Pappaw's Brother Paul

My Pappaw had other siblings. There was also Paul S. King. He was killed on Friday, Nov. 26 1943 by the attack on the HMT Rohna. I have read some accounts that say this was the first radio controlled bomb ever to be used. I have read other accounts that say there was an earlier incident in August of that year. Either way my Grandfather lost a brother that day. Paul was 1 of 1015 US Troops killed that day.

The HMT Rohna was a troopship that was a part of convoy KMF 26 which consisted of 24 ships. I do not know if the family was told the circumstances as to if he was killed instantly as so many were or if he was one of the many that lost his life in the cold water of the Mediterranean Sea. His body unlike many others was recovered and brought home, many months later. One thing that strikes me after reading for the last two days many accounts of this event is that so many of the GI's could not swim.

This is the link to the site that I find very interesting. There are eyewitness accounts by survivors here:http://www.rohna.org/

Paul S. King was a part of the 31st Signal Construction Bn. according to the above web site. I believe that his rank was Staff Sergent, when his Purple Heart was awarded on Feb. 17 1944.