Evening star., 1944-10-22
Three of 8 Brothers Home From the War
Merchant Seumen
Try Mothers Meals
After Long Voyage

Ihree OF the fghtlng Combs
brothers-strictly a minority-are
back home at 6213 Fifth street NV.
stocking up on MONS cooking for
a couple weeks before shipping out
to sea again.
The three brothers are sons OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph r. Combs, who
have five other sons in the services
Five of the Combs boys are in the
merchant marine, comprising what
the War Shipping Administration
believes to be the largest single
family group sailing under the
American flag.
Joseph F., il, 33, electrician; Clay
ton, %, boatswain. ard Frank, 28
third assistant engineer, dropped in
on their parents after returning
from 16;12 month voyage on the
cargo ship Cape Mohican. Michael,
%, an oiler, is still at sea. Louis, Is.
an Army sergeant, and John, 26, a
private, are fighting In France, and
Lester. 35, second class radio opera
tor, is stationed with the Naval Air
SCANISC AL 4<CW Vi Il Slty.
Youngest Is in Hospital.
The youngest son, Paul Jenifer
Combs, 10, also a merchant seaman,
is in Baltimore hospital, where he
is recovering from injuries received
nearly year ago when he fell into
a cargo hold while his ship was in
Egypt.
The only son not in uniform is
Joseph Earl, 33, who has been re-
jected by the Army four times for
physical reasons. He works with his
father in a local tire shop. Mr.. and
Mrs. Combs also have two daughters,
Mrs. Margaret Cullison and Loretta
Marie, who works in the art studio
of a department store. The total
count, in case you've lost track, is IL
children-eight in uniform. And,
for good measure, Mrs. Combs has
nephew, James Redman, who makes
his home with her and who is serv-
ing in the merchant marine as
second cook.
Joseph, Clayton and Frank
shipped out on the Cape Mohican on
May Is, 1943. They sailed to Alex
andria, Egypt. After starting back
through the Mediterranean, their
ship hit what was probably a mag
netic mine which tore a hole in her
side.
A British destroyer pulled along
side, and the captain gave orders for
the crew to board the destroyer. He
asked for volunteers to stay on the
Cape Mohican until she went down.
About eight men offered to stay.
Three of them were the Combs
brothers.
For five or six hours they fought
the sea, blocking part of the hold
and pumping water. In the end,
they won the fight. The ship was
still afloat.
Then began the long ride to Scot
land under tow for repairs. The
Cape Mohican was dragged through
$500 miles of water for five months.
After the vessel was brought into a
Scottish port, it was laid up another
eight months while repairs were
made.
you've got to give them credit"
Joseph said. They were slow, but
they did a good job"
If it hadn't been for the American
Army, Joseph and Clayton said,
they might have gone almost entire
ly without food or clothing while
they were limping from port to port
in the Mediterranean.
Everywhere We went" one of the
boys said, "the Army took good care
of u.s.
Torpedoed in Caribbean.
Joseph and Clayton were the vic
time Of enemy action once before,
in the Caribbean Sea, when a Ger
man U-boat' torpedoed their ship.
That time it went down, and the
two drifted in a lifeboat overnight.
They were picked up by a Norwe-
gian freighter.
Paul Jenifer was hit in the head
with shrapnel during an enemy at
tack on his ship off the African
Coast not long before he had his
accident.
Joseph, who was the first of the
Combs to put ON uniform. first
signed on in 1888. He intends to
stay in the merchant marine the
rest of his life
You couldn't pay me to get out"
he said emphaticaHy
Clayton is not so sure. He thinks
he will return to civilian life when
the war is over. Frank, who is mar
ried, was not around at the time to
express choice. Michael, John and
Lester are also married.
Mrs. Combs has a cheerfully
philosophical attitude about having
so many boys in the services.
Il always felt mine had just as
much right to go as the Others"
she said Whether a mother has
only one son or a lot of them-I
don't see that it makes any differ
ence."