MACHINIST MATE SECOND CLASS HENRY PHILIP FAVREAU was born around 1884. He had enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 16. A career sailor, he had married, and made his home with his wife Bertha at 1307 Lansdowne Avenue in Camden NJ. At the outbreak of World War I, he was serving aboard the USS Jacob Jones DD-61. It should be noted that his name has been recorded as Favereau, in the book Camden County In The Great War.

Jacob Jones, a Tucker-class destroyer, was launched 29 May 1915 at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards in Camden NJ. She was was commissioned in February 1916. Also aboard the Jacob Jones was another career sailor, Fireman First Class William F. Laskowski Jr., who lived a few blocks away at 1151 Haddon Avenue. 

The Jacob Jones served along the East Coast during the next year and conducted war patrols in the same area for a month after the United States' April 1917 entry into the First World War. In May 1917, Jacob Jones, under the command of Lieutenant Commander David Bagley crossed the Atlantic to begin anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort work out of Queenstown, Ireland. She rescued survivors of several torpedoed ships during the next several months. Arriving Queenstown, May 17, she immediately began patrol and convoy escort duty in waters of the United Kingdom. On July 8 she picked up 44 survivors of the British steamship Valetta, the victim of a German U-boat. Two weeks later, while escorting British steamship Dafila, Jacob Jones sighted a periscope; but the steamship was torpedoed before an attack on the submarine could be launched. Once again a rescue ship, Jacob Jones took on board 25 survivors of the stricken Dapfila. On 19 October she picked up 305 survivors of torpedoed British cruiser Orama. 

On December 6, 1917 Jacob Jones was one of six destroyers returning from Brest after escorting a convoy to France. At 1621, as she steamed independently in the vicinity of the Isles of Scilly, her watch sighted a torpedo wake about a thousand yards distant. Although the destroyer maneuvered to escape, the high-speed torpedo struck her starboard side, rupturing her fuel oil tank. The torpedo was  from the German submarine U-53. The crew worked courageously to save the ship; but as the stern sank, her depth charges exploded. Realizing the situation hopeless, Comdr. Bagley reluctantly ordered the ship abandoned. Eight minutes after being torpedoed, Jacob Jones sank with 64 men still on board.

Of the 38 survivors, two were taken prisoner by the U-boat, others rescued by two British ships that responded to a radio signal sent out by U-53’s Captain, Hans Rose, and reportedly, Lieutenant Commander Bagley and five others managed to row ashore. The U-53 sank over 90 ships in 1917 and 1918, and survived the war.

Henry Favreau was 33 when he was killed in action. He was survived by his wife Anna, of 1241 Lemon Street in Camden NJ. The book "Camden County in the Great War" gives Mrs. Favreau's first name as Bertha, and an address of 1307 Lansdowne Avenue, in Camden NJ.