Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1943 Lucky Bag:

EUGENE JOHN CANTY

This genial Irishman left the Marine Corps Reserve unit at Boston College to enter the academy, where he has been a versatile athlete, participating in battalion basketball, football, track, B squad basketball, company softball, golf and tennis. Although frequently vowing, “I’ll never drag blind again!” he always did. As he got along very well with all girls, he very nearly became a snake. When not busy with sports or dragging, his time was occupied by the Boat Club, reading or sleeping. Gene’s high sense of decency and good-natured cheerfulness should take him far towards a successful career.

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The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

From Find A Grave:

24 year-old son of Eugene Martin Canty of the Somerville Police Dept, and the late Mary Ellen Sullivan; loved brother of John, James (Jim), Lawrence, and Frank.

LtJg. Eugene John Canty, class of 1943, was one of two hundred ten officers and men who gave their lives when USS Maddox (DD 622) was hit and sunk by German aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Gela, Sicily.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Eugene graduated from Somerville High School in 1936. He was a junior at Boston College when he was nominated to the Naval Academy by Representative Arthur D. Healy of the 8th Congressional District. He was a charter member of the Boston College Marine Corps Reserve and spent a summer at the marine base at Quantico, Virginia.

In addition to his parents, Eugene was survived by three brothers, Ensign James, U. S. N. R.; PFC John T., a Marine; and Francis attending Boston College.

From the Class of 1943 anniversary book “25 years later…”:

Gene was born in Somerville, Massachusetts on 18 May 1919. He was appointed from Massachusetts and entered the Academy on 14 July 1939. Upon graduation he was ordered to Kearney, New Jersey, in connection with the commissioning and fitting out of the destroyer USS MADDOX. While serving aboard Maddox on 11 July 1944 when the ship was bombed and sunk off Gela, Sicily, Gene lost his life. He was entitled to wear the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp and the European-African-Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medals. He was survived by his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene M. Canty who at Gene’s death resided at 48 Pearl Street, Somerville, Massachusetts.

His parents were listed as next of kin.