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Wilson, Robert Archibald, PO1.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Weehawken, NJ
Last Address 84 Liberty Pl Weehawkin, NJ
Casualty Date Jun 15, 1945
Cause MIA-Died in Captivity
Reason Illness, Disease
Location Indonesia
Location of Interment Beverly National Cemetery (VA) - Beverly, New Jersey
Wall/Plot Coordinates F 1734
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
On the evening of 1 March 1942, Perch surfaced 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Surabaya, Java, and started in for an attack on an enemy convoy landing troops to the west of Surabaya. Two enemy destroyers attacked and drove her down with a string of depth charges which caused her to bottom at 135 feet (41 m). Several more depth charge attacks caused extensive damage, putting the starboard motors out of commission and causing extensive flooding throughout the boat. After repairs, Perch surfaced at two o'clock in the morning, only to be again driven down by destroyers. The loss of oil, and air from damaged ballast tanks, convinced the enemy that Perch was breaking up and they went on to look for other kills, allowing her to escape.
With decks awash and only one engine in commission, the crew made all possible repairs. During the early morning of 3 March, a test dive was made with almost fatal results. Expert handling and good luck enabled her to surface, and she began making repairs. Then, as if this was not enough, two Japanese cruisers and three destroyers hove into view and began firing. As shells straddled the boat, her skipper ordered, "Abandon ship, scuttle the boat." With all hull openings open, Perch made her last dive. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 24 June 1942.
The entire crew was captured by a Japanese destroyer. Of the fifty-four men and five officers, all but six - who died of malnutrition and disease in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps - were able to return to the United States after V-J Day.
FC1 Wilson died of dysentery while held as a prisoner of war.
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 2233464
Prisoner of War Medal
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Rank: Fire Controlman First Class
Division: Prisoner of War (Java)
General Orders: NARA Database: Records of World War II Prisoners of War, created, 1942 - 1947
Citation: Fire Controlman First Class Robert Archibald Wilson: (NSN: 2233464), United States Navy, was captured by the Japanese after his submarine, U.S.S. PERCH (SS-176), was scuttled on 3 March 1942, and was held as a Prisoner of War until his death while still in captivity.
Robert Archibald Wilson was born October 26, 1917 in New Jersey, the only child of Archibald and Elizabeth (Benn) Wilson. His family lived in Weehawken, Hudson county, New Jersey, where his father worked as a secretary for a construction company. His parents divorced, and in 1930 Robert was living with his mother and two maternal aunts in Weehawken. He was a high school graduate.
On November 10, 1936 he entered the Navy at Brooklyn, New York. November 16, 1938 he was aboard USS Holland (AS-3) as a Fire Controlman 3rd class. Beginning December 27, 1939 he served aboard USS Sealion (SS-195). His rate would change to Fire Controlman 1st class while aboard Sealion on November 16, 1940. He also served aboard USS Shark (SS-174), and in August 1941 had temporary duty aboard USS Tarpon (SS-175).
He later reported aboard USS Perch (SS-176). At the outbreak of hostilities, Perch, commanded by David A. Hurt, was in Cavite Navy Yard. She took part in the rush to clear the Navy Yard on 10 December and watched, at close range, the destruction of Cavite by bombers. That night, Perch slipped through the Corregidor minefields and scouted between Luzon and Formosa (Taiwan) in search of targets. Failing to detect any, she shifted to an area off Hong Kong, and on Christmas night, launched four torpedoes at a large merchantman, all missing. A few days later, she torpedoed a merchantman, probably Nojima Maru. Japanese escorts prevented Perch from observing the kill.
Perch sailed south to Darwin, Australia, to repair damage, making several unsuccessful attacks en route. She next made a patrol to Kendari, Celebes (Sulawesi), where she scouted the harbor and made several attempts to get through the narrow entrance to an attack position.
After a week of close contact with the Japanese, obtaining information, Perch headed south searching for targets. In a night attack on a large merchantman off the eastern coast of Celebes, Perch was hit in the superstructure, forward of the pressure hull of the conning tower, by a high explosive round which blew away the bridge deck, punctured the antenna trunk and temporarily put her radio out of commission. Her crew made repairs on deck at night in waters heavily patrolled by the Japanese, and Perch headed for the Java Sea.
On the evening of 1 March 1942, Perch surfaced 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Surabaya, Java, and started in for an attack on an enemy convoy landing troops to the west of Surabaya. Two enemy destroyers attacked and drove her down with a string of depth charges which caused her to bottom at 135 feet (41 m). Several more depth charge attacks caused extensive damage, putting the starboard motors out of commission and causing extensive flooding throughout the boat. After repairs, Perch surfaced at two o'clock in the morning, only to be again driven down by destroyers. The loss of oil, and air from damaged ballast tanks, convinced the enemy that Perch was breaking up and they went on to look for other kills, allowing her to escape.
With decks awash and only one engine in commission, the crew made all possible repairs. During the early morning of 3 March, a test dive was made with almost fatal results. Expert handling and good luck enabled her to surface, and she began making repairs. Then two Japanese cruisers and three destroyers hove into view and began firing. As shells straddled the boat, her skipper ordered, "Abandon ship, scuttle the boat." With all hull openings open, Perch made her last dive. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 24 June 1942.
The entire crew was captured by a Japanese destroyer. Of the fifty-four men and five officers, all but six - who died of malnutrition and disease in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps - were able to return to the United States after V-J Day.
FC1 Robert A. Wilson was taken prisoner of war on March 3, 1942 after the boat was scuttled. He died on June 15, 1945, while held at the POW Camp in Makassar, Indonesia. Cause of death was bacterial dysentery and pellagra.
In June 1948 he was reinterred at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly, Burlington county, New Jersey.
The wreck of USS Perch was found on November 23, 2006 in the Java Sea north-northwest of Surabaya City, Java, at a depth of 190 feet.
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.
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