| Author |
Topic: Where was this PT base? "Camp Walker" |
|
 |
Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
|
  
 Posted on: Jul 5, 2014 - 9:38pm
|
I was looking through Bob Jackson's photos and found this one of an aerial view of a PT base, and also another that shows a sign called "Camp Walker". Does anybody know what base the aerial view is and where was Camp Walker located? I know Bobs Boat the PT181 was in RON11. From the HQ KOTS website, it says this about RON11: "The squadron saw action at Rendova, Vella Lavella and other areas. After transfer to the Southwest Pacific, the squadron had action in the Halmaheras area." Here are the pictures to help you see what I mean.
Camp Walker
Aerial view of unknown base
Thanks for your help in identification.
Jerry
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR |
Total Posts: 1499 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm | IP
Logged
|
|
 |
TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 6, 2014 - 7:55am
|
Jerry;
Just a guess here but using the written description of the base, the bottom photo might be a later photo of Morotai.
"On nearby Soemsoem Island, a base to service three PT-boat squadrons was established. The camp consisted of tents, except for four quonset huts which were used for storehouses. Here, also, a dispensary was established with a capacity for 1000 men.
The outstanding project for this area was the assembly of a pontoon Liberty-ship pier. The 431-foot wharf section was made up of four 6-by-18-pontoon barges and six 3-by-18-pontoon bridge sections, with necessary hinges, piles, cable, and incidentals, completely fabricated at Milne Bay by PAD 3. All sections and equipment were towed by two Navy tugs from Milne Bay to Morotai, a distance of 1,700 miles. The first ship used this facility on October 8, 1944, just 11 days after the battalion arrived. The pier was used thereafter by the 84th Battalion, which took over all stevedoring of Army and Navy cargo. Enemy action during the construction period was confined to night air attacks."
The pier mentioned is in photo to the left, also using some of the background in photos you posted in your post: Some new photos from Bob Hostetter RON25 and RON40 Morotai/Samar AUG 29 2010
Maybe Earl remembers the photos.
Take care,
TED
|
Total Posts: 3093 | Joined:
Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP
Logged
|
|
earl
New Member
|
Posted on: Jul 6, 2014 - 8:11pm
|
sorry/can,t oplacwe the photos but they are not rendova/sterling/base 17/treasyry.this base was too advanced and clean.also wasn,t sessapi at tulagi.
take care all
earl richmond |
Total Posts: | Joined:
Unregistered | IP
Logged
|
|
| |
Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 7, 2014 - 10:35pm
|
Hi Ted,
Yes I believe it must be Morotai as well. The thing that gives it away is that framework of a house on stilts out in the bay can be seen in the background of the photo posted below showing the natives in canoes trading with sailors from the stern of PT349 You can see the same house on stilts in the aerial view of the base. Plus the statement that says RON11 "saw action around Halmahera" which denotes the Morotai PT base. This base was officially called Advanced Base 4, established in Sept of 1944. I now know it was also called "Camp Walker"
Thanks again Ted for your keen powers of observation! This is why i am proud to be a member of this board, it has such a depth of knowledge about these wonderful boats and the men who sailed them!
Aerial view of base see the house on stilts in the water?
Is this the same house on stilts in the background? Known location of this photo was Morotai
Excellent!
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR |
Total Posts: 1499 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm | IP
Logged
|
|
29navy
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 13, 2014 - 4:14pm
|
Another possibility for the base. I was at the Michigan Bull Session this past weekend and one of the guys had a picture in his scrapbook of the base in question. He says he got it at the end of the war and the notation on it is not something he put on it, that is the way it came. Labelled as Zamboanga.
Charlie |
Total Posts: 611 | Joined:
Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm | IP
Logged
|
|
TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 13, 2014 - 5:13pm
|
Charlie;
That was my second guess, but, Then I found Jerry's earlier posted photos, somebody has their photos mislabeled. This is why I said ask Earl, I believe he told me he was at Zamboanga for awhile. But I still think it's Morotai.
Take care,
TED
|
Total Posts: 3093 | Joined:
Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP
Logged
|
|
29navy
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 13, 2014 - 7:07pm
|
They Guy I talked to said he didn't think it was Morotai because he said Morotai didn't have the land across the way from the base as it was an island and went straight out to sea.
Time for more analysis.
Charlie |
Total Posts: 611 | Joined:
Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Nuge210
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 18, 2014 - 10:18am
|
KOTS has the same aerial photo on pg 38, with a caption
'Samar's Bobon Point, The Philippines'.
Steve |
Total Posts: 323 | Joined:
Jun 4, 2008 - 7:50am | IP
Logged
|
|
| |
TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 18, 2014 - 10:48am
|
All;
Go to google earth, look at the small island between Sacol Island and Tictabon Island, does this look like the same location? it sort of does to me, allowing for some erosion and land shifts due to tides.
I think it is called Pangapuyan Island(see elementary school photo attached)
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Zamboanga,+Philippines/@6.9204023,122.2214843,12z/data=!4m7!1m4!3m3!1s0x32506a09d96fc175:0x35526ebbce01e7a2!2sZamboanga,+Philippines!3b1!3m1!1s0x32506a09d96fc175:0x35526ebbce01e7a2
Take care,
TED
|
Total Posts: 3093 | Joined:
Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP
Logged
|
|
29navy
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Jul 18, 2014 - 1:58pm
|
This is what the book "Building the Navy's Bases in WWII" has to say about Zamboanga:
Mindanao
Zamboanga, on the southern tip of the Zamboango Peninsula in Mindanao, was the site of a naval section base. Ten miles across Basilan Strait, a major PT operating base was built on Basilan Island.
The 118th Construction Battalion arrived at Basilan Island on March 29, 1945 to erect facilities for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of 24 PT boats. These included a 1450-man camp complete with mess and recreation facilities, one 370-foot pier for small craft, two 400-foot piers for mooring the large speed boats, a marine railway capable of handling three boats at a time, seven 1,000-barrel and one 2,000-barrel steel fuel tanks, with facilities for fueling which included a 90 foot fuel pier.
While this construction was under way, a 120-man detachment from the 118th was sent to Zamboanga to construct buildings and other facilities for the headquarters of the naval section base. These included communications, supply, and a 10-bed dispensary.
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/buildbaseswwii/bbwwii3.htm
Charlie |
Total Posts: 611 | Joined:
Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm | IP
Logged
|
|
|
