WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Among several cultures, it’s a common tradition of speaking about a person dying twice: the first time when you physically pass on, and the second time when you are forgotten and nobody speaks your name.
But for one Sailor, lost at sea during the sinking of [USS Jacob Jones (DD 61)](https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-52000/NH-52123.html) in 1917, Seaman 2nd Class Reginald J. Fisher will continue to live on thanks to his great-nephew, Robert “Bob” Jones.
Reginald Fisher was born to Fred and Mary Fisher on Feb. 28, 1893, in Richmond, Indiana. The family moved to Connersville, Indiana, in 1902, where he would learn to become a farmer with his three other brothers, Karl, Ralph, and Roland, and two sisters, Mary and Gertrude. Shortly after the United States officially entered World War I, Reginald would enlist in the U.S. Navy on May 8, 1917, and be sent to Newport, Rhode Island, for training and then onward to the Jacob Jones, while his brother Roland joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to Battery H, 7th Artillery Regiment.
On Dec. 6, 1917, the USS Jacob Jones, having departed Brest, France, on a clear day with smooth seas and cruising at 13 knots to return to Queenstown, Ireland, would meet her demise when she crossed paths with the [German submarine U-53](https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-50000/NH-50090.html).
According to Commanding Officer [Lt. Cmdr. David W. Bagley’s](https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/modern-biographical-files-ndl/modern-bios-b/bagley-david-w.html) [report on the sinking of the Jacob Jones](https://www.history.navy.mil/research/publications/documentary-histories/wwi/december-1917/lieutenant-commander-2.html), at 4:31 p.m., a Sailor on watch called out “Torpedo!” when the officer-of-the-deck, [Lt .j.g. Stanton F. Kalk](https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/k/kalk-stanton-f.html), ordered the rudder hard to port and rang up emergency speed on the engine room telegraph. By the time Bagley reached the bridge, the ship had already begun to turn. The sighted torpedo, quickly approaching the ship, bobbed through the water and could not be avoided, striking the starboard side approximately three feet below the waterline in the fuel oil tank between the auxiliary room and the after crew space.
Immediately after the impact, all survival equipment was ordered to be launched, and the ship was abandoned.
The deck immediately over the impact location was blown clear about 20 feet from starboard to port, with the starboard aft torpedo tubes being blown into the air. After abandoning ship, Seaman William G. Ellis captured this very moment in a [photograph](https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nara-series/misc-series/Smithsonian-72-4509-A.html) that shows the immense carnage.
Nearby depth charges, set to “ready,” exploded after the stern sank, further damaging the ship and injuring or killing men in the nearby waters. Attempts to send out an “SOS” message would be in vain as the mainmast was also blown from the ship, carrying with it the antenna, as all shipboard electrical power was failing. Two shots from the number four gun were fired to alert any nearby ships that could come to the crew’s rescue. Only eight minutes after being struck, at 4:29 p.m., USS Jacob Jones would slip beneath the waves of the Celtic Sea.
By 8:30 a.m. the next morning, the last of the [survivors](https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-92000/NH-92064.html) would be rescued aboard HMS Insolent. Out of 110 officers and Sailors, only 46 survived. The Jacob Jones would become the final resting place for 64 men and the first U.S. destroyer to be sunk by enemy action.
Just two days later, on Dec. 8, the Indianapolis News' top front-page headline read “American Destroyer Sunk by U-Boat in the War Zone.” The story would briefly recount the ship’s history, list some known survivors, and give an inaccurate account of the incident. Over the next couple of days, more information would become available. On Dec. 10, headlines and material from the dispatches of Vice Adm. Williams Sims, Commander U.S. Navy Forces Operating in European Waters, would tell of how the surviving Sailors faced the cold December sea, clung to small life rafts and boats in frigid temperatures with many selfless acts like that of [Lt.j.g. Kalk](https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/art/exhibits/conflicts-and-operations/wwi/the-united-states-navy-in-world-war-i/survivors-awaiting-rescue-off-the-isles-of-scilly.html), who swam from one raft to another to attempt equalizing the weight would succumb to the frigid waters, the German submarine U-53 surfacing to take two American survivors and radioed the position of the survivors to the Allies – it served as proof of the sinking and an act of kindness.
Reginald and his father, Fred, would be quoted directly in the Indianapolis News on Dec. 10th. In a letter to a former schoolmate, Reginald had written, “Get into the fight…Do as I and hundreds of others have done. Enlist. If the time comes for me to give up my life in order to aid in the battle for worldwide democracy, all is well. I hope that I shall die like a man.” Reginald was only 24 years old at the time of the ship’s sinking.
His father quoted, “If my son has gone to a watery grave, I hope that his last thoughts were directed in our direction and that they contained the knowledge that we are proud that he gave his life in order to aid in preserving the sacred principles of democracy.”
Roland would return from World War I on Mar. 3, 1919, on the SS Great Northern to the Fox Hills Hospital in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was discharged from the Army on Jun. 4, 1920.
“During World War I, U.S. Navy destroyers enabled almost 2 million American soldiers to reach France with almost no losses to German U-boats, where they turned the tide of that bloody war. But, victory can have a steep price, and the crew of Jacob Jones paid it,” said Naval History and Heritage Command Director Sam J. Cox, U.S. Navy rear admiral (retired).
Today, a headstone marks Reginald's grave in Lick Creek Cemetery, Connersville, Indiana. But as far back as Bob can remember, growing up, he recalls his grandfather, Roland, and grandmother, Anna, speaking fondly of Reginald’s sacrifice on the Jacob Jones and of the many others injured or killed in the pursuit of freedom over the course of two world wars. Both of Roland and Anna’s sons had participated in World War II – one in the U.S. Marine Corps and the other in the U.S. Navy. Stories of how, after “the Great War” was over, a Jacob Jones survivor who was practically Reginald’s bunkmate would recall the times they spent together on the ship and of its sinking; of how his uncles would take him to the local American Legion Post that was named in honor of Reginald, and how his grandmother Anna would make sure that the entire family showed up on the anniversary of Reginald’s death at a memorial held in the Lick Creek Cemetery.
Over the past 15 years, Bob, a Vietnam War veteran who has retired from the 9-to-5 job, has spent the last several years searching for his family’s genealogical history, remembering these early stories that helped shape his own life and desire to serve in the armed forces. Little by little, he would research, find some new information he didn’t already know, and then leave researching his family for a bit of time. It was after he had collected these ‘nuggets of information’ and pulled on the strings of where he found them on each of the relatives, especially that of Reginald, that he followed them wherever they may go.
Bob recalled that one string appeared in his news feed when a story suddenly mentioned the discovery of Jacob Jones – 104 years after its demise.
The story described how in Aug. 2022, a team of technical divers called “Darkstar,” armed with historical information from the U.S. Navy, the war diary of the German commander of U-53, Hans Rose, and charts from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, dove approximately 40 miles south of the Isles of Scilly and at a depth of about 330 feet, located the Jacob Jones. It disclosed how they could clearly tell it was the ship from the damage described by Lcdr. Bagley’s report and see the ship’s name written on various parts of the shipwreck, most notably, the ship’s bell. The Darkstar Team would go on the record as they wanted to ensure the wreck was protected and intended to work on determining the next steps for the ship. This included contacting the Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeology (UA) Branch via the U.S. Embassy in London, England.
NHHC’s UA Branch, responsible for the management, research, preservation, and interpretation of the U.S. Navy’s collection of over 20,000 ship and aircraft wrecks located around the world, which is protected by the Sunken Military Craft Act (SMCA), the discovery of the Jacob Jones meant not only had one of the Navy’s most notable shipwrecks had been found, but that preserving the wreck and its contents like the ship’s bell from looters and unauthorized disturbance was of the essence.
“The ship’s bell was in a position where it could have been easily looted, as has happened to other wrecks in the region. Therefore, I made the decision to deviate from our normal policy of leaving U.S. Navy wrecks undisturbed and gave permission to recover the bell,” said Cox.
In 2023, NHHC’s UA Branch would partner with the United Kingdom Oceanography Centre and Wessex Archaeology to remotely document the wreck site to assess the ship’s current condition for its long-term preservation and prepare for the bell’s recovery. For Bob, 2023 marked the first email he would send to NHHC to inquire about the Jacob Jones bell, with questions about whether the bell was going to be recovered, if it would be displayed at a museum, if any wreaths had been placed on the ship, or if any other types of ceremonies would occur, as he wondered how he could attend.
He would be put in touch with the NHHC’s UA Branch Head Alexis Catsambis, and the two would exchange emails about Jacob Jones.
Another string Bob recalls pulling while doing his genealogy was in Jan. 2024, when more news would report that after 106 years of resting on the sea floor, a remotely operated vehicle of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence’s Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO) unit would not only find the 80-pound brass bell of Jacob Jones sitting in an upright position, but recover it so that the bell would once more see the light of day.
Once above the surface, the bell was transported to Wessex Archaeology’s facility in Salisbury, England, where it was immediately placed in a container of water to prevent further deterioration.
On May 15, 2024, after months of stewardship by Wessex Archaeology, the USS Jacob Jones bell would be formally turned over in a ceremony between the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy’s Second Sea Lord Vice Adm. Martin Connell and Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Kilby at Lancaster House in London, England. The bell would finally make its way Stateside, landing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and then be transported to NHHC’s UA Conservation, Research, and Archaeology Laboratory (CORAL) on the Washington Navy Yard. It would be here that the bell began its conservation treatment of desalination – the slow process to safely remove all the soluble salts from the bell before further treatment can be conducted, and where NHHC UA Lead Archaeological Conservator Shanna Daniel could begin methodically cleaning the bell using various tools such as dental picks, scalpels, and brushes to remove years of concreted sediment.
For Bob, though, with all the recent news about USS Jacob Jones and the bells’ recovery, he reflected on the many stories he heard about Reginald as a child and the whole picture his grandmother Anna painted to keep his memory alive. There became a desire to honor Reginald, his grandparents, and all the other relatives of his family who served this proud nation. But, to do this, he had to figure out a way to see the bell up close and personal.
In late 2024, Bob would reach out again to NHHC, contacting Alexis and being put in touch with the person most familiar with the bell and its path forward, Lead Archaeological Conservator Shanna Daniel. The two would send multiple emails, mostly about Bob's ties to the bell, questions about the process the bell was going through, and how he wanted to keep Reginald's memory alive. That is, until the talks began to focus on the logistics of Bob coming to Washington, D.C., and specifically, to the Washington Navy Yard to see the bell firsthand.
The time finally came, this year, when Bob and his wife, Tammy, would set out from their home in Idaho on a six-week cross-country trip that would be just one of the many highlights, finally getting the chance to see the Jacob Jones bell up close. Over multiple logistical emails with Shanna before departing, Bob and Tammy had planned their route from their hotel to the Washington Navy Yard Visitor Center, where Bob would call Shanna to let her know they had arrived.
Bob and Tammy would make their way to the Navy Yard using public transportation. As planned, Bob called Shanna to let her know they had arrived safely and were waiting at the front gate. After a brief in-person introduction and after all the emails, Shanna would lead them around the Navy Yard and ask about their trip so far, give a brief bit about the history of the Navy Yard, and most certainly talk about the bell; all while they were making their way to Building 46, where the UA’s CORAL is located.
The Jacob Jones bell was already out of its case, full of water, and perched on a broad stainless-steel worktable with a half-inch pad of foam underneath it. As Shanna brought Bob and Tammy into the lab, they would be introduced to Director Cox, NHHC's Director of Collection Management Division, Frank Thompson, and fellow Archaeological Conservator Kate Morrand. The group would exchange pleasantries and walk towards the bell, but stop short at a display of the Jacob Jones next to the bell’s location. Here, Bob would tell everyone about the information he found during all his research, about how the Jacob Jones had previously encountered U-53 in Newport, Rhode Island, in October 1916, and how Lt. Cmdr. Bagley, not yet the Jacob Jones’ commanding officer, would be a guest of Lt. (Kapitänleutnant)Hans Rose’s guests aboard the U-boat during an evening of entertainment. Director Cox, immensely knowledgeable about the Jacob Jones and her story, pointed to a section of the ship where Reginald’s berthing area was located and described the events to all in attendance.
Bob then discussed with the group the numerous family stories about Reginald and his grandmother, Anna. He surprised everyone when he pulled out a folder containing a very old image. It was a photograph of an original picture, but it was of Reginald, complete with his grandmother’s own handwriting on the back stating who it was. He wanted to ensure this photo would remain with the bell, so he donated it to NHHC, adding another piece that could help tell the story of USS Jacob Jones.
“I couldn’t have my grandmother or grandfather here, so I represented them. And to see something that has been talked about for 107 years, that was lost at sea and never to be heard from again, all of the sudden it's real, and makes it tangible,” said Bob.
Shanna invited Bob over to take a closer look at the bell. The two would don a pair of nitrile gloves, Bob standing there blissfully. At the same time, she would point out the barnacles and other aquatic life that made the bell their home before being raised to the surface, the clapper that’s somewhat movable, and where the name “USS JACOB JONES” could be read.
Bob enthusiastically asked if he could touch the bell, and Shanna said it was “ok” since he was wearing gloves. For him, an enormous smile overcame his face as he finally closed the loop – the possibility that his Great Uncle may have touched this same bell over 100 years earlier. He would take numerous photos of the bell from different angles, intending to share them with his family and with the genealogical page he built for public viewing.
“It adds to the validity of the stories I was told. I didn’t feel any shocking revelations when I touched it, but was like, I wasn’t touching it for me, I was touching it for all those family stories – especially that of my grandmother Anna and how she would never let that go, or for us to forget them out of her respect for servicemen,” said Bob. “So now, I have had a responsibility of carrying the story, adding segments to that story, and keep it alive.”
Before Bob and Tammy could say their goodbyes, photographs of the occasion had to be taken, especially one of Bob with the Jacob Jones bell and another with his Great Uncle's photo included. The duo would depart the Navy Yard for the remainder of their cross-country journey, forever appreciative of the opportunity to not only see the bell up close but also to touch a piece of history.
For the staff of NHHC, meeting Bob and Tammy and hearing the family stories all meant something to each of them in different ways.
“As a result of the publicity of finding the Jacob Jones, I have had the privilege to meet relatives of both a survivor of the sinking, and of a crewman who was lost. The gratitude that these relatives have shown in learning the details of what to them had become distant memories has indeed been professionally meaningful to me,” said Cox.
“It was such a privilege to meet Bob and hear about his family’s history, especially regarding his great uncle, Reginald Fisher, who was one of the Sailors aboard the USSJacob Jones,” said Shanna. “His visit provided a personal connection to the USSJacob Jonesbell, which brought home the reason why preserving and presenting the US Navy’s history is so important.”
As for the bell, it will continue going through desalination in a basic solution (high pH), where, occasionally, mechanical cleaning will continue to reveal the surface. Once the desalination process is complete and the surface is cleaned, it will undergo several more baths in water to continually lower the pH to neutral. Following the baths, it will be removed and dried in a controlled environment so that the final treatment of applying protective coatings can be applied, helping ensure it may endure another 100 years as part of the Navy’s collection.
“Now that we have it, the bell will eventually go on display in the new National Museum of the U.S. Navy,” said Cox.
For the actions taken during the sinking, the Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels provided ten of the crew with written commendations. In addition, Lt. Cmdr. Bagley, Lt. j.g. Kalk, and Seaman Second Class Burger were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest medal the Department could present at the time. The Navy would also name two destroyers in honor of Lt. j.g. Kalk. Four Sailors would receive a Navy Cross; Chief Boatswain’s Mate Harry Gibson, Chief Electrician’s Mate Laurence J. Jelley, Quartermaster Third Class Howard Chase, and Water Tender Edward Meier each received the Navy Cross.
For the 64 Sailors lost on board the Jacob Jones, they are forever memorialized by the [American Battle Monuments Commission](https://weremember.abmc.gov/); 56 at Brookwood American Cemetery in Brookwood, Surrey, United Kingdom, and eight others (one being Reginald) at the Suresnes American Cemetery in Suresnes, France. Reginald’s story will continue not only at Suresnes but also here at NHHC – through his photograph, the USS Jacob Jones bell, and this story.
“Although we endeavor to deter war, we may nevertheless find ourselves in combat with a determined and capable adversary and will need to demonstrate the courage and will to fight on, despite losses, as many U.S. Navy ships have done before,” said Cox.
To Fred and Mary, they realized what it meant to lose Reginald, and wanted to instill that importance to every new generation. This is no better highlighted than by Fred’s quote to the Indianapolis News on Dec. 10: “The rights of freedom and the love of justice to humanity should mean more to every American father and mother than the life of a son.”
For more information about the history of USS Jacob Jones (DD 61) and its wreck site, visit
[https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-i/history/the-sinking-of-jacob-jones.html](https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-i/history/the-sinking-of-jacob-jones.html). To learn more about the joint partnership of the United Kingdom and NHHC Underwater Archaeology Branch and the efforts to recover the bell of USS Jacob Jones (DD 61), visit [https://www.dvidshub.net/news/463658/uk-ministry-defence-partners-with-nhhc-recover-artifact-uss-jacob-jones](https://www.dvidshub.net/news/463658/uk-ministry-defence-partners-with-nhhc-recover-artifact-uss-jacob-jones).
The Naval History and Heritage Command, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, 10 museums, the USS Constitution repair facility and
the historic ship Nautilus.