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Topic: PT BOAT COVERS |
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 11:44am
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These are a few examples of the many covers that contained PT BOATS. These are some of the ones in my Exhibit. I have many more, and find it amazing how popular the boats were during the War years, into the 50's and 60's.
Frank
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 12:37pm
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Cool Frank, thanks for sharing those. Interesting to see their popularity was so high back then. Not really surprising, they were like the hotrods of the sea.
The comic on the bottom, do you know if those famous characters were part of the crew in the story? Although I doubt they were all Protestants...
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Dick
Moderator
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 2:04pm
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Interesting,
The War Stories Comic, 2nd row, the cover has a illustration of the early Higgins boat with the unusual configuration. Long Box walls and turret place further back then any of the later series boats and the bridge with a full back wall.
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earl
MASTER
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 2:38pm
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I NOTICED THE TEN CENT PRICE ON ONE OF THE COVERS.IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD SELL FOR NOW. EARL
earl richmond |
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TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 4:01pm
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Frank;
Nice covers, I especially like that mechanix Illustrated cover of "PT 10". That is actually one of the "Mystery" Elcos. It is really ENS. James Cross' PT 43 RON 2, underway off the East Coast, prior to shipment to Panama.
Take care,
TED
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citylimits
New Member
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 4:18pm
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I can imagine that back in the day serving on a PT Boat would have been a fairly attractive prospect for any young guy with some sense of adventure in him.
I am interested though, was entry into the PT Boat service by direct application/selection or was being on a PT Boat a random placement by the Navy?
Bruce |
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 5:30pm
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Bruce
In the beginning they were looking for men to volenteer into the PT BOAT SERVICE. Their was of thinking was that it was hazaroud duty and you might not be coming back. As a young man, seeing these fast sleek and wonderous boats was the drawing point into joining the PT SERVICE. Ater the rescue of MacArthur from the Philippines by Lt. John D. Bulkely and the men of Ron 3, a campagin was started to find young men with small boat experience to join. However, some Navy men never attended the MTBSTC School, and yet they were sent to join operating squadrons.
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QM
New Member
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 5:31pm
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I believe that in the early days PT service may have been voluntary. For many years after the war ended there were references to all PT boaters being volunteers. I arrived in Australia in December, 1943 on a troop transport. A few weeks later several of us from that transport ship were assigned to PT Squadrons. I believe that all of the group had been to schools such as QM and GM. Later at Mios Woendi we started receiving replacements directly from boot camp. I did not volunteers for PTs but I have always felt that I could not have received a better assignment. I have heard tales that some Melville trained replacements were shanghied for other duty on their way to the SW Pacific. If so, this may have required others to be assigned to PTs. Even in recent years I have heard people say the PT boaters were all volunteers. |
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Wayne Traxel |
MASTER
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 7:39pm
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When researching my PT Boat models, I had long ago learned that the best way was to contact former crew members of the boat I wanted to make a model of. What was really surprising was the number of these men that did not learn their trade at Melville but were assigned to PT Boats upon arrival in the Pacific. The majority of these guys were of the TM, MM and GM ratings and many of these guys went on to serve on more than one boat. One gentleman in particular Rich Malecki, TM2, Ron 11, PT-184 was my neighbor 10 years before I learned that he was on a boat. Rich who also didn't go to Melville related a story to me about four Sailors who were in the Brig at Pearl Harbor and were volunteered to serve in Ron 11. The PT service must have agreed with these guys because it turned their careers around.
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citylimits
New Member
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Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 8:45pm
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Thank you for your interesting comments.
I'm currently reading; "At Close Quarters" by Robert J. Bulkley Jr.
I was interested in reading back on page 200 where a Commander Bowling decided that PT officers should be tough and so when he returned to the US to fit out his own Squadron (RON 21) he chose as officers the biggest, toughest athletes he could find.
Football players dominated the good Commanders selection but other athletic endeavors represented included champions in, rowing, swimming and lacrosse.
The author goes on to question whether athletes as a group could operate PT's any better than non-athletes being still open to debate,
Anyway, that is just an aside to my interest in how PT's were crewed.
While battles are fought mainly by young men - often very young men - the PT Boat service seems to be something that would attract them because it offered many of the experiences young men seem to be, almost instinctively, drawn to. For this reason I thought that perhaps, after being acquainted with its existence, many Navy recruits would make a bee-line towards PT's. Especially guys with a recreational boating back ground.
Bruce
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