Here are some new photos I found of the USS Thomas Stone, both when she was at Newport News and after she was torpedoed and dive-bombed during the Invasion of North Africa in November 1942. These photos are from the Naval Archives and also exist on the very excellent page, http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03029.htm
The USS Thomas Stone was a troop transport ship, employed to carry a battalion of Army troops across the Atlantic to invade Algeria, North Africa, in 1942. It had formerly been the SS President van Buren but was pressed into naval service during World War 2. My Dad served on her during the war.
On November 7, 1942, as the ship was steaming in convoy with numerous other ships of Operation Torch’s large invasion force, she was torpedoed. The torpedo severely damaged a boiler room and bent both her keel and her rudder upwards, out of the water. The ship was dead in the water; her troop transport craft (very small boats called LCVPs) were quickly lowered and most of her surviving crew and the troops being carried aboard the USS Thomas Stone were loaded into them. They began a very rough, wet approach to the coastline; most of the small LCVPs ended up foundering in the high waves and the men were rescued by other ships.
- USS Thomas Stone in the background
A small crew stayed on board the crippled USS Thomas Stone and eventually rigged up a tow system with another ship. They towed her very slowly into the harbor at Ain-Taya, Algiers, on November 11, 1942. While repairs were being attempted, on November 24, 1942, she was dive-bombed and further damaged, leading to her sinking partially and grounding on the beach. The USS Thomas Stone was eventually declared unsalvageable and sold to the Free French for scrap in 1944.
- Naval Beach Battalion Shoulder Patch WW2
- This is a roster for enlisted Navy men who served on the USS Thomas Stone, from a list my Dad kept with him all his life. He gave it to me on one of my last visits with him, and I’ve made it into a PDF. There are some names that are hard to read, since the original document my Dad typed has faded over time. As I can, I’ll update this (thanks, everyone, for your help deciphering it!).
USS Thomas Stone Enlisted Navy Crew Roster
The Navy men on board her who had survived both the torpedoing and the sinking were reassigned; my father was assigned to the first or second Naval Beach Battalion. This unit was the spearhead for every amphibious assault from North Africa to northern Italy; they were the first on the beach and usually the last to leave. My father stayed with this unit until badly wounded in Italy. He was sent to Bethesda Naval Hospital after that, and was eventually reassigned, upon recovery, to Charleston, SC. That’s where he met my Mom, who was a Navy WAVE.
Here’s a photo of Mom in her US Navy summer uniform, in 1944, and of Dad, as a sergeant in the US Army. He joined the Army in 1947 and retired in 1988.
Visit this site for more historic documents and a memorial page for my father:
MishMish's Blog 
Hello,
My Father Robert J. Donnelly was a Coxwain for the Coast Guard and was part of the crew of the U.S.S. Thomas Stone when she was torpedoed in November 1942. He was a part of the crew that stayed with the ship so it could be eventually towed into Algiers. Dad passed away in febuary 2002 one month short of his 82nd birthday
Mark Donnelly
Long Island NY
Wow! That’s great to know. I wish I could have thanked your Dad for his service! Dad, too, stayed with the ship until it was towed in, I think.
http://www.ww2survivorstories.com/story-new.html
I think your Dad is in one of these photos!
Yes, That’s Dad third from the left back row…..
Cool! Any other photos of your Dad–you could share them on your blog, or with me on this one… I’d be happy to help. I think we need to get our history out there! it’s so neat to see it.
Wow, I just ran into this blog: Mark Donnelly, your dad probably knew mine as he’s in that pic also – Joseph Motyka. We lost him in 1990 at age 68 due to cancer. Hope you read the book Nno Banners No Bugles as there’s quite a bit about the Stone in there.
Very cool, Steve! I’ll have to look for that book you mentioned.
My Father, S Sgt Orville S Swift was on board the Thomas Stone enroute to the Invasion of North Africa when she was hit by German Torpedo, he survived unharmed.
My grandpas cousin is the U boat captain who hit that ship,
Wow, small world!!!
Thanks (Danke?) for posting. In an odd way, if your relative and my Dad’s paths hadn’t crossed, I might not be here. LOL I’m glad the war is over.
Hi, Is your USS Thomas Stone roster from USN documents or information you have compiled though research? The reason I’m asking is, my father, Edward H. Seymour was a crew member when she was torpedoed and is not on the list. He would have been USN Seaman at the time and went on to serve aboard a destroyer escort in the Pacific…
Hi! The document I have is a very old typewritten list that my Dad carried with him ever since he was in the Navy (1940-1946). It looks official but may not be complete. I’ve been meaning to see if the National Archives might have a crew list–I’ll get on that and see. I’m glad your Dad made it off the USS Thomas Stone! What DE was he on in the Pacific?
Hi, My dad, LTJG Jack Gelb was the Dental officer on board the Thomas Stone during Operation Torch, when they were either torpedoed or bombed early in the morning.
WOW! That’s really cool!
He stayed on board while the Thomas Stone was towed to the port of Algers. Another crew member and he went ashore early on, to get provisions, mainly eggs and vegetables. He said that German planes straffed the ship most afternoons, and once dropped a bomb that went completely thru the ship before exploding. He left the ship after being hit by straffing fire, recovered, and was on an Escort Carrier from 1943 to 1945, in the Pacific.
After retiring from the Navy in 1970, he lived in San Diego, until his passing in 1991, a patriot to the end.
Your Dad sounds like a really neat guy! Yes, the ship was torpedoed then dive-bombed. Dad got off the ship when it was towed into harbor and was placed in a Naval Beach Battalion. They were the first guys on the beach for amphibious operations, waving the other ships in. Dad was wounded severely in Anzio and was sent back to the States to Bethesda. He met my Mom, who was also in the Navy, in Charleston and was married to her for 60 years. He did 6 years Navy, 24 active duty Army, then 33 reserve duty Army. He retired in 1988 and moved with Mom to Maine to be close to grandkids… Mom passed on in 2006 and Dad followed her in 2008. I wish he could have met your Dad and had a conversation!!!! Thanks for your posts–hope you enjoyed the photos.
Hello, After reading the list and not finding my father’s name, I wondered how I could get a complete list. His name was Paul C. Swing. I was working on his history in WW II for our family. His DD 12 (?) Papers Show him being on the USS Thomas Stone when it was torpedoed. Please email me if you have the time bewbean53@aol.com because I greatly appreciate any help in this research. My Dad did not talk much about his time in the war but he served 20 in the Navy, retired from there and went to work for NSA Fort George G. Meade in M.D.. Thanks, Beth (a Navy Brat)
Hi there! His DD214 will list his ships and classes he’s taken.
You can also contact the archives folks and they’ll send you whatever records they can locate. https://www.usa.gov/veterans-documents
They’re very helpful.
Thanks for your Dad’s service, both in and out of the Navy! The list I posted on this blog is the only one I have, one Dad painstakingly typed out and kept for all his life. I’m sure the archives folks may have a more complete listing.
Good luck in your research!!!!–Anne
Thanks so much and thank you to your Dad for his service too!
Hope that helps! I know the archives folks have been very helpful for me–researching Dad’s service, my two great-uncles’ service, and even the service of a friend’s Dad.
Great post. Thank you for including the roster. I found my grandfathers name on there. Peter J Dolan.
Hurrah! And thanks for your grandfather’s service.
My dad Fred(rich) J. Henshaw was on the Thomas Stone when she was torpedoed. He was in the Coast Guard MoMM1 and is the group picture top left 2nd person. We have that w/an arrow over him. He attended a reunion when we lived on StatenIsland,NY. He passed 6/23/2000.
Oops. My dad’s name needs correcting. It’s Frederick. J. Henshaw. I’m not the best at typing. Sorry. He was proud of his CG time and being a part of the African Invasion. Liked to talk to other Coasties in our community even though he was a quiet person💖
I think it’s wonderful that you know about your Dad’s service history! Coast Guard rocks! Thanks for commenting. I hope you enjoyed the photos and the history.