Maurice Jester

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File:Maurice D. Jester.jpg
Lt. Cmdr. Maurice Jester
Maurice Jester
File:Maurice D. Jester.jpg
Born Template:Birthdate
Died August 31, 1957(1957-08-31) (aged 68)
Chincocteague, Maryland
Nationality Template:USA
Occupation USCG sailor
Known for First captain to capture the crew of a U-boat

Maurice David Jester (May 13, 1889 – August 31, 1957)[1] was a member of the United States Coast Guard.[2][3] Jester enlisted in the Coast Guard as a surfman in 1917.[4] By 1936 he had risen to the rank of Chief Boatswain. In December 1941, after the United States entered World War II, Jester was given a Lieutenant's commission, and he was given command of the USCGC Icarus (WPC-110).

In 1942 Jester led the Icarus during the sinking of the German U-boat U-352, successfully rescuing surviving German crew.[3][4][5][6] U-352 was larger and better armed than the Icarus. Jester received a Navy Cross and promotion to lieutenant commander for his leadership.[7][8]

Historians noted that, after sinking the U-boat Jester had great difficulty getting instruction from his superiors as to whether or not he should rescue the crew of the sunken vessel.[5] At first Navy HQ in Norfolk instructed him to abandon them, and let them drown. He sought further instruction from the commandant of the Sixth Naval District, who ordered him to go back and rescue survivors.

An issue of Life magazine featured an image of Jester on its cover.[3] In late 2017 it was announced that a new Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Maurice Jester (WPC-1152) would bear his name.[9]

For security reasons Jester was not allowed to tell reporters details of the battle until 1943.[10][11]

References

  1. "ANC Explorer". http://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/. Retrieved 2017-12-31. 
  2. William Preston. "Heroic and Notable Coast Guard CPOs". United States Coast Guard. https://www.uscg.mil/cpoacademy/History/heroic.asp. Retrieved 2016-07-14. "The ICARUS was commanded by Lieutenant Maurice D. Jester, a former Chief Boatswains Mate with more than twenty five years of Coast Guard service." 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas P. Ostrom (2009). The United States Coast Guard in World War II: A History of Domestic and Overseas Actions. McFarland publishing. pp. 90, 193. ISBN 9780786453719. https://books.google.com/books?id=-_BNt02kWdIC&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=Maurice+D.+Jester,+USCG#q=jester. Retrieved 2016-07-14. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 "U-352". United States Coast Guard. 2016-01-12. https://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/U352.asp. Retrieved 2016-07-14. "Icarus was commanded by Lieutenant Maurice D. Jester. Jester was not a young officer lacking experience. He was 52 years old, having enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1917 as a surfman. During the next twenty years he served on five cutters, advancing to Chief Boatswain in 1935. In December 1941, he received a commission as a lieutenant and a month later was given command of Icarus." 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Mark P. Schock (1978). "SUMMARY JUSTICE: THE PRICE OF TREASON FOR EIGHT WORLD WAR II GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR". Wichita State University. pp. 66–70. https://soar.wichita.edu/bitstream/handle/10057/3974/t11038_Schock.pdf?sequence=3. 
  6. Howard Van Lieu Bloomfield (1966). The Compact History of the United States Coast Guard. Hawthorn Books. https://books.google.ca/books?id=e5UpAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Maurice+D.+Jester%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22Maurice+D.+Jester%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiC-_zkx5nuAhWfF1kFHSWjB64Q6AEwBXoECAYQAg. Retrieved 2021-01-13. 
  7. "Navy Crosses given to 5; One Coast Guard Officer Among Those Receiving Honors". The New York Times (Washington DC): p. 3. 1942-06-05. https://www.nytimes.com/1942/06/05/archives/navy-crosses-given-to-5-one-coast-guard-officer-among-those.html. Retrieved 2021-01-24. 
  8. Rosen, David (January 4, 2018). "The Long Blue Line: Maurice Jester". http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2018/01/the-long-blue-line-maurice-jester/. Retrieved 2018-04-07. 
  9. "Coast Guard Aligns Names with Hull Numbers for its Sentinel-class FRCs". December 12, 2017. http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20171212-frc.html. Retrieved 2017-12-31. 
  10. "Victor over U-boat describes his attack: Submarine Missed With Torpedo, Then Charges Crippled It". The New York Times (Miami Florida): p. 34. 1943-05-01. https://www.nytimes.com/1943/05/02/archives/victor-over-uboat-describes-his-attack-submarine-missed-with.html. Retrieved 2021-01-24. "Lieut. Comdr. Maurice D. Jester, now assistant Coast Guard operations officer in the Seventh Naval District, with headquarters at Miami, told his story today on authority from Washington." 
  11. "Cutter gets U-boat and 33 of its crew; Marauder Sunk Off Carolina Coast and Captain Seized by Coast Guard Craft". The New York Times (Washington DC): p. 1, 34. 1943-05-01. https://www.nytimes.com/1943/05/02/archives/cutter-gets-uboat-and-33-of-its-crew-marauder-sunk-off-carolina.html. Retrieved 2021-01-24. "This was the first time the Navy has announced the capture of prisoners from a German submarine." 
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