WT1C Layton William Slaughter (WWII, Typhoon Cobra)

Remembering WT1C William Layton Slaughter, Jr. (Huntington)

May 17, 1922 - December 18, 1944

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"It was only by the combined might of the winds and the seas that Spence was silenced and finally laid to rest—honorably buried at sea as is befitting a brave and rugged seaman!" 

-Rear Admiral Henry A. Armstrong

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WT1C Layton William Slaughter, Jr. (Service Number 5603473) was born on May 17, 1922 in Huntington, WV, the son of CPL Layton William Slaughter, Sr. and Georgia (Bias) Slaughter. CPL Slaughter, Sr. served in the Army in both WWI and WWII. Their family, which included Layton's older sister Carol, lived in Huntington through at least 1924 (1924 Huntington City Directory). 

By 1930, Layton, Sr. and Georgia were divorced, and he had remarried (1930 Census). Georgia, Carol, and Layton (Jr) lived with Georgia's mom and brother on Hannan Road in Mason County (1930 Census). Georgia soon married Howard Dillard. Their family remained in Glenwood, Mason County, where Howard was a mechanic (1940 Census).

Military Service

Layton, sometimes called "Junior," entered the draft on June 30, 1942 in Glenwood, WV (Mason County). At the time, Layton was working for Ted Lewis of the Wallace Bros Circus. Layton was 6'1" and 165 lbs, with brown hair, brown eyes, and ruddy skin.

On October 2, 1942, Layton enlisted in the US Navy in Charleston, WV. He received training at the Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois. On January 8, 1943, F3C Slaughter arrived on board the U.S.S. Spence from Boston. This would be his last assignment, as he remained on board the Spence until its sinking on December 18, 1944.

Typhoon Cobra

Also known as Halsey's Typhoon, Typhoon Cobra struck Task Force 38 of the US Third Fleet beginning December 17, 1944, and worsening on December 18, 1944. Task Force 38 was off the coast of Leyte and in dire need of re-fueling when they began to encounter hurricane-strength winds.

Samuel Cox with The Naval History and Heritage Command says of the USS Spence in Typhoon Cobra:
"Spence (DD-512) was a new Fletcher-class destroyer, much more stable than the older Farragut-class, but she was in trouble even before the typhoon hit, with her fuel state down to 15%, which meant she had less than 24 hours’ steaming time at eight knots. After unsuccessfully attempting to refuel from battleship New Jersey (BB-62) on the 17th, she was then ordered to accompany the oiler group to refuel at the first chance, which never came. Her skipper began water-ballasting too late and she began rolling heavily to port. Water entered through the ventilators and short-circuited the distribution board. Then the rudder jammed hard right. At 1110, Spence took a deep roll to port, recovered, and then took another one from which she did not recover, going down with 317 of her crew (23 survived), the first destroyer to sink in the typhoon." (Cox, 2019)

Unfortunately, WT1C Layton William Slaughter, Jr
 was one of the 317 lost crew members of the USS Spence. His body was never recovered.

Legacy and Survivors:

WT1C Layton William Slaughter, Jr. is honored at the  West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV, and on the USS Spence Memorial wall plaque at the National Museum of the Pacific War.

While Layton's body was never recovered, his name is immortalized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. 

He was survived by his mother, Georgia (1895-1986) and her husband Howard Dillard (1895-1958), his father, Layton (1897-1966) and his wife Mae (1905-1990). He was also survived by his sister Carol (1919-2003) and three half brothers- Jack Dillard (1932-?), William Dillard (1933-2019), Bernard "Tom" Dillard (1936-2009). While too young to serve in WWII, William served in Korea. Jack and Tom registered for the selective service during the Korean War, but it is unclear whether they served.

Note: Jack Dillard was still alive as of 2019

Sources and More Information:

  • American Battle Monuments Commission Profile: Layton W. Slaughter
  • Family Search Profile: WT1C Layton William Slaughter
  • Findagrave Profile: WT1 Layton William Slaughter Jr.
  • Obituary: William H. Dillard
  • PA Veteran Burial Record: William Layton Slaughter, Sr. (Accessed through Findagrave)
  • U.S. Census (Accessed through Ancestry): 1920, 1930, 1940 
  • U.S., World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945: Layton Wlliam Slaughter (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • US, World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949 (Accessed through Ancestry)
  • West Virginia Veterans Database (West Virginia Memory Project): Layton William Slaughter
    • Wreck Site: Layton William Slaughter
    • WWII Draft Card: Layton William Slaughter (Accessed through Ancestry)

    Navy Muster Rolls Available Through Ancestry as of Publication:

    • October 1942: Arrived at the Great Lakes Training Center from Charleston, WV on 10/10/1942
    • November 1942: Arrived at the Long Beach, NY Receiving Station on 11/22/1942 from the NTS Great Lakes
    • December 1942 (NY Receiving Station): Arrived at the Long Beach, NY Receiving Station on 12/1/1942, transferred to the Boston Receiving Station on 12/18/1942
    • December 1942 (Boston Receiving Station): Arrived at the Boston Receiving Station on 12/19/1942
    • January 1943: Boarded the U.S.S. Spence on 1/8/1943 from the Boston Receiving Station
    • March 1943: Aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • June 1943: Promoted to F2C on 6/1/1943, aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • September 1943: Promoted to F1C on 9/1/1943, aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • December 1943: Aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • January 1944: Promoted to WT2C on 1/1/1944, aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • March 1944: Aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • June 1944: Aboard the U.S.S. Spence
    • September 1944: Aboard the U.S.S. Spence

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