Name and Rank, Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class Herman Riley Abbott.
Unit/Placed in, Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51), United States Naval Reserve.
The PB4Y-1 Liberator was the Navy’s version of the Army Air Force B-24. Herman was part of a Patrol mission that included 9 PB4Y-1 Liberator’s, 10 P-38 Lightnings, and twelve F4U Corsairs. The entire group was attacked by 30 Japanese A6M Zeros & about 15 A6M2-N floatplanes. Two of the 9 PB4Y-1 Liberator’s, 4 P-38G’s, and 2 F4U-1 Corsair’s were lost in this mission. This mission became known as the “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre” since that mission a total of 26 Navy and Air Force servicemen were lost.
Herman was born approx. on Oct. 18, 1915 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Father, Riley Abbott.
Mother, Orbie M. (Edson) Abbott.
Sisters, Thelma, Easter M, Emma and Ruby Abbott.
Brothers, John O., Albert, Stephen and Charles Abbott.
Herman entered the service from Kansas with service number # 4097368.
Herman R. Abbott was an Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class in the United States Naval Reserve.
Herman‘s Crew-members on-board the plane a PB4Y-1 were,
Lt. Stuart J. Cooper Pilot
Ensign Harold A. Elliot Co Pilot
Ap1c. William C. Fowler
Amm3. Herman R. Abbott
Amm3. Ernest F. Adams
Aom2. Howard Goldstein
Amm1. Bernhard T. Hussey
Amm2. Albert T. Montgomery
Arm2. Otis E. Nelson
Arm3. Herman T. Sauter
Aom3. Andrew E. Sheek
Herman R. Abbott was Killed in Action in Papua, New Guinea, on Feb. 14, 1943, and he is honored with the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Herman is buried at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Tablets of the Missing.
He also has a Memorial Grave at Maple Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas, USA.
Thanks to
Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.
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/
