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Casualty Info
Home Town Emeryville, CA
Last Address 381 D St Chula Vista, CA
Casualty Date Apr 09, 1945
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location South China Sea
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Wall/Plot Coordinates MAA 41 (memorial marker)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
USS Snook (SS-279) was on her ninth war patrol when she was lost. Her last radio transmission was on 8 April 1945 when she reported her position to the submarine Tigrone (SS-419). Tigrone replied, but Snook did not respond. She was lost, with all hands and her fate has never been determined. Lieutenant Commander Farrel - the Snook's Executive Officer - was listed as missing in action and later declared dead 6 May 1946.
Although all available official Navy records have LCDR Farrel's last rank as Lieutenant, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has him listed as a Lieutenant Commander. It can only be assumed that he was promoted at some time between when he was listed as missing in action and officially declared dead
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 100401
Silver Star
Awarded for action during World War II
Service: Navy
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 320 (November 1943)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant William S. Farrel, United States Navy, for gallantry in action while serving as Damage Control Officer in a warship during an engagement with Japanese forces off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942. Lieutenant Farrel entered a burning compartment to remove explosives and assist in extinguishing the fire. His prompt action helped keep the ship in action and undoubtedly prevented further dangerous explosions. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.
Command duties:
Excutive Officer aboard USS S-14 (SS-119) - April 1944
Acting Captain aboard USS S-14 (SS-119) - April 30, 1944
Excutive Officer aboard USS Snook (SS-279) - August 1944 - April 9, 1944
Submarine war patrols: USS Snook (SS-279) - 7th through 9th
Note: Duty station dates are estimated from news articles.
The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Attack on Pearl Harbor
From Month/Year
December / 1941
To Month/Year
December / 1941
Description The attack on Pearl Harbor, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, and Operation Z during planning, was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II.
Japan intended the attack as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan planned in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. Over the next seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines, Guam and Wake Island and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four sunk. All but Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 64 servicemen killed. One Japanese sailor, Kazuo Sakamaki, was captured.
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day, December 8, the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been fading since the Fall of France in 1940,[19] disappeared. Clandestine support of the United Kingdom (e.g., the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.
From the 1950s, several writers alleged that parties high in the U.S. and British governments knew of the attack in advance and may have let it happen (or even encouraged it) with the aim of bringing the U.S. into war. However, this advance-knowledge conspiracy theory is rejected by mainstream historians.
There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy". Because the attack happened without a declaration of war and without explicit warning, the attack on Pearl Harbor was judged by the Tokyo Trials to be a war crime.