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 Author  Topic: PT Survival Training?
William Doyle

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of William Doyle  Posted on: Jun 13, 2015 - 6:21am
A footnote question for my upcoming book on PT 109 - - I am forming the distinct impression from interviews with some PT vets that PT boat officers and crew prior to August 1943 received no special survival training at Melville or elsewhere - - escape and evasion, living off the land behind enemy lines, improvising signals for rescue spotters, that kind of thing. Do you think I am correct that there was no such survival training?
Thank you in advance for your opinion!
Bill
William Doyle
billdoyleus@gmail.com


William Doyle

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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 13, 2015 - 11:24am
Bill;
Yes for the most part that is true, there was no E and E, training. The Navy already had a standard survival guide (I have a 1943 copy) that was issued to pilots,a very basic class was probably structured around certain chapters of this book, they also had instruction classes during physical training on self defense, boxing, wrestling, Judo, etc. An Outdoor obstacle course was also part of Physical Training, and once the pool was complete at Melville, an obstacle/abandon ship course was created in the base pool. Students were in kapoks for this and had to pass it to graduate.
PT Boat candidates were given a swimming test at NOB Newport(up until November 1944) upon entry and another before graduation, so as too determine the students progress(if needed). Early on it was recognized that a pool was needed on the base, and this was solidified by several situations that occurred out in the warzone, it was determined that survival training was required. A pool was planned and built at Melville, but it was opened in November 1944.
It must be remembered in Charlie's book MTBSTC in the back of the book APPENDIX 1: NUMBER OF TRAINING HOURS BY SUBJECT RATING(1945) States that Officer students received a total of 666 hours of instruction during a 3 month class. As for the enlisted men, the length their course of instruction varied depending on their rating, between 432 hours(Cooks and Bakers) to 661 hours(Gunners Mate and Torpedomen's Mate). Survival training if fit into the course schedule was most likely broken up and instructed in portions of First Aid training(4 total hours required for all students), physical training, and underway training.
As mentioned, Charlie's book covers a lot of this, and as per your previous post about LT.Stuart Hamilton, JFK relieved Hamilton as CO of PT 101 RON 4. Charlie has this in his book also.
Hope this helps.
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 14, 2015 - 8:51am
Bill;
Here is a 1944 issue (as I said I have my Dad's 1943 issue, who worked at the 3rd Naval Districts ONI Office at 90 Church Street, NYC JAN 1942-DEC 1943) of Survival on Land and Sea. Put out by ONI. As expected of every Navy manual, (both then and today) it is chock full of all kinds of interesting stuff, that if studied and mastered, will bring the average Swabby home.













Take care,
TED


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William Doyle

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of William Doyle  Posted on: Jun 14, 2015 - 9:06am
Hello, Ted, thank you so much! It appears that the 1943 version was published in December 1943, so the PT 109 crew didn't have it. Don't know if other survival manuals were widely circulated before then. Fascinating stuff!
https://books.google.com/books?id=Kp4eAAAAIAAJ&q=%22survival+on+land+and+sea%22+1943+roberts&dq=%22survival+on+land+and+sea%22+1943+roberts&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEoQ6AEwCWoVChMI7-XH18ePxgIVr0CMCh3bYQBN

William Doyle

Total Posts: 57 | Joined: Jan 5, 2015 - 10:20am | IP Logged


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