Frank William Crilley
Frank William Crilley | |
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Navy Cross |
Frank William Crilley (September 13, 1883 – November 23, 1947) was a
Biography
Crilley was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on September 13, 1883. After enlisting in the U.S. Navy in March 1900, he became a gunner's mate and received additional training as a diver.[1]
On April 17, 1915, Crilley, by then a
In 1917, Crilley was appointed to the
In 1931, Crilley served as
Crilley died at the Naval Hospital in
Medal of Honor citation
Citation:
For display of extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession above and beyond the call of duty during the diving operations in connection with the sinking in a depth of water 304 feet, of the U.S.S. F-4 with all on board, as a result of loss of depth control, which occurred off Honolulu, T.H., on 25 March 1915. On 17 April 1915, William F. Loughman, chief gunner's mate, U.S. Navy, who had descended to the wreck and had examined one of the wire hawsers attached to it, upon starting his ascent, and when at a depth of 250 feet beneath the surface of the water, had his lifeline and air hose so badly fouled by this hawser that he was unable to free himself; he could neither ascend nor descend. On account of the length of time that Loughman had already been subjected to the great pressure due to the depth of water, and of the uncertainty of the additional time he would have to be subjected to this pressure before he could be brought to the surface, it was imperative that steps be taken at once to clear him. Instantly, realizing the desperate case of his comrade, Crilley volunteered to go to his aid, immediately donned a diving suit and descended. After a lapse of time of 2 hours and 11 minutes, Crilley was brought to the surface, having by a superb exhibition of skill, coolness, endurance and fortitude, untangled the snarl of lines and cleared his imperiled comrade, so that he was brought, still alive, to the surface.[3]
Citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Chief Gunner's Mate Frank William Crilley, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and fearless devotion to duty during the diving operations in connection with the salvage of the U.S.S. S-4, sunk as a result of a collision off Provincetown, Massachusetts, 17 December 1927. During the period 17 December 1927 to 17 March 1928, on which latter date the ill-fated vessel was raised, Chief Gunner's Mate Crilley, under the most adverse weather conditions, at the risk of his life, descended many times into the icy waters and displayed throughout that period fortitude, skill, determination and courage which characterizes conduct above and beyond the call of duty.[7]
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients during Peacetime
References
- ^ Naval History & Heritage Command. October 14, 2005. Archived from the originalon August 23, 2000. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ "Philadelphia Diver Rewarded for Rescue". Evening Public Ledger. Philadelphia, PA. April 7, 1916.
- ^ a b "Medal of Honor recipients - Interim Awards, 1915-1916". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ Searle Jr, Willard F; Curtis Jr; Thomas G (2006). "The loss and salvage of F-4, a historic milestone". Undersea Warfare. 7 (6). Navy. Archived from the original on 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
- ISBN 9780945274032. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "Crilley, Frank William". ANC Explorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- Military Times. Retrieved January 16, 2010.