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 Author  Topic: Trip from Melville RI to the Solomons
Dan C

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Dan C  Posted on: Apr 24, 2014 - 9:59am
My father, Bill Clements, served as BM2C on PT-548, Ron 28. He was in the Pacific theater from about March/April 1944 to March/April 1945. So he saw some action in the Solomons before his main combat period during the Phillipines liberation campaign. I remember him saying that before heading through the Panama canal to get to the Pacific, they stopped at Aruba (long before it was a vacation destination). He told me it was the hottest place on earth, but never elaborated on what the transit was like from Melville RI, down the east coast, through the canal, across the Pacific, with the final destination at the Solomons.

Can anyone fill in more of what such a trip was like, how long it might have taken, whether it was a straight run from the canal to the Solomons or if they typically might have stopped at some South Pacific islands on the way? I assume the whole trip had the PTs nestled in cradles of some kind on the dek of a transport with the PT crews living below decks.

Maybe some one who made a similar transit could relate what the trip was like for them. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Dan C.

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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Apr 26, 2014 - 11:46am
Dan - For a good "I Was There" type first-person narrative of the whole process, see the book "PT Squadron 37". It used to be available from the Ship's Store at headquarters, but I don't know if they still stock it.

Will

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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Apr 26, 2014 - 5:05pm
Hi Dan,
I am relatively certain most all Squadrons were loaded as deck cargo aboard either a tanker or a freighter or even an LST for the trip between Panama and Noumea (sp?) New Caledonia. Then sometimes even further. The boats just did not have the range to go on their own bottoms for that distance. One major exception to that is the trip made by 39 PT Boats from Mios Woendi Island, New Guinea all the way to Leyte just before the Battle of Surigao Straights, in September 1944.. If you were able to find the deck logs for the boat at the National Archives, I am sure it would specify what ship it was loaded onto for the trip. The PT Boat crews were sometimes utilized to stand watches aboard the larger ships during the passage, especially if they could navigate or were trained to operate a deck gun. Also they manned their own guns mounted on the PT Boats. I am pretty sure the Officers were used to help as OOD on the larger ships as well. I have recently obtained a copy of the "Watch, Quarter and Station Bill" as well as the "Regulations while on board the SS Stanton" and a Watchbill used by PT109's crew. I obtained it from Bud Larsons son, Skip. So hopefully this sheds some light on what your Dad was up to during the trip. Another idea would be to go through the Deck Logs of the ship that was transporting his PT Boat to see if they have a copy of the Watchbills used during the transit.

PT109 Watch Quarter and Station Bill


PT109 Watch Quarter and Station Bill


Regulations while aboard SS Stanton for PT109 crew




Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR

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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Apr 26, 2014 - 5:05pm
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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: Apr 26, 2014 - 7:01pm
Dan;
PT 548 RON 28 was loaded as deck cargo aboard S.S. Sheldon Clark(along with PT's 381, 382, 549, 550,and 551) in Balboa Panama and unloaded at Tulagi at 1300, 16 March 1944. By 1600 al boats were waterborne and moored to assigned buoys in Tulagi Harbor. At 0742, on 20 March 1944, these boats moved up to Base 11 Bau Island, Rendova, arriving at 1555. PT 551 stayed back and got underway for Rendova at 0942 with PT 59 accompanying.by 1700 they tied up to the dock at Bau Island.
Click on the envelope above and I will send you copies of RON 28 War Diary, during your Dad's time on PT 548 if you like, or do you just want pages that pertain to PT 548?
Take care,
TED

P,S, Wow! their not even at Rendova a week before they(PT 548) run aground at 2215 24 March, on the reef just south Lumbari Island! They remain in Drydock until 1530 2 April 1944...Bad luck! They weren't the only one though, at 1915 28 March PT 382 struck the reef off Kunu Kunu Island.


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