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JOSEPH P. ALEXANDER

Joseph “Pete” Alexander went down with the SS Angelina on October 18, 1942.

The Freighter, SS ANGELINA, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-618 (Baberg) at 2345 GCT on October 17, 1942 in the North Atlantic (49-39 North/30-20 West) while en route in Convoy ON-137 from Liverpool, England to New York with sand ballast and salt water in her double bottoms. Her complement was made up of 38 crewmembers and 17 Naval Armed Guard. Of this number, only 8 survived, 4 crew members and 4 Armed Guard. Thirty-four merchant crewmen and thirteen Armed Guard were lost.

    The ANGELINA had straggled from the convoy and was being escorted by a Canadian Corvette.  At 2345 GCT, a torpedo struck the ship on the starboard side at the #4 hold far below the waterline, penetrating the double bottoms containing fuel oil. The ship listed to starboard and settled, flooding the well deck. The explosion stopped the engines. About 20 minutes later, a second torpedo hit the stern on the starboard side exploding the magazine. The corvette off the port quarter of the ANGELINA sent an SOS, which was received by the British Rescue Ship BURY.

    Orders to abandon ship were given immediately after the first torpedo struck. At the time the crew abandoned ship, a very heavy sea was running. Forty-three men abandoned ship in the #2 lifeboat and port rafts. The lifeboat broached in the heavy seas and capsized. Only half of the occupants of this boat remained, struggling to get a handhold on the overturned hull. One by one they slipped away until only 5 remained. The ANGELINA's carpenter was credited with saving the lives of the other four men clinging to the boat. The Captain and a few others climbed on rafts. Four men were rescued from rafts but the Captain was lost when the painter of the raft to which he was clinging broke loose from the rescue ship and drifted away. The BURY picked up four men from a raft at 0345 and the five men clinging to the overturned boat at 0600. One of the survivors died on board the rescue ship. The BURY landed the remaining 8 survivors at St.

John, Newfoundland, on October 23.

    The U-618 (Faust) was sunk west of St. Nazaire by HMS DUCKWORTH (K-351) and HMS ESSINGTON (K-353) on August 14, 1944. There were no survivors.

Joesph survived the initial torpedo and sinking, however the icy waters made for unbearable and fatal conditions.  Through his discussion with another sailor that contacted him, Pete survived up to a very short time before they were rescued.  As it appears, the icy water was very difficult to survive in as others fell prey to the freeze as well.

Joseph P. Alexander desired to become a foreign correspondent, studied French at Young Harris College, was a member of their debate team and literary societies, and was very artistic.  He went by the name of "Pete", although his full name was Joseph Peter Alexander.  He attended high school in Athens, Georgia, attended Junior College at Young Harris (GA).  He worked his way through junior college, and did also attend the University of Georgia for a short period of time.  He enjoyed writing and sketching and there are currently some sketches out there left over from him, as well as his Western Union Telegram of his death. He wanted to join the Air Force (Army Air Corp), but he had an injury to his back and had surgery when he was younger, which made him ineligible due to the injury.  He signed up for the Merchant Marine because he most likely would not have received an opportunity through the Army.  He did not attend the academy at Kings Point, but did his basic training in New Orleans, Jacksonville, FA, or both.