THEODORE DUNCAN
Chief Machinist’s Mate · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236)
| Born / Died | 22 Feb 1905, Winfield, TN / 6 Dec 1994 |
| Service no. | 279-08-95 |
| Commissioning rate | CMM (PA) (15 Dec 1941) |
| Silversides tenure | 15 Dec 1941 – 8 May 1943 |
| Patrols aboard | 4 (12 ships credited, 63,387 t)² |
| Rate on leaving Silversides | CMoMM(P) |
| Service | Retired USN by 1950; dates not yet established |
Prewar (1905–1941)
Theodore Duncan was born in Winfield, Tennessee, on 22 February 1905, the son of William Duncan and Blanie Tramell, both of Winfield. He was thirty-six at Silversides’s commissioning and already a Chief. His enlistment date and earlier service have not yet been established.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – May 1943)
Duncan commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as a Chief Machinist’s Mate with a permanent appointment. He made her first four war patrols under C.C. Burlingame. On 8 May 1943 he left to serve as an instructor at the Submarine Base, New London.
| Patrol | Dates | CO | Credited sunk | Credited damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942 | Burlingame | 5 (25,627 t)¹ | 1 (10,100 t) |
| 2 | 15 Jul – 8 Sep 1942 | Burlingame | 4 (15,250 t) | 2 (5,750 t) |
| 3 | 2 Oct – 25 Nov 1942 | Burlingame | 2 (12,500 t)² | 0 |
| 4 | 17 Dec 1942 – 31 Jan 1943 | Burlingame | 1 (10,010 t) | 3 (14,360 t) |
| Total | 12 (63,387 t) | 6 (30,210 t) |
¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris.
² Patrol 3 figures come from the ship’s history, not a patrol report. The total therefore mixes bases.
Later War (1943–1945)
Nothing is yet recorded of his service after the instructor assignment.
Postwar (1945–1994)
The 1950 census finds him in San Francisco with his wife Bernice (44), listed as Retired USN and unable to work. He died on 6 December 1994.
Research Notes
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Transfer wording: the ROC reads “To USS Kenmore FFT WC FFT Sub Base New London Duty As Instructor.” The routing is as transcribed.
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1950 census: “unable to work” may point to a disability retirement; the cause is not recorded.
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Photo: shared with Howard W. Calver; confirm which man is Duncan.
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Open: enlistment date, BIRLS, 1930/1940 census.
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Patrol 3:
secondary_source(ship’s history, not located on Fold3). -
Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
1950 Census Theodore Duncan (44) and Bernice (44). Theodore is listed as Retired USN, unable to work.
Parents were William Duncan and Blanie Tramell, both of Winfield TN.
Transferred to USS Kenmore FFT WC FFT Sub Base New London Duty As Instructor
Sources: 1950 census; Find a Grave; Silversides muster and ROC; Silversides patrol indexes 1–4.