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 Author  Topic: PT Boat personnel's family housing in Newport, RI 1943-1945
Joseph CutshallKing

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Joseph CutshallKing  Posted on: Jun 19, 2013 - 9:07am
Am searching for help regarding records of housing for the families of PT Boat personnel. My father, Lt. George A. King, was stationed in Melville RI in 1943. My mother, Martha Jane King, lived in Newport, RI, during that time. I am pretty certain that it was on 104 Second Street, as I found her name listed in the business directories for 1943-44.

Is there a way to find a registry of where US Navy family members stayed?

I have my father's service jacket with all of his transfer orders, promotions, etc. It is, of course, only as complete as security would allow. (I also have scores of photos from his time in the South Pacific.) Dad was sent to the South Pacific in the fall of 1943. He was initially stationed at Peal City, then went on to Australia, Borneo, and was in the Philippine invasion on October 1944. He was stationed in Manila and ran missions into Amboina to rescue American POWs from Japanese prison camps. In January 1945 he was temporarily reassigned to Melville and Mom returned to live in Newport. He was reassigned to the South Pacific in May 1945.

I have photos of my parents taken with their baby, Michael, in front of Mom's Newport home in March 1945, but do not know the street. As much as I can, I'd like to reconstruct where Dad was stationed, as well as where both my parents lived during this time. On my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/joseph.cutshallking/photos I’ve posted some photos of Dad at Pearl City, HI in 1944 and Dad and Mom in Newport, RI in 1945.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Joe Cutshall-King


Joe C-K

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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: Jun 19, 2013 - 12:04pm
Joe;
Welcome! The photo posted on your book site(www.pipingrock.wordpress.com) is a photo of your Dad on an 80' Elco(port side amidships to be exact), and it could be PT 364 RON 18, as you mentioned on the site.

One item you might be interested in is:
1/23/1944 Action Reports, PT's 138, 328 and 364, Night of 9/10 January 1944 Commander M.T.B. Squadron 21
You can find this, as well as most of RON 18's war diary on the website www.fold3.com

I have a few photos of PT 27 RON 1, but I don't think I have any of PT 364 RON 18, the boat which you believe your Dad commanded. Are you sure about PT 364? Do you have anything showing he was in the same Squadron(RON 12) as Alfred and George Vanderbilt? His squadrons should be listed in the book Knights of The Sea, which was published by PTHQ. it is available on CD through there website.
Take care,
TED


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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: Jun 19, 2013 - 12:51pm
Joe;
I just google earth "ed" that location at 104 2nd Street, thats all the way down by Goat Island and Fort Greene, thats almost 8 1/2 miles to drive, this could be, I guess, since the "Batchelors", once they came back from the Pacific, lived and stayed in some of those mansion cliffside homes along Sheep Point Cove and Easton Bay.

Charlie:
You might be able to help here. Do you have any info on Married Officers being quartered with dependants or paying Room and Board out around this area of Newport?

Take care,
TED


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29navy

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of 29navy  Posted on: Jun 19, 2013 - 4:04pm
From what I've been able to tell, there was no "family housing" at MTBSTC. If you had a family, you were pretty much on your own to find housing. The CO of MTBSTC was provided a house for a while. Within the MTBSTC admin section, they did provide some assistance with finding housing, mainly keeping a list of houses or rooms that were available for rent and I think I remember seeing notices in the newsletter for those people that were leaving to notify them so they may be able to send someone to the now vacant place.

Charlie

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Frank Andruss

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank Andruss   Send Email To Frank Andruss Posted on: Jun 19, 2013 - 5:19pm
Although I have not checked all of my SKEETER Newspapers, the one's I did check do not mention anything about housing for recruits. I will look at the others in the next few days to see if anything is mentioned.


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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: Jun 19, 2013 - 6:42pm
Frank;
The person involved here: LT George A. King USNR, RON 1, RON 18, RON 4. He was under instructor status as he had returned from the Pacific.

Charlie;
As I understand it from Joe, this would be a pure room and board situation, at 104 2nd St. The question is, is there a history at Melville, that you have discovered, of "instructors" moving their dependants up to Melville during their stay at RON 4/MTBTC, while awaiting orders for a new assignment?
Take care,
TED


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29navy

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of 29navy  Posted on: Jun 20, 2013 - 4:55am
I believe people were discouraged from bringing their family if they were only going to be there a (relatively) short time because of the housing situation. But if they'd been out to the war zones, it would be tough to keep your family away. If they were there more permanantly, then they would bring them.

Here's what I have in my book on MTBSTC about the housing situation:

"Base force personnel that brought their families had to find housing in the local towns as there was no Navy provided base housing in Melville. Like all areas of the country near military bases or factories, housing was always scarce. The housing office was always running reminders in the Skeeter for those who were departing that lived in town to let them know so they could line up someone else for that space. While student officers were assigned quarters in the Quonset huts, they were authorized to maintain quarters ashore. Enlisted students were not."

There was also space at MTBSTC for the RON 4 personnel.There were two BOQ buildings at Melville, and others down at NOB Newport.

So people found space where ever they could. As the old axiom goes: The military provided you a place to sleep. If they wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one!


Charlie

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