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RICHARD P. FARELL
Richard P. Farrell was a cadet at the United States Merchant Marine Academy during World War II. While on his sea year on the SS Nathaniel Hawthorne his ship was torpedoed and sunk. His life was lost at sea on November 7, 1942 at 0340 in the morning. The ship was owned by Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Co. in Portland Oregon, and its master was Richard C. Brennan who died at sea as well.
SS Nathaniel Hawthorne was torpedoed by the German submarine U-508 about forty miles from Isla de Margarita. The ship was on its way to New York from Georgetown, British Guiana via Trinidad. Two explosions destroyed the whole middle portion of the ship. The second hit instantly ceased the engines. A third explosion sunk the ship. Of the fifty two onboard, thirty-eight of them lost their lives. The survivors were rescued thirty nine hours later by the USS Biddle, and brought to Trinidad on the second day after the sinking. A little over a year later the U-508 submarine was sunk north of Cape Ortegal, Spain killing the entire crew.