William J. Pattison

William Joseph Pattison
William Joseph Pattison
Born	January 15, 1921; Long Island City, Queens, New York
Died	March 10, 1943 (aged 22); South Atlantic Ocean
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1939-1943
Rank	Signalman Third Class
Unit	USS Eberle (DD-430)
Battles/wars	World War II; Battle of the Atlantic
Awards	Navy Cross

William J. Pattison (1921–1943) was a United States Navy sailor killed in action during World War II who received a posthumous Navy Cross for his actions.

Biography

William Joseph Pattison was born at Long Island City in Queens, New York on 15 January 1921. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 23 August 1939 at Indianapolis, Indiana.[1] A conscientious sailor, Pattison advanced steadily in rating and, at least once, was meritoriously promoted. By the beginning of 1943, he had reached the rank of signalman third class and was serving in the destroyer USS Eberle (DD-430) in the South Atlantic Ocean.

On 10 March 1943, Eberle encountered the German blockade runner Karin, which was flying the Dutch flag. The task group commander, Rear Admiral O. M. Read, ordered Eberle to ignore Karin's Allied flag and board her.

Pattison was one of the 14 men chosen from Eberle's complement to board Karin before Karin's crew could scuttle her and was the second American to reach Karin's deck. In spite of rising flames and explosions, Pattison performed his salvage duties, primarily by maintaining contact with Eberle while his colleagues searched for demolition charges. While executing his duty, Pattison was killed by the explosion of one of the German demolition charges.

Awards

For his ". . . exemplary conduct and heroic devotion to duty . . .,"[2] Signalman Third Class Pattison was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.

Namesake

The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS William J. Pattison (DE-594) was named for Signalman Third Class Pattison. She was converted during construction into the high-speed transport USS William J. Pattison (APD-104), and was in commission as such from 1945 to `1946.

Notes

The Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships provides identical birth dates and locations and identical enlistment dates and locations for both William J. Pattison (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w8/william_j_pattison.htm) and Merton B. Myers (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m16/myers.htm), both of whom died at the same time in the Karin boarding attempt. This almost impossible coincidence in both date and place of birth, of enlistment, and of death in action suggests that the Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships is in error concerning some or all of this information for one or both men. Other sources merely repeat the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entries and are of no assistance in clearing up the matter.
This quotation, from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w8/william_j_pattison.htm) in unattributed.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

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[1] The Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships provides identical birth dates and locations and identical enlistment dates and locations for both William J. Pattison (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w8/william_j_pattison.htm) and Merton B. Myers (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m16/myers.htm), both of whom died at the same time in the Karin boarding attempt. This almost impossible coincidence in both date and place of birth, of enlistment, and of death in action suggests that the Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships is in error concerning some or all of this information for one or both men. Other sources merely repeat the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships entries and are of no assistance in clearing up the matter.

[2] This quotation, from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w8/william_j_pattison.htm) in unattributed.