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 Author  Topic: Lever Harbor
Nathaniel Smith

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Nathaniel Smith   Send Email To Nathaniel Smith Posted on: Jan 17, 2009 - 3:14pm
Now that I have happily resolved the Calvertville location problem I have moved on to my next research problem.

Ron 9 moved to Lever Harbor on or around July 26, 1943. (They were previously in Rendova from June 30, 1943.) They were not in Lever Harbor exclusively, however. I have almost no information about Lever Harbor, New Georgia. PTBoats.org lists Lever Harbor as an Advanced Base starting in July 1943. By October 28, 1943 Ron 9 had moved up to Treasury.

Does anyone out there have information, stories, pictures about Lever Harbor?




natsmith

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Michael

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Michael   Send Email To Michael Posted on: Jan 17, 2009 - 4:39pm
G'Day Nat,
I only have a snippet of info on the base,
Advanced Base opened 7-24-1943
Listed as a Shore Based Operating Point
Code Name (Cats Meat)



Michael
could you email me your Email address,id like to ask you a couple of questions if you dont mind.

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Russell Pullano

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Russell Pullano   Send Email To Russell Pullano Posted on: Jan 17, 2009 - 7:26pm
Nate, ......I believe I was in Lever harbor . I was drafted into Ron 9 in late September 1943 from Noumea, New Caledonia. I and some other replacements,were shipped to Tulagi. From there we were picked up by the 160 boat and taken to Kolumbanghea ,which was Lever harbor. I believe there were New Zealand troops stationed on the island.

Until I was assigned to the 162 boat, I lived in a straw hut with three base cooks. I had no idea what "raisin Jack" was. Believing it was cider, I drank a couple of glassfuls and the cooks really got a charge out of getting me stewed.... A fuuny story followed.
They had told me that Japs were just across the channel. It was my first night in a war zone and I was slightly frightened. After I was asleep , a hand covered my face and a Jap was ready to slash my throat. I quickly awoke ; grabbed the hand and pulled it away........ Evidently I had fallen asleep in a position on my left arm that made my left arm fall asleep. In my sleep I reached over and lifted my arm so it didn't feel numb, and I dropped the hand over my face . The rest of the night I slept with one eye open,..... LOL
....After a week or so I was assigned to the 162 boat.
I also believe that the pt base was taken from the natives, whose chief was named Silas. In doing so, the Seabees built a village across the channel for the natives. The women and children used to come over to our pharmacists mates for medical treatments. We were very friendly with the natives. .
IIn late October, or November 1,1943, we went to the Treasury Islands group, and set up base on Sterling Island. From there we patroled the southwestern part of Bougainville.
The day before we left for Sterling, the natives came alongside our boats,in their makeshift canoes, and gave us fruit as a parting gesture. I always wondered how they knew that we were leaving
I can't tell you much about Lever Harbor because I never patroled from there, or was on a boat, but a few days, before leaving for the Treasuries.
My memory isn't too sharp about what happened 65 years ago, since nothing unusual happened the few days that I was there. I'm certain it was Lever Harbor and I completely forgot about it until I saw your Post.

Sorry I can't give you anymore info.
Russ


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  TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Jan 17, 2009 - 7:34pm
Nate;
while were on the subject, what about Lambu Lambu Cove? was this a little further up that river or was it at another location?
Take care,
TED


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Shaneo2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Shaneo2  Posted on: Jan 17, 2009 - 9:21pm
On a map I have from online, the Island is as said : Kolombagia right at Lever Harbor.

Lambu Lambu is on Vella Lavella on the East side.

I cannot remember which book I was reading, but I seem to recall there was also some Marines there for base protection- at least in the begining.


Regards


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Russell Pullano

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Russell Pullano   Send Email To Russell Pullano Posted on: Jan 18, 2009 - 4:12am
Nate, Please e-mail me....rpullano@stny.rr.com

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Nathaniel Smith

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Nathaniel Smith   Send Email To Nathaniel Smith Posted on: Jan 18, 2009 - 6:52am
Ted
This map of Vella Lavella shows Lambu Lambu Cove.
Nat


natsmith

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Shaneo2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Shaneo2  Posted on: Jan 18, 2009 - 1:02pm
Nat,

The map I have shows the same location for Lambu Lambu on Vella Lavella..

Regards


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CJ Willis

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of CJ Willis  Posted on: Jan 19, 2009 - 10:02am
In my 13 months in the Solomons. We were in every base in the Solomons except Lever Harbor. It was not really on the way to and from Tulagi so had no reason to go there. We were based at Lambu Lambu Cove from about Nov 1, 1943 until Dec 14th 1943. Ron 19 operated out of there patroling Choiseul and southern Bougainville. Lambu was the most primitive base we were based. It was a small cove maybe 500 yds. deep and 200 to 300 yds. wide. There were mangrove trees all around the cove and the boats berthed tied up to these trees. We berthed tied up next to the 59 boat which was a Elco 77 footer gun boat with 40's bow and stern and three sets of twin 50's down each side. This was John Kenndy's boat which he was Skipper after the 109 was sunk. At that time he was just another boat Captain to us. The Skippers of the boats slept in tents on the beach so I did not know him but saw him many times on his boat. We were acquainted with his crew. The entrance to the cove was less than 100 yds wide where the small dock was located. Only two boats could tie up at the dock at a time. The base consisted of one small rusty sheet iron building and three native grass huts where we stored all our supplies. Our base force chow hall and sick bay was in tents located about 200 yds up a coral path from the dock area in the jungle. We refueled at the dock from 55 gal. drums. About once a week aviation fuel was brought in by L.C.T. barge loaded with 55 gal. drums It opened in the front with a ramp in the water. All hands were called out to roll the drums off the barge into water - then push them onto the beach - sit them upright. We loaded the empty drums back on to the L.C.T.. The refueling crew used a small gasoline engine mounted on a pump to refuel the boats. They would set the engine on a barrel - pump it empty - then move to the next barrel. On Dec 14th about the middle of the afternoon, we were asleep ( we were on patrol the night before) we were awakened with explosions coming from the fuel dock. There was a tremendous fire raging. The native grass huts were completly in flames. The 238 and the 239 boats were tied at the dock being refueled. We saw two guys jump on the outside boat - started it up and tried to pull the other boat away from the dock with them but it was still tied. One of the guys grab an axe which all boats carried and chopped the lines and were able to pull away and save the outside (238) boat. By then the inside boat (239) was completly in flames. It burned and sank at the dock. The two men were Foley and Olsen - they later received the Navy Marine Corp. Medal for their bravery. We were on our 242 boat about 200 yds from the fire. Ammunition stored in the grass huts was exploding and tracers were shooting out. The 55 gal barrels would explode and split along the seams forming floating torches. Several drifted back toward our boat. We got out the carbine rifles and shot holes in them but that was not a good idea because the burning gasoline spread out over the water. The boats were all trapped in the cove because the entrance where the fire was located was too narrow for us to get out to sea. We lost our Chief Gunners Mate and 1st Class Boatswain Mate they were working in the grass huts and were trapped before they could get out. We lost all our spare parts, fuel and food supplies. It was determined that the small gasoline engine used for refueling back fired - which ignited the gasoline. The next day they had funeral services for our lost comrades and we loaded up what was left of the base and joined Ron 9 further up the line at Treasury. The base at Lambu Lambu was abandoned when we left and was not used again..

C. J. Willis

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