Cockswain Alfred Edgar Distelhurst, Jr

Abt 1917 - 1943  (26 years)

• Name	Alfred Edgar Distelhurst  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Title	Cockswain
  Suffix	Jr
  Birth	Abt 1917	Raleigh, Wake, North Carolina, USA   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1920	Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, USA   [2]
  	Marital Status: Single; Relationship: Son of Mandy and Edgar Distelhurst
  Census	1930	Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA   [1]
  	Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Son Edgar (and Ruby)
  Census	1940	Richmond County, New York, USA   [4]
  	Age: 23; Marital Status: Single; US Maritime Training Center
  Military Draft Registration	1940	Yonkers, Westchester, New York, USA   [5]
  	Draft Registration - WWII
  Military Service	1943  [3, 6]
  	US Merchant Marines - SS Broad Arrow; Coxwain
  		Ship-SS Broad Arrow USS Broad Arrow, a 17,862-ton (displacement) oiler, was launched at Camden, New Jersey, in late 1917 as the 7796 gross ton commercial tanker of the same name. She was taken over by the Navy in mid-March 1918 and placed in commission a few days later. During the next eleven months Broad Arrow was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation…
  Death	9 Jan 1943  [3, 6]
  	Cause: Killed in Action - World War II
  	SS Broad Arrow torpedoed by German U-Boat U-124 in the Atlantic Ocean
  Burial	Lost at Sea - Atlantic Ocean  [3, 6]
  Person ID	I23838	A Tree Called Smith
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

  Father	Alfred Edgar Distelhurst, Sr,   b. 14 Oct 1890, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA d. 2 Oct 1972, Arlington County, Virginia, USA (Age 81 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Amanda Marie Firux,   b. 12 Sep 1894, New York, USA d. 28 Feb 1926, Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, USA (Age 31 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	Bef 1917  [7, 8]
  Family ID	F4846	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Father	Alfred Edgar Distelhurst, Sr,   b. 14 Oct 1890, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA d. 2 Oct 1972, Arlington County, Virginia, USA (Age 81 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Ruby Lee Hamilton,   b. 12 Jan 1896, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, USA d. Jan 1985, Hermitage, Davidson, Tennessee, USA (Age 89 years)
  Relationship	Stepchild
  Marriage	Oct 1926  [1, 9, 10]
  Family ID	F4847	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - Abt 1917 - Raleigh, Wake, North Carolina, USA Census - Marital Status: Single; Relationship: Son of Mandy and Edgar Distelhurst - 1920 - Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, USA Census - Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Son Edgar (and Ruby) - 1930 - Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA Census - Age: 23; Marital Status: Single; US Maritime Training Center - 1940 - Richmond County, New York, USA Military Draft Registration - Draft Registration - WWII - 1940 - Yonkers, Westchester, New York, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Arms Icons & Insignia

  Military Grave Marker - Merchant Mariner

  
  

  Places

  Ship-SS Broad Arrow USS Broad Arrow, a 17,862-ton (displacement) oiler, was launched at Camden, New Jersey, in late 1917 as the 7796 gross ton commercial tanker of the same name. She was taken over by the Navy in mid-March 1918 and placed in commission a few days later. During the next eleven months Broad Arrow was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation…

  
  

• Sources

  [S9776] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;), Year: 1930; Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: 2318; Page: 35A; Enumeration District: 0072; Image: 670.0; FHL microfilm: 2342052. 1930 United States Federal Census Year: 1930; Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: 2318; Page: 35A; Enumeration District: 0072; Image: 670.0; FHL microfilm: 2342052 [S10231] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Year: 1920; Census Place: Memphis Ward 23, Shelby, Tennessee; Roll: T625_1765; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 189; Image: 20. 1920 United States Federal Census Year: 1920; Census Place: Memphis Ward 23, Shelby, Tennessee; Roll: T625_1765; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 189; Image: 20 [S10503] Find a Grave (Killed in Action - World War II), DISTELHURST Alfred Edgar Jr - COX Merchant Marine - 1917-1943 (Veteran) (KILLED IN ACTION). Alfred Edgar Distelhurst, Jr. was born in North Carolina in 1916 to Alfred Edgar Distelhurst, Sr. and Amanda Firux Distelhurst. Alfred and his parents lived in New York until his mother died when he was nine. Alfred's father remarried to a woman named Ruby Hamilton, and Alfred Sr. (Edgar) and Ruby had two daughters, Dorothy Ann and Martha Jane. In 1934, while Alfred was in Florida after having run away from home, his little sister Dorothy was abducted and murdered. Alfred returned home to be with his grieving family until he decided to follow his dream of being out on the sea, taking a trip to Egypt before the war. During the early years of World War II, Alfred decided to join the US Maritime Training Station and became a Merchant Marine. He proudly served his country while being out on the ocean, which was his passion. On January 8th, 1943, Alfred was a part of the crew on the SS Broad Arrow, one of twelve ships in a convoy transporting Navy fuel oil from Trinidad to Rio De Janeiro. Shortly before midnight, the convoy was torpedoed by a German submarine. Broad Arrow was hit first. Three other ships were hit and sank, while Broad Arrow was the last to sink. Only one man survived, and 23 were lost, including Alfred. He was 26 years old. Alfred was survived by his father, Edgar; stepmother, Ruby; and sister, Martha. He was predeceased by his mother, Amanda (1926); infant brother (1922); and little sister, Dorothy (1934). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157963275/alfred-edgar-distelhurst [S9528] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;), Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Richmond, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02762; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 43-144. 1940 United States Federal Census Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Richmond, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02762; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 43-144 [S363] Ancestry.com, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT ; Date: 2011;), National Archives at St Louis; St Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New York City, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147. U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New York City, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147 [S1558] Ancestry.com, U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 2007;). U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 [S28] Ancestry.com, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT ; Date: 2005;), Registration State: North Carolina; Registration County: Wake; Roll: 1766037; Draft Board: 2. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Registration State: North Carolina; Registration County: Wake; Roll: 1766037; Draft Board: 2 [S10407] Find a Grave - US Index, FIJUX Amanda Marie Distelhurst. Wife of Alfred Distelhurst https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143417527/amanda-marie-distelhurst [S9057] Newspapers.com: Marriage of Ruby and Alfred Distelhurst • Atlanta Constitution - 26 Sep 1926, Ruby Lee Hamilton and Alfred Edgar Distelhurst Sr - Publication Date: 26/ Sep/ 1926; Publication Place: Atlanta, Georgia. https://www.newspapers.com/image/398071904/?article=b90bd12c-fec9-4169-813e-270e8518aa97&focus=0.48743445,0.30196545,0.726454,0.3298597&xid=3398 [S10784] Find a Grave: HAMILTON Ruby Distelhurst 1896-1985, Ruby Lee Hamilton Distelhurst. Ruby Hamilton was born on January 12, 1896 in Mississippi, to John J. and Charlotte Hamilton. She was the sister to Lonie, John and Virginia. In the late 1920s, Ruby married Alfred Edgar Distelhurst. The two lived in several states, including Georgia and Texas, before settling down in Tennessee. They had two daughters, Dorothy Ann and Martha Jane. Ruby and her family were struck by an incomprehensible tragedy when their eldest daughter Dorothy was abducted while walking home from school. Many efforts were made to recover her alive, including fulfilling a ransom, but Dorothy was found murdered eight weeks after her abduction. Dorothy's story gained national attention, and although there was a spotlight on her case, her killer was never caught. Nine years after Dorothy's death, Ruby's stepson, Alfred Edgar Distelhurst, Jr., was killed in WWII. After Alfred Jr.'s death, Ruby and Ed moved to Virginia, where they lived until both Ed and their adult daughter Martha died within a year of each other. Ruby then moved back to Tennessee, where she died in January of 1985. Ruby was preceded in death by her husband, Ed (1972); daughter, Dorothy (1934); stepson, Alfred (1943); and daughter, Martha (1973). She was buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park with her family. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157986861/ruby-distelhurst