The USS Partridge was a Lapwing class minesweeper built in 1918. The ship and her crew served with distinction during World War II performing salvage operations and towing duties in the Caribbean, along the east coast of the United States and in the English Channel during the D-Day invasion.
The Partridge saved equipment and lives during the German submarine campaign to disrupt shipping. Earning the name ‘The Mighty P’ during salvages operation for the SS Uniwaleco and Lihue among others, the crew performed above and beyond duties that saved lives and, in some cases, towing entire ships to safety.
In December of 1943, the Partridge sailed for Britain performing various towing duties and eventually preparing for the Normandy invasion. During the invasion, the ship rescued a sinking Landing Craft Tank (LCT) and on June 8 took a Whale Unit or Mulberry to be towed to Omaha Beach. About 10 miles from shore at 2 AM on June 11, 1944 the Partridge was torpedoed by a German E-boat killing 35 of the 90 crew members and serious injuring many of the survivors.
After the sinking of the Partridge, many of the crew did not see each other until a reunion took place in 1949.
It’s looking great! I’ll pass the word and hopefully we can get some stories…. Bill
By: Bill Ames on August 19, 2007
at 9:33 pm
Great site , nice to see all the old crew. Good Luck
By: Mike Rich on August 20, 2007
at 5:45 pm
You have been busy. A great site
By: jJoe Shannon on September 19, 2008
at 1:34 pm
My Uncle George Bomberry was on this ship we (the family) belive when it sunk in 1949. Can any one clarify?
By: Dan Vinnece on August 28, 2009
at 10:36 pm
I don’t see a Bomberry on the crew list — There was another Partridge laid down in 1944 after the original Partridge was sunk. There is information on her here:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/05031.htm
She struck a mine in Korea and was sunk February 1951.
By: James Krouse on August 29, 2009
at 2:06 am
I love the site, but am at a loss also with Uss Partridge AM31, the one laid down in 1944. My grandfather Roland Leo “Micky” Herald from Oconto Wisconsin was on that one from the launch on the east coast, to Tacoma to Hawaii. Then the history of it disappears until it was sunk during the Korean War on Feb. 2, 1951. Something happened during that time, he was mustered out and spent the rest of his life in the veterans home at Tomah Wisconsin. Family history says the military wouldn’t tell the family.
By: kathleen Barlament on January 31, 2010
at 4:29 pm
In addition, AM31, My mother and her sister have two letters, the last ones they received from my grandfather (their father) The navy had blacked out anything he wrote or anything on the envelope that may have let his whereabouts be known. The were received “somewhere in the South Pacific” and just stated how much he missed the. They were about 4 and 8 years old at the time. They would really appreciate hearing from anyone who may have known anything about him. Roland Leo “Mickey” Herald. Thanks again-you guys are great in more ways than one!
By: kathleen Barlament on January 31, 2010
at 4:33 pm
I have a short story about the AMS 31,
the second Partridge, A good friend who had recently moved to our neighborhood and I were telling war stories. We talked about ships that we had served on.He told me he had been aboard the Partridge when it had been sunk. I told (John Bedrosian) he was wrong or had the wrong ship. He insisted he had been on her. To our surprise, he was on the AMS 31 while I was aboard the AT 138 That became a small story to our friends.
By: Joe Shannon on February 17, 2010
at 8:06 pm
Prescott Ontario, on the St.Lawrence River opposite Ogdensburg NY is celebrating 200 years, and The Royal Canadian Navy 100 this summer. On June 26, the RCN will honour town with a plaque commemorating HMCS Prescott, the corvette that rescued some of the USS Partridge crew from the English Channel. We would be delighted and honoured to have surving crew members and their families join us on that occassion. For more details, please e-mail .
Gerry Brown, Historic Events hair
By: Gerry Brown on May 12, 2010
at 1:08 am
I will be unable to attend the Commemoration for the Prescott as I don’t walk to well these days. I believe I am the last surviver. I would like to thank the crew for putting themselves at risk to rescue us.
Joe (Nutt) Shannon
By: Joe (Nutt) Shannon on December 17, 2010
at 7:26 pm
My father was on the Prescott during the war and has told me the story of the Partidge and I have his photographs on board after the rescue which show burial at sea of those crew members rescued that later died. He passed away September 20th, 2010 and I have a model of the Prescott that I built for him many years ago from his mantel – he was proud to serve on that ship.
By: Scott Lawson on January 10, 2011
at 3:42 am
I am the nephew of Donald Jaeger who was killed in action on the USS Partridge on 11 June 1944. The story we heard from our parents who were Donald’s sister and brother-in-law was that the ship was torpedoed by a German U-Boat and after the first torpedo hit Donald who was a carpenter’s mate was ordered below to see if the damage could be repaired when the second torpedo hit. His body was never recovered but his name appears in the register of Americans killed in defense of Britain in St.Paul’s Cathedral in London. Did any of the crew receive citations for bravery such as the Navy Cross, Silver Star in this final action? Donald seems like a worthy candidate.
By: Donald Kay Riker, Ph.D. on September 28, 2011
at 10:26 pm