Honor your hero with thoughts, memories, images and stories.
Lawrence Harold Cantrell, Jr.
Conflict: World War II
Branch of Service: Navy
Unit: U. S. Navy
Rank: Yeoman, Second Class
Serial Number: 2628370
Death: 23 August 1943
Burial: Tablets of Missing, East Coast Memorial, Battery Park, New York City, N.Y.
Medals / Citations / Awards: World War II Victory Medal
Lawrence Harold Cantrell, Jr., was born 26 March 1924 in Columbia, Richland Co., S.C., a son of Lawrence Harold, Sr., and Lois (Morrison) Cantrell. He had a sister Doris E. (Mrs. Fred Edmund Rogers), and a brother James. His grandparents were Andrew J. and Albert (Miller) Morrison and Charles T. and Jane May (Harmon) Cantrell.
He lived in Spartanburg as a small child, attended school in Asheville. His family had moved back to Spartanburg about the time he entered service.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy as Apprentice Seaman at Raleigh, N.C. 26 March 1941. His enlistment records indicate that he had blue eyes, flaxen hair, was 5 ft., 6 inches tall, weighed 113 lbs., and had a ruddy complexion.
He transferred 26 March 1941 to the Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Va.; 12 June 1941 to the Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Va., 27 June 1941 Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Va., 18 July 1941 to the USS Ingraham; 26 July 1941 promoted to Seaman Second Class; 1 December 1941 promoted to Seaman First Class; 1 February 1942 promoted to Yeoman Third Class; 1 July 1942 promoted to Yeoman Second Class; 22 August 1942 listed as missing in action while attached to the USS Ingraham; 23 August 1943 declared dead.
On 22 August 1943, the USS Ingraham was investigating a collision between the destroyer USS Buck and a merchant vessel. In this course of this investigation, the Ingraham collided with the tanker USS Chemung in heavy fog off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Ingraham sank almost immediately. Depth charges on her stern exploded. Only 11 men survived the collision.
Lawrence is listed on the Tablets of Missing, East Coast Memorial, Battery Park, New York City, N.Y.
