Rank and Name, Gunner’s Mate Third Class Leo Edward Aman.
Unit/Placed in, SS El Coston Cargo Ship, Armed Guard, United States Naval Reserve.
Leo is born approx. on 1906 in Iowa.
Father, Henry J. Aman.
Mother, Kate A. Aman.
Leo enlisted the service in Iowa with service number # 6202256.
Leo died When he was an Armed Guard on the Cargo ship SS El Coston traveling to England in a Convoy, when it rammed the Tanker SS Murfreesburo in bad weather on Feb. 26/27, 1945, he is honored with a American Defense Service Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal.
Leo is buried/mentioned at East Coast Memorial, Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA.
* A structure erected in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere.
Thanks to, https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?131765
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com and ww2-europe.com.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
WordPress en/of Wooncommerce oplossingen, https://www.siteklusjes.nl/
Military Recovery, https://www.dpaa.mil/
The SS EL COSTON, was purchased by the U.S. Government from the Southern Pacific RR and turned over to the War Shipping Administration for operation. The WSA assigned the ship to the U.S. Lines on July 2, 1941. This company operated her until October 30, 1942 under a GAA agreement. On that date the ship was assigned to the U.S. Navigation Company and registered under the flag of Panama in Boston.
The Panamanian flag freighter, SS EL COSTON, on February 25, 1944 at 2135 ship’s time, while en route in Convoy CU-15 (#53) from New York to a United Kingdom port, rammed the tanker SS MURFREESBORO which was loaded with 80 octane gasoline. The collision occurred in position 38-10 N./53/33 W. (About 900 miles out from New York).
The EL COSTON was loaded with 3367 tons of munitions, 267 tons of vehicles, and 311 tons of general cargo.
On board the EL COSTON was a crew of 39 and a U.S.Navy Armed Guard contingent of 28. The merchant crew was made up of many nationalities including 3 Americans. Nine of the crew and 8 Navy men were lost.
The EL COSTON, 3rd ship in the 5th column, had drifted off course towards the 4th column of ships. At 2130 the Master ordered the wheel hard right to get back in position. It was at this time that the helmsman reported the rudder failed to respond. This caused the EL COSTON to ram the U.S. tanker SS MURFREESBORO on her port side.
The tanker was in convoy position #54. The tanker burst into flames at once and sheets of flame swept the decks of both ships. At the time the weather included rough seas, rain squalls, and poor visibility.
The Master was on the bridge at the time of the collision and was last seen descending from the bridge shortly after the collision. He was not seen again after that time.
With the Master missing, the Chief Mate of the EL COSTON, ordered the ship to get underway at slow speed and proceeded in an easterly direction until daylight, at which time a survey was made of the damage. The bow was found to be stove in above and below the waterline. #1 hold was flooded and boxed ammunition was floating out through the holes. The ship did not sink at this time but stayed in the vicinity until about 1535 on February 26th when she departed under her own power with an escort, USS MARCHAND (DE 249), headed for Bermuda. However, the weather turned bad with the wind increasing to Force 7 to 8 from the North and Northwest causing heavy seas. Shortly after midnight, February 27th, the bulkhead between #1 and #2 holds gave way and collapsed. The engines were stopped and abandon ship was ordered. Those on board abandoned in two lifeboats. The ship sank by the head at 0142 on February 27th.
Six crew members and 8 Naval Armed Guard were lost the night of the collision. Three more crew members were lost when the ship finally went down. None of the 3 Americans were lost.
NOTE: The Chief Mate, Sten A. Nordh, was awarded the Distinguished Merchant Marine Medal on May 3, 1945 for his actions in taking charge of the EL COSTON after the Master was lost.
U.S. NAVAL ARMED GUARD LOST
AMAN, Leo E.
BENNETT, Ralph H.
HARDEN, Hubert L.
HILL, William R.
LOWE, Lloyd G.
PANNULLO, John G.
SANTANA, Robert H.
VACCARO, Gus F.
U.S. MERCHANT CREW SURVIVORS
BOCHOW, John P. (38)
JURGEN, William H. (18)
HUFF, Norbert H. (26)
U.S. NAVAL ARMED GUARD SURVIVORS
BALE, Sanford Lt.
BOCKJORST, Carl E.
BO JAR, Edward W.
CARLSON, Donald A.
DUFFY, Daniel J.
EDDY, James P.
FOLEY, Howard J.
GRAD, William H. (lnj.)
HARRELL, Alton W.
KRUSA, John A. (lnj.)
LAIRMORE, Bobbie K.
LIGHT, John J.
ORLANDO, Patrick V.
TIEDEMANN, Herbert E.
URBANSKI, Wallace L.
USTIN, David A.
VOGEL, Oscar M.
PALUMBO, Peter R.
FOREIGN SEAMAN LOST
OLSEN, Rolf S.(lived 85th St. Brooklyn)
LARRASQUITU, Antonio
TANAVA, Rail
BLOMKVIST, Niles
OMER, Herman
FRANKINOVILLE, Karl
KENG, Tu Chow
NG, Chuen
CHEUNG, Chau
The last three crew members were lost when the ship sank on Feb. 27th.
