Ensign Joseph Roger Riddle, Jr.
Several honors were bestowed on Ensign Joseph R. Riddle, Jr. due to his service and his death in battle. Joseph Riddle, a former Hicksville High School teacher and coach, was awarded posthumously the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and a Battle Star. Later, a U.S. Cannon-Class Destroyer, the S.S. Riddle, was commissioned in his honor on November 17, 1943.
He was born January 6, 1918, in St. Clairsville, Ohio to Joseph and Anna (Blaha) Riddle, who were both immigrants from Bohemia, according to the 1930 Federal Census. At that time, Joseph was 16 and a brother, John, was 12. However, by 1940, both his father and brother were deceased.
Joseph registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, in Hicksville, Ohio where he lived on Cornelia Street. He had attended Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and then was employed by the Hicksville Schools as an industrial Arts teacher and a coach from 1939 -1941. On the draft card, he listed himself as 5'10", 160 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes.
Joseph enlisted in the Naval Reserve in May 1941 and was appointed an Aviation Cadet by September. In March of 1942, he qualified as a Naval Aviator and was commissioned an Ensign. He was first based at the U.S. Naval Station in Seattle, Washington and his assignment was to Escort Scouting Squadron 12.
On October 16, 1942, he was officially active in the Navy and ready to be sent overseas. He joined the Landing Craft School, Headquarters Unit in San Diego, CA and then was sent to fly combat missions over the Solomon Islands.
Ensign Riddle was assigned to fly a TBF-1, a torpedo bomber (the Avenger) used specifically by the Navy and Marine aviators. Designed by Grumann, it was the heaviest and largest, single-engine aircraft used in the war. It could hold one 2000 pound torpedo or 4 -500 pound bombs.
The designer had figured a way that the wings could rotate and fold up. The plane had to be catapulted to take off due to its weight.
The joke was, among the aviators, that
In February of 1943, Ensign Riddle was flying missions over the New Georgia Islands (part of the Solomons).
A newspaper reported:
"Ensign Riddle was killed during a battle when, after ignoring heavy anti-aircraft fire from the Japanese fleet and scoring a direct hit on an enemy cruiser, he was returning to base when his plane was attacked by seven Zeros. He shot one down, but was knocked out of the air after his plane was made useless."
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| A Japanese "Zero" |
Ensign Joseph Riddle's official death date is February 3, 1943. His body was returned home to be buried with family in the St. Clairsville Union Cemetery, St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio. Only his mother survived of his immediate family, and his awards were presented to her posthumously.
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The U.S.S. Riddle |
The Riddle earned 12 battle stars for World War II service, acting as patrol in the Philippines and in 1945, acting as anti-aircraft and anti-submarine patrol as well as escort for various units in Iwo Jima as well as Okinawa. She was decommissioned at the end of the war and transferred to France in August 1950, where she served in the French Navy until retired in 1965.
Mary Williams, Researcher
**Sidenote - Two famous men also served on a TBF-1 in WW II. Paul Newman was a gunner and George H.W. Bush was a pilot.
It was also interesting to know that General Motors made more of these planes, using some auto factories, than did the Grumann factory. They were known as TBM-1.
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