Earle Wayne Freed Childs

Lieutenant Earle Wayne Freed Childs (1 August, 1893 – 2 March, 1918) was an officer in the United States Navy.

Life & Career

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Earle Childs was born 1 August, 1893 in Philadelphia. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from Pennsylvania on 10 July, 1911.

Childs graduated the Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 1915, and was promoted to the rank of Ensign on 5 June, 1915. He was appointed to the submarine tender Fulton on 4 September, 1915 for submarine duty.

The U.S. Navy's rapid growth meant junior officers were promoted quickly, and Childs was one of many who benefited. As a lieutenant, he served in the submarine L-2 after America's entry into the First World War. Shortly afterwards he was sent to work with the Royal Navy's submarine forces as an observer. While performing this duty, Childs was killed when the British submarine H 5 was rammed and sunk with all hands by the S.S. Rutherglen in Carnarvon Bay on the night of 2 March, 1918.

The U.S. Navy subsequently named the destroyer Childs in his honor.

See Also

• Dictionary of American Fighting Ships - Childs
• Wikipedia