 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Chronicle begins
Panama Canal
“”’~~WBeiiJu~ 19 the eLafce’of arrival at Tatoga Naval Base, and.
September the second most of-the .time was spent getting ready to go ‘on-out
to‘ he bttl’F3 area. In that time we got all the guns in first class order.
We taie-wthat I ey were because there WBBB firing practice I every once in a
while in whffioh there was an army plane lowing as aleeve for the gunners to
shoot at. *at. The guns worked, okay. All the torpedo .tubes
were made ready to take on fish and just at the last minute the fish were
taken aboard, charged and placed in the tubes. The bottom of the boat was
sanded and repainted. Along with’- this operation the screws were
reconditioned and the bottom patched where it had to be. We took one trip to
a Banana plantation that was really worth while, l*I’ve written the full
particulars of that to Jane already and I won*t mention it
again. About the twenty fifth
of August the word was passed that group Baker was to sail on the Gulf
tanker Maricabo to Epic. That got every one mighty excited. No they didn’t
feel brave and wanting to fight’ but knew that the quickest way home was
thru a battle area. Every one was iulow LJ.-at ~nee u,u.J-u~os-c Iflray
S.I.WIW m’cio OUJ.U o. UU.UUG area. Jively oiie was very much wanting to get
home too. There was a lot of speculation as to where Epic was too. We knew
that that was a code: name but didn’t know where. We also knew that there
would have to he a crane where we unloaded to take us off the tanker and
there were two in the South West Pacific. One in Brisbane Australia and the
other at Numea, New Caledonia. The latter proved to be the right one, On the
afternoon of Sept second the tanker came back thru the e canal to take on
the cargo of ]?T boats. She had passed thru about a week before going over
to get a cargo of oil and gasoline jobs at an island off the coast of
wenezuela. The tanker was pushed over along-side the dock about five in the
afternoon and the loading started pretty soon at lei-ward. The second
largest floating crane in the world was to be the hoist The second largest
floating crane in. -the world, was to TDQ the hoist that loaded us. The
cradles were svmng down. under the ‘boats and gotten in the exact spot then
up we went. That crane can pick up two hundred .and fifty tons so we were a
mere drop in tae bucket.
They had us all up on the tanker and the cradled bolted down by ilvdnite.
Then started. the crew of pan~anian888 loading on all the saagii supplies.
It was ordered red that all the squadron *t supplies were to be taken by
group Baker. There was a regular warehouse in the forward end of the ship
and with all the materials that the squadron had collected it only was a
little over half full -when they stopped at the end of the pile.
There as another load of supplies being sent from San Francisco too. That
includes thirty spare engines for the boats, e boar-s, a jeep, a toCH truck
and there isn’t any telling what else.
All day Sept third they spent tying down the boats with giant Eate cables so
the heavy seas wouldn’t move the boats around, in the cradled.
After that they chipped off the rust and painted the Stanchions that the
cradles were resting on. We let all the men go ashore for the last time but
they are to be aboard at midnight. All the ranker crew is to do likewise so
probably the trip will start sometime before daylight.
This is the first time that most of the boys have crossed the line and there
is always a ceremony for those that cross the first time.
There are only three shellbacks in the squadron at present and only one of
those is with this first group to go.
PAGE 2 I woke up about six thirty on the morning of the
fourth and when I looked out I saw the “buoys that marked the channel. to
the canal, We were really getting out in the right direction anyhow, We
were to convert all the engines to 1500 horse power while on the tanker hut
In some slip up the necessary haarings had been left at Tatoga and with out
those we couldn’t do any thing toward that.
As we passed Tatoga out came one of out boats that had been left to come in
the Second group. The Captain was bringing out those bearings. After we had
gotten those aboard by passing a line over to the tanker we were told that
several of the boys had brought library books with them. We gathered those
up and sent them back. All this was done with the boats going right along
too.
When all this had been finished the Captain laid two large 7* s with smoke
then went on back to Taboga. He looked as if he had rather be with this
bunch than get the trip back to Washington and them fly out.
All that day we stayed on a course of due south but just at sunset change to
a south west direction. We had seen a carrier and a tin can at Balboa but
they hadn’t left when we did. Just 8-1 sunset we lighted them off in the
distance. They were evidently headed up to the west sas coast of the state
somewhere.
I had expected to be in a convoy but we are right by ourselves and will be
the whole trip. In the last two weeks two battleships, South Dakota and
Alabama, seven Carriers, twelve heavily laden trans- ports, and a. drove of
destroyers, cruisers, L.S.Ts have passed thru the canal and headed west.
Besides this there are numerous ships from the west coast putting out. I
think that there will be a lot going out in the battle area in the Pacific
in the near future.
The night of the fourth most of the officers spent reading and talking. All
the lights have to be out at sunset. There is a ward room that the light
won’t leak out of , so we used that.
The fifth was Sunday so there wasn’t much work done. The idea was to let the
men get a little rest. They had about ell used up all the surplus energy on
the last night tare. It was two months ago that this bunch pulled out of
Miami and started this “.vsy.
All afternoon I caught up on writing. letters. I am pretty slow in getting
them written . Went to sleep myself at sunset. On the morning of the sixth
the sea was pretty high and the wind that blew was mighty cold. It was
almost like a winter day. None off the boys seemed to be sea sick though.
All were as usual hungry. That morning we got started to sanding the sides
of the boat. We wanted to get the bottom first but the other boats were
using all the scrap ‘rd and we had decided to do something else for the time
being. We got quite a bit done that morning but just after noon we were told
that King Neptune had to have a meeting of all the Pollywogs, We all knew
what that meant.
Whenever one crosses the equator for the first time he gets an initiation
into the order of shellbacks and this was our turn to get it. We were all
ordered to take off watches h-nive r~s-lirts, and any other waluables that
might get hurt in a little rough treatment.
I was among the first to go thru . That proved to be a definite advantage
later. We had to kneel before King Neptune, one of the boys who had been
dressed for the occasion. When we told him that we wanted to become a shell
beck we were blind folded and taken on down the line.
PAGE 3 : . -k-: nr, to liav-e
outhail:~edf’or~lo’Slr~~*elley.~Z about five swaths acrods and 1118~80113.1
up so ‘te<abhafcit would later have to all te out off. Next we were set on a
stool and told to smile for a picture. and. told to. Just as we got out a
grin they opened a fire hydrant in our faces and. It looked. as if they
would never turn the thing off. Next there was a walk down a flying
‘brid.gefchat connecting the poop deck and the control tower. This had a
railing on either side about waist high and it kept it I lines ties across
it at irregular intervals. On either aide of this the shellbacks were lined
up to give it to the new men with a paddle as they passed along. After we
had gone down this for about five yards -we had to stop turn out fact to the
sun said opens out mouths. Here they dropped in a wad of dough and pepper
that the cook had fixed. A About five steps farther we had to raise our
hands up to the shy a and while we were in that position they daubed tar
under our arms and in our hair. All this time we were blind folded and
didn’t know too much about what was going on.
Just as they got the tar on a stream of water hit us again. They has a hose
playing onus. At the end of the walk we had to stand up on a box and turn
around. We were told when we could shout shellback loud K enough to be heard
that the initiation would be over. I was all set to let out a big one when I
was pushed backward into a tank of water.
I came out ‘he other end all sputtering and fore I got the blindfold off
thee Bas a large w painted on either side of lay chest with orange paint.
Mess. Good gosh. I went back up the line and joined In ~the the ribbing
though, and dished out my share after that.
Most all the fellows washed out all the tar with paint thinner t en shaved
off their hair. They are ell sights. I had mine cut pretty snort but not all
the \”a~, The night of the sixth we all went down to the ward room and read,
arid sang till the wee hours 2100. As I came back onboard the 2i+2 the
watch reported a light to starboard. It proved to be the Galapagos island
light . That is steaKfc the last one we will see for quite a while now. That
one is about a thousand miles from Panama. We have six thousand two
hundred, left before we get off the tanker then about six hundred, more to
p-,o on our own power -bo get to our base. There is talk that we will be
lowed behind a tin can that last distance.
Along about midnight I woke up cold. The blankets had to be unpacked~ That
was ‘the first time that we had slept under blankets since we got the boats
and then right on the equator. Ha.
Some of the boys had done their cleaning on the deck so it took a all
morning to get the deck looking fit to TEK walk across again.
All day long the win~ wind kept up~ up and the air was mighty cold. Every
one had to either work or wear a coat. In the afternoon we got the boys
started on the outside of the boat We decided that the thing to &o was to
get the whole boat one last going ‘ over. The bottom ri too because the new
brand of paint proved to be pretty sowry.
. That night I was tired and didn’t go over to do any reading
but j turned in early. Next morning I woke up at the usual hour but no
one else did. We had changed the hour going thru a new time belt. All day
the 1
PAGE # 4 Off pretty easily unless there was a hit right under
the boat then a-all the blazing oil would get in the way and probably force
us to forget the ship and get off ourselves and leave it to burn.
The morning of the ninth the sides were about half sanded so we got two of
the boys started to painting. We figured that the rest could stay ahead of
then. It was a. pretty big job using a ladder as a scaffold and swinging
that heavy thing by lines around the shop so they could do the painting from
it. When the boys were sanding they used a bosun’s chair but that wouldn’t
do at all in the painting operation. Ere night had come the boat was half
painted and we were all pleased with the way that things were coming.
On the morning of the tenth something happened that gave every- one e new
lift. The radioman gets out a sheet of news that has come RK over the wires
the previous night and has it in the mess reoms every morning. This morning
had the account of the invasion and subsequent withdrawal of Italy from the
war. That had every one happy. When the boys started to work they were all
whistling and happy. All had a lot more confidence in the “prospect of
getting in a punch themselves at the Japs.
\ This is the first Higgins_ squadron that has been sent out to the ‘
South West Pacific. The others are either in the Aleutian’s or in the ;
Mediterranean . We have got to prove that they are good or that they ‘
aren’t one or the other. I hope that they give us something right off cause
I feel pretty confident that they are good.
At Noon ‘one Doctor had us all line up for the last Tetanus shots] We had to
get that one about s. month before getting into the battle area and this was
the tallied. This was the first one that I’ve had that didn’t hurt~ like the
devil. : h:y night we had all
the sides, the chart chubs, turrets and torpedo tubes all repainted. There
had “been a little work on the bottom too. The ‘bottom seems to have had a
crust of “paint on it that comes off pretty easily with a little scraping.
The work is coming along- fine.
On the morning of the eleventh we ~got the whole r-r-na on the bottom of
the Dual with scrapers. This is Saturday again and we like to let them have
Saturday afternoon and Sunday off. This gives them time ! to wash their
clothes and to do other things that~ might n-ed to s get done.
At four in the morning on the twelfth the ship slowed k down. The two
boilers had been under quite a strain the whole trip and in one of them
eight tubes had gone bad. The speed could have been kept up but it might
have blown up or at least oPeP strained the .
other one. It took till Monday morning at about four to get those tubes
fixed and ready to go again. All that time we were making about ~ Q ~
~Y \f~ It fat Q All Sunday the twelfth the men had a good rest. I got
several letters written and did a good bit of reading. In the afternoon the
boy on the 240 had to do a little extra duty. One morning about a week ago
they had failed to show up for morning muster. The watch hadn’t waked t
them. Well they had to spend Sunday afternoon chipping Jf& rust from the
stanchions that the cradles are resting on. These are to be painted tit 1 fl
t f~T* mr, . night after we had all done the usual amount of reading and
were about to turn the whole bunch got in the mood to air out their
opinions so in a wery interesting airing the talk lasted till three : in
the morning. I left at midnight.
PAGE # .
The thirteenth we got the boys back “to scraping on the bottom. Hope to just
aboutget thru with that this week. It seems good to be going full speed
again too.
Oh the twelfth the torpedo man got the urge to pull his fish out of, the
tubes for the weekly check up. The P.T. 242 Is the only one that has: had
that done to date now.
The morning was spent by me* learning a few of the ideas to be used . by
other boats in their patrols. That is night payrolls in the combat a’ area
The thirteenth was a pretty uneventful day other than that. : The
fourteenth we had an inspection of the bottoms of the boats. ‘ None of the
three that were being scraped were ready to get the first coat of paint yet.
The boys didn’t like the job anyhow and I the idea of having to sand
it again wasn’t any too cheerful an order.
That Night we had the first of a series of night classes for the ‘
officers on Navigation. Mostly to brush up on what had been forgotten. This
wasn’t too good either because the night had been a pleasure all \ the way.
It was then that everyone got to do as he pleased and read if he wanted
to. \ The
fifteenth, The boys got the bottom finished of the 2J+2 and I have it
ready for the paint, in the afternoon the Doctor had a first aid class on
fractured $ones end. what to do till the patient got back to
base.
‘ The sixteenth we got the first coat of paint on. It looks pretty nice
under there now. All the officers were issued new raincoats too. Before we
got tliry painting the seas were beginning to come over the ship in a pretty
heavy manner. The other boats had to just about stop at the work that was
going on outside. It so happened that outs is on the leeward side of the
boat and is the only one protected from 1. this new sea. The raincoats are
a mile too big. Seems-that every thing that is ever is-aues is a poor i’io.
That may be the reason that so much of the navy stuff is wasted. If things
fitted well everyone would take a lot better care of it. I hope that later
when all the stores are unpack-ed that they will give us a chance to turn
these in for a size that will look a little better. In the afternoon an
order came out from the squadron exec. .that all junior officers and base
force officers were to refrain from coming in his quarters to congregate
unless we were invited. That burned me up. Looks as if he has the brains of
about a two year old.
I typed out an invitation to use the ward room ftaxx of the 242 at any and
all timed for meetings of any kind. I pasted it up in a conspicuous place
where all the officers would see it. I’ll probably get a talking to later
because he probably saw it too.
The seventeenth we slowed down again,, There wasn’t any trouble ~K with the
boilers this tine around. we were all wondering whet the delay was but there
seemed. no answer. About as suddenly as we had slowed down we ca-came back
to normal speed again about twelve hours later. Our latitude is already
south of that of Numea and we are still going south. That also seems to be
kind of funny. We got the bottom all sanded and a second cent of paint on
t,’ is morning. Gave the bunch the rest of the day off. Just after dinner we
had another boat drill too. There was some mix-up on the sicnsis though and
we secured before we were all thru with the drill and coup,’, .-b the devil
for that.
PAGE 6 ~*>.?”-l”lS!~--p!aaB~~T!~~.’;-.’-;’-.- -‘.- ..- ;;;:
;~-:-;ci -;--- the eighteenth all the boys started, wigorously at the
10110111 of the boat. This .was the last that they would have to do ; to it
for the trip at least. Then too this was Saturday and they all J wanted to
get every thing all squared away for Sunday. That was all finished about
the middle of the afternoon and ‘we gave them till I Monday morning to
catch up with-their reading and sleeping.
Bans Holier had gotten the idea that if he trimmed his mustache in stead of
shaving it that he would not be wiolating any of the rules of the Bearded
Brother hood. We thought differently though and decided to have a trial and
see if it was or wasn’t. Dr. Bahnson was the judge, ‘ Oilie Fannin was the
D.A., Bob Walker was Defense council, I was - the sheriff and the jury
included Dick Prideaux, Alpine MoLane, ~ Harry Rinder and Bob Sweet,
each having three wotes so there could be a total of twelve. We got a
Subpoena up and. I served it at noon and he was to come , before the court
at 1900 There really was a high time thru the ; trial. The Jury tied
on the woting and we sent them out to deliberate- I ate further. They
finally found him guilty and the Judge left the sentence up to the bearded
Brotherhood. The penalty was to have every hair on the whole body removed on
the offender but we decided that the hair on the top of his head would be
enough. After his pleadings . we finally cut it all off so he would look a
little better. After the court we decided that we would all trim
them : The morning of the nineteenth we slept late.
There was no morning muster because this was. Sunday and all the bunch were
to have a holiday. All the-Boat Captains had a look around and after finding
all the men present reported that none had fallen over the side.
About nine in the morning general quarters were sounded. There was a ship in
sight and its identity though known to ‘the tanker Captain was not known to
us and. then too it was good practice. It Was the D.E. 10 that had come out
to convoy us in the rest of the way. There had not been a ship in sight in a
long time end this one really did give the gang a log of encouragement. Like
having company after not seeing any one for a 16ng time. The D.E. came up
blinking but since there was no immediate answer he came in close and.
talked with the P.A. system on the boat. It was just like the scene in Mrs.
Minerva when all the little boats were assembled to go across the channel to
Dunqueroue and the Destroyer was using such a mean’s to give them
instructions. He wanted to know -the top speed of the tanker. U kts. Then he
TKS. wanted to know the speed that the Captain wished to use. 14 kts. Next
he wanted to know if we had an~8%9sigs flag signals to use as a means of
coinmunio8.tion We did. He was to take a post 2500 to 3300 yards ill front,
of us and. stay there the rest of the trip. I thought that we would be in a
convoy all the time but guess there are too “.any ships coming out now to
have them all wait and come together, It*s is a pretty comfortable feeling-
to ‘:have t-‘.is Navy boat with us though. He had Radar and Sonic equipment
aboard which will warn him of anything t at comes up either on the surface
or under the water. G-guess they will send something out later for the real
off js.
the squadron. It is two days back of us. Hope they don*t. b have any
trouble.
‘ ...
I left the mess room about eleven twenty Sunday night. After being in where
there was a lot of light It was dark as the wery devil out side. It usually
takes about ten minutes to get to where one can see in the dark after being
in a lighted room. Instead of waiting in the doorway till I could see I want
feeling my way along the flying bridge between the poop deck and the ttrigge.
That was the path back to the boat.*- Just as I got half way there was a
loud boob as the DB opened up with that Bond speaker of theirs. They had
come back to give the Captain a little Information that they had picked up.
There is no radio communication between it or the tanker and there are
definitely no lights to be used to get messages.
An unidentified ship was 17 miles away bearing 350 on a course of 220, and
making 1$ knots. There just wasn’t any sense in our getting all tangled up
with him so the course was changed to due north for about fit teem minutes.
After the DE had given us that inffiennation back out into the nitehe slid.
It really does seem finny to have a little ship like that fesc taking care
of a big one like this one Is. It is a hell of a lot bigger than the FTs at
that.
The twentieth I woke up with a headache. The night before one of the boys
had broken out a bottle of Bacardi Rum that he was hoarding. Four of us
drank the whole bottle and were feeling pretty high when we went to bed.
After breakfast we spent two hours in a meeting of the officers swapping
ideas that we had gotten. It is a darn good thing to have a session like
that once in a while and let the ideas get to the whole lot of boats.
The rest of the day nothing important happened. The twenty-first we had our?
first real general quarters. The D3 thought that there was a submarine echo
on their sound gear.
We were all pretty well excited but after about ten minutes there was an all
clear.
The twenty second we got the bottom sanded for the last time. Then got the
men started on the deck. That has been put off ever since we got the boat.
The twenty third I cleaned out and straightened the lazarette. Thaw place
was in quite a mess. It is to the boat like some old closet where every
thing that isn’t needed at present is put.
There was not and twenty fourth. We crossed the date line and n missed one.
We went to bed the 23 and woke up the 25th. Longest I ever slept
bu the calendar. I worked on the ward room of the 242 about all morning the
2$th. Alpine got the deck washed the place where it wasn’t token care of tex before. VTaa sitting down to lunch when general quarters was sounded.
Turned out to be a false alarm. All afternoon we painted. I made out a list
of -‘all the personal gear that I have that I could claim reimbursement on
if we should get sunk. It mounted to a little over ~700. At four o’clock
there was another general quarters This too was a false alarm but in both
cases the D.E. thought that they had a sub for sure. There may be one
lurking that wants to make a kill.
Who Knows? PAGE 8 PAGE 8 ~ The
twenty sixth. we had<3.ameefcjLn& of all the officers again.
This one was about the dullest that I ever hope to go to. It was rsa: really
a fowl one. The main item was how to get the lights in the chart house so
they could, “be used. and. not be seen by tile enemy.
After it was allover I got a piece of canvass a need-le and. a sewing palm
and. made a cover for the reflector that is over the light. I painted th$s
red.. Red is the .only color that that one may look at and not retart their
wision at night. Since it takes about thirty minutes to get to be able to
see again after getting into any other color it is a pretty important item.
The idea seemed, to work like a charm.
That afternoon Dr. told me that there was a lot of malaria out in the new
Hebrides and that we should, all get screens made for all the hatches as
well as getting the bunks all screened as a double precaution. I got started
on my bunk at once. Since having had it once I definitely didn’t want it
again. The twenty seventh I finished my bunk and got the gang to work on
theirs. At the same time there was an order to the carpenters and metal
smiths to get screens made for all the hatches. These had been made once
before in New Orleans but they had all gotten torn up pretty badly.
That afternoon the Maracaibo changed course. The original i~sr$jrwww
destination had. been Noumea. New, Hew Caledonia but they were going to
Segund sound whish is formed by- two islands in the Hev” Hebrides and the
“B.S. navy uses it for an advanced base. This made every one happy because
had we gone to Noumea there would have been a 600 mile jaunt up here and
that long a jump in one spurt is a. pretty long one.
The thing that would have been so bad about it is that we would have to
have gone all the way on one engine and that one at idling speed to have had
enough gas to made it.
The twenty eighth I finished up a mosquito bar that I had gotten started,
there had to be sis: of those foe the boys th?t sBiept on the transoms and
there were just five issued tons. I was sewing t the sixth. That afternoon
at two thirty we sighted the pilot ship coming out to meet us. We had
sighted land. early in the morning and.
it looked mighty good. to us. Just at noon there were a lot of patrol planes
too and one of them an S03C had been assigned to stay with us There would
have been e. sad day if we had gotten this far and not get the rest of the
way.
The -pilot ship came along side and a warrant bosun came aboard to tell us
“how to go to keep free of the mine fields. When he got aboard the D5 was
ordered to fall in behind, ‘.’his did look funny. We had. been used to
having it out front protection us and now we were taking care mf it.
The two islands that rEor7;2en the sound ~were about a mile apart and L~e
water in between about fifty:.- fathoms right un to the bank. The Navy had
put nets across both ends and all the ships could, stay in there with
safety. It surprised us all when wie got around ‘the bend to see three
carriers two cruiser8, about half a dozen tin cans and a lot of other ships
in there, ,It pulled down $jp~ between and dropped the hook right at the
end of 611 of them. There were a couple of men from the port director’s-
port office that oared out to : make arrangements t get the cargo of boats
and oil off.
The twenty ninth we were w.r as usual , well maybe not as usual because
everyone ‘.’woke up a lot sooner. The boat had been so s still that \we
couldn’t sleep any longer.
_”4 ‘ ,’ ‘.. ‘ . ‘ ,*.
\ ‘ ~ :-‘K ‘ ‘ “ “ f “~ ..* PAGE
9~.~.-: ,- e About eight o’clock’
111~~s a~ came out to get us off. We had. all.,--charged ~,jbli~Lfcla~~Lncll,g~
ndi; cabled off that 338 were holding the boat secure on the chocks.
We were all ready to get off in the water.
Well the crane got all hooked up and started to lift the first one off 243
, When it had lifted to it’s last grunt the “boat hadn’t* been “budged so
they were to get a new crane. These were the kind that could only lift
straight up. They were on a “barge and there was a tug tied to the “barge
that would leave it ‘around till it was in the right position to do the
lifting and letting down. They were to get that era out the next morning at
eight Just after dinner six of us decider to go ashore and see what t the
place was like. Joe Butterworth, ?ph Walker, Tom Dalton, tians Mooler, Dr.
Bahnson and 1. We commandeered a “boat to get in and none of us had the
slightest idea ~Ln how we would Error! Reference source not found.
“back. The idea at hand was to get in We were wery pleased to note that the
cox’n took care of his boat and didn’t try to slam it into anything like the
ones did at Taboga. There were a lots of reefs and these coral strips could
cut the bottom out of the boat if they got close.
When we hit the bank ir. and I went in one direction to get the mail that
had accumulated to the Post Office. The rest went toward the PT base , ~eee
had been separated about five minutes when up rolled this big truck with all
the rest of them hanging on. Tom xfa had run into a bey that he knew and he
had a truck.-We were to have-fasasspiaz~ transportation, we first went up
U.S. no. I That was the road along t the water front that went to the post
office. There we got rid. of the letters and found out that they sent all X
mail whether it had s. stamp or pot the same way. Some one must be
collecting a ‘lot of good stamps The boys also told us that the airmail was
usually a lot cheaper too. There is a plane out of here every morning to
haul the mail. Then Dr. and I went up the hill to get the censorship
regulations for this district. All the shore works were under a huge palm
grove. Back about 1890 “the Lever brothers that make Life Buoy soap got hold
of a world of land out here to grow cocoanuts for? the oil they had quite an
elaborate array of trying kilns etc., all over , n When we got back into
the truck we started out to see the whole place There ~re three giant
runways on the island. They are really wide roads with a steel mat covering
them. All around the side are little olaarings that are used as garages to
keep the planes to work on. We must have seen at least 12$ B 21,
liberators. Some of the planes had 2$ bombing missions, four planes and two
ships to their credit. ‘This impressed me pretty weml. This whole place
looks as if there are at least fifty thousand men here. At first they lost
lot more planes from crack ups and the pilots setting lost from the la-no-ing
strip. The pilots are getting pretty good novJ-.
There is little trouble here from Jap bombing though it is only sias about
five hundred miles to the nearest Japanese~ base. There usually is a one
plane raid about every three or to r weeks and these don’t do any damage.
There was one about three weeks ago that killed a cow and already there have
been thirteen natives in to claim payment for her. The whole fleet operated
out of this place now and the e are ‘oxa pretty ~ouch???? shore
installations.. There were sure crazy tales about the early c days faro,
PAGE # 10 auto lightest of three wersions
- ‘ A-b first when there was a raid the ships all pulled, out sand is left
a hand full of men to defend the island with a few old s~asiHgfcfcs
Springfield rifles. It was a pretty gim situation had the Japs only “ known
it. The whole strength had gone into Guadalcanal and there was ‘ a delay to
get enough strength to have another. Then all the strength went out to New
Guinea and now they are building up for another. That will probably be us
too. ‘ ; The inane on shore used
to all duck into the bomb shelters and now someone had to knock them. out of
the sack to make them get up. They have all just ;got a good case of
BON’T GIVE A DAMN. : We went by the ice cream parlor but there
was a line about axtefaa half mile long and we didn’t care to wait there.
Next we went down to the PT base. There was a sign on the first shack that
had operations South Pacific. There ~Basketsful: was a man near the door
that looked like an old. chief. We wanted to know if our base sparely
had arrived and if there would be a chance of getting a new engine for
the 2~2, In wsrk~ walked Joe a-and. Dr. and by chance he turned out to be
the Commodore that is in charge of all the PT boats in this whole area. He
seemed quite a nice fellow though and they weren’t bawled out at all, On we
walked to see the rest of the grounds. There is a floating dry dock and a
marine railway here that can be used to repair the boats that are in this
particular area. They have quite a set up for ‘ the whole nlanB. I figure it
is better that the bast at 1’..lelville. . When we first got to the base
there was a blinding roar. They na had one of the engines on a test stand-
and had. a. propeller on the back of it running. Guess they are doing a
little experimenting here as well as other places They told us at the base
Post Office that there was a lot of ES mail ms. for our squadron that we
could get if we wanted. Gosh but this was just what we -wanted. They put it
in a sack and we went over to ~ the mess hall to sit at a foible get a beer
and sort it for the boats that are here now. When \”e walked in we met the
first lieutenant of the base. We wondered if they would let us eat there and
if there i7as any transportation back to the boats later in the evening.
They were to have a “arty that night and there were only enough places for
the men there an-I ther guests and no place to sleep either. They could get
us a ride back a-t once but later they couldn’t. Gosh but we pictured, that
outfit as about the stinkingest we had ever heard of. We went on out way and
wound up at the officer’s club. There we joined for a dollar, bought a book
of tickets for three, got a supply of beer and went out to sort our mail out
doors at one of the tables and benches that t:7-er:i.hao there. While \’TQ
sorted we had the mess attendant keep bringing us more. After we had ha-d
been there for about an hour up came a couple of Dr. ‘s old fraternity
brothers and- t-.en “.’.’e met three fellows that were radar men down
here. They were all tops. The former invited us out to the Helena, a
cruiser out in the channel to dinner, “e hope !x take them up on that later.
The club closes at seven so we had to leave there. These Radar officers
invited us down to ion I Club. T hey have to -pay thirty bucks to join this
one but we \’QVG t their quests so could keep on ri. h the beer.
PAGE # 10 second dareker at 143 -‘. At
first when -there was a raid the ships all pulled, out sand B left a hand.
full of men to defend t3ie island with a few old agasngfaB Springfield
rifles. It was a pretty grim situation had the Japs only r known it. The
whole strength had gone into Guadalcanal and there was r a delay to get
enough strength to have another. Then all the strength went out to New
Guinea and now they are building up for another. That will probably be us
too. ‘
; The men on shore used to all duck into the bomb shelters and now someone
had to knock them out of the sack to make them get up. ‘ They have all
just F:Ot a good case of DON’T GIVE A DAMN. ; We went by the ice
cream parlor but there was a line about ax~PBPP half mile long and we didn’t
care to wait there. Next we went down to the PT base. There was a sign on
the first shack that had operations South Pacific. There ~aafeasit was a man
near the door that looked like an old chief. We wanted to know if our base
sparer had arrived and if there would be a chance of getting a new engine
for the 21t2 In wa3ds walked Joe and Dr. and by chance he turned out to
be the Commodore that is in charge of all the PT boats in this whole area.
He seemed quite a nice fellow though and they weren’t bawl-bawled out at
&11. On we walked to see the rest of the grounds. There is a floating dry
dock and a marine railway here that can be used to repair the boats that
are in this particular area. They have quite a set up for ‘ the whole plrrne.
I fig-lire it is better that-the base at Melville. When we first got to the
base there was a blinding roar. They ha had one of the engines on a test
stand and had a propeller on the back of it running. Guess they are doing a
little experimenting here as well as other places They told. us at the base
Post Office that there was a lot of -urn mail HE for our squadron that we
could get i& wie wanted. Gosh but the was just what we -wanted. They put it
in a sack and we went over to ~ the mess hall to sit at a table get a beer
and sort it for the boats that are here now. When we walked in we met the
first lieutenant of the base. We wondered if they would let us eat there and
if there w-as any transportation back to the boats later in the evening.
They were to have a T, r G that night and there were only enough places for
the men there and- their guests and no place to sleep either. They could get
us a ride back at once but later they couldn’t. Gosh but we pictured, that
outfit as about the stink ingest we had ever heard of. We went on out way
and wound up at the officer’s club. There we joined for a dolls-r, bought a
book of tickets for three, got a supply of beer and went out to sort our
mail out doors at one of ft the tables and beaches that they had there.
While Y7C sorted we had the mess attendant keep bringing us more. After we
had been there for about an hour up came a couple of Dr. ‘s old’\ fraternity
brother and then we met three fellows that were radar men do-down here.
They were all tops. The former invited us out to the Helena, a cruiser out
in the channel to dinner, “e hope to take them up on that later. The club
closes at seven so \-~e had to leave there. These radar officers invited us
over to ion I Club. They have to -pay thirty bucks to join -fchs.t one but
we were -were their guests so could keep on with the beer. quests so could?
on with the b e or.
PAGE. #, 10 darkest at 183
~~
“’~l!~:~.f’.:->..~~n<!-‘<e’..f:”jf~”x”.~’;:.
“~”l.l
‘” .’”.,: -- -‘ ‘ ii -! -
At first when -there ~a~35i; .raid. -babe ships al3. puma. out sand air left
asana. f-all of laellfco’d.efenfl tile Island wi-bh.afewola srFnpiTrgrf~g
Springfield rifles. It “tfaS & pretty grim ~ situation had the Japs only ~ .laioWlit,
The whole thren~thhad gone into Guadalcanal oaii~.land there was \. a delay
to get enough ~strength ~o~trve another?. 111011 all the strength went out
to New Guinea and n~ they are building up for another. That will
protatilytoe up 100,. ,’” , ,;.
‘Hielllenon shoBeused to allduolcirito the bomb shelters and now sOBieoce
had to laiOQk them out of the sack tOlaaketheia get up They have n3-1 just
t:oti. Good,<Good case of DON’T GIVE A DAMN<TGIVEA,DAMN : ‘e.went;.’
by the ice cream parlor but there was o. line about axhia half mile long and
we didn’t*’care to wait:- te~e; - e we went down to the PT base. It was a
signonti’”ef3:rst shack that had operations ‘ South. Pacific if ie,. .There
jujualuftnl’ w&g. a BanUeer the door that looked like an old chief, ye
waited to know it our base spare had arrived and if there would be a chance
~P: of bringing new engine for the 242, In iea3ds walked <Toe a.RdDr and
by chance he turned out to be the Commodore that is in charge of blithe all
the PT boats in this-whole area. He seemed : quite a nice fellow though
aUd they weren’t bav~lwl out at III. On we walked to see the rest of the
grounds. There is afloating dry dock and a marine railway heye that can be
used to repair the boats that .are tn this particular area They have quite
a set up for ‘\ the whole plai7,6. .. figure it is better that-the bast at
Melville. .. Wiren we first, got to the base there w.s a blinding roar.
They ha had one of theehgines on a test stand and. had a propeller on the
back of it running. G-uess they are doing a little experimenting here as
well as other plac~l , . They told. us at t~e base Post Office ths.t there
wvas a lot of TZ& mail IBH for otir squadron that we could get i we wanted.
Gosh but the was just what we Brented.. They put it in a, sack and we went
otaer to & the mess hall to sit at 9. table get a-beer and sort it for the
boats that are here how. When wewaike. in we met the first lieutenant of the
base. We wondered if they would let us eat there and if there was any
transportation back to the boats later in the evening. They were to have a
liberty that night and there were only enough places for the men there and
their guests and no place to sleep either. They could get us a ride back at
once but later they couldn’t. Gosh but We pictured that outfit as about the
stinkingest we had ever heard of. We went on out way and wound
up at the officer’s club. There we joined for a dollar, bought a book of
tickets for three, grabbed a supply a of beer and went out to sort our mail
out doors at one of the tables arid benches that they-had there. While we
sorted we had the mess attendant keep bringing us more. After wie had been
there for about an hour up came a couple of Dr. *s old fraternity brothers
and then we-en w’Q met three fellows that were radar men down here. They
were all tops. The former invited us out to the Helena, a cruiser out in the
channel to dinner, “e hope to take them up on that later. The club closes at
seven so we had to leave there. These Radar officers invited us down to ion
I Club. Toy have to pay thirty bucks to join ;that one but we were t their
guests quests so could keep on with the beer.
PAGE # II auto 153 second version
??setting follows
“ one of ~his buddies < ‘ that was senior pilot on one or
the big liberators. From all that gEH group we learned quite a bit about
what the different squadrons were doing out here. They are doing a hell of a
good job but are also taking a hell of a beating. The Marines are racking
up the same story here too. The marines will go in and take a place then the
army come in to hold it and after a while the marines have to come back and
take it all over again. The main thing now that the PTs are combating are
the Jap landing barges and there are now some of those that are being
armored and have forty mm cannon all over them. Those babies are of too
shallow a draft to be torpedoed and they are really giving the boats ‘.
hell. They are to put 37 MM- guns on our boats as soon &s they get unloaded
and put the 20mm ones that we have now up on the bow. That will enable us to
give the new barges a run for their money, There is a tale going around here
now that the PTs are a terror to our shipping as well as the ~ T s are a t
to all out shipping as the Japanese.- About a month ago Kennedy, one of
Buckley’s men sank a naaaaa a transport. One really gets to wonder out here
now every time they see any ; damage who did it the Americans or f e
Japs We decided about nine that we had better be a worrying about us
getting back to the Karacaibo. Joe was felling sort of sic];, and the rest
of us had each downed about fifteen bottles of beer and were getting pretty
noisy. They got us down to the dock and since there we no boats we have to
hitch hike back on some one else’s boat. We decide to get on the first, one
that comes in and stay there till they tale us where we want to go. The
Shore Patrol is standing there and suggests that we wait till the Saratoga
boat comes in. They are anchored about two hundred yards from us. ‘when
it gets there out come two officers. One with a lady walks up the port
gangway when he sees all six: of us sl?raarled all over the Stbd one that
is for the officers. The other one had a bunch of films projectors and
screens. He comes blowing up and hollers “gang way’.’ No one moves and the
Doc tells him he has the wrong gang way.<’ay. He ~alhhhhh off muttering. We
all piled on. The Coxin doesn’t know what, to do so he makes a circle,
comes In again and yells all out except the men for the Saratoga. We don’t
move. There were about fifteen men from the Saratoga on the gig with us and
t they all look like corpses and at Sunday school. They don’t say.. a word.
That is all but one. He says sit tight they will take you out. Doc and Hans
are hanging on top some where, Joe is sitting in the cockpit Qn<~’-. Tom and
I are forward. Walker was back in the big boy’s quarters. Well we went out
to the Saratoga-. and- the Taen all f-et off but us. Hans wants to -F up to
the OD to get him to take us cm to -our “boat but one of .the men says that
he will take care of it . About this time there is a loud voice that t says,
“Where are you men wanting to go?” “ To the Keracaibo “ “Do have you
permission to get on this boat?” “ The Shore Patrol “ T The Cox’s is in
charge of this boat. “
k -: PAGE # II setting not
noted ~ ‘ his buddies ‘friend was senior pilot on one of the big
Liberators. was senior pilot on one of -the ~. From all that giaa
group we learned quite a bit about what-at the different squadrons were
doing out here. They are doing a hell of a good job “but are also taking a
hell ‘ of a beating. The Marines are racking up the same story here too.
The marines will go in and take a place then the army come in to hold it and
after while the marines have to come back and take it all over again, The
main thing now that the PTs are combating are the Jap landing barges and
there are now some of those that are being armored and have forty mm cannon
all over them. Those babies are of too shallow a draft to be torpedoed and
they are really giving the boats hell. They are to put 37 mm guns on our
boats as soon as they get unloaded and put the 20mm ones that we have now up
on the bow. That will enable us to give the new barges a run for their
money. There is a tale going around here now tat the f T s are a t terror to
all out shipping as well as to the Jaanese., About a month ago Eannedy, one
of Buckley’s men sank a ~ies~r~y~i,ddd a transport. One really gets to
wonder out here now every time they see any : damage who did it t-he
Americans or t e Jap We decided about nine that we had better be a worrying
about us getting back to the Karachi. Joe was felling sort of sick and the
rest of us had each downed about fifteen bottles of beer and were getting
pretty noisy. They got us down to the dock and since there are no boats we
have to hitch hike back on some one else’s boat. We decide to get on the
first one that comes in and stay there till they tell us where we take us
where we wanted to go. to go. The Shore Patrol is standing there and
suggests that we wait till the Saratoga boat comes in. They are anchored
about two hundred yards from us. when it gets there out come two officers.
One with a lady wal!ir8 up the port gangway when he sees all six of us
sprawled all over the Stbd one that is for the officers. The oilier ons had
a bunch of films projectors and screens. He comes blowing up and hollers
“gang way’! Ho one No one moves and the Doc tells him he has the wrong
gangway. He T~lbbbb off muttering. We all piled on. The Coxin doesn’t know
what. to do 80 he makes a circle, comes In again and yells all out except
the men for the Saratoga. We don’t move. There were about fifteen men from
the Saratoga on the gig with us afaf t they all look like corpses and at
Sunday school. They don’t say.. a word. That is all but one. he says sail
tight they will take you out. Doc and Hans are hanging on top some where,
Joe is sitting in the cockpit and Tom and T are forward. Walker was back in
the big boy’s quarters. Well we get out to the Saratoga. and the men all get
off but us. Hans wants to “;get up to the OD to get him to take us cm to our
boat but one of .the men says that he will take care of it . About’ this
time there is a loud voice that says, “Where are you men wanting.?”, to go?”
“ To the Meracaibo “ “Who gave you permission to c on this boat?” “ The
Shore Patrol “ T The Cox’s Is in charge of “this boat. “
PAGE 12
wi we could get a ride<ie’:i~es~~o~!~bhe~i~: Jay;-
. “ Cox’s make the Maracaibo and return to the ship
and will all .HI
off you get below and not hang on all over t he boat. Guess we
did look like a “bunch of pirates. We all dived: in but Sot~ he sat
still. When we got to the barge ‘alongside of the ‘boat we all piled off.
There were two other boats alongside too. Ben was pumping water into her
and the other was a tanker that was taking on her cargo of oil. We were all
stumbling around there and one of the bunch lighted his cigarette lighter.
The mate on the boat shouted down in a very sarcastic tone to put that light
out. We all started to cuss him then and thru the cussing you could hear Joe
tell him he could, at least have a civil tongue. He muttered a little but
must have said nothing important. We all shinnied up a line that was between
the barge and boat; All went to bed but Doc and 1. We went over to talk to
the gang that would be reading. They all w-‘anted the mail too and that
helped their feelings. I didn’t get one guess thrice is b cause the address
didn’t get changed to San Francisco before we left Panama. We wound up
talking to l-Jr. Sweet and out comes Hard Tawk and raises hell about the
loud talking and says he thinks we are making as much disturbance as the
whole bunch the whole trip. He didn’t wait for .my comments but ducked back
to his sack. ‘ Oh foSh fi\ft I On MONTH fifth, I woke up
UT with a headache this 3;?0 L1.LI1FT...... T wasn’t by
myself either. I <didn’t feel like making ‘breakfasted -either.
G-Guess sleep] is about the best thing the ‘ for a hang over. The base
force all moved off this morning along with the base force officers. They
are to be Quartered ashore and the boats will have to tie up out somewhere
to a buoy. Just after dinner Hard Teal came back with some rare news. We are
to get paid t.-sorrow and will also get off the boats tomorrow. The< new
Crane was here this morning but one of the cables is all fouled up and they
are fixing it now. He also told us that our new base may be up on the
northernmost our base & may be up on the island of the New; Georgia group.
That place had Japs on three and a half sides of it. If true we will have
the tine of out lives for a while and maybe get in a good many punches at
that bunch. There is r rumor also that there will be a push on Bougainville
which is Jap held and. fifty miles away in about two months, Looks ?~ like
the first Hi~~sss squadron out here will .get a. real test of what they
car.’ take. In the afternoon Harry and Sph both want Ashore, They got back
about eight in the evening and both having new tales to tell about Vella La
Vella the island where our base is to be. There is a Jap held island between
it and G-Guadalcanal and that base is up there to starve the Japs out on the
island where they are. The distance to Bougainville is only about fifty
miles and that means a hell of a lot of r6ids. seems as if they had an
airport there but it got bombed by t e Japs so much that out planes now fly
over and drop the supplied few with a parachute. If that is to be our base
we will be more or less a buffer till the big -push starts then we will .be
in on that. Nice and Cozy. This sounds like the set up that Montgomery had
though and they got to go back to the states after being here for four
months. I’m hoping that that we get in to the thick of things so we can go
home too after at least a year.
PAGE 113 no difference noted - two more versions
# II!
previous iligifb and there was no -boo ia.ucli 1,0 3.0. I ‘had.
gD-b-ben ‘. ~L.. all -the monthly reports in except
engineering a d the engineers could ‘ ‘*- not
complete that till today. The plan is for all the boats
here . “t to go into the dock end. every
one get off of t em and. go to that ~ show.
ltvd.ll tie just after lunch. I am very glad. that everyone is ‘ . to
get to see it here at the base. The original plan was to have three men we
three I from each boat stay aboard, and miss it. Several of us got together
: and. got the captain to agree to let us take those that missed. it to a
place across the harbor “here there will be another one . They will have to
:’er for Ei about six times to get around -to every one here on the
island.. ‘, At eleven 0*01061;: the men began to assemble in-their ..ice.s
‘ -in the i.oscJU..ite bowl for the show. The thing was;. to start at
two “ and they w”inte- tp I;e , Q good seat for the occasion, we had
the intelligence meeting at one and soon thereafter the boat left to
pick up the party. while they were gone all the boat came and went-‘t’.
ins Gov.’n and made last minute inspections of their respective
boats to see that ell lines were okay arfcitL’Jat the boat , was .safe
t!hile ever; one wl.s ev’ay. when I got back to the movie area - there was
not a seat nor standing ;laoe close enough to s e. That lace ; is big
enough for our P.T. group but there were three lots of men from across the
pond that \”were to be there too. w>’e~eaa every; one. dressed up and it
sort of put c,; I ~L on ~h:Ln~e to have all that rag” raggedy . bunch
there. I ‘”.iiiii no-b iil:e it ei~I-errrr 1~~~ I was not ~oil!C:: to get
to. see it. . ‘ I ~.t a
reefer’s chest and sat cloven in front of the wardroon t to reac:.. At
four thirty the troup still had not showed up and it was supper time. I ‘.
eC in eiid ate esiC:. about that time sill the visitors ~ had to leave cnc..
I:it s..3:..ec. t~c-t also a lot of our own officers got :;’ t’ e
iC.Gc. h-e’l it ~ ul-‘ be a good ti::iet e&t
too. When they were sighted .. I too. just
~in-slJec. ::UT’ i c.Yi.’.f.ic. get & good seat.
.’there was Bob .
Hope, j Jerry-y Colona,
‘.’Frances Langford, Patty
Thomas, a fellow named; iIO:.-:8ro
“”ho who layed a guitar o guitar and Hope’s gag i.isri. ‘2” e
whole show was I wonderful. Al:. the fellows enjoyed it a lot. atty
Thomas did several- :;’-l - a lot. did -:; tsp .r.izces
sccn.ti’..y c3. :: 3:.e w~S iiii ro.J~r :xd..l
for Esquire magazine. . . Bob Hope too soon. oon.”L.’.ntiy
p.dlibinr, ‘.:n-..ough o’c-hole per:l:’ol;;~-nce. f trances Frances
Langford ~nc o...ee on~ss ~nd rigli-b in fche...lid~l.. or one of ‘;
the~ it. stc~ w.-rrrrrr “oO r: n. She stopped. ;:.XKI C: 1C ~‘.
what --e i.’ic when it - rained. “Get ~et” .i
S”G “’c.t on ~.- ..1. t,].~ .ong UJ.’;
no one .noticed.!. The platform that 1 was
i,u..l;JJJ ~or ;n~ l~c. <-. ir.el’ber orer it ~o S i10 cid no-t, rl t wet.
‘~ Colona .rl~~ s’-:vorf:l songs .L he and
bob Hope wet through several a :-;n-bo~j.: . r- ;,
“ Soon o~- ‘bh j?:”ini h’..’”. ‘ “ o.R~QC :.c>”l’. -co the bost. ‘iie
had G patrol tnot n;’c’ht. “”e G.-. -“’:.th i-.e 282 ‘-ith .i-t
Butl..:r”orth a f:ect:’.onleeder ‘. w.Q ‘:’eL’e a littl itt
‘1.0 ‘oc “’~~..ng out but seened to nob !.1:ive worried the
Jp’is theDstroi o~ r nocl;-ive OE u?U!:ii. wfe -ot i on : ee ?oo n”
;:1n:n.1., ten . I ~-, c tire- i-nd slc.epy and soon ‘K the .-ectiiig’f:-
over -..th I ~Oi;;; a nap. Hank ..’nd Dick got the b.~at fu-uei”. ‘ all
“WI cleaned. That ai’-b.i-noon ~.”? rellov? that ~L.I cc?cnnnn ]J.vj-ng in
uhe tent “ith Bob~-nherE c”~. u ijl 1ij e wa p~’i~i~’: -bo aboat FO bhat
l”ft a wacancy in ‘u e <-:. Ir I ‘bhoughb it ‘- ..,. he a I,Oi.. o
“ortunity to ::ove a”hore. I ~”ante’ ;. o:. ashOJ.- :.o bh:b i ooul:.
“”.00? -bhere
PAGE # 13
The morning of -the thirtieth there was a pay day for all
hands. We were to go in in-two shifts. I was in the first that went leaving
here at eight. The paymaster here had taken the, a accounts that our own had
sent to him and was getting the cash to 3is. I got three letters too and
these were the first since leaving Panama. Guess I thought more of those
than I did the pay that came. * Go word that Melville
is all a mess too. The men that were our instructors and that put on so many
airs are now the outcasts there. The boys that have “been out here and gone
“back are not the “big “boys there. One Ens Wetherili that was there was to
leave for RON Ten that is to be here. Hs got all fouled up and either can’t
get to them or can’t find them. They were all left at Tobago when we pulled
out. There are a lot of interesting tales that are going around here now
about some of the boys who have gotten a little jungle jolly. There is one
PT skipper here that is reported to be guilty of sinking only one Jap barge
when he could easily get more Bhen turning on his search light on the men
that have gotten out of the barge Into the water and shooting them with his
45. There are a lot of funny things about the regulations of this g place.
The seamen on all the merchant ships aren’t allowed to go ac ashore and
t—ere are some tankers that sit here and take on the oil that the regular
tankers bring in and merely act as storage tanks for it. Those poor boys
never get ashore. Yesterday they got one of those alongside the MaBacs.ibo
to take off her cargo’ of oil The thing wouldn’t hold. but two thirds of
it. That means that we would have to to wait till something comes in now
that can hold the test Of it. All the oil has to be removed before the tanks
can be refluclded with, salt water. The boats can’t be unload d till], all
the excess height of the ship is removed by the ballast said: . The crane
can’t reach up as high as we are now. The captain of the tanker this morning
told the Chief Engineer to prepare to stay here for at least a. month. Eph
and Harry met some of the bomber pilots at the club too. They were invited
-to go up to G-Guadalcanal with. them this morning when they took some B 21s
up. Hard Tack told then that there was too much to get done though and that
they couldn’t go. They were planning for us to come by ano. pick them up on
our way up. That is a thousand ‘ miles away though. They really w.-ill be
needed aboard their boats on the trip up. The best news that we have gotten
today is that Capt. Smith is in New Caledonia and will be here is a couple’
of days. We really all had a horror of having ~ra.oket in charge of the
squadron. He probably would have done a good job but he is the world’s
poorest leader of men and ther would. all have l-,~teiii him for every
command that he gave. he. He has a sort of sarcastic attitude about, him
that makes him appear -‘as a little man in an important job. We are at least
going into a place where there wall be a lot of excitement and there is
quite a- ‘”possibility that we can earn a unit citation for the squadron. l
feel pretty sure that with Capt. Smith as the brains of the ‘outfit there
will be a lot of work done.
PAGE # 13
The morning of -the thirtieth there was a pay day for all
hands. We were to go in in-by shifts. I was in the first that went leaving
here at eight. The paymaster here had taken the, a accounts that our own had
sent to him and was getting the cash to us. I got three letters too and
these were the first since leaving Panama. Guess I thought more of those
than I did the pay that came. * Go word that Melville
is all a mess too. The men that were our instructors and that put on so many
airs are now the outcasts there. The boys that have “been out here and gone
“back are not the “big “boys there. One Ensign Wetherill that was there was
to leave for Ron that is to be here. Hs got all fouled up and either can’t
get to them or can’t find them. They were all left at Tobago when we pulled
out. There are a lot of interesting tales that are going around here now
about some of the boys who have gotten a little jungle jolly. There is one
PT skipper here that is reported to be guilty of sinking only one Jap barge
when he could easily get more Bhen turning on his search light on the men
that have gotten out of the barge Into the water and shooting them with his
45. There are a lot of funny things about the regulations of this g place.
The seamen on all the merchant ships aren’t allowed to go ac ashore and
t—ere are some tankers that sit here and take on the oil that the regular
tankers bring in and merely act as storage tanks for it. Those poor boys
never get ashore. Yesterday they got one of those alongside the MaBacs.ibo
to take off her cargo’ of oil The thing wouldn’t hold. but two thirds of
it. That means that we will have to to wait till something comes in now that
can hold the test Of it. All the oil has to be removed before the tanks can
be refluclded with, salt water. The boats can’t be unload d till], all the
excess height of the ship is removed by the ballast said: . The crane can’t
reach up as high as we are now. The captain of the tanker this morning told
the Chief Engineer to prepare to stay here for at least a. month. Eph and
Harry met some of the bomber pilots at the club too. They were invited -to
go up to G-Guadalcanal with. them this morning when they took some B 21s up.
Hard Tack told then that there was too much to get done though and that they
couldn’t go. They were planning for us to come by and. pick them up on our
way up. That is a thousand ‘ miles away though. They really w.-ill be needed
aboard their boats on the trip up. The best news that we have gotten today
is that Capt. Smith is in New Caledonia and will be here is a couple’ of
days. We really all had a borrow of having ~ra.oket in charge of the
squadron, lie probably would have none a good job but he is the world’s
poorest lender of men a.mi ther wwould. all have l-,~teiii him for every
command that he gave.. he. He has a sort of sarcastic attitude about, him
that makes him appear -‘as a little man in an important job. We are at least
going into a place where there wall be a lot of excitement and there is
quite a- ‘”possibility that we can earn a unit citation for the squadron. l
feel pretty sure that with Capt. Smith as the brains of the ‘outfit there
will be a lot of work done.,, ,
PAGEs 14-24 PAGE 17 is missing October 1943
PAGE 14 i-Th.ein.oriilrig of October I-the crane came alongside
-to get the first boat off. There-b the first off. ‘ had been a barge
alongside -the night before that was to get the oil off but it didn’t old
all of it. When it came alongside there was a question about our drifting
‘ ‘ and it was thought that we might hit a freighter behind us if there was
any movement so the Navy tanker had us up anchor and moved us both up. Along
about ten that night both of us had come pretty close to the bank. About
that time there was a grinding outside and when we got out there to see we
were knocking down the pilings that had been.
put up for a new pier. The Navy Tanker didn’t reach as far aft as we did and
was not getting ~alzy of the brunt of the scraping. The Captain really was a
worried man t hat night. Before he would let anyone get to bed someone had
to go over the side and see what the damage was. It would have broken his
heart to have had that rudder or screw all fowie so he couldn’t get way
from here.
When the crane got there the ballast hadn’t gotten in and he was to get the
boats that were amidships off first. The ones up forward were too high and
he couldn’t lift the Hn off. The first was the 2~f,, That was the first time
that we had been able to arrange for any of the men to have liberty. Joe had
gone with the gang too keep them straight’ and Walker had gone ashore to
make a few purchases. Neither thought that they would get to their boat.
We decided that Ollie Tannin tannin would take charge of that host. Alpine
had gone with Joe and the other boats had one o officer each aboard. Well
the gabs did a wonderful job of getting it off but soon as it hit the water
Mr. Bracket shinnied down the libe and made a bee line over the boat looking
to see if there were any leaks. After & few minutes the crew got aboard and
got the engines all turning. Since they had been converted to 1550 horse
power they turned a lot faster at idling speed and it took some time to get
the ail fixed and warmed. This all irked Bracket because he thought they
should run perfectly. They can’t be tuned perfectly unless they can be run.
They tied up alongside, till after dinner to come in to the base. The 31
was t e second boat. When it was raise”, there wasn’t quite enough clearance
so Hard Tack had. us take off the- center screw till we could ,get clear of
though stanchions that the cracUas were resting on. Once the:-“ were cleared
he was going to let us put them on again under water but we got him to let
us p-et the the screw ‘h-back on before t:e boat was put down. Or-Once the
prop, lock rut- arc Wilt w’~1”’3 iii place he ~e-decided not to put
the washer ‘back}: or, for fear of it’s having:’.”” n T~1.3 effect on
electrostatic action and -Ghrevr it a.Tz.ray , I’d rs rather have the
electrolytic action and have the screw than to lose the screw but. Soon as
it hit the water he peeled off his clothes and. over to the boat he went. He
really looked like a monkey and was d definitely acting one. Soon as the
boat wax got back close to the tanker where we could p-..et on-‘ we all
piled down.. Alpine, had. gotten back by this tine. While our engineers
were tuning up the engines and :i had a bunch .c-.ettir. the cabled, ready
to cast off the monkey comes u”o ar’.’ starts to work the annunciators and
there is Alpine standing there all the time waiting for everything to get-e
all-~r for every to all set fore he takes us off. Well after -taking him
back to the boat to get his clothes we- finally get on in to the anchorage
snA tie up. They decide to PAGE #15 bring us on to take a look
for fcli~’ni’fce. The-dock is really “the “bank of a : little creek and
-there is pretty shallow water so they have us -bowed in by a lighter.
small landing barge.
The morning of the second they really get to work on the boats. First they
jerk the 20mm gun off the stern and. take it over to be cut down to a more
effective size. Then they start to get the platform built for the 37mm gun
for the ‘stern. By evening they get the new gun on the stern and the 20mm on
the bow. The other tBree bo td all get BBE unloaded too so that night there
is a lot of feeling- good cause things , are looking fine. Oh the Captain
had gotten about tern in t e morning and his presence had the morale way up.
The third they got our engine out and the new one in in it’s - place
that is “the center one. That morning We had a muster and the ‘ Captain
gave us all a pep talk and all the officers had a meeting to get the low
down from the intelligence officers here what the picture was that is before
us. In the afternoon I went up with Walker ‘to get a : some spare parts for
one of the machine guns. When I got back they had : gotten the new guns on
all the other boats and had the mounts secured : on the first two. The
fourth I went with the bunch at seven thirty to see the dentist I thought
that they needed cleaning but on close examination there was ; found some
abscesses around both the wisdom teeth. They would have to ; both come
out. Well that wasn’t so bad .but when l left I was really drunk from the
drug that had been used to deaden the gums. The Dr. had blaoed a wad. of
gauze over each hole and was to hold it there for thirty minutes. After
that time I spit both out and there was an immediate spurting of blood from
one of the teeth.
I was at the morning meeting OT- all the officers and had to leave. At sick
bay they put a cold pack and a new wad of gauze on and about that time the
Novocain started to wear off and I really had a case of wi.flier’ They tried
for an hour and & half to get it stopped but no success. -Finally they took
me back to the dentist to 1st him ..sew it up. lie tried putting
a compress there that had been soaked with adrenalm ant and that seemed to
help. When we got back they got me some drops that really did close me up. &
went to sleep and woke up for a glass of juice at four then went back to
sleep till six this morning the fifth.
I do remember the bed shaking last night and was told this morning that t
ere was a slight earth quake last night.
It was still raining to best the devil so I stayed in bed. My throat and.
mouth was pretty sore. I found that I could open my mouth though and. not
have the blood come spurting so I got them to have one of the r.ies3 boys
bring me some breakfast. I stayed in bed all morning and after- I’d finished
dinner I got up to walk around. All the poison from the drug was not yet
worn off and I still had the. feeling of a severe-e hang over.
After supper I went “to the T’iovis and felt a lot better.
The sixth we got all the final adjustments on the thirty seven millimeter
gun and- got the ammunition aboard in the morning. That afternoon we picked
up the target and off we went to get in a little shooting practice b fore
getting completely away from here. On the firs shot that was fired one whole
corner of the target was carried away.
Gosh but that looked like a wonderful addition. We made several runs past
the target. That is each bo,o-t man-e then individually. The boys show that
they -need a lot of practice -with this gum. They get the train well but the
elevation isn’t up to what it will have to be before . - PAGE
# 16 - ~ we got the “ maximum use out of i-fc. When we ilido me in
though all -bhewluble thing was riddled. On -the final run we had opened up
with all the guns at the same time. The men at the base said that it looked
mighty good <hat the last “bunch that was here had only gotten about three
50 oal holes in the target. In face we used the same one. It is a cinch that
no one will be able to use it again.
All day the se-seventh we worked getting everything aboard, that was to go
with us. We were to leave the next nest day. The torpedoman worked i3 like
mad trying to get his fish ready. He had spent a lot of time on t the other
boats helping them to get ready and they weren’t returning t the favor which
just made it hard for him. By midnight he had gotten fetTKga- two ready
though and was pretty encouraged.
Early in t e morning I had gone over? to the post office and gotten a money
order r to send to Jane. The e isn’t any use in keeping any out with me.
Then too there wasn’t any thing here to get her for Christmas and she can
use that for such a purpose. After getting t at attended to I hurried back
to the boat and started to work. It was a mess all over. I had all the crew
get busy straightening and scrubbing it up. Bu ten we had all that finished
and it was time to get over to ‘ the
dock. We
were to take along besides the usual full tanks ten drums of gas up on the
decks . The last leg of the trip was to be about 460 miles and that made us
have to go mighty slow or take the extra gas, Besides that we were to have
our depth charges lifted off. There are plenty of those up t.-ere and there
is no need to haul these any further, After dinner we started to anking our
lazarette. There was really a pile on our deck and there was no need of
having it look so u-unsightly, I pitched in with the fellows in getting all
that stuff straight. Harry had done a wonderful job in getting us a lot of
stores and there was quite a pile of those In fact so many that we couldn’t
get them all al in the usual place and we filled the after tank room with
them. ‘We got all t e 7mm ammunition down inside ~hen
three big medical boxes and a lot of tents tools and in the getting them
down we had to wind up with tliera pretty level for there XT-ers to be five
of the base force going- with us and they were to sleep there.
We got over to t.-.e WOG- which is n concrete tanker that just sits out in
the harbor and holds hundred octane. Any thing that needs it comes along
side and etravrs same. ilans had been over there since early morning and
when we got there about two he was still sitting there and hadn’t gotten a
single drop of gas yet. Well,’ we got to stirring round and got the gas to
going. We lent him our strainer so he could get in a hurry”? and let ail
flue rest of the boats fill up too When we were out fliring the afternoon
before, Skinny got the word to go bu for the bs.lcer run arnt. he
interpreted that to mean a dry run a so he went breezing by the target a-and
didn’t fire a shot. We really kidded him a lot about that, Early in the
morning,:; he had to he hauled out of the water. The firing runs were the
first rfas that we had made since getting off the tanker and. he had had &
bad warp in the boat- and gotten one of the shafts out of line. The men
worker on the boat all day and all night getting it into a running shape. It
‘was out though when we were ready to set out next morning.”-.
PAGE 17 is Missing
PAGE ~18 aboard, we went looking
around ? ;:~;; we could, get a shower ‘, soliaolc we went to get the
towels, soap etc. That really made us feel good.. I After the Slower
Tom, Lt. Pringle one of the 1. lie intelligence officers that is hitch
hiking &p to Talagi with us and I sat around.
talking. We were wanting to get out of him all the latest dope that he had
about the place out herd- It seems that Nimitz is in charge “ of this
whole area and. under him is Admiral Halsey for the South West Pacific and.
under Him is Admiral Witikinson who is in charge .of ~ amphibious
operations. It so happens that we are under that heading.” * The PTs out
here are having to do a lot of work that they weren’t designed to do but
there is nothing else out here that can do that job as well as we can. “
Commodore Moran is more or less in charge of policy out here for the PTs
but he has no tactical command at all over us and it is a pretty good thing.
He was Captain of the Oklahoma at Pearl harbor and after that he had. the
Cruiser Boise. On the Boise he did a little bad shooting and sank one of
our? own ships then in another engagement there was a case’ when he
silhouetted the Boise so that it made a perfect target for the Japs and got
it all shot up and a It of men hurt. He would probably mass the PTs for a
push on Bougainville and something like that would be suicide.
We got the news from the YP radio that the allies sank a Jap cruiser and
four t tin cans evacuating the garrison of four hundred men on Vella la
Vella la Vella la Vella. That makes- things look even better.
Lately there have been several skirmishes between our planes and the PTs.
Recognition signals coming slow 03? not at all have gotten one -PT sunk and
one B 25 shot down.
There was a move to convert one of the PTs that were decommissioned to a
plane director to work with a squadron. At night it is almost impossible to
find an enemy plane with another plane and if a boat could have the
necessary equipment to give the location, altitude course and speed of
enemy-.y planes our own could knock them right out.
Altitude is the most important item on the list. Nothing as yet has been
accomplished though.
We pulled out at six on the morning of the tenth from star Harbor on the way
to Tallagi which is about half way up Guadalcanal island and to the east of
it. About thirty minutes out three of our planes came over and after getting
the proper recognition they made several runs over us in more or less a
joking, manner. About half an hour later we saw a. little beach where they
were based all by them selves out on the island. Guess they are stationed
there to protect any allied shipping that may be attacked in this area. I
had the first watch again.
About eleven we sighted Guadalcanal Island. It made one feel pretty queer to
be going by the place that ad b been in the news and where so many of our
boys had been killed. Florida island is right across the slot from The
Canal and a little island on one side is Tumagi. That is where the base is.
There are two parts of it. Sesapi is where all the work is done and where
all the stores are and across the little bay is Calvertsville where all the
men sleep and eat.
PAGE # 19 P‘ . ., ......... M. -.-\.:.- - . ‘ .. . .::\ -
“ ~ - ‘:.>f”~ .~>ff.~.’ Calvertsville is named in honor of Commander
Calvert who Is In oh-charge of the base here. I-It Is located, in a sort of
swamp but there Is adequate drainage and it is pretty nice. There is an
abundance of tropical plants that are mighty pretty. We met a lot of the
fellows who have been out here for some time. It seems that all the boats
come .bask back here for repairs and overhauls. That means that every six
or eight weeks that the men get to come back this far to get repairs and a
little needed rest. All these men seemed resigned to the fate that is theirs
and seem to be taking every thing in their stride. Guess that is the best
way to be. There are Jap PT boats out here now. In fact one of our cans was
sunk about two weeks ago. There are not many though as yet and we have not
had to take s-any measures yet to be combating them. Most of t e recent
operations have been against Jap barges and Float planes. The latter are
really old orated that have pontoons and sit out in the water to get the pt
boats as they come out on patrol. They carry hundred pound bombs to do their
work. They have not sunk any boats yet but have killed a few officers with
the bombs. ‘ We met one boy that had been on the boat that our own B
IZ~s had sunk. There were three of them and <he first KOBE two had
recognized the boats but the third one had borne down and shot the boat and
men to hell. None of -the men were tilled but there were several arms and
legs missing The boat went UT in flames all over and they had to abandon ~n
ship. Then the bomber started to strafe them in the water. One o the other
boats that was along let go a burst of fifty caliber at him and knocked down
the plane. Three officers on the plane were killed and when the boats
picked, up the three survivors they thought that Japs were getting them and
were they scared. Another case is that several Ts were sent out to pick
UT> the survivors from the destroyer that was sunk about two paragraphs up.
They didn’t find the survivors from that but did find about fifty Japs in
the water and instead of doing the usual thing and killing them all the
officer in charge picked them up. Well one of the Japanese ~k took the gun
away from the guard that was taking care of then and shot him. There ere
very few -men out. here that ~_ ever taken in men like .e , . If they are
; found-f ?’-n the water they are tilled by gunfire o~ by running -the boat
.t over ten. ~6. hitting -them. with the” screws. There seems is little
chance of getting back to the states-tea In . less than two years is
-Pretty remote now. There is & possibility that we will “-et back sooner as
the;.” ~:ettt the war over with in Europe and are able to send oar-more of
the force that they have there out ~:i re to do some of the work t ~ the PTs
are doing now. P-probably the ordinary reason for the successes that have
been had u-n -vili 1?OV~ is -fche” shore” ~~-t I1E? TS uia-fc the States
are using. These are former plantation owners -bk-d-b 3,0 in -bo ths Ja:o
hsic” islands and live with the natives w.e-CQ and get information of the
enemy and get it out to us. these rien car:, predict the tine end niowe of
every raid. In ore instance one of these men stayed with a bunch of natives
a week before the- erpr knew that he was with he them. They go in there-e
with the idea of staying ‘,::: there for two years at least fore trying to
cane s out. In one case . ere -as a rai- to be Si; f:-e:~e- on Guadalcanal
from fa Bougainville about &- }-our’s flying tl~e away and aa the planes
took n.n of t!-iese shorn rfcch~rs sent th- -OY~ to Australia. They relayed
ii wiiu ; headquarters at Pearl Harbor ?Earl and then t en it was sent to
PAGE #20 the Commander .of South Pacific thence 10 1110
Commander< of Guadalcanal and by the time that the planes got there our
fighters were up and the shore batteries were all ready. Consequently little
damage. The big push on Bougainville is $O take place in the next month.
That will probably mean that we will not get into it ourselves. They will
have a hell of a time getting that too for it is as big as Santo is now j
Some of the boys are getting clothes ready now to send back. Guess- it will
be a pretty good idea &~b at that. ‘ This afternoon the eleventh we made
some speed runs. All morning we worked getting the boat unloaded,, We really
worked on that too. ‘ We even got the floor boards out of the lazarette
and after tank room. - All personal gear was takes off. We piled it all on
the forty three ‘ boat and after all the unloading they were sitting in
the water about eight inches deeper than they were when we started.
the runs weren’t too successful, “we got forty one inches of -srspnf ,
manifold pressure and two thousand R. we ran a measured distance and : it
proved to be only thirty one knots that we were getting out of her. \ about
all the boats that are out here now even R they have been here ‘ a long time
are beating that all hollow. The fellows tell us that they’ll have not had
to use their speed yet but then there in never any telling when it will mean
whether we ever get back or not.
Right in the middle of the last run the center sputtered and died. the
manifold and oil pressure dropped and it looked as if it were real mess.
They plan to go over it thoroughly in the morning and if .they have to pull
out the engine It may b3 a hell of a time fore -..’e get UT to the front and
&o any shooting- for ourselves.
There was en air raid alert last night and the fellows “that came d down
from the Russel islands today told us that the. Japs sank two of our liberty
ships up there last night. They didn’t say what we did to them.
I found out that they are using a lot of APGs along with us. They ere used
to haul clruris of gas from one place to another for t-.e PTs to give them &
longer run when necessary. Then they are used for grocery boats end their
condensers are used to make drinking water at the advanced bases where
there has been no evaporator installed yet.
Id give anything in the world to run in to E.J. Coleman out here on one of
them. He always was bragging-s about what fighting sharps that the”” were.
Tonight I heard a broadcast from Tokyo. It was a propaganda scheme for the
allies. Quite an interesting thing . According to it the allies are losing
forty thousand men a month out here and the Japs very few. They said that
Gene-ral Marshall said that we -ad to draft Seventy thousand & month to be
able to keep u with the war losses. Ha., Y~ors just came through one of -the
liberty ships that was sunk had 1,2 new Packard engines for our boats
aboard and all those went down with t-.the ship.-o. I ~.an:lt think what
they will be worth much if they are able to get the shit up and get them
off.
The twelfth we made more speed runs end again R center engine cut out. I
feared that they would have to pull the engine but just ;-s a check one of
the engineers pushed down i.: e cutout button nndit PAGE #
22 top ~ ...- ‘ . “ . ~
On the morning-e of the fourteenth we started, out the day’s work 1y getting
all -fueled as we are scheduled to-to leave tomorrow to go up the line and
there ,isn’t t;-any need to have and delay at the last minute to get to
fuel. They have a very good system here and the gas really does come pouring
out the two funnels to the .boat. Out \ here all of it is passed thru a
shammy skin to keep any salt water from getting into the tanks. When a
shammy is ono3 wet with TgafcaK gas water won’t pass thru. r At the
same-piece there is ‘an armory and torpedo overhaul shop.
They came out end inspected the ammunition that we had on board and promptly
threw about a thousand rounds that we had over the side. It was in pretty
good shape but had been cleaned several times and was a little worn. They
want us to have some that will be sure to shoot true. Then too the new
ammunition that we got has incendiary bullets in if;. We gave them out two
22 rifles and got two holsters for the two new 5 cal. pistole that we had
gotten the day before. After that we went over to the water hole. That is
the place that was written up in the Saturday evening post. One of the
:first squadrons out here found a water fall and piped the water over to
where it could be used. It is pure enough to use for drinking without
putting any purifier I washed the first clothed that I’ve had to do since
getting into the Navy today too. They had just about all gotten dirty and
there was no one to get to do them. I’d previously taken in a bunch but they
had not yet been finished at the base laundry. I’ll tell you -I’m agin it.
We washed up this whole boat there. Even got the’ bilges and floor boards
all over the boat and does it look a hundred percent better now. All the
fellows got -back get their laundries done too while we were there. Left
about three thirty and came back up to the usual buoy and tied u? for the
night. We are to leave at one thirty tomorrow for the Russels and that will
give us time to get the two tachometers that we still have over at sessap&
getting fixed. I think that the reason that we are stopping there and not
going straight to Rendova is to give the folks there a chance to look the
Higgins boats over. PAGE 22 bottom now. All the follows got
to get their laundries done too while we were there.
Left about three thirty and came back up to the usual buoy and tied up for
the night. We are to leave at one thirty tomorrow for the Russels and that
will give us tame to get the two tachometers that we still have over at
sessap& getting fixed. I think? that the reason that vie are stopping
there and not going straight to Rendova is to give the folks there a chance
to look the Higgins boats over.
I I’ll be pretty glad. to get on up. The chow here isn’t the best in the
world and then too I’m sorta anxious to be a getting out on patrol and do a
little shooting the Japanese on Jay own.
Mr. Sweet was made materiel officer today. There ere several that don’t
think that a good move but not me, I have a lot of faith in him and his
ability. I think the reason .that those that oppose do so is because he has
gotten on their dusters a couple of times for having had something lacking
in their condition of their Boats.
The fifteenth we were scheduled to ‘leave the t e base to go on up the line.
‘J-‘he next stop was to be the Russell islands.
All morning, Alpine was busy getting the last minute things done that are
necessary in personnel matters and getting, the necessary codes. I took all
t e small arms that we had and-d issuer one to each man to clean. I thought
that it would-.t be a good break for the gunners and e.t tr.e some time be a
job that would. keep them al’! busy. They looked a lot better too after all
that work.
Just after we had. finished dinner we went over to t. e laundry to get out
laundry. There is supposed to be a two day service but when ~e got there
the?” had ours washed, but it was still all wet. bur.-; -ill all wet. That
really did get me all worked s .1- up. There were seven bundles of it all
neatly piled on i. s table >.. ere. ::e had bean wit-out getting any washing
done for the past rec weeks .
‘ PAGE # 23- When we got back to the boat, I strung up some
temporary clothes lines In the officers quarters to get it to airing a
little bit. Soon as -we had gotten out R it -was fairly dry and I wanted, to
.get all that-.at stuff out. I draped clothes over every engine and hung
some six hangers of clothes over the engines in hopes of getting it al ‘
dry. When we got in there R it was still sorta damp so I decided to let it
stay the night in the engine room where it was, The base at the Russel
Islands was a real t paradise. There e was deep water ail the way up to the
banks and over hanging all the little bay were giant trees that had branches
about a foot in diameter sticking out over the water. To these branches we
tied up. There was shade from the sun and I do mean it gets plenty hot in
this country. The air smelled clean and f rest. In the days when this was a
big base they had drums out to catch the rain water so they could have a
shower when they came in. There are only three PTs stationed t here now.
There isn’t much activity here and they send. all the boats back to Talagi
to get repairs now so there really is no need for them.
In peace time t is was a giant coconut farm. Seems as if there were a lot of
them out here for every where we have been there .:-as appeared to. be
worlds of the trees all planted in rows with the trees 11 the same distance
apart. The officers quarters here at the base was the home of the
plantation manager at one time. It is as nice as those that we saw back 81
Puerto Armuelles in Panama. The food here was really wonderful the- we
stayed for only two meals. . Looks like they”:’ could have done the same
at Tulpgi for it is E closer to civilization than this.
At eight thirty on the morning of the sixteenth we pulled. out again this
time for Rendova. We are supposed posed to stay there and have -E& that be
our base, but our t since the Japs have evacuated Kolobangara and Vella -a
wella I don’t think that we will stay there for Ions;. We got in to the
Kasax Rendova. harbor ~t three in the afternoon and they let us all tie up
to the pier to let off the base force and their gear. The base is far from
being impressive looking but it shows that it -has been thru the mills. The
whole base and ail the equipment that is here is what squadrons have
brought u” on their decks. It sorta surprised me to see the way t.’ .things
i. okes here after all the elaborate set up that they have back down the
line. The men live in tents and the t e fox holes are tents that ;:eve about
a foot of flooring removed and drums of sand .placed all around. All the
offices are i.. rigs like this too. It rains daily and. the w-whole place s
e mess. These is comparative’ safety here but a. few weeks ago bombs
destroyed three boats here . They have lost a lot of the personnel here
from patrols and bombings. The base is located-‘e is . on a little
island just off the mainland of Rendova and just across t-e bay from
Munda which in now a big American base. It was at one time the biggest Jap
base in the whole area. Here we have to tie u”’ to buoys and there is a wale
boat to take the gang to and. from the base when it is necessary which ain’t
often. We will all live on ..’- boats , there are no showers, and we eat
aboard Every night the officers all eat ashore and then ;.have a session
about the night o’-operations ,--“ et the layout from the intelligence
officers about what to expect. Tonight they gave us ?all cigarettes and
without char, e. That helped the feelings a lot. The men here seem to t-.-
all miss not getting any mail. There is a lane that brings it in to this
area every two weeks but most of t’ e the time it is sent down the line and
when a boat is down there:-‘ Tick it UD and that ‘”may be one—a month.
~ PAGE # 24, 1943 . p-.
“ ‘ .’ “-,.-‘ The seventeenth though it was a Sunday, didn’t seem
like seem like one at all. We got up afc”fche—small hour and
before breakfast I got all the gang to putting up the tarpaulins fern they
could have it cool to work. Got all the gunners to working on their guns.
We had fired on the way up to the Russels and they had not had a chance to
get them ail cleaned up yet from that. The engineers started to work on the
engines. There is always plenty to d@ in that department, About ten however
there came up a t>ig rain and that sorta threw a wrench in the works. The
gunnery work had to atop. We all got out in it and took a bath. There are no
showers here and every chance to get a fresh water shoves is pretty well
taken. Just as the rain stopped word was gotten that we would have to load
all the Stores that we brought with us on to one boat and then ‘ just
bring one of them. to the dock to unload, ~s soon as we got that well under
way word came that all officers were to get ashore for a meeting, ‘Tom and
Alpine had gone in pretty early in the morning and only Ollie and. I were
left out here. K Well out we pulled in the dingy. The meeting was to all
meet Commander FerEI11 who is the boss here and then go on a tour of the
base here and find out where-all the reefs are so we won’t be a getting on
to them. There as a Catalina out in the bay that was shot down by our task
force, They got one engine end they had to light in the water. When they
radioed for assistance a T was sent out to tow them in. It has been there
for about six weeks now. There is p base beings built here by the sea Bees
but it will false guile a while yet before it will be ready for use. Those
boys do gee a mighty swell job done, though. ;ho. The bases that are on
Vella la Vella are purely operational bases and all they l-have t as a few
drums of gas and a few spare parts. If there is anything more than very
minor repairs they have to cone back down here to get them. “.’here is a
possibility-that we will be able to get i~ ~;nei-c too in. s w short tine.
The eighteenth we were finally to get .11 the gear off the boat, G-Got up
8.1 the usual time and there was the 241~ already at the o-dock. We pulled
over to -the side of him and were to await our turn but about the time that
we got there here came the OD and had us both get out. First there was a
“boat going to Tulagi that had to have some heavy gear loaded on her to take
along. Then there was a boat -t’-that had he-d her gunnels all smashed
and they had to have her in at the dock to get t at that fixed. There
is just room for one boat at s time next to the dock too. Well noon came
and we were still waiting. The iFre boat had been all r-morning and had been
serving the stuff off over the other b boat. That after noon there was a
more extensive tour of the place here a-and that meant that Alpine would,
be going and I’d have the w.-hole responsibility . When I got in the base
force wanted me to take things easy so they w-would not have to work too
late. That really got me hot. I told T.}”en them that for two full days I’d
been sitting and waiting to get that stuff off and that they the:’” could
just pall team up to putting it away that the boys on the boat and. I’d be
getting ,it off. Well we got it off okay but every one had a lot of work
and in a hurry.
PAGE # 25
The morning of the nineteenth; of October, all five bpa-bss-fceained. out
to see the more distant t locale. We went up around Munda and.
Kolombangara. Up thru the wella Gulf and almost to the Choisel islands.
The Japs have evacuated the whole area not that l we covered t “ “but we
got to See a lot of their remains. There were four of their landing barges
on the reefs. Ones that PTs had shot all full of holes On the way back we
came a route that took us by two of the giant air s strips that they are
building “on Munda. That is to be one of the biggest bases that we have out
here -when it id finished. It is being built by the army t:-o and no
vessels with more t-an a twelve foot draft can get across the bar and into
the little harbor there, They are using the big LSTs and LCTs to haul the
stuff in there not. Those are bid barges of ours that lets out the front
end and let the stuff roll out onto the bank. Got back at five and soon as
I put Alpine off to go to the intelligence meeting I headed for the water
hole to get the gang all washed up. That made every one feel a hell of a
lot better Today’s trip had been hot and there had been a lot of spray.
Got hack just as the retriever was making the last rounds to get the men
from the base out to the boats. When it came near us Alpine yelled to get
him his life Jacket and helmet. He was going out for” the night run..
There were ten PTs going out on patrol and III the boat captains were to go
out with them to get the gist of how things are done out here. It made me
feel kinda slighted, they ;r get to go to all ell t-he intelligence
meetings and find out all that is going on and we execs have to stay by the
boats. I’m getting pretty sick of this way of doing things as it Is. We do
all the work and . they get the glory. Well so is life. , The morning
of the twentieth we were to sit around some more so I got the engineers on
their hundred hour checks and all the rest to working on their respective
jobs. The-boats that had gone out on patrol got in about eight in the
morning and all the gang went to bed at once. We were supposed to go out
at one and I paddled in to see the Captain and get the word on what was
going on so hs j we could get’”:-b the engines ready if necessary. He
told me to go ahead with the check’s that we could be classified as
inoperative and get ... that job done. The big news of the day-~s of t; e
“ was that the last of the week or the first of next that we “-would”- be
moving up to wella la Vella la Vella. That means that we might Set s shot
in at the Japs. , That patrol was to protect one
flank from attack. That is the ; flank of a large convoy of about sixty
ships that were hauling supplies up to wella La. Vella la Vella. Also that
same day there was one raid on an island .’Kist off Bougainville of seventy
planes. They really seen to be r, . annin~ ~co carr” ciit that phase of
‘the war in a big way. I ~e got over to g’-s up at a. bout foul- and soon
as we got thru ‘ we . took Alpine over to the dock to go to the meeting
of ‘ officers then went to the water hole. The -lanes were to stay
there all: night. about five \?e f-‘of the first mail since we left Santo.
That 1 had us all feeling especially good. There was no 7r;-water on
though and j we were pretty put out at not getting a
bath. j The morning of the 21st, we were
of we-e supposed to ~-get underway at j eight-fat in ‘the morning -and
C -le 3teaJ:ii n over. The exercise was delayed? bill one .m the afternoon
do w:s >uli80. into the dOTork to get some work done on ‘.he COl”le:IOO
tubes.
PAGE 26 first of three dark wersion
‘ We stayed ‘there until time to pull. out and. that was the
hottest that lave gotten, yet. There was no breeze at all and we were right
out in the sun roasting, j Well we got the walkie talkies aboard and
lulled out at one for ‘ I some new tactics. The Talkies are used be cause
they don’t carry as : far as the others and there isn’ t a chance of tie
enemy picking them u *,. We had one ship cast as target
and made runs as a unit of three \ on him. It was a pretty good exercise
too. Just before coining in there was a rain that got us all wet. We
got out in it to take a bath but about the tine that we got all soaped up it
stopped. The seventy plane raid. destroyed about a hundred and forty ships
for the Japanese. in eluding several large ships and a world of
“barges. There were no American losses. There was a raid the day after
that one i n which we lost one plane. The pilots didn’t get to go down and
get that pilot either for soon as” he hit the water he was surrounded by
the <Japs Soon as we pulled in from the t tactics we headed for the water
hole and got another bath. Just as we finished though we had to bring AI
Alpine into the meeting. We came on out to the buoy after that. Soon as we
had supper we looked over and there were signals for us to get underway to
exchange one of our “torpedoes 1\?‘ h OTlc! nS‘ with the boat that was
going back to Talagi. One of o\”.~<” -“””! bad T?,le “hat f~n.ii~”’”
“bout wisht en””’ th”;n. it was ol”et+7 “~r”- bTit we made it fine back
to the buoy for the night. The morning of- the 22nd we had
gotten all set to null out the. plugs from the engines and. get new ones
in. Just as we got started though we had to call a halt for it. We were to
have to make a trip, over to Munda and take the Captain and a bunch of the
base officers. Got underway for there at nine in the morning and pulled in
about ten. There was & little delay in getting in the passengers. There we
tied up alongside a barge over there and later found that it was full of
bombs ranging from $00 to 2200 pounders. They were unloading them the no
most of the time that we were there so we got a ring side seat. ‘ Some of
the boys got $O go u” to the airfield there and have a look at things. They
really were” having a lot of activity there too. Guess they have about
every king of lane there that the US uses and a lot of British planes
besides. The planes were taking off hauling a load of bombs to Bougainville
and returning. They kept it up all day end that was the second day in a row
that they had been doing it. Guess the Japs are getting a healthy respect
for the American riafaes now. When we got in tonight we to nd that in all
2SS planes had dropped their eggs in the one d-day. llaJor Crilluri who is
supply officer for the base was down-n to see about getting the bombs of
the barge r’-and. I had guile a talk with him-. He said that that morning
they .had only a two day supply of fuel on hand at the-e rate that the
planes we-e using it up and he had just cone from -operations where he went
to see about cutting down-n on a~r.ie of the flying. They told him that
there were six divisions landed on Bougainville in the morning and the
pianos had to go. There were supposed to be three of marines and three of
army. The total w.-as 8;;0O men. We got no confirmation of that from
BodirErx our 0-11 intelligence officers”’ yet though. Host of ;Most of the
enlisted men that we talked to there had- e17.. we to there ; ~ been out
here for three years and J-.most of the”””, had been con-completely away
PAGE # 26 normal second of three ~
Wefifcnvedbhele unt ll1 time to null. utt pnci fcha’+. waisi thF~ah~++Qe!+
w fcJ wQr uu wrlur u u I I w rrr w LILLV wV J~ U.J_1 - w u
w a++u wJJ.CIL U wCIO wi0 IIU UV~SC, i that l?.ve gotten yet.
There was no breeze at all and we were right out in the sun
roasting. I Well we got
the walkie talkies aboard and lulled out at one for ‘ I some new tactics.
The Talkies are used “because they don’t carry as I far as the others and
there isn’t t a chance of tie enemy picking
them-up. *,. I
We had one ship act as target and made runs as a unit of three I on him.
It was a pretty good exercise too. Just before coming in <
there was a rain that got us all wet. We got out in it to take a
“bath but about the tine. that we got all soaped up it stopped.. The
seventy plane raid destroyed about a hundred and forty ships for the
Japanese, including eluding several large ships and a world of barges.
There were no American losses. There was a raid the day after that one in
n which we lost one plane. The pilots didn’t get to go down and get that
pilot either for soon as” he hit the water he was surrounded by the <Japs
Soon as we pulled in from the t tactics we headed for the water hole and
got another bath. Just as we finished though we had to bring 10. Alpine
into the meeting. We came on out to the buoy after that. Soon as we had
supper we looked over end the 7TT were signaling us to get underway to
exchange one of our “torpedoes ~\17’ h op<” nf th,e bonts that was going
ba.ck to Talagi.One of o\~<” ‘-c”! bed. ~t “hat -i”irli.nh “” “bout w;ight
pn”” th-m i’t was ol”et~7 ~r~ b-mt we T’iade it fine hack to the buoy for
the “itc. Wi~ morn~nEz b-T the 22nd we had Rotten all set to -oull
out the i.U-0 1?1UI 1111~ w1. w~l.~ hL-*J.~. lu -*” J” - - --
~~- - ui-r. -~v wLI\- plugs from the engines and get n$pr_ ones in.
Just as we got started though we had to call a halt for it. We were to have
to e.ice a trip .over to Munda eJid take the Captain and a “bunch of the
base ofifioers. Got und rway for there at ninein the morning and pulled in
atout ten. Therewas a little delay in getting in the passengers. Therewe
tied up alongside a, barge ovar t,ere and later foimd that it was fmll of
bombs ranging froia 500 to 2200 pounders. They were unloading then the mo st
of the tirrie that we were there so w’e got a ring side seat. ‘ Some of
the boys got $”o go u- to the airfield there and have a look at things. They
really wer” having a “.of of activity there too. Guess they have about every
king of pl?.n3 there that the u.s. useeS and 8 lot of British pianos
besides. The planes were taking off haul ing aload of bombs to Bogenville
and returning. They kept it up all day and that was the second day in a row
thp.t they had been doing jt. Guess the Japs are Fettirg a healthy respect
for t:e At-ierioam riafaes now. When we got in tonite we to nd that in all
2S3planes had deo-ped their egg~ in the one d-ay. Major G-illuni who is
supply officer for the base was t’cov;rr to see about getting the bonbs
o~Brr the barge -“.nd I hs.d guile a talk with hiri. He said that that
morning t’-.et they }ad only a two day suppoy of fuel on hano- at the rate
thet the planes we”:’e using it up and he had just come fron pjber-tions
where he went to see about cutting down on so:n1.e of the flying. They told
him that there were six divisions landed on Boganville in the inorning and
the pianos had to go. There were SIP” ~osedio be three of marines end fi”ree
of ar ,,,, The total was R”0’3n3n nen. We got no confirnetior- of that
fro:”;. BaribEErs our o”.’n int”:l”i” nce oi’:”iccrs yst. though.
Host of alJ the enJisted ::.en th-t we talked to there ~ad been out here
for three ye~.rs ri d r.iost of ther. had boen CQ.’T’lete3-y away
PAGE # 26 light wersion third of three ~
Wefifcnvedbhele unt ll1 time to null. utt pnci fcha’+. waisi thF~ah~++Qe!+
w fcJ wQr uu wrlur u u I I w rrr w LILLV wV J~ U.J_1 - w u
w a++u wJJ.CIL U wCIO wi0 IIU UV~SC, i that l?.ve gotten yet.
There was no breeze at all and wie were right ouS in the sun
roasting. I Well we got
the walkie talkies aboard and lulled out at one for ‘ I some IEW tactics.
The Talkies are used “because thev don’t carry as I far as the others and
there isn t a chance of tie enemy picking
them-up. *,. I
We had one ship aot as target and made runs as a unit of three I on him.
It was a pretty good exercise too. Just before coming in <
there was a rain that got us all wet. We gotout in it to take a
“batll but about the tine. that we got all soaped up it stopped.. The
seventy plane reid destroyed about a hundred and fourty ships for the aaps
ij eluding several large ships and a world of barges. There were no
American losses. There was a raid the day after that one i n which we lost
one plane. The pilots didn’t get to go down and get that piftot either for
soon as” he hit the water he was surrounded by the <japs Soon as we pulled
in from the t actics we headed for the water hole and got another bath.
Just as we finished though we had to bring 10. Alpine into the meeting. We
came on out to the buoy after that. Soon as we had supper we looked over
end the7TT were si”-nallir”T us to p.fit underway to exchange one of our
“corpedoes ~\17’ h op<” nf th,e bonts that was going ba.ck to Talagi.One of
o\~<” ‘-c”! bed. ~t “hat -i”irli.nh “” “bout w;ight pn”” th-m i’t was
ol”et~7 ~r~ b-mt we T’iade it fine hack to the buoy for the “itc. Wi~
morn~nEz b-T the 22nd we had Rotten all set to -oull out the
i.U-0 1?1UI 1111~ w1. w~l.~ hL-*J.~. lu -*” J” - - -- ~~- -
ui-r. -~v wLI\- plugs from the engines and get n$pr_ ones in. Just as
we got started though we had to call a halt for it. We were to have to
e.ice a trip .over to Munda eJid take the Captain and a “bunch of the base
ofifioers. Got und rway for there at ninein the morning and pulled in atout
ten. Therewas a little delay in getting in the passengers. Therewe tied up
alongside a, barge ovar t,ere and later foimd that it was fmll of bombs
ranging froia 500 to 2200 pounders. They were unloading then the mo st of
the tirrie that we were there so w’e got a ring side seat. ‘ Some of the
boys got $”o go u- to the airfield there and have a look at things. They
really wer” having a “.of of activity there too. Guess they have about every
king of pl?.n3 there that the u.s. useeS and 8 lot of British pianos
besides. The planes were taking off haul ing aload of bombs to Bogenville
and returning. They kept it up all day and that was the second day in a row
thp.t they had been doing jt. Guess the Japs are Fettirg a healthy respect
for t:e At-ierioam riafaes now. When we got in tonite we to nd that in all
2S3planes had deo-ped their egg~ in the one d-ay. Major G-illuni who is
supply officer for the base was t’cov;rr to see about getting the bonbs
o~Brr the barge -“.nd I hs.d guile a talk with hiri. He said that that
morning t’-.et they }ad only a two day suppoy of fuel on hano- at the rate
thet the planes we”:’e using it up and he had just come fron pjber-tions
where he went to see about cutting down on so:n1.e of the flying. They told
him that there were six divisions landed on Boganville in the inorning and
the pianos had to go. There were SIP” ~osedio be three of marines end fi”ree
of ar ,,,, The total was R”0’3n3n nen. We got no confirnetior- of that
fro:”;. BaribEErs our o”.’n int”:l”i” nce oi’:”iccrs yst. though.
Host of alJ the enJisted ::.en th-t we talked to there ~ad been out here
for three ye~.rs ri d r.iost of ther. had boen CQ.’T’lete3-y away
PAGE # 27 top . . from civilization
for a year. They had been at Guadalcanal then moved . up at the troops
advanced.. They were pretty sick of it and were wanting to get “back mighty
badly. They all wanted to get back and do war work for a while and let the
would-be! be strikers have a dose of it. I predict - that when the
majority of this bunch does go home there will be a lot different way of
dealing with the men who don’t want to work but want to hinder progress.
Soon as we got back here w.-e put,- off all the passengers and headed for
the iarater hoflie to get the evening bath. Boy that felt good to all of
us Just after WG had gotten back to the buoy sad ties up we got another
bunch of mail I tell the world that the boys had the rather have the mail
than a battle wiEtosy. The morning of the 23rd we finally got
to work getting the plugs changed “and getting ready to go up to wella La
wella which is to be our base. We are to Start a base just out squadron.
There is nothing then now. The location is St. Baloa which is the south
east corner of ,the island the one base that is there -TIO-W is at Lambo
Lambo which is on the IYiOXth East corner of the island. If this push
really is on there won’t be much p:’t.ci== there thg -“”e have to gtnqq
ahead of the gang. They had- finished the plugs by about dinner time and we
were to go over to get the oil changed- but there were two YOs tied
alongside the YOG- and- would? not be able to get the change unless we went
in between the ship an B j coral bank which wasn’t a good idea at all.
The captain told us t -wait till.] next day that they were to leave at
ten in the evening and. w.-e would all have tirie tc make the change then,
Well we both pulled out to the water hole early to let the men get a] the
washing done thought they needed to &o get on--]: ‘::with getting a bath.
Then too that was a clock for the men to stand on to work on the gunnels
of the 243.
PAGE 27 bottom light no dark on this disk at
ten in the morning and. w.-e would all have t-time to make the change then,
Well we “both pulled out to the water hole early to let the men get a] all
the washing done < that they needed to do along with getting a bath, Then
too that t”’8S a dock for the men to stand on to work on the punpels or
the 243. -‘ We &QC3.&&& to spend the
nit there so we sent Ton and Alpine in the dingy to the officers’ meeting.
Th~t ~hoisLLL: _lhoisL a half riile row too, Ha The; did not seem to know it
though. When they got back that night, they came with the word that we
would stay here for a while and that others who had been out longer and had
had more experience would be sent back in advance bs.ses. It was rather
logical to handle things that way. Planes se-s~ec;;;; to be still making
continual bombings on Boganville. They really:” must be taking a beating
‘there. That was a false rumor about the six divisions landing there On
the ]morning of the twenty--. o” the fourth we pulled bask over to the
assigned buoy. Got a lot more work done on the guns and did a lot of
general cleaning up. At noon we went over and were nianrling to get the
oil f’””r.{”ed but there ‘.””re nR “~7rC08 “”’~ ~hcr” ‘”’”?’e t—c? o”ts
~:;’C’ ~in-“ th’.-t w”rp p~c’i’ of -1:3 so we 1 : c, -p ~ n c,,-‘~
.n nne of -i;be ho”.T.s thet -.-‘—fIIIL, “ TI ‘-‘” ‘”””” .””” “”~t ;+
T-r”- ~”’~ o-f +he Ron II bo”’-t.3 %ron ~lc?? “’~Y’lO. TI-‘-- -bol’” l””
‘-i—tbhcy wrere on the ?’.TF:TI to Talr.gi to get throe ne’.- e.ncL”””””
-1101 “. --.oneral Qver”iau.l. They had- never seen. an Higgin.”- bos.t
and res.lly “-io. “et f-.. ~ic!r out of going olper it and conparing the
tvo boats. Thpy .’.ikod ? lot of features thF.t we had. They h-ve been
borTjbed every l?j ;-88 ~in~e they lirve been on weila l’: wolla, Once
onehi about five “”ards fro~t’n1”o.t ?.nd t]:.o ~ot any one was tilled
there were six t~.at ~ad to .I ~J” ~ ~os”~’~”3 :’.~ ‘”lito a ‘~ile
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAGEs 27-36 PAGE # 27 top . . from
civilization for a year. They had been at Guadalcanal then moved .
up at the troops advanced.. They were pretty sick of it and were wanting to
get “back mighty badly. They all wanted to get back and do war work for a
while and let the would! be strikers have a dose of it. I predict - that
when the majority of this bunch does get home there will be a lot different
way of dealing with the men who don’t want to work but want to hinder
progress.
Soon as we got back here w.-e put,- off all the passengers and headed for
the iarater hoflie to get the evening bath. Boy that felt good to all of us
Just after WG had gotten back to the buoy sad ties up we got another bunch
of mail I tell the world that the boys had rather have the mail than a
battle wiEtosy.
The morning of the 23rd we finally got to work getting the plugs
changed “and getting ready to go up to wella La wella which is to be our
base. We are to Start a base just out squadron. There is nothing then now.
The location is St. Baloa which is the south east corner of ,the island the
one base that is there -TIO-W is at Lambo Lambo which is on the north East
corner of the island. If this push really is on there won’t be much point
there thg ~or -“”e have to getting ahead of the gang.
They had- finished the plugs by about dinner time and we were to go over to
get the oil changed- but there were two YOs tied alongside the YOG- and-
would? not be able to get the change unless we went in between the ship an
B j coral bank which wasn’t a good idea at all.
The captain told us t -wait till.] next day that they were to leave at ten
in the evening and. w.-e would all have time to make the change then, Well
we both pulled out to the water hole early to let the men get a] the washing
done though.t they needed to &o and get on with on--]: ‘:: getting a bath.
Then too that was a dock for the men to stand on to work on the gunnels of
the 243. PAGE 27 bottom We &QC3.&&& to spend the nit there so
we sent Ton and Alpine in the dingy to t”e Of~ioers meeting. Th~t ~hoisLLL:
_lhoisL a half riile row too, Ha The; dici TT.ot seen to iJ.no. it though.
XKien they got ‘b??.ck that nitethey cane w5.th th- T~ord that \’TG would
stay here for av~hile coid thet others w.’h.o had been out longer and had
hac more experience w.’ou..1.f”!. oe sent lap ‘bo .!.!. . F.dvanoea bs.ses.
It was rather logicF..I to handle things t”~t w.”ay. Plares se-s~ec;;;; tc
be still raaking continual bonbinr’s on Boganville. They rea.ll:” nust be
taking a beating ‘there. Thatwas a false runor about the six divisions
landing there On the ]2iorni?T--. o” the tv~el?ji’2 fourth wre pulled
bask over to the assigned buoy. Got a lot more work done on the guns and
did a lot of general cleanding up. At noon w<- w-ent.over ana were -nianrling
to -et the oil f’””r.{”ed but there ‘.””re nR “~7rC08 “”’~ ~hcr” ‘”’”?’e
t—c? o”ts ~:;’C’ ~in-“ th’.-t w”rp p~c’i’ of -1:3 so we 1 : c, -p ~ n
c,,-‘~ .n nne of -i;be ho”.T.s thet -.-‘—fIIIL, “ TI ‘-‘” ‘”””” .”””
“”~t ;+ T-r”- ~”’~ o-f +he Ron II bo”’-t.3 %ron ~lc?? “’~Y’lO. TI-‘-- -bol’”
l”” ‘-i—tbhcy wrere on the ?’.TF:TI to Talr.gi to get throe ne’.- e.ncL”””””
-1101 “. --.oneral Qver”iau.l. They had- never seen. an Higgin.”- bos.t and
res.lly “-io. “et f-.. ~ic!r out of going olper it and conparing the tvo
boats. Thpy .’.ikod ? lot of features thF.t we had. They h-ve been borTjbed
every l?j ;-88 ~in~e they lirve been on weila l’: wolla, Once onehi about
five “”ards fro~t’n1”o.t ?.nd t]:.o ~ot any one was tilled there were six
t~.at ~ad to .I ~J” ~ ~os”~’~”3 :’.~ ‘”lito a ‘~ile PAGE i
28 About the middle of the afternoon there were three of our boats that got
up from Talagi too. That made us feel good even if we aid not get to talk to
the boys any We finally got in to fuel, get the oil changed and get gas for
the generator. That took about an hour so we header to the water hole soon
as we finished there, Alpine arose in early in the morning and we had not
seen him all day. > He came back that night pretty tired he had gotten
all the stuff that we bad brought up with us all straightened out which
called for putting up two ado-additional tents. Now maybe the 1}, e things
will not ruxn fore we get to use them.
On the morning of the twenty fifth there stared nothing to do in our faces.
It is getting pretty bad now. There really is not enough to keep all the
gang busy all day long and they are all getting sorta restless We have to
all stay on board to be able to get t is thing under way at a moments notice
and the PT is as hot down here as it was cold” in Melville. Then too there
is nothing to read. Nothing cold to drink, Just sit.
Back on the seventh of July I was told that I should have a boat myself. In
fact this one should””. have been mine. Well I did not say anything; but
kept on plugging. When we unloaded in Espirito Santo. Ail the higher ups got
together slid discussed all the Execs and I was at the top of the list.
That puts me in line for the next boat that comes, available.
There is an expected shake up too one of these de?: s in which some:: o?
the host captains will .be takes back because of incompetence. None of this
has been mentioned by me to anyone. has been by me to one. When the three
boats got here yesterday the Cs.-Captain took Trimble off the 238 boat and
made him a division leader. That leaves a boat available. There were three
officers on that boat already and. none has as yet been designated as the
skipper. There is a possibility that’ since they have worked with the boys
there this long that they ?will’? be staying there Another likelihood is
that I be become skipper of the 2.Ji, boat and have Dick Prid eex’ as my
exec.
I spent all the morning; getting the little loose and ends all straight.
There was the t3 3 -leek to wash. The lazarette to straighten. arid the
ammunition locker to -“-et orderly. I passed out some of the games, of .”-
like checkers that we have. ‘S.rouh’b along. All “oho ~arn~ SC rnr- 10
appreciate that a lot. After lunch JL let all the men go swimming”; ~ \7r-.
to and they seemed to have quite a tine of it. I worked- on w’Q ventilation
system that we were installing in the chart house, ‘r took the exhaust fan
that was over the galley rit~e and turned it around in the chart house so
that it is sucks fresh air in. That is the only place t -?t we can smoke
while on patrol no. it wn.ll have to bo s.ii c:j~cts !iii up. Wit,ho-it the
extPa air coi. n it it, ~3ts ~~ --- stuffy in ‘there so:-::e times.
I took the men over to get a bath late in the afternoon and while we were
there one of the boats that had ,-~on== i-v” to Lever “.ari-ior ‘.which is
on the north slide of the New Georgias group “ulle’i.in. They report, si
thel there was a wonderful lay out up there. The base is in c. we will and
the ?men use thatched huts that the natives once used.” the one’-:- used.
The natives work pretty well with the program there. The natives have been
influenced & OT- ‘”’””missionaries that have been \ there in the past but
ere not there am” any more. Before the Americans xxx the island from the
Japanese - Before the An- the. ho there were two pilots who were forced down
t ?t ‘ forced there; the Natives took care of then and. wanted the?’” to
teach them some new songs that they could sing. A-All the others that they
taught?.—others t-‘ht them PAGE”# 29 J were Halleluia I’m. a
Bum and Old McDonald had a farm. The were still using those two In their
religious ceremonies. when they made a PT base there, The natives thought
that it was a sin to kill with guns “but had all got together and decided
that it would not be a sin if they killed with stones or bows and arrows as
long as it was in self defense. Well the commander in charge of PTs told”
them that if the Japs got to their village that they might kill them all and
it would be in self defense to kill them and he would give them canned
groceries if they would kill any Japs that might be left on the island. He
had to have some -proof though so at first he asked them to bring in a hand
off the victim. Well all worked well till one of them brought in four hands
from two Japs and tried to collect for four. Mow they have to bring half of
a Jaw Bone. Whenever the boats all wound up the engines the natives knew
that they were going out to fight and they would all come down to the beach
and pray for them and then sing till they were out of sight, The morning of
the twentieth we were to make some speed runs and have some adjustments made
on the carburetors to see if we could K get any more speed. We got all
cleaned and straightened and got into the dock at eight o’clock. When we got
there they needed someone to help get some place for the men to stow their
sea bags? they did not need. I volunteered since I was not needed on the
boat. Before it was finished The k3 boat pulled out for Lambo Lambo with the
captain. I got that done about eleven but decided that it would be a good
idea to wait around and get a. haircut. The barber is a stewards mate and
could not be free till after chow so I sat around shooting the bull with the
base force officers. We opened a coconut and ate it. t First one in quite s.
while that I had eaten. Seems as we are pretty lazy because there are
myriads of them out—ere. After the haircut I came back to the boat’. Had
been out about an hour when there come e. down pour. We all got out in it
and got the bath and had time to wash out a few clothes while we were at it.
That meant we did not have to make the trip to the water hole and get the
engines all hot. The engine room is right next to the officers quarters and
does it get hot when the engine room is hot. Just before dark we saw three
LSTs and two destroyers go by. They are headed up the line to make that
invasion tonight not on Boganville but on though Treasury” islands which is
about thirty miles this side. Guess they are putting off the big push for a
while. There were several hundred tons of bombs dropped on Boganville today
though so they are not letting them have any rest there. It really is a
beautiful sight to see a formation of fifty bombers going up and then right
after them another formation of fighters just as big. The 27th we
spent all morning getting guns all clean. Of course there were other other
odds and ends to catch up but the former -as the main item of the morning.
At one three of the boats were to go out for target practice, the U 1~2
and rc3, Well the forty one boat had to go on a mission to Beloa on wella
La wella and that left the two boats. The 40 and U had left early in the
morning for the Russel Islands and the other three boats that are here we re
tied U’7 with engine checks. VJeV the 43 boat -i”omlo lowered the boat out
of the the ;.lboat out of t e channel and while vre were f’ettinr thetar-et
;;ore or ‘ess got lose from us. We thought PAGE 30 top
PAGElL# 30 they had followed them :bight on up the line for they
were no where to be seen. We got out to where we were supposed, to fire and
still they were not in sight so we put over the target and proceed to carry
out theexercise. wie made three runs on the target fore it sank. There was a
little stopPAGE on all guns. They really do take a lot of care
and attention. Just as we finished here came the 4-3 boat it had gone on
down the Rendova cease and had imessed the whole show.
We both put over some boses then ahd tried out all the small arms. The
-whole bunch looker mighty good o~ all the shooting too. We got back to the
dock writh the Capt about four and soon as they got off we headed for the
water hole to ge thebath. Th~ called us back and told us that there were $orne
pilots down off the Treasury islands and we were to stand by to go get them.
Well we kept a radio watdh pretty slose all the time we were showering but
they did not call us. Guess the catalina got them okay.
Jut at darl there was a condition red again. There are only two out he re
red and GREEN. This is the first one since wie got to Rendova though that
we ~arc? planes. There were a lot of them over Munda and we heard a lot of
expiosiosions. G-uess there was quite a bit of fire works over there. We
could see the figishes for several of them. One plane came over us and
circled several times but dropped no bombs.
On the morning of the 28th we pot up pretty early and sterted on
the gins. since they had all been fired the day before they every one had to
be cleaned. “Ye all pitched in and- di& not much of any thipg else. By
noon though we hai cleanea all guns except the 37mri w,’fich”will’ be a snar>
for “ whole afternoon. That means, wie got1444 o.i. caned too.
Today the marines landed on the Ghoicevell ‘island. The main purpose DO a
snap ior ,-, w.noJ_e 8rT.erp-.ooll -rnaG means,we gOTULC? cJeanea coo.
Todav the laarines lancleA on the Choicevell’islrJicl The main purpose was
not one of complete conquest but to clear out an area suitable for e. PT
base and to set up tvro povrerful radar stations. When they got there though
there was not a single Jap there so the;” just took possession, of the whole
island. The PTs got the “G-ood work Boys” from Admiral Wilkinson for their
part in the IBreasury isl~~ deal. The PTs had done all the convoy work and
akx the protection while theLSTs had gone in and landed, the troops. There
had not been a single plane or boat to get-thru and fire at then the whole
ti~e. The 29th we went into t e d-ock pretty early. I ‘.ad -to
~et the radar worked on and the generator looked at and the phone system
fixed-. We stayed there t~e best ‘nart of the day too. The crewaall ate noon
chow ashore and. it ifs the first time that they -have done that. They are
novJ all wanting to eat all the rest of then on the boa.t Ey late afternoon
they had not finished with the radar. The phones had. been fixed and the
generator was coiapletely out. Thev wanted- us back at the dock next
morning but there wore other things to r.st done in there that seer’ied
iaore important at the tine.
Arrangements had been made for r-li -bhe bo>”t execs to cone ir. at one in
the {’.fternoon End get beer. Half of rll the boat crev-?s and the Boc.t
captains hod a:-.I gotten their ration, of two cane the Ffternoon before.
Well there were three execs thrt were on the beach and none cared for the
beer. I have conpletoly sworn off since it seens -Lo nake r-e so sick eve y
time that I touch it. Well tge captain was mighty thirsty for soine so I
wolunjbeered to go see about it. I told the officer in charge of it that
there were five execs there and he gave ne 10 cans.
That we.3 enough for ;.’ll therori 19 o”:””icerst”i?”t were ashor” to ~’ve
two. Just as J was getting 5t. iJoe Buttorworth cane up and askeo. if ~ry of
that was for him. ~hf-t nepriy ~7’?r tC:””” the c!eel but J. -of Tl-~nyhow -nd
ali were happy.
PAGE # 31 darker follows There was also a ration oiff candy.
Three bars to each man. I really book that it was thefirst since I 3eft the
states. I have not cared.
much for that since it is so hot and anything like that maked one all
thehotter.
Just before we were ready to leave the 2~ pulled, along side. They had
borrowed the gas filter quite a while ago and had. not rettoned it. Well we
got it and. they bad punched, about halit a dozen holes in the vd.re
stiminer. That got me so hot I “could, have boiled..’ There is a lot of
talk yet about every thing being d-one for the good. of the squadron and for
someone to do a thing likfe that just burns rae up I do not think that l;h~
will get one bit ofl assistance out of us from now on.
Well we cranked up to go over to the water hole and so did. they. Dick had
one of the boys at the wheel and. they thought that we were racing them over
and opened UT> to ~ast. I stayed right on course and kept the speed that I
had. They nearly hit a reef that is half way over then they picked out the
lea side of the dock to cone in on. Thqr had too much speed and. then the
wind warried. them right away from the look arid made them have to pull out
and try again. By the time they had d-one ell that I had gone right in
stopped, and the wind. had. set us right down onto the d-dock. We were
getting a shower when they got the first line over.
Got back over to though buoy at about five and. had a really wonderful steak
supper I set up my outdoor bunk soon as we got over , put up the mosquito
net and settled down t’”’ write a couple of letters. Just about that tine
three 77 ft. Elco. boats for RON five were coming in. They w’-re- 8 ?me that
had ccHiie out o”. ‘:hctsnkel with the second group of our boats. They<y
had- brought up mail for us and that made everyone quite happy, Just at
dark, there came up a blowing rain and I had. to rush out and get the bed
in. Rains here seldom last more than half an hour t:r~d_ thers I” seldom
another rain for about 2. hours. G-Got the bed back out about nine and” it
really was nice and cool out after that. There was no air raid Fri till
about one next morning. Guess ‘the Japs are still a little leery about
the whole Etfca.c]’:s. They still have not dropped ] not any bombs on us
btnfa they had hit Munda pretty severely several times. The morning of the
30th “re p.o-b w.1 and started to work in a hurry.
There is an LST coHin~ i~ here with all the supplies for iir base that the
CBs the G.ie built for:” the PTs on BOY? Island.. Our squadron has to have
65 T:: n as their share of -the working “arty to unload all the “cet;, I am
.to be in charge of -the lads from RON 19. !;”:’e have to ~;eLL all the
daily work done before the.t gets here.
‘About ten on the morning word. cane that three of the Boats were f-going on
up to Vella La Vella which is to be our last? bast for the time being. We
‘.were not included in this and it really did hurt not to be in on the first
move that was to be made. Well I Rpt Alpine to QO back to the beach .just
after dinner “’.and see if he could change-o-e the minds of t]-io 5j_cp
nhofp and let us go “any how. Our radio was out and. radar too. ‘They had
worked, on both the day before but had. not been able to get around “.round
to it all day and I ~i-ured -i; -j.c.t they x?ould pet it finished by dark.
i.lean cSme we went over to ~ett Fli the gas tanks full”. 30 there would be
no question about i;hht, Soon as we tied up alongside the YOG- along cai’ie
& bor.t calling for Raney. The T~3T hBC? gotten in in the morning.”; and.
they .”ad sent the base force over but not the men from the boats and- I
had- no idea that it ‘.’.”as there. Though commodore had been over and we 1
no officer there and ho had gotten ~:t%T’ sore about it.
PAGE 31 darker no better than above I set UT my outdoor
‘bunk: soon as we got over , put up the mosquito net e.ns settleci. co-vm fc:’
write a couple of letters. Just about that tine three 77Pt,, eico 130013 for
ron five were comin.g in. They W-!~-C soT;:i.e that had cornie out o-\
thctsJiker w.”ith the socond ~roup of our boots. Th<~ lr.d brouaj-it upnail
for us alKl that Biade c3veryone Quite ha”py, Just at G~rrr there ca&e up a
blov.-inF rain anl” I had to rush out and get the bed in. Rains here seldom
last more than hr-.lf an hour and there is seldon anoth.er ra.i for about
2+ hours. G-ot the bed bac~rr out about nine and it really was nice and
cool out after th:t. There. wre.s not en air raid till about one next
Biorning. Guess ‘the Japs are 8111~ a little leary about thebold atta.cks.
They stall h~ve not dropped any bonbs on us btlifa they had hit l’.lunda
Tiretty severely severa]. times. The norning of the ~Oth “re ~ot Ui~ and
started to work in a hurry. There is an LST coning i:n here with all the
supplier for the base that the CBs -are build.irf” for the. ‘J?Ts on BOY?
Isl.”nd.. 0-:.r souad.ron has to have 65 r”en as t3~eir share of the
~or:::i11~ -arty to unload, all the ‘-eaj7. I BCE to be irohorge of hhe
lad.s fDon Kon 19. We ha.ve to C;et all the daily work done before that ~etaa
here. “About ten on the morning word. cane that yhree of the Boasts were
roing on up to wella L a wella whieh is to be ouj7 bast for the time being.
We were not included in that and. it really did hUJt not to be in on the
first nove tlia.t was to be made. Well I gipt Alpineto @o back to the beach
just after d.inner and see if he could change the mind.s of the bip- shots
and let us r:.o any how. Cur radio wTBS out and. radar too. ‘~hcy ha.:’.
wJorked on both the day before but had- not been able to g”t ground to it
all day and I gi”-urcd that they -crould fot it fininshe by d.ark. ilean
time we went over to r~ett <:-ll the ga.s tanks ful”. so theere would bo
no question about i;hht. Soon as T-i’e tied. up alongside the YOG-alon~
ca”-:ie a boat calling for Ranoy. Though I-ST h&d. gotten in in th~morning
and. tj”.ey .”ad ae]3’fa. the base force over but not the men from the
boa.ts and- I had- no id.ea that it was there. Though commodore had been
over and w.’e l.’ar”. no off;ccr there and ho had. cotton rot~;7+’
sore about it. PAGE ~ 32 , ‘ I lumped in and got over
there in a hurry. They had divided an the men into three parties. The CBs
were getting the stuff off of the LSTs and the Base was carting them back in
the “hushed bushes and all the squadron parties were to stow it. So far
they had gotten off only trucks two cranes, two bull dozers, two
evaporators, two electric power Units and a few hysters. That meant that all
our men had been sitting there all day. I still do not see why there was so
much importance about my getting there. At four they all stopped work: till
morning and we went back over to the base. Alpine had gone out to the YOG
and gotten the boat and had it over the:, e too. We were to get to go
providing tsre got the radar and radio fixed.
Well I got the men on board to fix Both and. went over to the water hole
kiosk. There was a cool breeze there and we could fix them chow and I
planned to stay there till long oa enough after dark for them to get a
shower too. They got t e radio but the radar still would hot work right.
There could be no lights after dark so they had to quit.
Down went my spirits again but when we got back to our buoy I found that we
would get to move on up any how.
The morning of the thirty first we had reveille at six and pretty soon were
off to get one of the fish charged up that had had a leak in the air flask
some where. We were to get off at ten and really did have to hurry on that
job. The rc3 boat had to get one fixed too.
By nine thirty though all was set and off we went to the dock to get on the
gear that we had to have.
We had been at the dock about ten minutes when word was passed that we -were
to shove off at once. The boats were all RoilL~ but in two PAGE
32 bottom first copy
By nine thirty though all was set and off we went to the dock to get on the
gear that we hafito have, We had “oeen at tao ~hI about ten minutos when
word was passed that we were to shove off at once.-Tat. The boats were all
going but in two sections. Were wore in the first and all the others, except
the two that ran aground &n~. -.re still at Talag~ will come along later in
the morning when they L all the rest of the gear stowed rest the gear on the
boats.
every one ..seemed a little baffled shout who was going on what boat the
base force, that. is. Well we wound up and pulled out any how but in doing
so we left our torpedoman back there. “We now have three fish ready to fire
a-and. the fourth is sticking half way out the tube. Ha, We reached Lambu
Lambu 81 1330 3!1 ‘ch-s .afternoon and started to get the boats unloaded ;at
once.. There was room at the dock for only two boats at the tine time, and
this meant that we would have to aisohor till out turn ce.iri.e. ‘We
settled down to wait our turn patiently but about &n ilo~ later
there weadQ a boat around to rle”e all ,iie base four and their
~ed7 orf the boat. That took care of most of all the stuff that we had, We
had managed to sort of ,riet by light this time.-ht this. Pretty soon after
that there was ;- other boat that wanted all the boat U-captains for a rush
meeting.. Alpine got back to the boat at five thirty from this and we were
to go and. we w—e to ~ out on night patrol ..t once. We managed to~oby oi’-e
locl::: on the way out and Titch off a couple of boxes tbf_twore on the-e
AeclrJ. That made us a little lighter. The boats ‘”ere to o’ncrate in four
sections aL.d \fe irero to be with the ~l boat and the Ce-otf-in our
section” leader. ‘-~3 ‘”3.11-011 :””s to be between—n Bougainville end the
“,O :C, rV’lc: islands. There was to be ‘:a3 to b”; ~~e S..d~ . C
“c’t’v.eQn p’broll~~’.v ours uas ~’f~ r””~ ~ntff to Bougainville
Tr’~E was the ni~e L? I ‘”~re to break - One L-~:9?~ “r?rre .was to
.shell the devil out “f ‘””] though ~ ‘; ~cF~1en’t” ?’t the noit?’lors tiT
of the ‘island .and then rctarc? t” ~”” -‘-.iv!~ p~pilin”- “- tJ-cy c’-‘e.
Another w.’FS to stear
a ~?~ ?mr’ .e. c “”” ~”’oo “ “’”’”t “~re to “le ~nded
o” + ~ cehter of the “”estorn. ‘”or’tio of ~ “ 5cl.nG.. ITo~ir
]nor31in”’ ‘~J\erc w;;-.3 to bn s carr5.er fo:”ro co””-e i”” ;~~ ‘S”~7
thfi -.cl”. o”t of tl.i i- ‘~’olc i~l~.~. Besides ell c.r Sf; the
usu-l - “.-‘l “ “oup.iT.lr~ w-eT-e -1.0 t.~:”; loc~ fron l.~”~”.
PAGE 32 bottom second copy By nine thirty though all was set and off
we went to the dock to get on the gear that we had to have, We had “been at
tao ~hI about ten minutes when word was passed that we were to shove off at
once.-Tat. The boats were all going but in two sections. Were wore in the
first and all the others, except the two that ran aground &n~. -.re still at
Talago will come along later in the morning when they L get all the rest of
the gear stowed rest the gear on the boats.
every one ..seemed a little baffled shout who was going on what boat the
base force, that. is. Well we wound up and pulled out any how but in doing
so we left our torpedoman back there. “We now have three fish ready to fire
a-and. the fourth is sticking half way out the tube. Ha, We reached Lambu
Lambu 81 1330 3!1 ‘ch-s .afternoon and started to get the boats unloaded at
once. ;. There was room at the dock for only two boats at the time and this
meant that we would have to anchor till our turn came. We settled down to
wait our turn patiently but about &n ten minutes later there weadQ a
boat around to rle”e all ,the base force and their ~ed7 orf the
boat. That took care of most of all the stuff that we had, We had managed to
sort of ,riet by light-ht this time. Pretty soon after that there was
another ;- other boat that wanted all the boat captains for a rush meeting.
U-.”. Alpine got back to the boat at five thirty from this and. we w-were to
go-e to ~ out on night patrol ..t once. We managed to~oby oi’-e locl::: on
the way out and Titch off a couple of boxes that were on the-e AeclrJ That
made us a little lighter. The boats ‘”ere to o’ncrate in four sections aL.d
\fe irero to be with the ~l boat and the Ce-otf-in our section” leader. ‘-~3
‘”3.11-011 :””s to be between Bougainville and the O :C, rV’lc: Islands.
There were ‘:a3 to b”; ~~e S..d~ . C “c’t’v.eQn p’broll~~’.v ours uas
~’f~ r””~ ~ntff to B7””nvillrT~ Tr’~E w’as the ni~e L? I ‘”~re to
breo.k - One L-~:9?~ “r?rre .was to .shell the d.ovil out “f ‘””] though ~
‘; ~cF~1en’t” ?’t the noit?’lors tiT of the ‘island .and then rctarc? t” ~””
-‘-.iv!~ p~pilin”- “- tJ-cy c’-‘e. Another w.’FS to steara ~?~ ?mr’
.e. c “”” ~”’oo “ “’”’”t “~re to “le ~nded o” + ~
cehter of the “”estorn. ‘”or’tio of ~ “ 5cl.nG.. ITo~ir ]nor31in”’
‘~J\erc w;;-.3 to bn s carr5.er fo:”ro co””-e i”” ;~~ ‘S”~7 thfi -.cl”.
o”t of tl.i i- ‘~’olc i~l~.~. Besides ell c.r Sf; the usu-l - “.-‘l
“ “oup.iT.lr~ w-eT-e -1.0 t.~:”; loc~ fron l.~”~”.
~PAGE~33 second copy 33-Raney.rtf We pulled, out
on schedule and were -bo maice fifteen hundred-been KB,l on the way to
our station but the Captain evidently had the 41 “boat wide open for we were
niG.I:ing 1900 most of the time and they were slowly gaining weight but we
still could make them out. There happened to come up a period of darkness
and a rain that “blotted them out for a moment though and we did not see
them again till pretty late. in the evening, The radar on our “boat had
still not been fixed and we could not pick them up with that. They had to
finally conn us in on their radar. That seemed not to make the captain sore
at ail but he evidently was. At one forty the task force was to have
finished with their pounding and be heading’ south. There is a policy to
keep the PTs and. a task force> separated. after the Macauley incident so
we retires. It is almost impossible to get in to the harbor till daylight so
all the boats except my section went just off shore of Vella la Vella. We
went over to the western coast of the Choisels to see if we could, contact
the Marines that had landed there. We had not gotten them at three thirty in
the morning so gave up and head-ed for the base. Long before then all the
men had about gone to sleep on their posts they were so tired. Just at
daylight we got” back to base. We all flopped but about nine there was
another meeting of aol bet’ t oe.-?tains nsins At that meeting Alpine and
Tom Dalton were beached for three days each for getting lost last night.
That nearly broke Alpine‘s heart too.. He moved enough of his gear ashore to
na~e out pretty soon after dinner. I had gotten up at the same time and had
had only three hours of sleep the whole time. The rest of the afternoon I
got ell the crew busy Crnt’~-F J-Fff ready to unload. We did want to lighten
the boat up all that was possible. At three we went over to the spring to
get a bath. That e..-.t really felt good. After two days and a half
without “.’ out one. There are & a bunch of boats moving out tonight to go
on up the line They having been here for some time have got all the good
berths in the edge of the lagoon. We have one picked out and have soric of
out ?car there all ready. We plan to get up bright and early in the morning
and get in there before some other boats beat us to though choice places.
The morning of t..-.e 2nd of November WE we moved over to this
berth TO BERTH that we had picked out at six o’clock in the morning. We were
really planning to make sure t-h-t that no one got that slot. We started-
from almost scratch there. We first got a platform built by cutting poles n
the woods and placing them alongside of one another till we had the whole
floor covered. Then we stretched the big tarpaulin across the top of it to
keep out the rain and sun. Besides this we fixed up a rig so that we could
have the small tarp. over the bow of the boat and. when we pulled out the
tarp w-‘would stay there. We had it suspended from the trees that .were near
by. Next we started “getting off all. the gear that oo”..li’:”. ncssibly be
done without. We stowed’ it B.lonr. one side. ilung ell our sea bag.c r‘ro~a.
the roof then placed cots on the other side. There we could fix up that up
mosquito netting-T’- and leave it there when we were inax out There was room
enough, for six cots. Three boys strung their hammocks in the trees to sleep
and the others decided to sleep on the bow of the boat at night., We got
thru with that ~.10111131~00 in t:. ~ afternoon ~incii had to go over and
get “ c-et ; li the fuel. By five”; “”e had a thousand.!:’ gallons on board
and when we had the : ‘-eel meeting at five of all the-3 Loaf captains it
Y:as iareretive th.s.t -“e po out t~st nits. This ti-v’ -“’->. “.’QVQ to
r’o to the
PAGE 34 Choiceville bay -which is the northern corner and
the hay around which are three thousand, Japs. There were twar patrols that
night and we were to go with the captain again on the ~.1 “boat. Bob Sweet
was to have the other group 21.3, and 44 and patrol just off the southeast
corner of Bougainville. Well we got to station at nine thirty that night and
the Captain ordered us to lie to. Then he gave another order to disregard
his movements. He then came over and passed us a message in a can This was
the orders for the rest of the night I took that and went down into the
chart house to see what. it was and when I had read it and came back up the
boys said that tee went off astern going pretty fast and that They thought
he went on & straight curse, Tom Dalton hard cone along with me that night
and he did not know what to do. The message had read that we would go up to
a thousand yards off shore and then up the coast. If it looked like good set
up we would patrol the area till 0230 next morning. Well I revved them up
and went flying up to where I thought he was. I must have turned a little
further off shore though t at he was for I missed him on the way up the
coast. .When I got all the way up the end of the island I turned arid
retraced my steps but still not finding him. When I had gotten well south of
where he could possibly I turned north, again and on the way back ban up on
him. We finished the patrol okay but pretty soon after that we got a radio
message that the 36 boat had two casualties and one dead. The 36 boat alxl
the gun boat w.-which is an Elco an PT with-n the fish taken off s.nf Just
over ooversr7 with guns liad ~c-IT,e up to help the marines out. There had
been 600 marines ia.nr”.ed on the Choisel Islands and they had sent 120 of
those up to the northern end to where the main Japanese c?.mi was and. they
were to act as s. ?I~ole division end sorts- give though HBz Japanese a
scare. Our order res-d that -b ey were to take then up—“p.d when the PTs got
there they were bringing them back so they went dishing up to meet ‘~13~..
Wekk the marines-, “7ere in-three Higgins retri’”vers anr’ headed south.
so?l1: 777 by ther and saw” the PTs first. They gave a ‘ n~’”hfay T;1-,oon
so the PTs w/could cone over then shined a steady 1 light to PAGE
34 bottom
ta.lcen of? e.nf jv.st ooversc” writh guns liad fior,e up to help the
me-marines out. There had been 600 marines ia-n<”.ed on the Choicevi-lle
IsIpJacS- an6 they he.d. sent 120 of those ‘up to the northern end to where
the main 7m celOp was and. L41e?T ere to act as a. w.?-:ole division s.nd
sorts- give though ~irg Japs a scare. Our order read that t ey were to take
then up and when the yTn, {”of there they ~r ere bringing them 133.01? so
they went dashing up to meet them. Welch the marines, ‘.were in-three
klill~ins retrievers and headed south by then and saw the PTs first. They
gave a - mighty whoop so the PTs would come over then shined ~ the distress
light to lead light to load the boats in. When they did F5 t 13” ore the
marines all elided aboard like a bunch of madmen they were so glad to .a’;
they \; so t;. see the PTs. Some of them of kissed the torpedo tubes even.
The story was that. the three boats were to b” there -i; t~’rec ano. had
not shown up. Just before dark: en dark, an officer and 3000 men had
started- t~3000 had across a river but ,.r? 3~””5 had had machine gun nest
on the other side and had billed the t-“o men and the officer ~as seen to
“-0 out ;r; ‘- his ‘”’hands up. All though boys had seemed to think the
world. to the. of the officer and. really hated to see him taken captive.
They had ,~onoo acres” to see if the ;!i1-ee boats “”ero d7v-?nthG coast.
Then a “njor ;-r].’ tv:o ;’erf had “011~ a different route and. hsshr d.id
t‘ J to see the l:;on~a . ‘-~’oy “T~:Tre”. en aJ”!.oncan fl~r 61 t~e~l :.nd
~ot their “”.-17- :i0? to co]i” in. ‘i”’. :.’ “’”re 1 =--~di!-----
the 1’0j; ‘””- the river 1”~”n the Jr”s opened fir~ 1?! “’” boats .’Tld
ti~0 “””n lea’”.~””~ jt up. The t”’~ rn— -;-~-o-- n:-.r cror “3?
the “”””o” had en liiiied and one of ‘*””” “’oat.s w~”’
---- o- -“.es.
‘~””””, ‘hOFtF ,.”r’”””o’l T’l” T-~- ,.~- .o.n ..1~
I.-,-,-- .t.i.,.., J.~~~.~ h,-1- -;-1~,.~-rg ‘-p<~ ‘- -1 -<
~~~~-~,,..,~.,- ..---, 3 }”;.””?.”” “ ~~.~ “”.”’ -7 r,- ‘i
P~WOltr~~””” “r”” T”.r’ “ i-.’-, i_Lr.i ‘.a~t f -l .~””
“’f ‘ “””’
T’:.e;~’ “””””cr’o.’ to r” ‘ ~\. “.. blind.i””’ rail” iy”J. -L
S,1-:r~1 i-.:I~------
t.o ‘3t t~’”’- “v~ ~””’ “j.c”: u”” “the ~’arinoF. wJhor “.he”.”
.IIPO- i’:i.r”+ “-o’fc’fc “”r. ri.c:’: ;;; n-i t.o -laiB J’”i CI.
:P’-L f-r!c’ lot ‘:~-- IIlr - 11-~ Ti-- “,,-i r*’
~?? -i-i-i.~
“..”~~f*~}~nr*f” \..J,’,~~.”
u <. [ < i .;
PAGE # 35 first copy
~
a ‘bun.ch of nor~or shells into it and. really did ao a lot of damage. On
the way up they had killed and wounded a bunch of japs too. The Japs cought
on to what the number was though and. really started to making it hot for
them. afad when they had retreated to t~here the boats were to piolc then
up they had slit the throats of all the Japs that had not ; died. In
all they hso. lilled 72 Japs definitely and a number of possibles’. They
had lost the four raen that I have mentioned and there three that were in
pretty bad shape ~ner,,,,, thePS~ f”ot them aboard. One was shot all up.
One had a hole in his head and one in. his back. The third just had a sort
of nerveous bi’eakdovJn and was sort of batty.
There was a marine a-octor with them though. They crot the man that had the
really sermous wrounds &y;m. i- the officer’s quarterd and started working
on him. All the me:- had gotten off on to the PTs but three in each of two
boats. The onte that had so raanu holes in it had to be
scuttled, : On the way
out to the boats the Ja.p planes had dropped soiae bombs in the water and
had caused some pretty painiMLI stomache a<?hea The Dr, was really in
misery. They had all been gotten aboard at seven and they injected Plasria
in jHnE every wein that they could find on the really sick one. At eleven
that night though he died. They put him out on the fan tail of -the bo;”.t
and then got the other two sick oned below to work oil thera They were not
in too bad shape About f ur in the i.norning one of the boats r&n out of
gas and the ot.her had to t”w it on the rest of the r,r in. Theygot in tothe
dock at about- seven in the :’”.orrii:n.f” ?-.nd we were all standing on the
‘.j.ook anxious to hear wh.,-:’.t hf.~~a”””~enert They unlo”~.3d ths well
oned with the others and h.ao. o~ought the dead one a”i the ~”o sick ones
with th.Em, They rushed, theii ondw’n to B”.los , 0:n -01-113 sane island to
be h.auled out by pleme to the hospitG.I. It seems tJ’:-1 the Merine Colonel
that was in charge of all of them had been asking for PTs a long time .
but i.his .v”&s the first tine thct they had been able to spare them any. On
the 3rd just dfter we “o+. the ho-t ofl\. with 11330 siek men we
~.”.d- a LOT oor’.e I?”, laden, “.:’i.th. dru]-“e of “as
for the “boats here. There were not enough msn to ‘V,Yl.lOf:!: cl”.
“f i; “ so WG had to ret ;Ij the boat crews that were not ‘n~ r C- cleaning
guns srd engir,e~t, That took all morning oiiG in the afternoon we got
back to tne clock to get more fuel. By night we h~A a thousand. The I,.”
‘”~t han. 331:rl’il--~.llons, t’ie ~.. had 4QO gallons aro -‘-“.s o-fchsra
“’ere all se-b. At the :ye ocloci: noet-.ng we were toici that there must be
eight boats go u- with. three LGIs to evacuate the narinos from Choiceville.
Well I Y.TC to ht on the starbard bean of the lead boat the 41 i:n. front
and the 37hoat on the port oean. There were to be two eico boats on fi’e
bort side b:ck of -fc’e 37 boat fib’;: the ~3 “r~ ‘:-!+ were to be behind
me. That was ?-ll the boat? ‘t were here. The 38nnd LO had gone u-“ to
though Treasuries in the afternoon E.nd hhe 37 “as in Rt?-~oTra, the 36
boat ha-i riot beo~ .”13 “o “31 h”\og fron the ambulance ‘brip. The ~1 boat
ran oi’ -.]’.- reefs “etting oxit O:P ~’”~ ‘”.arbor onn ‘h’!”k th”ov: i-hen
ovt ~:lr.h ‘?jlr! .n.r. :-cre”’s -nd ? “’olG in hho bo-l.-hom. about d?
hour out the ’.3 bo ;i; ha~ ri.ui. h.alf out of fuel ?”.’! “”s.ri to turn
feack. On the way in she hit c reef “JIG. did. shout 1116 Gan~ damage ao was
dGe to the i.l ho””fc. The U. boat never found. “ e fon”atioli. That c that
we had the whole Gt;?rhon.r-‘ xic’.<” of hh” :”OF—Pc~tion ~.nd the side neee
to the isla.no where there “r~”ht “”” ~ :-le 5””’””’ -ro!.estion-
‘hh”~novo~rzent nor’. I ‘~P by niGOlf too thet ?~~e. I stayed ;”t ge~.crc.l
~”-r-T’--~rg for eight hour”.
PAGE ff 35 lighter Lt5”~ 8. “bT-mch. of nor~or shells
into it. and really did. ao a lot of cLam.age On the way -Clp
fchey had “killed and wounded a bunch of Japs too. The Japs cought on to
what the number was though and really started to making It hot for them.
and when they had retreated to w.’here the boe.ts were to nick then up they
had slit the throats of all the Japs that had not ; died. In all they
hod tilled 72 Japs definitely and a number of possibles’, They had lost the
four raen that I have mentioned and there three that were in pretty bad
shape “’men theP~s rrgt them aboard. One was shot all 11?, One had a hole
in his head and one in his back. The third just had 8. sort of nerveous
breakdOYm and. was sort of batty.
There w’as a marine doctor with them though. They “rOZ the man that had the
really sermons “’ounds &o’;m. i’- the officer’s quarterd and started working
on him. All the me:-, ha.d gotten off on to though PTs but three in each of
two boats. The onte that had so manu holes in it had to be scuttled. On the
way out to the boats the dap pieces had dropped some bombs in the water a.nd
had caused some pretty painiffal stomache aches. The Dr, was really in
misery. They had all been gotten aboard at seven and they injected Plasma in
tdos every wein that they could find on the really sick one. At eleven that
night though he died. They put him out on the fan tail of -the bo;rb and
then got the other two sick oned below to work oil them . They were not ia
too bad shape . About f ur iTL the morning one of the boats ran out of gas
and the ovher had to tow it on the rest of the r~TT in. Thevgot in tothe
dock at about seven in t”e “”orninrec r-inrl we were all standin..”- on the
dock anxious to hear whc.t h!:~”9:”renea. They anlo ‘7~ ?!! the well oned
with the others and hac. ‘b:’:ou.””ht -bhe dead one an.i the “t~wo sick ones
with. them, They rushed them on dov-n to B-J.os , w this same island to be
hauled out by plane to though hospital. It sesms tJ’:-t the Marine Colonel
that was in charge of all of them had been asking for PTs a long time .
but -his .v’as the first time the-ttt they had been able to spare them any.
On though 3rd just a-‘ter we got the ?-or L ofl\ with tibe siek
mon we h.”-.-‘. a LOT cone in laden, “’ith drum;? of gas
for the boats here. There were not onoug3’. men to w_n.io:.: cl”.
~~ -- so we ha<”. to “-ct -;ll the boat crews that were not bu~y cle&n.ir.g
guns ar~. engine8,, That took sll morning an~ jn the afternoon we ‘-ot oRck
to the dock to ~et more fuel. By night we rpA a -fcho-.T.sand. The II-~ ‘!”’
t haa. 33~ ona, the ~;. had 4qoo gallons “~r’~ .e Q-i;i? y r At the ye
oclock meeting we were tolc, that the:-e must be eight boats go u~ with
three LGIs to evacuate the mR.rines from Choiceville.
Well I wcr to bt on the starbo-rd bes.m of the lead boat the 11.1 in. front
e.nd the 37hoat on the ‘pert oeam. There “..’ere to be two eloo boats on the
bort side b:ck of the J7 hoat ~b- the 83 ~nd ‘:.!+ were to be behind me.
“’hRt was f-J.I the boatf i ;t were here. The 3~and .-0 had gone u~ to the
Treasuries IT the afternoon end. hh<” 37 “as in Re-dova, the 36 boat hn”i
not heo”” .hie “”o “et h”-og fron the “Jubulance trip.
The A.I boat rp?T. or’ h’e reefa “etting oxit o:i” “<~”””~ ‘ rbor ‘mn t.’ at
th”e’.; “””en out “ihh ‘”-Y}A “ ‘”.i.f’ks, :- i”e’IR ?nd “ “ele
in. IitC: CO‘: I O_l. about ~.? hour out the 1. 7 boet hah run ?’alf
out of fuel -Y”” “”ad to turn back. On the way in she hit r- reef “ri.o. did
pbeut the Geme damage as was dee to the 41 ho”.t. The U.. boat nover f-unri
h e formation. That “leant that we had the whole starhenr’ ei“.<” ef ;.h”
‘”ormntion and the pide ne”:t to the islano wh.ere there 11;;; ie “Q”ie
5;;?~ riolestion hhesnovement north.
I “’~.p by mioelf too thet “~’ “”,<”. I stayed, at ~e;i1.e~al f;r-r-‘y3
for ei~::lt ?”oura.