>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.232.





MARCHAND





	Roy Joseph Marchand, born in Crandall, Miss., 17 

September 1920, enlisted in the Navy 18 October 1939.  After 

duty in heavy cruiser SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38), light cruiser 

BOISE (CL-47) and transport HENDERSON (AP-1), he was 

transferred to oiler PECOS (AO-6) 2 May 1940.  On 1 March 

1942, enemy planes from Japanese aircraft carrier SORYU 

attacked and sank PECOS near Christmas Island.  Assigned to 

an antiaircraft gun, he remained at his post until bomb 

fragments put the gun out of commission; then he acted as 

messenger for the commanding officer until fatally wounded.  

Fireman First Class Marchand was posthumously awarded the 

Silver Star for his courageous dedication to duty.





DE-249

Displacement:  1,200 t.

Length:  306’

Beam:  36’7”

Draft:  8’7” (mean)

Speed:  21 k.

Complement:  186

Armament:  3 3”; 2 40mm; 8 20mm;

	2 depth charge tracks;

	8 depth charge projectors;

	1 hedge hog

Class:  EDSALL



	MARCHAND (DE-249) was laid down by Brown Shipbuilding 

Co., Houston, Tex., 30 December 1942; launched 30 March 

1943; sponsored by Mrs. Charles D. Marchand, mother of 

Fireman First Class Marchand; and commissioned 8 September 

1943, Lt. Comdr. G. F. Lynch, USCG, In command.



	MARCHAND departed Houston 14 September for shakedown 

training off Bermuda until 31 October when she arrived at 

the Charleston Navy Yard.  After antisubmarine warfare 

exercises while based at Quonset Point, R.I., in November, 

she arrived at Provincetown, Mass., the 20th.  After service 

as target ship for training operations of Torpedo Squadron 

13, the escort ship sailed for Norfolk, Va., arriving 12 

December.



	As the flagship of Escort Division 20, MARCHAND 

departed Norfolk 14 December, escorting a convoy to Europe, 

and arrived in the Straits of Gibraltar 2 January 1944 to 

turn over the convoy to British warships.  She then set 

course for Morocco, arriving Casablanca 7 January.  The ship 

got underway the next day for the east coast, arriving New 

York 24 January.



	MARCHAND conducted exercises in Block Island Sound and 

Casco Bay, Maine, until departure from New York 22 February 

with convoy CU-15 for Ireland.  About 2200, on 25 February, 

during a heavy gale, SS EL COSTON rammed SS MURFREESBORO.  

As MARCHAND came to the assistance of the badly damaged and 

burning merchant ships, EL COSTON’s bow rammed MARCHAND on 

her starboard side amidships, damaging the plates of her 

forward control room.  MARCHAND then stood by and received 

28 survivors while sister ship RICKETTS (DE-254) took on 

board 33 others.  The next day, MARCHAND steamed for Bermuda 

as escort for EL COSTON.  Shortly after midnight the 27th, 

the remaining 56 crew members of EL COSTON had to abandon 

ship.  After the merchant ship sank at 0142, MARCHAND 

directed her course for New York, where the survivors were 

debarked 1 March.



	On 6 April, MARCHAND again sailed in convoy from New 

York for Northern Ireland, arriving Lisahally 17 April.  She 

returned to New York 3 May.  From 21 May 1944 to 11 June 

1945, she made nine more round trips escorting convoys from 

New York or Boston to United Kingdom ports.



	MARCHAND departed New York 19 June for training in the 

Chesapeake Bay, then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before sailing 

for the South Pacific.  She arrived Pearl Harbor 26 July.  

With the Japanese surrender 15 August, she cleared Pearl 

Harbor 12 days later for maneuvers off Eniwetok and 

Kwajalein Atolls, Marshalls, from 3 September to 15 October.  

She continued on to Guadalcanal, arriving the 18th, before 

returning to Pearl Harbor 10 November by way of Canton, 

Phoenix Islands, where she debarked her U.S. Coast Guard 

passengers.



	On 17 November, the escort ship steamed for home, 

arriving San Diego, 6 days later to debark more men of the 

Coast Guard.  On the 25th, MARCHAND headed for the east 

coast, via the Panama Canal, reaching New York 11 December.  

She then got underway 21 January 1946 for Green Cove 

Springs, Fla., arriving the 23d for inactivation.  On 25 

April 1947, she decommissioned and entered the Atlantic 

Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs.  Into 1960 she is 

berthed at Orange, Tex.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 2 January 1971, 

MARCHAND was sold on 30 January 1974.



K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.225.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com