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Topic: What did PT Crews do when enroute aboard a merchant marine tanker |
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Mike Montana
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Posted on: Oct 18, 2006 - 9:38pm
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Thanks everyone for all the info you posted. Earl, I have some more specific questions about New Caledonia:
I understand from encyclopedias that New Caledonia was a French Territory. But, being so close to Austrailia, was it used by the Aussie's as well as Americans? Was it a proper US Navy base? Or just a civillian harbor used as a staging point for merchant marine to drop anchor? In other words, what happened once the navy material & men arrived? Were they sent out in their squads right from NewCaledonia?
"Self doubt clips the wings of Hope"
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Mike Montana
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Posted on: Oct 19, 2006 - 6:57am
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Thanks everyone for the replies. Very interesting.
Earl: What was New Caledonia like? From the encyclopedia I guess it was a French territory, but, being so close to Austrailia, was it an Austrialian base?
Was the port in New Caledonia a proper US Navy base? Or a civillian harbor that was used for millitary operations? I havnt a clue what it was like, and there's hardly any information on the web.
-Mike
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earl |
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Posted on: Nov 2, 2006 - 12:28pm
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HI MIKE WHEN WE ARRIVED IN NEW CALEDONIA WE WERE UNLOADED AT THE CITY DOCK AREA.WE WERE THEN TRANPORTED TO THE US NAVY STAGING BASE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.WHILE THERE WE AWAITED ASSIGNMENTS TO VARIOUS DUTIES.WHILE THERE I WAS SENT OUT ON VARIOUS DUITIES.CLEANING VARNALINE OFF TORPEDO'S,WORK PARTIES. UNLOADING AMMO FROM TRUCKS WORKING IN WAREHOUSES, CLEAN UP DUTIES,EYC.. IT WAS HOT AND VERY HUMID.SOMETIMES WE WORKED INSIDE THE CITY AND THAT WAS A REAL TREAT.AS EXTRA DUTY WE WATCHED THE FRENCH GIRLS WALKING BY.HEY, HEY.WE SOMETIMES WORKED NEXT TO THE LEPER COLONY.I WAS CALLED OUT TO THE DAILY ASSIGNMENT AREA ONE MORNING AND WAS TOLD I VOLUNTEERED FOR PT BOAT DUTY AND TO GET MY GEAR READY TO LEAVE THE NEXT MORNING.THEY TOOK US TO THE PT POATS THAT WERE TRANSPORTING US FROM THERE,THRU GUADALCANAL TO TULAGI.THERE WAS ONE PLACE JUST AT THE END OF THE DOCKS WHERE THERE WERE ABOUT TWO LINES OF MEN WAITING TO GET INTO THE BUILDING.GUESS YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAt that was for..you want any other info you can e mail me.it was also there where i was in hospital for two days with sunstroke.
earl richmond |
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earl |
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 2, 2006 - 12:34pm
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PS YES IT WAS USED BY THE AUSSIES AND NEW ZEALANDERS. THERE WAS ALSO A PRISON CAMP THERE TO HOLD THE CAPTURED JAPANESE PRISONERS.
earl richmond |
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Mike Montana
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Posted on: Nov 2, 2006 - 8:51pm
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Wow Earl! Thanks for the reply! How can I email you directly? My email is mikeMontana @ hotmail.com
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Gary Szot
MASTER
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 Posted on: May 25, 2008 - 12:11pm
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With Memorial Day approaching I was thinking about my dad and just happened to find this message on the board.My dad didn't say much about the war but one story he told was about the trip overseas on the tanker that brought his Squadron to the South Pacific.
He spoke of the tradition of shaving your head if you're crossing the equator for the first time. He also spoke about the guys throwing ahuge party on board with guys spreading grease on their bodies and one guy dressing up as King Neptune himself.
I hope that some vets have some stories to tell us about their trip over.
My dad is on the far right. Please note the uniform of the day.
Party on the deck of a PT
King Neptune
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newsnerd99
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Posted on: May 25, 2008 - 3:36pm
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Great pics Gary!
My Pop was sent to the Pacific on the SS Matsonia with a ton of Ron 15 guys in January 1945. I can only imagine the bordem...here's the photos from that trip:
The ship:
The "shellback" initiation after crossing the equator:
And the "official" ceremony certificate from his initiation:
Good topic!
Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: May 25, 2008 - 7:43pm
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Like Earl I was assigned to P.T.'s at Noumea, New Caledonia. The trip from San Francisco to New Caledonia was via and old Dutch freighter with Dutch crew flying a Dutch flag. There were only about 60 U.S. sailors with 2 officers aboard. They put up temporary bunks 4 high in one of the cargo holds for us. We were served two meals a day. Only had fresh water to drink. Showers were salt water. That is where I was introduced to salt water soap. I tried to wash my hair it matted up like grease. Took the whole trip to get it out. The trip took 31 days. We were unescourted all the way and never saw land. One of the officers was hell on P.E. and had us on deck doing calisthenics twice a day. When not doing that we played cards and just shot the bull. We did have clean up detail to keep our area of the ship clean. A very boring trip. We did get our shellback cards - signed by a Dutchman but didn't have any ceremony. None of the U.S. sailors on board had ever crossed the equator before.
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Allan
MASTER
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Posted on: May 28, 2008 - 7:29pm
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I can help here. On the early boats- PT's 113, 114 which were transported to New Caledonia by the USS Suamico, a gasoline tanker, and the 119, 120, 121 and 122 boats (you will note that these six boats ended up becoming Division 17, my subject of interest) which were transported upon the Fairisle, a cargo ship but not a Liberty Ship, the guys were generally treated as second class citizens. They did NOT mix or mingle with the crews of the transporting ships- not even the Navy gun crews. They did not even eat the same food or, for that matter, eat in the galley. They ate crap beans and Spam while they stood at counters against the bulkheads. And a serious concern were the rumors that the mercahnt marineners were paid better and received bonuses that the "fighting men" never got. This was never substantiated and, in fact, has been refuted by many over the years. In their "down" time they painted the PT's bottoms and running gear with grease and performed other maintenance upon the PT's. They slept and sometimes ate aboard their own boats upon the decks of the transporting ships- some even strung hammocks under the boats to get air. In the heat, many slept beneath the PT's on the decks and among the rigging. These early boats were rigged for quick break-out from their cribbing through the use of "pelican hooks" and other "trip lines" so that they, indeed, could make a get-away if the ship was torpedoed. These boats apparently were fueled and ready to go. In actuallity, what is the inherent danger of having fuel in the fuel tanks aboard a tanker transporting gasoline? The obvious two sources of ignition would be either an electrical short circuit or smoking materials. Both of these issues were controlled. It is my understanding that these two transports were traveling unescorted, many days apart, from Panama to New Caledonia. They were floating targets. The PT's were desperately needed in the South Pacific. It was a risk, but the goal was to save what they could from any disaster. Hence, the boats were ready to go. It was of great concern to the guys on the 113 and 114 because they were on the foredeck and knew that if all that aviation "blue lighting" gasoline were ignited by a torpedo there would be no time and nowhere to go. This is straight from the guys that were there. Perhaps procedures changed regarding neutralizing the fuel tanks on later boats. I am not aware of a single fire involving a PT under transport. I am assembling much more of this type of imformation and am anxious to get it out there for all to read. But it will take a while. Anyway- I just wanted to get my two cents in.
Allan
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EARL RICHMOND
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Posted on: May 28, 2008 - 8:29pm
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THANKS ALLAN FOR THE INFORMATION.IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.I DID NOT HAVE THE "PLEASURE" OF SHIPPING OVERSEAS WITH PT BOATS ABOARD SHIP.I SHIPPED OUT ON A LIBERTY SHIP TO NEW CALEDONIA WHERE I WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE BOATS.I GUESS SHIPPING OUT ON VARIOUS SHIPS WAS VARIED AS TO WHAT AND HOW EVERYTHING WAS DONE.I NEVER REALLY KNEW HOW IT WAS ABOARD THE PT BOAT TRANSPORT SHIPS BUT OFTEN WONDERED ABOUT HOW IT WAS. THANKS AGAIN FOR ENLIGHTENING ME.GUESS I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES TO DRAW A LIBERTY SHIP. EARL
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