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Topic: New Pictures of PT658 at Portland Rose Festival 5-10 June |
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David Waples
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 2, 2012 - 6:14pm
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Hi Jerry,
Yes. I'm pretty sure I had seen that before. Great touch. I know I've seen at least one period photo of some sailor sitting on one of those things.
Dave
David Waples |
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CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 2, 2012 - 7:08pm
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Great Pictures Jerry. Wish I could have been along. Randy and I sure enjoyed our ride on PT 658 last summer. Brought back lots of memories.
C. J. Willis |
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Randy Finfrock
Advanced Member
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 Posted on: Jul 2, 2012 - 8:02pm
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Wow, incredible photos Jerry. Thanks for posting, they were well worth waiting for. That's a lot of history on board the '658', both past and present. Wish I could've been there. Jack Duncan told me about the trip before he left and then sent 'his story' via email afterwards (guess a lot of you are on his mail list?) He loves writing just about as much as PT's I think. I've been to Oregon, but never to Portland... this is a great excuse to go see such a 'living tribute' to our PT veterans.
Randy Finfrock |
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Bob
MASTER
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Posted on: Jul 3, 2012 - 5:01am
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Jerry,
The boat looks fantastic!!! The radar dome and mast really looks good. I really love the camo paint. Keep up the good work.
Bob |
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newsnerd99
New Member
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Posted on: Jul 3, 2012 - 6:33am
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I totally missed the head Jerry - great touch!
The 30rd magazine aren't a faux pax - they were rolled out right at the very end of things in the Pacific and could have been seen on a late war boat like the 658. That being said, the mags saw the most use in Europe in 1945. They are very accurate in an M2 Carbine (the full-auto version) and were prolific in Korea.
I'm just being a nerd (pun) because I love the look of a 15rd magazine in a WWII M1 Carbine. What patina would you like? Been-there-and-back or fresh-from-the-factory (or somewhere in between?)
Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 3, 2012 - 6:37am
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Jerry;
The mast looks great! The boat looks fantastic! 3 Admirals! You guys might set a new record for Top Brass onboard a PT Boat, well you do have the record.....for this Century!!!!
Take care,
TED
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CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 3, 2012 - 11:37am
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Jerry: Our topside head was made from a 50 cal wooden ammo box mounted on 2-2x4's that slipped under the smoke generator and cantilevered out over the starboard side. Our smoke generator on the 242 was mounted lengthwise pointing toward the stern on the starboard side. Our head was removable when we were underway. That is something that you have added to the 658 since we were up there. They were very essential item for PT's in the tropics. Below deck was much too hot and they didn't work very well anyway. When Bob Hope, Francis Langford, Patty Thomas and his crew came to Green Island we were informed by our squadron commander Capt. Van Ness for us not to use them until after they had left the base.
C. J. Willis |
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Bob
MASTER
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Posted on: Jul 3, 2012 - 7:14pm
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I would imagine that toilet paper was hard to get. Probably .50 cal ammo was easier to get than toilet paper. CJ where did you keep your sea bag? Did your belongings get moldy. Not much ventilation on the boat. How did you wash your clothes?
Bob |
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CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 4, 2012 - 1:35pm
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Happy 4th everybody: Bob: I will try to answer your questions as my best recollections. As for toilet paper I don't recall any problem. I kept my seabag and ditty bag with personal belongings, shaving gear etc.in my bunk in the crews quarters. I had the top forward starboard bunk. We did not sleep in our bunks. ( Too hot) We slept topside on cots under a tarp on the bow of the boat except during wind and rain storms we had to go below sometimes. Yes, our clothes all got mouldy after 13 months on 242. After being relieved of duty from 242 Bob Pratt, Quartermaster, and I were hitchhiking back to U.S. The ship stopped at Pearl Harbor. We wanted to go ashore but had no white uniforms ours were mouldy so the ships officers gave us white uniforms so we could see Honolulu. We were issued new blue uniforms and other items when we checked in to the base at San Francisco. At Vella La Vella down the shore a ways from our base at Lambu Cove was a fresh water stream. We would take the boat down there where we would wash clothes, swim and take baths. Sure felt good in that fresh water. At Green Island there were no fresh water streams. We got all our water from desalination units on the base. We were rationed by honor system a 10 quart bucket of fresh water per day for bathing and clothes washing. (Drinking water was separate) This water was kept in 2 open top 55 gallon drums with canvas covers on the boat. We usually soaped and scrubbed our clothes with fresh water on the boat deck then rinsed them off in salt water. We had salt water soap but that stuff was no good. Matted up like grease. We bathed out of a bucket up on deck and rinsed off by pouring water out of the bucket over you. We were based at Green for almost 8 months so You sure learn how best to use what little water we got. Bob I have rambled on much too long.
C. J. Willis |
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Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jul 4, 2012 - 3:15pm
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Jim, Newsnerd,
I think the 15 round mags with a patina would look best. Let me know if you need my mailing address and I will send it via email. Thanks again for doing this! Jerry
Jerry Gilmartin |
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