United States Naval Reserve (USNR)
Alvin Lee Ledbetter
Service No.: 8340150
Ship Assignment: USS LST-507
Early Life and Family
Alvin Lee Ledbetter was born on 7th May 1913 in Richmond County, North Carolina, USA. He was the son of Neal Cleve Ledbetter, also recorded in the supplied family information as Neil Cleve Ledbetter, and Esther Mae Hall Ledbetter.
Alvin’s siblings included Mary Belle, Dorothy Mae, known as “Dot”, Helen and Esther Bernice. His family had strong connections with the Albemarle area of Stanly County, North Carolina, where Alvin later lived and worked.
On 13th March 1936, Alvin married Hazel Joy Hartsell, daughter of R. F. Hartsell and Pearl May Hartsell, in Stanly County, North Carolina. Navy casualty records subsequently identified his wife as Mrs Hazel Hartsel Ledbetter and gave the family address as 748 Austin Street, Albemarle. The spelling “Hartsel” in that record differs from “Hartsell” in the family information; the variation is retained here rather than silently corrected.
Alvin’s marriage and home in North Carolina provide an important part of his personal history. He was not simply a name on a wartime casualty list, but a husband whose life was closely connected to his family and community.
Identification
Full name: Alvin Lee Ledbetter
Rank: Seaman Second Class (SEA2)
Service branch: United States Naval Reserve (USNR)
Service number: 8340150
Civilian life and Registration
Alvin was living in Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, when he registered for the United States Selective Service on 16th October 1940. His registration details identify the E. Fird Manufacturing Company on Depot Street, Albemarle, as his employer.
This record offers a glimpse of Alvin’s civilian life in the years before the United States’ full involvement in the Second World War. It places him within the working community of Albemarle and provides a useful point of reference for researchers seeking to distinguish him from other men with the same surname.
The registration date should not be confused with his date of entry into military service. A separate enlistment or service record would be needed to establish his precise Navy enlistment date.
United States Naval Reserve Service
Alvin Lee Ledbetter served as a Seaman Second Class in the United States Naval Reserve during the Second World War. His service number was 8340150.
The Naval-History.net database of United States Navy casualties identifies him as “LEDBETTER, Alvin L”, SEA2, service number 8340150, aboard USS LST-507. The entry records his death as a combat casualty on 28 April 1944. A related casualty entry gives his full name as Alvin Lee Ledbetter and identifies Hazel as his wife.
USS LST-507 was a tank landing ship designed to transport troops, vehicles and equipment for amphibious operations. In the spring of 1944, it was taking part in the preparations for the Allied invasion of Normandy.
Exercise Tiger and the loss of USS LST-507
In April 1944, Allied forces conducted Exercise Tiger, a large-scale rehearsal for the forthcoming Normandy landings. The exercise involved the movement of troops and equipment through the waters off southern England, with Slapton Sands in Devon selected to simulate the conditions expected at Utah Beach.
During the early hours of 28th April 1944, Convoy T-4 was attacked by German E-boats in Lyme Bay. USS LST-507 was struck by a torpedo and caught fire. The damage forced those aboard to abandon ship, and other vessels attempted to rescue survivors from the sea.
The United States Naval History and Heritage Command records the attack on LST-507, the subsequent sinking of the ship and the efforts to recover survivors. USS LST-515 was among the vessels involved in rescue operations. The attack also resulted in the sinking of USS LST-531 and damage to USS LST-289.
Alvin Lee Ledbetter died on 28th April 1944, aged thirty. The Naval-History.net casualty database records him as killed in combat aboard LST-507 during the attack.
His death was part of the heavy loss of American naval personnel and soldiers during Exercise Tiger, a training operation intended to prepare Allied forces for the liberation of occupied Europe.
Burial and Remembrance
Alvin Lee Ledbetter was buried at Fairview Memorial Park in Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina. The Stanly County cemetery survey records his name and dates of birth and death, providing independent support for his identity and final resting place.
His death in the English Channel was far from his home in North Carolina, where his wife and family remained. The surviving records connect his naval service with the community in which he lived and worked before the war.
Alvin is remembered among the American servicemen who lost their lives during Exercise Tiger. His story helps preserve the individual histories behind the casualty figures: a husband from Albemarle who served in the United States Naval Reserve and died aboard LST-507 on 28th April 1944.
Honors and Memorials
Seaman 2c Alvin Ledbetter is commemorated on the Exercise Tiger Trust’s Roll of Honour. (Roll of Honour)
He is also commemorated at the Exercise Tiger Memorial at Torcross, Devon, where his name appears among the American servicemen lost during the disaster.
Alvin Lee Ledbetter has an entry in the American Memorial Chapel Roll of Honour at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, United Kingdom.
Sources and research notes
[H] Later historical research — Naval-History.net, US Navy casualties by name:
Records Alvin L. Ledbetter, SEA2, service number 8340150, USS LST-507, killed in combat on 28th April 1944. A related entry gives his full name as Alvin Lee Ledbetter and identifies his wife as Mrs Hazel Hartsel Ledbetter, of 748 Austin Street, Albemarle, North Carolina.
www.naval-history.net
[H] Later historical research — Naval-History.net, North Carolina Navy casualties:
Lists Alvin Lee Ledbetter, Seaman Second Class, USNR, and identifies his wife and address.
www.naval-history.net
[O] Official institutional history — Naval History and Heritage Command:
American Naval Fighting Ships entry for USS LST-507 documents the ship’s service and loss during Exercise Tiger.
www.history.navy.mil
[O/H] Cemetery record — Stanly County Cemetery Census:
Records Alvin Lee Ledbetter at Fairview Memorial Park, with dates of birth and death matching the biographical details supplied.
www.cemeterycensus.org
[C] Contemporary registration record — details supplied for research:
Selective Service registration dated 16th October 1940, Albemarle, North Carolina, naming E. Fird Manufacturing Company on Depot Street as employer. The original registration card should be cited directly if available online.
Family information supplied for this biography:
Parents, siblings, marriage details and extended family information should be cross-checked against census records, marriage documentation and original family records where possible.
Research notes
- Name: The casualty records identify him as Alvin Lee Ledbetter.
- Wife’s surname: The Navy casualty entry uses “Hartsel”; the supplied family information uses “Hartsell”. Both spellings are retained in the research record pending comparison with the original marriage certificate.
- Father’s name: The supplied information gives both “Neil” and “Neal” Cleve Ledbetter. The cemetery and related family records use “Neal Cleve Ledbetter”.
- Military service: The service number, rating, ship and date of death are supported by the Navy casualty database. The precise enlistment date has not been established from the sources cited here.
- Burial: Fairview Memorial Park, Albemarle, is supported by the cemetery survey.
