Samuel P. BIFARELLA
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ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | O-212059 | |||||||
AGE | 27 yo | |||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 7 february 1917 | |||||||
STATE | NEW YORK | |||||||
FAMILY | - | |||||||
RANK | Lieutenant Junior Grade | |||||||
FONCTION | Naval officer | |||||||
JOB before ENLISTEMENT | -- | |||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | - | |||||||
BOAT | USS Frament | |||||||
ARMY | US Navy Réserve | |||||||
DATE OF DEATH | November 15, 1944 |
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STATUS | MIA | |||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Off the Azores | |||||||
DATA PLAN | Missing In Action : Off the Azores when USS Frament convoy crashed the Italian Submarin Luigi Settembrini | |||||||
CEMETERY | BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY from St James | |||||||
GRAVE |
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DECORATION |
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On 15 November 1944, a collision west of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean between the destroyer escort USS FRAMENT (DE-677) and the captured Italian Royal Submarine LUIGI SETTEMBRINI claimed the life of my father, Lt(jg) Samuel P. Bifarella, USNR.
The submarine was being escorted by the FRAMENT from Gibraltar to Bermuda via the Azores as, I believe; a part of an Allied campaign to remove Italian naval vessels from their Mediterranean ports to avoid scuttling by the Italian Navy or capture by the Germans.
My father, who spoke Italian fluently, was the senior member of the United StatesItalian Communication Liaison Unit aboard the sub when the accident occurred.
His body, along with two US Navy enlisted men, four Italian officers and 38 Italian enlisted men, was never recovered and was presumed lost.
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INFORMATION SOURCES | ABMC - Fold3.com - HonorStates.org - Highbeam.com - Worlnavalships.com |
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PICTURE SOURCE | JF PELLOUAIS |
PROGRAMMER | Frédéric & Renaud |