JOHN EARLE BENTLEY was born on 02 December 1917 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. He was a son of Oliver Daniel Harold and Dorothy Anna (Beebe) Bentley who married in Manhattan, NYC, NY on 15 Jan 1917. His siblings were Elizabeth “Betty,” Dorothy Ellen, Howard Beebe, and Carolyn Ruth Bentley. Oliver Bentley was a prominent mechanical engineer and designer of steam turbines. His early days as an engineer he spent in the turbine department of General Electric company in Schenectady, NY. From 1910 to 1945, he was with the Sturtevant Company of Hyde Park, Suffolk, MA.

Although John was born in Boston, MA, he was raised in Norfolk, Norfolk, MA where he graduated from Walpole High School and attended Dean Academy for a year. He continued his post-high school education at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) where he was active in extra-curricula sports of track and three years on the varsity Cross Country team. He was also a member of the Aero Club. His hobbies were sailing and model airplanes and boat building. He graduated from WPI with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering on 14 June 1940. On 16 Oct 1940, John registered for the draft. He listed his place of birth as Boston, MA and like his father, John was employed at B.F. Sturtevant Co., in Hyde Park, MA as a steam turbine test engineer.

John enlisted in the Army Air Corps Reserve (ASN:110-24-653) as an aviation cadet on 11 February 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts. In class 41-G comprised of 354 aviation cadets, John was one of 38 Massachusetts men who completed the 30-week aviation training course and graduated on 26 Sep 1941. Lt Bentley (ASN:0-427696) was one of 10 of the 38 men to received their pilot’s wings at graduation at Craig Field, Selma, Alabama. The remaining 28 MA men graduated from Maxwell Field, AL., headquarters of the Southeast Training Center of the Army Air Corps. Graduates were assigned as instructors at one of the Training Center's 33 airfields or as pilots with tactical units in the US or possessions.

Lt Bentley departed for the Pacific in early January 1942. Shortly after he arrived in Australia, Lt Bentley was one of a group of thirty-three P-40 Army Air Force pilots ordered to Tjilatjap, Java to help provide fighter support to the Dutch and Allied forces attempting to repel the Japanese forces invading Java. On 22 Feb 1942, they embarked with 12 crew chiefs from the 35th Pursuit Group and about 250 enlisted men for support of three Pursuit Squadrons of the Fifty-First Pursuit Group on board the seaplane tender USS Langley (AV-3) at Fremantle, Australia. Hoisted on board the same day were thirty-two ready-to-fly P40s. The Langley, normally crewed by about 500 men, departed Fremantle later that day and steamed toward the port of Tjilatjap on Java where she was scheduled to arrive on 28 Feb.

At 0700 on the morning of 27 Feb, Langley rendezvoused with her anti-submarine destroyer escorts USS Whipple (DD-217) and USS Edsall (DD-219) about 100 miles from her destination. Two hours later the Langley and her escorts were spotted by an enemy reconnaissance plane. Shortly before 1200, sixteen (16) Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers of the Japanese 21st and 23rd Naval Air Flotillas and escorted by fifteen (15) A6M Reisen fighters began attacking Langley. She was about 70 miles from her destination. The Langley was initially successful in dodging the falling ordinance, but eventually she was hit by multiple bombs sustaining fatal damage. At 1332, Langley's CO, CDR Robert P. McConnell, concluded that the ship was lost and ordered her abandoned. Within thirty minutes all of the survivors had been plucked from the sea by Whipple (308 officers and men including Lt Bentley) and Edsall (177 officers and men).

At 1428, in an effort to scuttle the Langley, Whipple fired nine 4-inch rounds into Langley's hull. She then fired one torpedo (exploded) into the port side and then one into the starboard side of Langley. The last torpedo exploded causing a large fire. Because of the danger of another air attack, the two destroyers cleared the area, however, no one actually saw the Langley slide beneath the waves.

On 28 February, the two destroyers rendezvoused with the fuel replenishment ship USS Pecos (AO-6) off Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island some 250 miles southwest of Tjilatjap. Prior to the arrival of Pecos, Whipple transferred 32 pilots/airmen, including Lt Bentley, to Edsall. A sudden attack by land based Japanese bombers forced Edsall and the other ships to head for the open sea and postpone survivor transfers to Pecos. The ships headed directly south into the Indian Ocean for the rest of 28 February in high winds and heavy seas. Early in the pre-dawn hours of 1 March, Whipple and Edsall transferred all the Langley survivors to Pecos. There were now close to 700 personnel aboard the oiler. Whipple then set off for Cocos Islands as protection for the tanker Belita sent to meet her there. The Pecos, carrying a large number of survivors was ordered to Australia. Edsall had retained 32 USAAF personnel from Langley needed to assemble and fly an additional 27 P-40E fighters shipped to Tjilatjap aboard the transport Sea Witch. Edsall was instructed to return these "fighter crews" to Tjilatjap. At 0830, she reversed course and headed back to the northeast for Java.

At noon that day, planes from Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu attacked Pecos and struck her again an hour later. Finally, in mid-afternoon, third and fourth strikes from carriers Hiryu and Akagi fatally wounded thePecos. While under attack, Pecos radioed for help. After Pecos sank, Whipple returned to the scene intentionally arriving after dark. She eventually rescued 232 survivors. Many other survivors, although visible to crewmembers on board Whipple, had to be abandoned at sea because Whipple made sonar contact with what was believed to be several Japanese submarines. It was just too dangerous for her to remain in the area.

Edsall may have heard Pecos' call for help. Maybe she was following orders not to proceed to Java but steam south to Australia. In any case, Edsall reversed her northerly course and was never heard from again. Mr and Mrs Oliver Bentley were informed by the navy that their son, Lt John Early Bentley, 24, a pursuit pilot attached to the U.S.S. Langley was reported missing by the Navy Department on 4 April 1942. His remains were unrecoverable. He was presumed dead on 25 Nov 1945. He was posthumously awarded the US Army Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star and the World War II Victory Medal.

After WWII ended, an Allied War Crimes Tribunal was convened in Java in 1946. During the investigation it was learned from an eyewitness that allied POWs had been executed by the Japanese in early 1942. The witness provided the location of the massacre. The remains of six sailors were identified by their ID tags as members of the crew of USS Edsall (DD-219). Their remains were returned home for burial.

Because no known survivors lived to tell the Edsall's story after the war, the details surrounding the sinking of Edsall remained largely a mystery for more than a half century. Finally, after years of research, historians compiled a partial story of Edsall's last hours, but it was not until Japanese records and eyewitnesses became available that the full story became known.

It was an epic battle of heroic proportion involving the aging Edsall and one of the world's strongest naval forces of its day. After Edsall reversed her course on 01 Mar 1942 and steamed away from Java, she stumbled upon Admiral Nagumo's battle force, Kido Butai, that had been prowling the Indian Ocean in search of enemy shipping. Unfortunately, Edsall was spotted first. She was initially misidentified as a Marblehead class light cruiser. IJN battleships Hiei and Kirishima and heavy cruisers Tone and Chikuma were directed to attack Edsall with surface gunfire. Edsall began evasive maneuvers, frustrating the Japanese for the next hour and half. Ducking in and out of her smoke screen and rain squalls, Edsall successfully avoided a fatal strike. However, because of the damage done previously to one of her propeller shafts, Edsall was unable to make top speed or maneuver fully. At one point Edsall turned and launched her torpedoes narrowly missing Chikuma. The Japanese ships fired 1400 rounds resulting in only one or two hits. The frustrated Admiral Nagumo called upon his carriers to finish off Edsall. She was attacked by dive-bombers from two Japanese carriers (Kaga, Soryu,) and possibly a third (Hiryu) before succumbing to their devastating attacks. The Edsall went down at 1731 hours, 430 miles south of Java.

It was learned in 1946 that at least six Edsall crew had survived the sinking. Many years later, however, Japanese eyewitnesses on board Chikuma confirmed that at least eight Edsall crewmen from a large number of survivors were fished out of the water and brought on board the Chikuma. The rest of the survivors were left to their fate in the water. Chikuma and the rest of the battle force arrived at Staring Bay anchorage, Celebes on 11 Mar 1942. Three dozen POWs, at least 8 from the Edsall (possibly five more may have been Army Air Force personnel) and the remainder from a Dutch ship, were turned over to the Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces based at Kendari where they were executed by beheading on 24 Mar 1942 near Kendari II airfield, Netherland East Indies. The remains of five of the six confirmed Edsall survivors are buried in a common grave at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis, MO with five unknowns who were recovered near the Edsall five. Apparently several of the unknowns wore what looked like khaki uniforms. The grave of the sixth known Edsall crewman who survived and was executed was reburied at the request of his next of kin in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI.

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Lt Bentley's family also received a personal commemoration from President Harry S. Truman. It reads:

In grateful memory of John Earle BENTLEY, who died in the service of his country at Sea ATTACHED U.S.S. EDSALL, 25 November 1945 (presumed). He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live and grow and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives -- in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men.

//s// Harry S. Truman,

of America

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Citation of Units of Both Military and Naval Forces of the United States and Philippine Governments.

--489--

As authorized by Executive Order No. 9075 (sec. II, Bull. 11, W.D., 1942), a citation in the name of the President of the United States, as public evidence of deserved honor and distinction, is awarded to all units of both military and naval forces of the United States and Philippine Governments engaged in the defense of the Philippines since December 7, 1941. (Later, it was called the Army Presidential Unit Citation).

G. C. MARSHALL,

Chief of Staff.

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Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation

Establishing Authority

The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation was established by Headquarters, Philippine National Defense Forces, General Order Number 532 of September 14, 1946, as amended.

Acceptance by the United States

For service during World War II, acceptance is sanctioned by Public Law 80-314, which authorized the acceptance and wear of foreign decoration, medals, and awards in connection with services in World War II between the inclusive dates of December 7, 1941 and July 24, 1948.

Effective Dates

The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation has been in effect since September 14, 1946.

Criteria

The Philippine Presidential Unit Citation is awarded for extraordinarily meritorious service. The Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation has been awarded to United States military personnel who participated in the following:

• World War II

Service in the defense of the Philippines from December 7, 1941 to May 10, 1942.

Service in the liberation of the Philippines from October 17, 1944 to July 4, 1945.

All U.S. military units and naval vessels that earned any of the Philippine engagement stars are entitled to the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation.

Online:

https://rollofhonor.org/public/htmldetails.aspx?Cat=foreignaward&EntID=352

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Bio #272 composed in Dec 2021 by Gerry Lawton

Find a Grave Memorial ID: 56758913

Military Hall of Honor #125361