W3C Charles Homer Hustead (WWII)


Water Tender 3rd Class Charles Homer Hustead (Service # 5529424) was born February 24, 1921 to Abe and Bernice (Botts) Hustead in Fairmont, West Virginia. Charles was the middle child of three siblings, two girls (Juanita and Mary) and one boy.

Abe Hustead was a tailor by trade, owning his own shop in Fairmont. When Charles was born, his family was renting a house at 224 Washington Street. Unfortunately, Bernice died in 1925 of Scarlet Fever, age 29. At the time of Bernice's death, Charles was three and Juanita was three. Bernice (and later Abe, who lived until 1964) is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Fairmont. Abe never remarried.

From 1930 to at least Abe's death in 1964, the family rented a home at 344 Hamilton Street.

Charles draft card is undated, but gives his employer as "Simms Recreation," H.M. Simms. At that time Charles lists himself as 5'9" and 130 lbs, with brown hair, brown eyes, and "dark" skin.

Charles enlisted in the U.S. Navy on July 8, 1942. He began serving on the U.S.S. Lansdale on January 11, 1943, working his way up from S2C, with his final promotion from Fireman 1st Class to Water Tender 3rd Class taking place on April 1, 1944. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a Water Tender is "a petty officer (as in the U.S. Navy) in charge in a fireroom and responsible especially for proper supplying of water to the boilers and adjustment of burners". 

On April 20, 1944, the Lansdale was part of a "UG Convey," which carried supplies to different military areas. It had already been attacked by German bombers on April 10, but no ships were sunk. April 20 was a different story, with the Luftwaffe evading detection until the last possible moment while the ship was off the coast of Algeria. Another convoy ship, the S.S. Paul Hamilton was carrying a large load of explosives and was completely destroyed, killing all men on board. 

With the sinking of the Hamilton, the Lansdale was attacked from both sides with multiple aerial torpedoes, badly damaging the ship and almost splitting it in two. Her skipper, Lt. Cdr. Douglas M. Swift, ordered that the Lansdale be abandoned, but it broke in half and sank within roughly 30 minutes of the first attack. Even as the ship was listing, sailors continued to shoot at the planes, downing at least two. Fourty-seven service members went down with the ship.

While the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to attempt to reconnect people with the remains of their loved ones, to this day W3C Charles Homer Hustead remains on their list of service people who are not accounted for. 

Charles was awarded the Purple Heart for his time on the U.S.S. Lansdale. He is honored at the North Africa American Cemetery, West Virginia National Cemetery (Grafton, WV), and on the "Marion County Veterans Killed in Action" Memorial at Veterans Square in Fairmont, WV.

The U.S.S. Lansdale

The U.S.S. Lansdale received 4 Bronze Service Stars during the time that Charles was on board (data from destroyerhistory.org):

  • 1 Star: ESCORT/ANTISUBMARINE OPERATIONS
    • Convoy UC-1: 22–24 February 1943.
  • 1 Star: WEST COAST OF ITALY OPERATIONS
    • Anzio-Nettuno advanced landings: 22 January–1 March 1944.
  • 1 Star: ESCORT/ANTISUBMARINE OPERATIONS
    • Convoy UGS-37: 11–12 April 1944.
  • 1 Star: INVATION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE
    • Convoy UGS-38: 20 April 1944.


Sources and More Information:

Note: Photo used with permission from Suzanne Woods, and retouched by me. Thank you, Suzanne!

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