Warren P. Marks KIA on Liberty Ship Timothy Pickering in Mediterranean on July 13, 1943

Warren P. Marks KIA in Mediterranean

Photo by Ed Stecewicz, courtesy of American Legion Post 70

(September 3, 1943) -- Midshipman Warren Prime Marks, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Marks of St. Mary's Place, has been killed in action somewhere in the Mediterranean.

Engine cadet Marks and 11 others were killed aboard the Liberty ship Timothy Pickering on July 13, according to the U.S. Merchant Marines.

The vessel was bombed and sunk by aircraft while anchored at Avola, Sicily.

Warren Marks was born in Nutley on Sept. 20, 1923, attended Nutley schools, graduating from Nutley high school in January 1941. He was a member of the high school dramatic club and took part in the senior play. He was a member of Vincent Methodist church.

Marks has a sister, Annis Jean, and a brother Roger Dow, both living at home.

In a letter sent Aug. 31, 1943, to his surviving sons Pete & Dave serving in the war, Mr. Lyman reports of the death of his son William "Boots" Lyman aboard the Pickering as told to him by survivor Chris Breman:

"... To save you all the time of reading this in order to get to the point, I will tell you now that three of the four are lost and Bill is no doubt one of them ... They were blown to bits in the Port of Siracusa in Sicily taking in troops and supplies to back up our men who had already been landed ... they were put into the Sicily job with plenty of other ships and sailed to their end as I have told you. They had gasoline and TNT in their holds waiting to be unloaded when at about 11:30 a.m., on July 13, two dive bombers came over the high hills with motors shut off and were not seen in time for the ships to open up on them and they planted a good fair sized on the deck and in a second the Pickering blew to bits and there was nothing where she had been ... Bill was on deck getting washed to get on his deck watch at noon and ... he was not seen again. Warren was in the engine room on watch and was never seen again. ... The two planes were knocked down by the other ships a second after ..."

Letter courtesy: Ellen Dester Hayes

USS PROTECTOR AGR-11

LIBERTY SHIP: SS WARREN P. MARKS

Maritime Commission Hull Number 2346, was chartered or operated by Army Transportation Service; Renamed YAGR 11-AGR 11 Protector

BUILT BY J.A. Jones Const. Co., Panama City, FL

KEEL LAID 31 January 1945 MCE hull 2346

LAUNCHED 15 March 1945

SPONSORED BY Mrs. E.M. Hinson

PLACED IN SERVICE 29 March 1945

Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship

Laid down, 31 January 1945, as Warren P. Marks, a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE 2346) at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL.

Launched, 15 March 1945

Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 29 March 1945, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Acquired by the Navy and converted to a Radar Picket Ship at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C.

Commissioned, USS Protector (YAGR-11), 21 January 1956

Redesignated (AGR-11), 20 February 1957

Decommissioned, 28 July 1965

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, engine removed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Final Disposition, to be scrapped in late 2003 at Able UK, Teeside, England

US Merchant Marines

SS Warren P. Marks (MCE hull 2346) 31 January 1945

The Liberty Ships