John Wallace (1914 - 1945)

Born 31 Dec 1914 in Allendale, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom

Died 30 Jul 1945 at age 30 in Philippine Sea

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Biography

Radarman Petty Officer 3rd Class John Wallace served in the United States Navy in World War II
Service started: 26 Jul 1943
Unit(s): USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
Service ended: 30 Jul 1945

Radarman Petty Officer 3rd Class John Wallace was Killed in Action during World War II.

John Wallace was awarded the Purple Heart.

John was born in England in 1914. He came to the United States with his parents Edwin and Cecilia Wallace and siblings in 1923, settling in Ohio before 1930.^[1] He married Katherine Marian Unknown in Ohio before 1940.

John enlisted in the navy in 26 Jul 1943. He arrived on the USS Indianapolis on 21 Dec 1943 as Seaman 2nd Class, rising to Radarman Petty Officer 3rd Class on 1 Feb 1945. In July 1945 the USS Indianapolis was sent on a secret mission to deliver the components of the Little Boy atomic bomb to Tinian Island without an escort, on the return trip, still without escort, it was attacked by a Japanese submarine. The USS Indianapolis sank in 12 minutes on 30 Jul 1945 with some 300 of the 1,195 crewmen aboard going down with the ship. With few lifeboats and many without life jackets, only 316 of the nearly 900 men set adrift survived the 4 days in shark infested water before rescue. John was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. The crew of the USS Indianapolis was later awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

John is honored at two memorials: U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana and Fort William Mckinley, Manila, Philippines.^[8][9]

Sources

1. ↑ New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7488&h=4028025250&tid=&pid=&queryId=7973e5b8059affef21dc257bf53de95c&usePUB=true&_phsrc=flu22&_phstart=successSource&_gl=1*171vfzd*_ga*NDQwNjM1NTQwLjE2NzMxMzY1ODg.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY3MzE5MTk1OS4yLjEuMTY3MzE5NDM1Ni42MC4wLjA.
2. ↑ U.S., Navy Casualties Books https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/55870:2324?tid=&pid=&queryId=cdb95016f4ff00f340ee34703fae2e9b&_phsrc=EzO9287&_phstart=successSource
3. ↑ U.S., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B (Unrecoverable) https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/38425:62207?tid=&pid=&queryId=cdb95016f4ff00f340ee34703fae2e9b&_phsrc=EzO9292&_phstart=successSource
4. ↑ U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/199939270:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=ec3499b55adcd34e82de24841dda5875&_phsrc=flu5&_phstart=successSource
5. ↑ U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30434569:1143?tid=&pid=&queryId=d8a6c20b645ec7f453ae09bed45296a8&_phsrc=flu6&_phstart=successSource
6. ↑ U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30448242:1143?tid=&pid=&queryId=d8a6c20b645ec7f453ae09bed45296a8&_phsrc=flu10&_phstart=successSource
7. ↑ U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/32062613:1143?tid=&pid=&queryId=d8a6c20b645ec7f453ae09bed45296a8&_phsrc=flu11&_phstart=successSource
8. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKT-8RRH : 20 October 2022), John Wallace, ; Burial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial; citing record ID 56766395, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com
9. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:73P2-FTPZ : 25 May 2022), John Wallace, ; Burial, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States of America, U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial; citing record ID 192929844, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4ZD-8DM : accessed 8 January 2023), John Wallace in household of Edwin Wallace, Warren, Trumbull, Ohio
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWG7-5WG : 9 January 2021), John Wallace in household of Edwin Wallace, Warren, Trumbull, Ohio