Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
0663501	53k	John Charles England was born in Harris, Mo., on 11 December 1920. His family then moved to Alhambra, Cal. He attended Pasadena Junior College in 1940, was a Yell King on the Pep Commission, a member of the Players Guild, were he was in the cast of their annual fall presentation of "Bachelor Born". J.C. was also a member of Delta Psi Omega, a national honorary dramatics fraternity which he acted in their annual spring production, "Outward Bound". J.C. graduated in spring, 1940. He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve as an Apprentice Seaman at Los Angeles on 06 September 1940. After active duty training on board the USS New York from 25 November to 21 December 1940 he attended Naval Reserve Midshipman's School, New York, N.Y. and was appointed Midshipman, USNR, 06 March 1941. He completed his training on 05 June and was commissioned Ensign, USNR, 06 June 1941. On 03 September 1941, he reported for duty in USS Oklahoma (BB 37), and was killed in action during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 07 December 1941. Ensign England survived the initial attack and escaped topside as the ship was capsizing. He remembered the men still in the radio room. He returned three times to the radio room, each time guiding a man to safety. He left to go back below decks for the fourth time and was never seen again. He was one of twenty officers and 395 enlisted men were killed on board USS Oklahoma that morning. Ensign John Charles England was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. USS England (DE 635) (1943-1945) was the first ship named in his honor, she was succeeded by DLG 22 (1963-1994). (U.S. Navy photo #NH-85190 (Courtesy of his mother, Mrs. H. B. England, 1976) from the Naval History and Heritage Command)		Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
0663512	264k	26 September 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - USS England (DE 635) is christened by Mrs. Harry B. (Thelma) England, mother of Ensign John C. England, the ship's namesake, during launching ceremonies at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-51897 from from the Bureau of Ships Collection at the National Archives)
0663506	197k	26 September 1943: San Francisco, Cal. - USS England slides down the building ways at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, during launching ceremonies. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-51896 from the National Archives)		Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Archive Manager DE / FF / LCS Archive Navsource
0663507	358k	09 February 1944: off San Francisco, Cal. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-60938 from the National Archives)
0663508	321k	09 February 1944: off San Francisco, Cal. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-60940 from the National Archives)
0663509	208k	09 February 1944: off San Francisco, Cal. - A bow-on view of USS England. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-60941 from the National Archives)
0663510	180k	09 February 1944: off San Francisco, Cal. - USS England, a view from off the ship's stern. Note name painted on her transom, and depth charge racks and smoke generators mounted on deck above. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-60942 from the National Archives)
0663504	248k	09 February 1944: off San Francisco - The famous DE England, which sank six Japanese submarines in just a few days in the Pacific. Note the large rangefinder on the bridge. (U.S. Navy Photo #19-N-60939 from the National Archives)
0663502	159k	21 July 1945: Philadelphia, Pa. - USS England (DE 635) lays off the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was there for repairs and conversion to a destroyer transport (APD 41) after being hit by a Kamikaze off Okinawa on 09 May 1945. The conversion was canceled at the end of the war. (U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-336947 from the United States National Archives)		Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash.
0663503	283k	24 July 1945: Philadelphia, Pa. - Damage from a "Kamikaze" hit received off Okinawa on 09 May 1945. This view, taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, shows the port side of the forward superstructure, near where the suicide plane struck. Note scoreboard painted on the bridge face, showing her Presidential Unit Citation pennant and symbols for the six Japanese submarines and three aircraft credited to England. Also note fully provisioned life raft at right. (U.S. Navy National Archives photo #80-G-336949 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)		Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Archive Manager DE / FF / LCS Archive Navsource
0663505	354k	24 July 1945: Philadelphia, Pa. - Fire damage in the pilothouse, near where a Japanese Kamikaze struck England while she was off Okinawa on 9 May 1945. This view was taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania. (U.S. Navy National Archives photo #80-G-336953 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
0663511	364k	24 July 1945: Philadelphia Navy Yard - Burned-out officers' stateroom in the forward superstructure, from a "Kamikaze" that hit near her bridge while she was off Okinawa on 09 May 1945. (U.S. Navy National Archives photo #80-G-336950 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
0663514	195k	24 July 1945: Philadelphia, Pa. - View of the USS England (DE 635) showing some of the damage received from a kamikaze hit off Okinawa on 09 May 1945. This photo shows the interior of the wrecked deck-house just forward of the bridge, looking toward #2 3"/50 gun. Photographed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 24 July 1945. (U.S. Navy Photo #80-G-336952 from the United States National Archives)		Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash.
0663513	177k	undated: Philadelphia, Pa. - England moored at what is presumed to be the Philadelphia Navy Yard.		Tim Rizzuto Ship's Superintendent DE Historical Museum USS Slater at Albany, N.Y.
0663515	966k	A painting (artist name signed at left) depicting the destroyer escort USS England salvoing 24 projectiles from her Hedgehog multi-spigot launcher. This image was used in an advertisement by Singer Librascope. (Image from Jane's Fighting Ships 1971-72)		Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

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been made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list
only a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

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Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation

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