ALEXANDER S. WADSWORTH, III, LCDR, USN

Alexander Wadsworth, III '39

Date of birth: October 5, 1917

Date of death: June 14, 1944

Age: 26

Lucky Bag

From the 1939 Lucky Bag:

ALEXANDER SCAMMEL WADSWORTH, III

At Large

Sandy

Coming from a line of Navy people gives a fellow a reputation to uphold, and never let it be said that Sandy didn't do his part to uphold the good name. His diversified knowledge has stood him in good stead many a time, and plebes and classmates often find him helpful in their perplexity. Second class September leave left Sandy with a dazed look on his face; from that time on the redmikes had lost a charter member. The social whirl, dragging, and Sunday afternoon ketch trips quite took him out of the classification. A combination of knowledge, thoroughness and a likeable personality will get you far in the Navy, Sandy, so we all join in wishing you a long, successfully pleasant voyage.

Water Polo 4; Battalion Water Polo 3; Battalion Swimming 2, 1; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Radio Club 1; Company Small Bore; 2 Stripes.

ALEXANDER SCAMMEL WADSWORTH, III

At Large

Sandy

Coming from a line of Navy people gives a fellow a reputation to uphold, and never let it be said that Sandy didn't do his part to uphold the good name. His diversified knowledge has stood him in good stead many a time, and plebes and classmates often find him helpful in their perplexity. Second class September leave left Sandy with a dazed look on his face; from that time on the redmikes had lost a charter member. The social whirl, dragging, and Sunday afternoon ketch trips quite took him out of the classification. A combination of knowledge, thoroughness and a likeable personality will get you far in the Navy, Sandy, so we all join in wishing you a long, successfully pleasant voyage.

Water Polo 4; Battalion Water Polo 3; Battalion Swimming 2, 1; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Radio Club 1; Company Small Bore; 2 Stripes.

Loss

Alexander was lost when USS Golet (SS 361) was sunk, probably by Japanese surface forces on June 14, 1944. He was the boat's executive officer.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Alexander came from a long line of servicemen.
Alexander's father Captain Alexander S. Wadsworth (’05) was commander of Destroyer Squadron 10 in October 1936 and the USS Utah in 1938. He married three times during his lifetime (1883-1959.) Alexander's grandfather also named Alexander was a Norfolk druggist who was born in 1857.
Alexander’s mother was Rebecca (Walker), and his uncle was Commander Reuben Walker (‘06.) His half-brother was Alexander S. C. Wadsworth (’30.)
Peleg Wadsworth named his son Commodore Alexander Scammel Wadsworth (1790-1851) who was a lieutenant in the War of 1812. He served in the Navy since 1804. He was named for Alexander Scammell (1747-1781) who was a Revolutionary War hero. Commodore Wadsworth's son Alexander died in 1862 at age 23.

His wife was listed as next of kin. Alexander is listed at the Courts of the Missing in Hawaii.

Photographs

From the Lucky Bag

Silver Star

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Commander Alexander Scammel Wadsworth, III (NSN: 0-82693), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against an armed enemy in his capacity as Torpedo and Gunnery Officer of the U.S.S. GRAYLING (SS-209) during the period 14 July 1942 to 25 April 1943. In this period he made FOUR War Patrols in his ship, which is credited with having sunk seven enemy ships totaling 34,957 tons and damaged four ships totaling 27,500 tons. During many of the attacks his ship was in constant danger of attack by enemy air and surface vessels. In six gun actions, some of which were opposed by enemy gunfire, he calmly and courageously directed the fire of the ship's gun battery which resulted in the sinking of five vessels ranging from one hundred to two thousand tons and damage with subsequent grounding of a sixth enemy ship of one thousand tons. At all times his heroic manner inspired confidence in every member of the crew. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander 7th Fleet: Serial 0384 (February 21, 1944)
Action Date: July 14, 1942 - April 25, 1943
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Torpedo and Gunnery Officer
Division: U.S.S. Grayling (SS-209)

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.