This narrative on John's military career and ultimate demise courtesy of FindAGrave member: Catherine Westergaard
John Radford Abbot Jr. graduated from Harvard in 1943. He served in WWII aboard the USS Twiggs in Okinawa as Lieutenant Jr. Grade and his ship was torpedoed.
In June, the battle for Okinawa was drawing to its close. Twiggs continued radar picket duties in the western fire support area and supported strikes on Iheya Shima and Iheya-Aguni with pre-landing bombardment and gunfire support. On 16 June, Twiggs was on radar picket duty off Senaga Shima in the western fire support area. At 2030, a single, low-flying plane dropped a torpedo which hit Twiggs on her port side, exploding her number 2 magazine. The plane then circled and completed its kamikaze mission in a suicide crash. The explosion enveloped the destroyer in flame; and, within an hour, she sank. Despite the hazard of exploding ammunition from the blazing Twiggs, 188 survivors were rescued from the oily waters. Among the 152 dead and missing was her commanding officer, Comdr. George Phillip.
Source: Department of the Navy
Married to Lucy Rand on February 11, 1944, in Lincoln, MA. After his death, she remarried to Albert Paine Everts, Jr.
John Radford Abbot Jr. graduated from Harvard in 1943. He served in WWII aboard the USS Twiggs in Okinawa as Lieutenant Jr. Grade and his ship was torpedoed.
In June, the battle for Okinawa was drawing to its close. Twiggs continued radar picket duties in the western fire support area and supported strikes on Iheya Shima and Iheya-Aguni with pre-landing bombardment and gunfire support. On 16 June, Twiggs was on radar picket duty off Senaga Shima in the western fire support area. At 2030, a single, low-flying plane dropped a torpedo which hit Twiggs on her port side, exploding her number 2 magazine. The plane then circled and completed its kamikaze mission in a suicide crash. The explosion enveloped the destroyer in flame; and, within an hour, she sank. Despite the hazard of exploding ammunition from the blazing Twiggs, 188 survivors were rescued from the oily waters. Among the 152 dead and missing was her commanding officer, Comdr. George Phillip.
Source: Department of the Navy
Married to Lucy Rand on February 11, 1944, in Lincoln, MA. After his death, she remarried to Albert Paine Everts, Jr.
This narrative on John's military career and ultimate demise courtesy of FindAGrave member: Catherine Westergaard
John Radford Abbot Jr. graduated from Harvard in 1943. He served in WWII aboard the USS Twiggs in Okinawa as Lieutenant Jr. Grade and his ship was torpedoed.
In June, the battle for Okinawa was drawing to its close. Twiggs continued radar picket duties in the western fire support area and supported strikes on Iheya Shima and Iheya-Aguni with pre-landing bombardment and gunfire support. On 16 June, Twiggs was on radar picket duty off Senaga Shima in the western fire support area. At 2030, a single, low-flying plane dropped a torpedo which hit Twiggs on her port side, exploding her number 2 magazine. The plane then circled and completed its kamikaze mission in a suicide crash. The explosion enveloped the destroyer in flame; and, within an hour, she sank. Despite the hazard of exploding ammunition from the blazing Twiggs, 188 survivors were rescued from the oily waters. Among the 152 dead and missing was her commanding officer, Comdr. George Phillip.
Source: Department of the Navy
Married to Lucy Rand on February 11, 1944, in Lincoln, MA. After his death, she remarried to Albert Paine Everts, Jr.
John Radford Abbot Jr. graduated from Harvard in 1943. He served in WWII aboard the USS Twiggs in Okinawa as Lieutenant Jr. Grade and his ship was torpedoed.
In June, the battle for Okinawa was drawing to its close. Twiggs continued radar picket duties in the western fire support area and supported strikes on Iheya Shima and Iheya-Aguni with pre-landing bombardment and gunfire support. On 16 June, Twiggs was on radar picket duty off Senaga Shima in the western fire support area. At 2030, a single, low-flying plane dropped a torpedo which hit Twiggs on her port side, exploding her number 2 magazine. The plane then circled and completed its kamikaze mission in a suicide crash. The explosion enveloped the destroyer in flame; and, within an hour, she sank. Despite the hazard of exploding ammunition from the blazing Twiggs, 188 survivors were rescued from the oily waters. Among the 152 dead and missing was her commanding officer, Comdr. George Phillip.
Source: Department of the Navy
Married to Lucy Rand on February 11, 1944, in Lincoln, MA. After his death, she remarried to Albert Paine Everts, Jr.
Gravesite Details
Catherine Westergaard mentions that she has no documentation to know if his body was ever found and returned.
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