The Marlborough
Historical Society

     William was born the 8^th of December, 1924 in New Hampshire, the oldest of three children born to Benjamin and Madeline Crosby.  He made his home with his parents at 388 Lincoln Street and attended Marlborough High School.  He was working at the Johnson Claflin Company when he enlisted into the Navy the 15^th of December 1942.  He attended basic training at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island and was then assigned to the Destroyer USS TURNER (DD-648).  He reported aboard the vessel as part of the pre-commissioning crew and was aboard the ship when she was commissioned the 15^th of April 1943.

     Following a shakedown cruise to ready the crew for the war, off the coast of Casco Bay, Maine William and his shipmates departed on escort duty with convoy UGS 11 bringing cargo to Casablanca, Morocco arriving on the 18^th of July, 1943.  The TURNER next served as an escort with a convoy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in August before again heading to Casco Bay, Maine for anti-submarine warfare training.  In early September the vessel again served as an escort for a convoy bound for Casablanca and was able to put the training against submarines to use launching depth charges at a suspected enemy submarine in October of 1944.

     On the 23^rd of October William and his shipmates launched a series of attacks using both deck guns and depth charges against a German U-boat found running on the surface.  The TURNER battled with the submarine for the next hour scoring numerous hits with her deck guns as well as suspected hits using depth charges but no vessels were able to conclusively rule that she had sunk the submarine.  William was eventually promoted to Seaman 1st Class and was still aboard the TURNER when she departed with another convoy of ships headed to Casablanca the 23^rd of November 1943.  The ship returned to New York the 2^nd of January, 1944 and anchored off of Ambrose Light.  Early on the morning of the 3^rd of January 1944, the TURNER suffered a serious of internal explosions which ultimately caused her to capsize and sink taking 138 men including William with her.  His name is memorialized on the East Coast Memorial in Manhattan, New York.  Crosby Road in Marlborough is named in his honor.

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