Lloyd Emery French, World War II CasualtyPorter County Data on World War II Casualties . . . .
Lloyd Emery French
Store Keeper Second Class, US Naval Reserve
Date of Death: October 7, 1944
Cause of Death: Missing in Action (drowned while abandoning ship that ran
aground in Saipan, North Marina Islands)
Monument: Tablets of The Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
Hometown: Valparaiso
Newspaper Notices:
Navy Man Lost At Sea, Mother Here Notified
Lloyd Emery French, 36, son of Mrs. Musetta Bauer, 1109 North Calumet
avenue, is missing at sea while in the service of his country.
This message was received by his mother, from Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs, of
the U. S. Navy Department. French was a store-keeper, second class, in the navy.
Details of his death are not yet known and will be sent to his mother as soon as
available, she was advised.
Locale of the mishap was not given, but it is known French was stationed in the
Pacific theater.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
October 18, 1944; Volume 18, Page 1, Column 7
One Dies, One Is Missing In War Theaters
One Valparaiso man was declared officially dead in the South Pacific while
another is missing on the western front, according to reports received from the
navy and war departments Friday.
The dead man is Lloyd Emery French, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bauer, 1109 Calumet
avenue, first reported missing after taking to the sea from an abandoned barge
in Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, on October 7, 1944.
The missing man is Paul A. Reibly, 26, son of Mrs. Mary Reibly, 101 Napoleon
street, and former Vidette-Messenger employe, unreported since January 3 in
France.
Young French, storekeeper, second class, U. S. Naval Reserve lost his life when
he was ordered to abandon ship which went aground. Placed between two strong
swimmers, each grasping a life line, French was being towed to shore when a huge
breaker caught the men and broke their hold on the line. Before his companions
could come to his rescue, French had disappeared. Rescue vessels could find no
trace of him.
Young French was graduated from Valparaiso high school and attended South Bend
Business college before taking a position with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber
company at South Bend.
Besides his parents he is survived by his wife, living at South Bend; his
grandfather, Philip Miller of Valparaiso, and a half-sister, Mrs. John Schau,
Valparaiso.
Now missing in France since January 3, Tech. Sergt. Reibly had been overseas
only since early in December. He was inducted into the service in July, 1942. He
underwent training at Camp Wolters Texas; Camp Hood (north camp) Texas, and Camp
Van Doorn, Mississippi.
Previous to entering the service he was employed at The Vidette-Messenger for
several years in the mailing department and for four years as a linotype
operator.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
January 27, 1945; Volume 18, Page 1, Column 6
War Casualty
LLOYD E. FRENCH
Lloyd Emery French, above, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bauer, 1109 Calumet avenue,
was last week declared officially dead by the Navy department. The
Vidette-Messenger published the account last Saturday. Young French, a graduate
of Valparaiso high school, had been on the missing in action list since October
7, 1944, when he was believed drowned when he and other companions were forced
to abandon a barge in Tanapag harbor, Saipan, in the southwest Pacific. Besides
his parents he is survived by his wife, living in South Bend; his grandfather,
Philip Miller, Valparaiso, and a half sister, Mrs. John Schau, Valparaiso.
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Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
January 31, 1945; Volume 18, Page 1, Column 2
Return to
List of
Porter County World War II Casualties
Information abstracted and transcribed by Steven R. Shook