Mallory McCoy BURT

     Mallory McCoy BURT, son of Irby Leon BURT and Birdie Clyde WATTS, was born on 2 April 1921 in Cedar Grove, Bibb County, Alabama.^1,2

Mallory McCoy BURT appeared on a census, enumerated 15 April 1930, in the household of his parents Irby Leon BURT and Birdie Clyde WATTS in Beat 2, Bibb County, Alabama. He was recorded as Mallory M. Burt, age 9.³ He witnessed the burial of George Weaver WATTS in Scottsville Cemetery, Bibb County, Alabama.

Mallory McCoy BURT appeared on a census, enumerated 17 April 1940, in the household of his parents Irby Leon BURT and Birdie Clyde WATTS in West Blocton, Bibb County, Alabama. He was enumerated as Mallory Burt, age 19, with three years of high school. He graduated in 1941 at West Blocton High School .

Mallory was registered for the draft during World War II on 16 February 1942 while living in West Blocton, Bibb County, Alabama. He was 20 years old and employed by I. L. Burt sawmill in West Blocton. He was discribed as 5' 10", 165 lbs., with gray eyes, brown hair and light complexion.⁴

Mallory served in the U. S. Navy during World War II between 1942 and 1945. He enlisted 10 Jul 1942 as a seaman second class. He trained at San Diego, California before being sent to the quartermaster school in Newport, Rhode Island. He then attended amphibious training in Virginia. He was assigned as a signalman 2nd class on a Landing Craft Tank version 5. The LCT(5) was 117 long by 32 feet wide. It had a crew of one officer and 12 enlisted men. It could land up to four tanks or could also be used to land troops. It was generally carried to the landing site onboard a LST (Landing Ship Tank) or could be transported in three sections aboard a freighter. On 30 Apr 1944 he appeared on muster roll for LCT Flotilla 4 promoted from signalman third class (SM3c) to second class (SM2c). Mallory served in the 6 Jun 1944 D-Day Invasion in LCT Flotilla 4 at Utah Beach under Lt. Cmdr. Louis E. Hubbard. One of the duties of the signal man in combat was as pointer for one of the LCT's two 20mm canons. His ship was probably also used to transport wounded troops from the battle. Following Normandy he spent the remainder of the war in naval training centers at Chicago and the Great Lakes. He was honorably discharged 19 Oct 1945. He received the American Campaign medal, WWII Victory Medal, Amphibious Force Insignia, and European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.⁵ He was living on 22 March 1945 in 14th Regiment, Bld. 1400, Camp Moffett, Great Lakes, Illinois. His rank was Seaman 2nd class.

Mallory McCoy BURT was mentioned in the obituary of George Edsel BURT on 12 April 1945 in the Centreville Press. He was still in service and stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois at the time.⁶ After the war he operated a farm in West Blocton.

Mallory McCoy BURT was mentioned in the obituary of George Edsel BURT on 28 October 1948 in the The Centreville Press. At the time he was living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.⁷

Mallory McCoy BURT died on 31 January 1999 in West Blocton, Bibb County, Alabama, at age 77.^1,2

Mallory's obituary was printed on 2 February 1999 in the Birmingham News newspaper, published in Birmingham, Alabama. It read: "Mallory McCoy Burt, age 77, of West Blocton, died Sunday, January 31, 1999. Funeral services will be Wednesday, February 3; at 11 AM at Rockco's Funeral Home, Centreville with burial in Southern Heritage Cemetery, Pelham. Visitation will be Tuesday, February 2, 6 PM until 8 PM. Survivors: wife, Johnnie Ruth Harrison Burt of West Blocton; son, Mallory Dan Burt of Birmingham; daughters, Landra Marlene Jennings of Oneonta and Owanna Ruth Victory of Charlotte, NC; brothers, Vincent A. Burt and Varner L. Burt, both of West Blocton; sisters, French B. Brown of Prattville, Ferry B. Dale of Adamsville, and Wynell B. Welch of Gadsden; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Rockco's Funeral Home of Centreville directing."⁸ He was buried on 3 February 1999 in Southern Heritage Cemetery, Pelham, Jefferson County, Alabama.