Billy Burt was one of the 1196-member crew of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, the ship which delivered the atomic bomb. The ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea, and went down in 12 minutes, taking 300 men with her. Because of the secrecy of their mission, no notice was taken of their failure to arrive. An S.O.S. was sent; accounts vary on whether it was received. The crew was left to tread water and drown, die of dehydration, or be eaten by sharks. When rescue finally came, four days later, only 317 were still alive. Billy Burt was not one of them. His rank was QM3.
Billy Burt was one of the 1196-member crew of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, the ship which delivered the atomic bomb. The ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea, and went down in 12 minutes, taking 300 men with her. Because of the secrecy of their mission, no notice was taken of their failure to arrive. An S.O.S. was sent; accounts vary on whether it was received. The crew was left to tread water and drown, die of dehydration, or be eaten by sharks. When rescue finally came, four days later, only 317 were still alive. Billy Burt was not one of them. His rank was QM3.
Inscription
IN MEMORY
U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS
Gravesite Details
There is a marker for Billy at this cemetery, but the wording indicates that his body was lost at sea.
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