Project 888
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Name: Burl Down SCOTT Rank / Rating: STM2-Steward Service #: 968 48 17 DOB: Oct 18, 1923 From: Bering, TX Parents: Went Aboard: Unknown Age When Ship Went Down: 21 years, 9 months, 12 days Spouse: Mary Andrews Scott Children: Bobbie Faye Scott Grandchildren: Bio Submitted By: Jane Gwinn Goodall |
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The east Texas town of Manning was the birthplace of Indy sailor Burl (Birl) Down Scott. He was born on 18 October 1923. Navy records spelled his name Burl Down Scott; however, he spelled it "Birl." Through Ancestry.com we were able to locate his draft registration, which was signed on 30 June 1942 in Bering, Polk County, Texas.
He was not employed and listed Jeff Scott as his next of kin at the time of the draft signing.
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| The date that Burl (Birl) first boarded USS Indianapolis (CA-35) is unknown. His name first appears on Indy’s muster rolls for the list of casualties. It is assumed that he was one of the roughly 25% of the ship’s company who were new recruits or transfers joining the ship in Mare Island for the time-sensitive secret mission. He served as Steward’s Mate Second Class. He was 21 years old when Indy was lost to the sea. His name was listed among the Navy Casualties (previously reported missing) in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas on 8 Oct 1945. Burl (Birl) Down Scott was married to Mary Andrews Scott. His wife, Mrs. Mary Andrews Scott was living in Trinity, Texas at the time she was notified of Scott’s death. To learn more about his family, we probed obituary records linked to his name. According to the records, he and his wife, Mary, had a daughter, Bobbie Faye Scott who was born on 6 August 1944. She would have been nearly one year old when her father died. Bobbie was a college student when she passed away at age 21 from leukemia. We were not able to find information about his widow, Mary Andrews Scott. | |
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 | Burl Down SCOTT, STM2-Steward, was one of 28 African-American men who were members of the Steward Branch, the only division on the ship in which there was not a single survivor. The restricted duties of the Steward Branch were to serve the officers of the ship, including the admiral's and captain's wardrooms, dining areas and sleeping quarters. The services were essential to the smooth and efficient running of Indianapolis. Many of Indianapolis's African-American crew members voluntarily performed duties as gunners' mates, assigned to a specific battle station as one complete unit. More details about the valuable service of these men can be found by reading the book: 'Heroes in the Shadows: The Untold Story of the African American Sailors Aboard USS Indianapolis (CA-35)', by Jane Gwinn Goodall, with contributions from Janice Alston and Arlene Taylor (Henry Jackson, StM1), Jeanette Pitts, M.D. (Albert Rice, StM1), and Jacqueline Dugan and Ernestine Peete (Magellan Williams, StM1). |
