Evening star., 1942-09-29
D. c. and Nearby Sailors Listed in Merchant Marine Casualties
Continued From First Page.)

Dora Jones, lives at 1903 Meridian
place NV.
Missing are Christian s. Lantz.
{ jr., fireman, son Of Mrs. Bessie
LAntz Of 1915 D street Sc, and
Eugene Gordon Mason, fireman. son
Of Mrs Sarah A. Mason, whose ad-
dress Is given as 1922 Sixteenth
street Sc.
b Charles Craven. second mate. was
listed on the Navy release as miss
ang." An interview with his moth
Ter, Mrs. Bessie Poss, 200 Rhode
Island avenue NE, however, re-
svealed that he has been oficially
declared dead by the Navy. His ship
was torpedoed in February. Mrs.
Poas was notified that 1t was miss
I ing IN March, and finally in April
st1e w1s told the news that all hands
we're lost In the ships sinking.
Loved the Sea-
HE loved the sea. He really went
j the way he dearly loved" Mrs.
sPoss, . sad-eyed, motherly woman
told Tho Star.
Mr.. Craven was 81 years old. He
was to have been made first mate
next August, his mother said. His
father, Ernest C. Craven, lives at
1l3 North Columbus street, Alex
1ndria, Va.
Charles had been at sea since he
was H." Mrs. Poss said. His two
great loves in life we're the sea and
reading. He read everything he
could get hold Of"
He was in the Navy for 13 years
end In the merchant marine for
years.
HE was so happy the last time
I saw him. He took me on 10
day vacation to Oneida, N. Y, IN
February" she said. THE last time
I saw him was February 20, just
four days before his ship went
down"
Mrs. Poss has two pictures and
the gold braid and emblem OF the
merchant marine to remind her OF
her son.
4 There is hope in the voice of Mrs.
Iantz, whose son, Christian, Is
missing. She received the Navy
telegram June /, telling her the news
that he was missing in action"
II was terribly upset. I read and
reread the telegram, not being able
to believe it," said this mother Of
one merchant seaman and two
soldiers, one Of whom is in an active
var theater.
Some Cause for Hope.
s"When the telegram said he was
only missing" her voice broke a
little, II thought there must be some
hope
+ Christian Lantz would have been
De on August 10. His last letter to
his mother was dated April 2 from
Puerto Rico.
Lake Charles Craven, he has loved
the sea since an early age. He
senlisted In the Naval Reserve before
He was 10 and then was in the
Coast Guard. When he was only
23, his mother said proudly, he was
made first class water tender.
Mrs. Lantz brought out huge
Chilean basket, present from her
sea -going son, containing his papers
and other possessions of his that she
cherishes today. Honorable dis
charges, certificates Of completion of
various study courses, and little
box made of shells-all have been
fondled since the news of his missing
status came.
just before Pearl Harbor, Mr..
lant5 had been working as an air.
conditioning engineer in Washing
ton. In November, the longing for
the sea got him, said his mother,
and he shipped out. He had made |
three trips on freighters before the
report that he was missing was
Issued. !
Bernard Herman Masters, 81, radio |
ofhcer, reported missing by the mer-
chant marine, is the son of DR.. and
Mrs. G. T. Masters, 1908 Bay Ridge
avenue, Eastport. Md. He had been
In the merchant marine for more
than eight years.
Wrote From Puerto Rico.
sss He left Eastport in March and the
last word from him was received by
his family April /, when he wrote
from Puerto Rico. His freighter was
lost April and a certificate of pre-
sumptive death has been issued and
notification has been sent to the
family that no wreckage or survivors
from his ship have ever been found.
Mr.. Masters was married and had
two children, Bernard H., jr., IL, and
Robert E., 8. He had two brothers,
G. Henri Masters in the Naval Re-
serve Air Corps, and George w. Mas
ters, who is waiting for q commits
sion in the Naval Reserve.
According to a telegram from the
Grace Line, Mrs. Edna Wend, SO
Clay street, Annapolis, said that her
brother, Wardell Mitchell Wilson, 36,
colored, firemen, was lost April L.
When he was ashore, he made his
home with an aunt, Mrs. Emma
Davis. Baltimore.
william Steward Hamilton, who
was on his first sea trip, was re-
ported missing on June Is after his
ship was torpedoed. He was the son
of Andrew Hamilton. 2l0 East
Thornapple street, Chevy Chase. Md.
He was said to be serving in the
engine room of the boat.
3 Had Two Children.
Formerly In the publishing busi-
ness In New York, Mr.. Hamilton
was married and had two children
In New York. He also had a sister,
Mrs. Norman B. Hall, of the Chevy
Chase address.
Harry Daniel Vermillion, "a, re-
ported missing after his ship was
torpedoed off the coast OF Norway
four months ago, is the son Of Mrs.
Blanche Vermillion, who operates.
q farm near Upper Marlboro.
He joined the merchant marine in
March after serving three years in
the Coast Guard, He attended
Marlboro High School for three
years.
Mrs. Vermillion received her last
letter from her son May 18 when
he was in Scotland, At that time
he wrote that he expected to leave
soon,
Able Seaman Vermillion has six