William McCall Haynsworth, Jr., was born in Darlington, S.C., 16 January 1901, and appointed Midshipman from the Sixth Congressional District of South Carolina 19 June 1919. After graduation from the Naval Academy he reported for duty on board destroyer MAHAN, 16 June 1924, and was detached in April 1928 for postgraduate instruction in mechanical engineering at the Naval Academy, followed by postgraduate work at various colleges and industrial plants. He was assigned to cruiser HOUSTON, 10 November 1930 and detached in February 1934 to serve at the Naval Research Laboratory, Bellevue, District of Columbia until June 1936 when he was ordered to HOUSTON as Assistant Fire Control Officer.
In April 1939 he reported to Charleston Navy Yard in connection with fitting out of INGRAHAM (DD-444). He assumed command of INGRAHAM 19 July 1941 and with the outbreak of World War II commenced escort duty for convoys sailing from New York and Halifax to the British Isles. INGRAHAM, while investigating the collision of destroyer BUCK with a merchant vessel, was rammed by fleet oiler CHEMUNG in dense fog off Nova Scotia, 22 August 1942. The force of the collision exploded INGRAHAM, killing Commander Haynsworth and all but ten men and one officer.
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