Cecil Doyle

Cecil J. Doyle

Born 10 August 1920 in Marshall, Minn., Cecil John Doyle enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve 26 March 1941 and following aviation training at Corpus Christi Tex., was appointed a Second Lieutenant 6 April 1942. Lieutenant Doyle was declared missing in action 7 November 1942. For his extraordinary heroism while attached to a Marine fighting squadron in combat with enemy forces in the Solomons from 18 to 25 October, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

(DE-368: dp. 1,350- 1. 306'- b. 36'7"- dr. 13'4" s. 24 k.;
cpl. 186; a. 2 5", 3 21" tt., 8 dep., i dep. (hhj, 2 act.;
cl. John C Butler

Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368) was launched 1 July 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; sponsored by Mrs. O. P. Doyle and commissioned 16 October 1944, Lieutenant Commander D. S. Crocker, USNR, in command.

Cecil J. Doyle carried out her first mission while still in shakedown, when she cruised on an air-sea rescue station during the flight of Government officials to the Yalta Conference. On 30 January 1945, she rendezvoused with HMS Ranee, and guarded the escort carrier through the Panama Canal and north to San Diego. Cecil J. Doyle continued on to Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, where she arrived 28 March to join the Marshalls Gilbert Patrol and Escort Group. Her escort duties took her to Guam, and Ulithi, where on 30 April she was transferred to the Carolines Surface Patrol and Escort Group. On 2 May, Cecil J. Doyle's commanding officer became Commander, Screen, Peleliu, protecting the great anchorage in Kossol Roads.

While on patrol, Cecil J. Doyle several times rescued downed aviators, and on 27 May 1945, bombarded a bypassed Japanese garrison on Koror Island. On 2 August, she was ordered to the rescue of a large group of men in rafts reported at 11°30' N., 133°30' E., and bent on top speed to be the first to reach the survivors of torpedoed Indianapolis (CA-35). It was Cecil J. Doyle's melancholy duty to radio the first report of the cruiser's loss. She rescued 93 survivors, and gave final rites to 21 found already dead. Remaining in the area searching until 8 August, Cecil J. Doyle was the last to leave the scene.

From 26 August 1946, when she sailed into Buckner Bay, Okinawa, the destroyer was assigned to occupation duty. She sailed with hospital ships to Wakayama Japan, to evacuate released prisoners of war, then screened carriers providing air cover for landing of occupation troops. Through 12 November, she cruised on courier duty between Japanese ports, and after drydocking at Yokosuka, sailed for San Francisco, arriving 13 January 1946. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Diego 2 July 1946.