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DOVE OF PEACE PRIVATE HERBERT E. THIEL Killed In Action THE ROHNA DISASTER *WW2 SECRET TRAGEDY* *853rd*LOST AT SEA*PRESUMED DEAD* THIS IS THE LAST TIME HE WAS WITH HIS MOM AND DAD. HE HAD NINE OLDER BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THIS IS MY GRANDMOTHER ELISABETH, AND MY GRANDFATHER WILLIAM THIEL. NAME: HERBERT E. THIEL BORN: TOWN OF SAUKVILLE, WISCONSIN DATE OF BIRTH: JULY 24, 1922 DATE OF DEATH: KIA (LOST AT SEA, PRESUMED DEAD) NOVEMBER 26,1943 PLACE OF DEATH: DUTCH TRANSPORT "ROHNA" IN CONVOY OFF OF ORAN, NORTH AFRICA PLACE OF BURIAL: REMAINS NOT RECOVERED, MEMORIALIZED ON WALL IN NORTH AFRICAN CEMETERY,CARTHAGE,TUNISIA NEXT OF KIN: BROTHERS HEROLD AND NORMAN, SISTER MYRTLE AND MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS WARTIME SERVICE: WORLD WAR II MILITARY GRADE: PRIVATE UNIT: 853rd AVIATION ENGINEERS SERVICE NUMBER: 36 291 620. Notes: The "ROHNA" had brought the unit in convoy from the United States sailing in October. In convoy, she was struck by the Luftwaffe. ROHNA SURVIVORS MEMORIAL WEBPAGE Thanks To My Brother Ronald For Sending This . THE ROHNA MEMORIAL Most life boats were not functional. The ship went down and 1015 American service men were lost in the incident. The unit, 853 Aviation Engineers was not functional afterwards. AFTER 50 YEARS WE ASKED FOR HELP TO SET UP SOME MEMORIAL FOR HIM, AT HIS FAMILY BURIAL PLOT. WITH MUCH HELP FROM THE LANDT-THIEL AMERICAN LEGION POST, ARTHUR HELM, POST SERGEANT AT ARMS, HELPED ARRANGE FOR A PLAQUE TO BE PLACED AT UNION CEMETERY, WAUBEKA, WISCONSIN. HE WAS ONLY 21 YEARS OLD, AND AFTER 50 YEARS NOW HAS HIS MEMORIAL PLAQUE NEAR HIS MOM AND DAD. THE FOLLOWING IS THE SERVICE THAT TOOK PLACE. IT WAS MY FIRST MILITARY SERVICE AND IT WAS A VERY MOVING CEREMONY. NOVEMBER 11, 1994 TODAY WE MARK A PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HONOR A FALLEN COMRADE. A COMRADE WHOSE PASSING HAS UNTILL TODAY BEEN ONLY MARKED ON A WALL OF THE AMERICAN CEMETARY IN CARTHAGE, NORTH AFRICA. HERBERT E. THIEL LEFT HIS HOME IN OZAUKEE COUNTY, TRAINED AS A MEMBER OF THE 853RD AVIATION ENGINEER BATTALION AND THEN LEFT FOR NORTH AFRICA. IN NOVEMBER OF 1943, HIS FAMILY ONLY KNEW THAT HIS ADDRESS HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM MOBILE ALABAMA TO APO, NEW YORK. WHAT HAD REALLY HAPPENED WAS THAT HIS UNIT HAD GONE OVER SEAS. ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30 1943, HIS FATHER WILLIAM AND HIS MOTHER ELIZABETH WERE NOTIFIED HE WAS MISSING IN ACTION SINCE NOVEMBER 26, 1943. HE HAD BEEN ABOARD THE BRITISH TRANSPORT ROHNA, IN CONVOY OFF THE COAST OF NORTH AFRICA BOUND FOR INDIA WHEN THE VESSEL WAS HIT BY A "SMART" BOMB LAUNCHED BY A HEINKEL 177. OUR COMRADE WAS LOST ALONG WITH 1015 OTHERS IN THE INCIDENT. HE IS REMEMBERED BY MANY AND IS COMMEMORATED IN THE NAME OF OUR SAUKVILLE POST OF THE AMERICAN LEGION. HE IS ALSO REMEMBERED BY HIS BROTHER HAROLD AND NIECES AND NEPHEWS WHO ARE WITH US TODAY. IT IS FITTING THAT HERBERT HAVE THIS PLACE BACK IN THE COMMUNITY WHOSE FREEDOM HE DEDICATED HIMSELF TO. IT IS A PLACE FOR ALL OF US, FRIENDS AND FAMILY, TO SPECIALLY REMEMBER HIM AS A MAN WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR ALL OF US. UNCLE HAROLD, HERBERT'S BROTHER MARITIME DISASTERS HMT ROHNA (Nov.26,1943) British troopship of 8,602 tons, carrying 2,193 passengers, including 1,988 US troops, 7 Red Cross personnel and a crew of 198, sailed from Oran, Algieria, bound for Bombay, India, via the Suez Canal. She joined convoy KMF 26 which consisted of 24 ships, and between Algiers and Phillopville the Rohna was hit by a German HS 293 'glider bomb' dropped from a Heinkel 177 bomber of 11/KG-40. The Rohna, owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company, sank in 30 minutes taking 1,015 US troops and 102 crew members to a watery death. Rescue ships reported sailing through a sea of floating bodies. Eight of the Heinkel 177s were shot down. DAV "FORGOTTEN TRAGEDY" by CARLTON JACKSON ***************************************************** "THE ROHNA DISASTER" by JAMES BENNETT ****************************************************** I welcome information about the ROHNA and the families. I am proud to have had a visit and e-mail from a family about their lost loved one, from the ROHNA.I will only print with your permission. MEMORIES OF ROHNA HEROES 1.SERGEANT CLETUS BEATTY-853rd: Was found on shore, buried in North Africa, then Italy, then brought to the U.S. And buried in a local cemetary. Surviving siblings are two sisters and a brother. MARY RICH-BREMERTON,WA.Mary 2.ARTHUR MEYER-853rd: A SURVIVOR:My grandfather's dog tag number is 17071183.He says it quickly. It must be burned into his mind. He was in the "second hole down and second hole back from front when boom went and lights went out." This is a brief summary of some of what he has told me (grandson). "I was with two good buddies when we were hit, Corbet Perkle from New Orleans and Benjamin Franklin Boyd from Topeka, Kansas. We had been together in Amarillo TX, NC, Virginia and accross the seas. We were even in same tent in Africa before getting on the Rohna. We came up out of the hold together.The ship was listing to the side. Bennie and I went down the rope together.Bennie was never found." "I'd judge I was in the water 45 to 50 minutes. I had some buddies who were in the water 8 1/2 and 9 hours. Nobody lived much longer than that.I was picked up by the USS Pioneer. I was out of the water by the time the Rohna went down.I was helping to pull guys out of the water.It was burning to beat hell. Then I saw it go down." I got the purple heart from having my ankle smashed between to packing crates in the water." "Then I had a good ride.Twenty-six of us spent 5 days and 4 nights on a 40 and 8 across Africa." (A 40 and 8 was a train car that either held 40 men or 8 horses). BOB.Bob NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES VETERANS & MILITARY MUSEUM/MEMORIAL WEB SITES MARITIME DISASTERS OF WORLD WAR II WORLD WAR II PLUS 55*by DAVID H. LIPPMAN* AMERICA'S LARGEST ONLINE MILI-VET PERSONNEL REGISTRY "WW2 AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINES" THE SINKING OF THE SS VEERHAVEN JIM BLAINE'S FATHER WAS ASKED TO DEDICATE A MEMORIAL FOR THE "ROHNA", AT FORT MITCHELL, ALABAMA. HE ALSO HAS SOME ADDITIONAL E-MAIL ADDRESSES OF OTHER NEXT OF KIN THAT CAN BE CONTACTED. JIM BLAINE MY ADOPTED MIA/ POW RICHARD LEE BOWERS "VOICE AN OPINION" MILITARY GREETING CARD "PLEASE SIGN MY GUESTBOOK" "PRIVATE MESSAGES DO NOT WORK" Sign My Guestbook View My Guestbook E-MAIL ****** "MILITARY WEB WARS" ****** [Home]
BORN: TOWN OF SAUKVILLE, WISCONSIN
DATE OF BIRTH: JULY 24, 1922
DATE OF DEATH: KIA (LOST AT SEA, PRESUMED DEAD) NOVEMBER 26,1943
PLACE OF DEATH: DUTCH TRANSPORT "ROHNA" IN CONVOY OFF OF ORAN, NORTH AFRICA
PLACE OF BURIAL: REMAINS NOT RECOVERED, MEMORIALIZED ON WALL IN NORTH AFRICAN CEMETERY,CARTHAGE,TUNISIA
NEXT OF KIN: BROTHERS HEROLD AND NORMAN, SISTER MYRTLE AND MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS
WARTIME SERVICE: WORLD WAR II
MILITARY GRADE: PRIVATE
UNIT: 853rd AVIATION ENGINEERS
SERVICE NUMBER: 36 291 620.
Notes: The "ROHNA" had brought the unit in convoy from the United States sailing in October. In convoy, she was struck by the Luftwaffe.
ROHNA SURVIVORS MEMORIAL WEBPAGE
Most life boats were not functional. The ship went down and 1015 American service men were lost in the incident. The unit, 853 Aviation Engineers was not functional afterwards.
AFTER 50 YEARS WE ASKED FOR HELP TO SET UP SOME MEMORIAL FOR HIM, AT HIS FAMILY BURIAL PLOT. WITH MUCH HELP FROM THE LANDT-THIEL AMERICAN LEGION POST, ARTHUR HELM, POST SERGEANT AT ARMS, HELPED ARRANGE FOR A PLAQUE TO BE PLACED AT UNION CEMETERY, WAUBEKA, WISCONSIN. HE WAS ONLY 21 YEARS OLD, AND AFTER 50 YEARS NOW HAS HIS MEMORIAL PLAQUE NEAR HIS MOM AND DAD.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE SERVICE THAT TOOK PLACE. IT WAS MY FIRST MILITARY SERVICE AND IT WAS A VERY MOVING CEREMONY.
TODAY WE MARK A PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HONOR A FALLEN COMRADE. A COMRADE WHOSE PASSING HAS UNTILL TODAY BEEN ONLY MARKED ON A WALL OF THE AMERICAN CEMETARY IN CARTHAGE, NORTH AFRICA. HERBERT E. THIEL LEFT HIS HOME IN OZAUKEE COUNTY, TRAINED AS A MEMBER OF THE 853RD AVIATION ENGINEER BATTALION AND THEN LEFT FOR NORTH AFRICA. IN NOVEMBER OF 1943, HIS FAMILY ONLY KNEW THAT HIS ADDRESS HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM MOBILE ALABAMA TO APO, NEW YORK. WHAT HAD REALLY HAPPENED WAS THAT HIS UNIT HAD GONE OVER SEAS. ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30 1943, HIS FATHER WILLIAM AND HIS MOTHER ELIZABETH WERE NOTIFIED HE WAS MISSING IN ACTION SINCE NOVEMBER 26, 1943. HE HAD BEEN ABOARD THE BRITISH TRANSPORT ROHNA, IN CONVOY OFF THE COAST OF NORTH AFRICA BOUND FOR INDIA WHEN THE VESSEL WAS HIT BY A "SMART" BOMB LAUNCHED BY A HEINKEL 177. OUR COMRADE WAS LOST ALONG WITH 1015 OTHERS IN THE INCIDENT. HE IS REMEMBERED BY MANY AND IS COMMEMORATED IN THE NAME OF OUR SAUKVILLE POST OF THE AMERICAN LEGION. HE IS ALSO REMEMBERED BY HIS BROTHER HAROLD AND NIECES AND NEPHEWS WHO ARE WITH US TODAY. IT IS FITTING THAT HERBERT HAVE THIS PLACE BACK IN THE COMMUNITY WHOSE FREEDOM HE DEDICATED HIMSELF TO. IT IS A PLACE FOR ALL OF US, FRIENDS AND FAMILY, TO SPECIALLY REMEMBER HIM AS A MAN WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR ALL OF US.
(Nov.26,1943) British troopship of 8,602 tons, carrying 2,193 passengers, including 1,988 US troops, 7 Red Cross personnel and a crew of 198, sailed from Oran, Algieria, bound for Bombay, India, via the Suez Canal. She joined convoy KMF 26 which consisted of 24 ships, and between Algiers and Phillopville the Rohna was hit by a German HS 293 'glider bomb' dropped from a Heinkel 177 bomber of 11/KG-40. The Rohna, owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company, sank in 30 minutes taking 1,015 US troops and 102 crew members to a watery death. Rescue ships reported sailing through a sea of floating bodies. Eight of the Heinkel 177s were shot down.
I welcome information about the ROHNA and the families. I am proud to have had a visit and e-mail from a family about their lost loved one, from the ROHNA.I will only print with your permission.
1.SERGEANT CLETUS BEATTY-853rd: Was found on shore, buried in North Africa, then Italy, then brought to the U.S. And buried in a local cemetary. Surviving siblings are two sisters and a brother. MARY RICH-BREMERTON,WA.Mary 2.ARTHUR MEYER-853rd: A SURVIVOR:My grandfather's dog tag number is 17071183.He says it quickly. It must be burned into his mind. He was in the "second hole down and second hole back from front when boom went and lights went out." This is a brief summary of some of what he has told me (grandson). "I was with two good buddies when we were hit, Corbet Perkle from New Orleans and Benjamin Franklin Boyd from Topeka, Kansas. We had been together in Amarillo TX, NC, Virginia and accross the seas. We were even in same tent in Africa before getting on the Rohna. We came up out of the hold together.The ship was listing to the side. Bennie and I went down the rope together.Bennie was never found." "I'd judge I was in the water 45 to 50 minutes. I had some buddies who were in the water 8 1/2 and 9 hours. Nobody lived much longer than that.I was picked up by the USS Pioneer. I was out of the water by the time the Rohna went down.I was helping to pull guys out of the water.It was burning to beat hell. Then I saw it go down." I got the purple heart from having my ankle smashed between to packing crates in the water." "Then I had a good ride.Twenty-six of us spent 5 days and 4 nights on a 40 and 8 across Africa." (A 40 and 8 was a train car that either held 40 men or 8 horses). BOB.Bob
2.ARTHUR MEYER-853rd: A SURVIVOR:My grandfather's dog tag number is 17071183.He says it quickly. It must be burned into his mind. He was in the "second hole down and second hole back from front when boom went and lights went out." This is a brief summary of some of what he has told me (grandson). "I was with two good buddies when we were hit, Corbet Perkle from New Orleans and Benjamin Franklin Boyd from Topeka, Kansas. We had been together in Amarillo TX, NC, Virginia and accross the seas. We were even in same tent in Africa before getting on the Rohna. We came up out of the hold together.The ship was listing to the side. Bennie and I went down the rope together.Bennie was never found." "I'd judge I was in the water 45 to 50 minutes. I had some buddies who were in the water 8 1/2 and 9 hours. Nobody lived much longer than that.I was picked up by the USS Pioneer. I was out of the water by the time the Rohna went down.I was helping to pull guys out of the water.It was burning to beat hell. Then I saw it go down." I got the purple heart from having my ankle smashed between to packing crates in the water." "Then I had a good ride.Twenty-six of us spent 5 days and 4 nights on a 40 and 8 across Africa." (A 40 and 8 was a train car that either held 40 men or 8 horses). BOB.Bob
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES
VETERANS & MILITARY MUSEUM/MEMORIAL WEB SITES
MARITIME DISASTERS OF WORLD WAR II
WORLD WAR II PLUS 55*by DAVID H. LIPPMAN* AMERICA'S LARGEST ONLINE MILI-VET PERSONNEL REGISTRY "WW2 AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINES" THE SINKING OF THE SS VEERHAVEN
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