert Epley and Robert Hearn.
William Henry Merryfield was reported as missing in action on November 4, 1942. At this time his marriage was made public. He was officially reported as missing on December 4, 1942. He was survived by his mother, of the Milton Street address, and his wife then living at 38 South 27th Street.
Milton Street Block to Honor Its 14 Boys in Armed Services
Camden Courier-Post —
Neighbors Plan to Hang Up Service Flag Saturday Night with Mayor and Other Officials Attending Patriotic Party
Risley, Zastampilo, Glick, Epley and Nee. These were the boys who lived next door to Hearn, Cohen, Reed, Merryfield, Rush, Burton, Studinger and Bush. And all of ‘em lived on Milton street, between Second and Third.
But that was sometime ago — before the Japanese attacked us. Before they were with Uncle Sam. And neither they nor their “Uncle Sam” can prove when they will come back. They’re all in the Army or the Navy.
There are 14 of them from the one short block of Milton Street, only Mechanics street in Camden, between Ninth and Tenth, whose members show a high percentage of enlistment, per block.
Neighbors plan to hang out the service flag for her boys. Davis, of 221 Milton street, said: “So we are going to do the same thing Saturday night at 7 o’clock. Fight across the street. An all-weather flag will wind up for each man.”
The ceremonies will be attended by Mayor Brunner and other city and county officials and will wind up with a general block party.
Among the 14 boys from the block were Sgt. Clifford Rush, John Merryfield, William Studinger, William Reed, Harry Cohen, Wilbert Epley, Julius Nee, Robert Hearn, Peter Zastampilo, Henry Glick, and Raymond D. Risley. In the Navy were Seamen William Merryfield and Edward Burton.
Milton Street
The service flag ceremony on the 200 block of Milton Street, August 15, 1942.
News of Camden Seaman Missing In Action Reveals His Marriage
Camden Courier-Post —
Mother of William H. Merryfield Learns of Daughter-in-law Living Here After Navy Reports Son as Merchant Marine Casualty
The mother of William Henry Merryfield, 32, a seaman aboard a Merchant Marine vessel, received a telegram yesterday from the Navy Department announcing her son is missing in action in performance of duty at sea.
The fact Merryfield is missing revealed his secret marriage on January 25 last to Marie De Vall, of New York City, at Jersey City. She now lives at 38 South Twenty-seventh street. She said last night she had expected her husband home in two weeks.
Merryfield was working at the RTC shipyard in North Camden for a few weeks last Spring and shipped aboard a freighter in April. Mrs. Merryfield said she received a letter from him several weeks ago that his ship was torpedoed by a Nazi submarine in July and he was picked up by another ship. She said last night he must have been aboard another ship when the latest incident occurred.
The Navy telegram was received by Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, mother of Merryfield, who lives at 221 Milton street. She said she did not know of the marriage of her son when she received it. The son’s wife today said a sister of her husband and other relatives knew of the marriage.
Merryfield had spent more than 10 years at sea, first working aboard fruit liners out of Philadelphia. He left the sea last Fall and worked for the Riegen and Lang shipyard at Hoboken for several months. At that time he met his future bride. Then he returned to Camden to work in the yard a short time before shipping to sea again. He has not been home since.
His mother said last night he had not been home for six months. Merryfield was born in Philadelphia but lived with his family here nearly all of his life, except when he was at sea. He attended the Cassady, Cooper and the Burrough Junior High schools.
The seaman has two brothers, John and George, and three sisters, Mrs. Margaret Mullin, Mrs. Emma Trimmer and Mrs. Ida May Heiser, all of Camden.
3 So. Jersey Men Missing in Action
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden, Clayton Merchant Sailors Unaccounted for; as Is Mt. Holly Sergeant
The Navy announcement places the number of American merchant marines killed or missing from Sept. 27, 1941, to November 21, 1942, at 2901. Casualties in this branch of service totaled 317 from Oct. 22 to Nov. 21.
Releasing its third merchant marine casualty list, the Navy said that of the total, 463 men were dead and 2438 missing. Of the 317 latest reported casualties, 21 were listed as dead and 296 missing.
The Navy said that of the 317, the names of 12 whose next of kin reside in foreign countries are not being published because “publication might result in reprisals against relatives in enemy-occupied countries.”
Thirteen of those reported missing were from New Jersey. Merryfield, a seaman of 10 years’ experience, first was reported missing Nov. 4. It was then that Merryfield’s secret marriage last Jan. 25 to Marie DeVall, of New York, at Jersey City was revealed. Mrs. Merryfield now lives at 38 South Twenty-seventh street.