Author: steve

7-19-15

{SK3c = StoreKeeper, 3rd class}   William enlisted in Providence, RI on March 11, 1943. After boot camp, he was assigned to the Boston. He was a plankowner, reporting aboard with the original crew on Commissioning Day (6-30-43).     He mustered off the ship on April 2, 1946, after the ship was mothballed at Bremerton, WA.

Photos submitted by William’s grandson, David Neff.

 

About submitting photos:   We are happy to share photos of your relative(s) who served aboard CA-69.   Please note:   there will be a delay, sometimes a LONG ONE, before your submission will appear on the site.   As we are able, we will also add your photo to the CREW RECORDS.   Please be patient.

YOUR SPAM FILTERS: Don’t block us out before we even get started!   Photo submissions must be sent to either steve@kellys.org or bill@kellys.org.   We’re sorry, but the burden is on you to make certain we are not relegated to your spam or junk folder.

7-10-15

I received an email Tuesday morning (7/7) from Sue Cowan, telling me that her father, Signalman George Pitts, had passed away.

On February 20, 2012, I flew in to Boston and met George, his wife Mary, and their daughter Sue, and spent several hours at their Dedham (MA) home.   George’s stories, recollections and his impressive diary of the day to day activities aboard the ship became the foundation of the Baked Beans books.

I feel like I lost an uncle.

In this short clip, George explains to me how he came to be a crewmember of the USS Boston:

 

George’s obituary:     http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=GEORGE-E-PITTS&pid=175237810

Sadly,

Steve

 

 

7-4-15

Adrys reported aboard the ship on April 1, 1945, while she was berthed in San Pedro, CA.   (The Boston was ordered to return to the States for repairs and radar upgrades in advance of the planned Invasion of Japan.   She missed the bulk of the Okinawa Invasion, but was back in action off the coast of Japan by July 20, 1945.)

He mustered off the ship on July 28, 1946 at Bremerton, WA, after serving on the “skeleton crew” that mothballed the heavy cruiser.

Photo submitted by Adrys’ son, Tim Kohl.

6-27-15

In mid-March, 1943, my father reported to the Fargo Building, a USS Navy Receiving Station (and barracks) in Boston, MA. He and hundreds of other fresh-faced recruits waited there while the heavy cruiser, CA-69 (under construction in the Fore River [Bethlehem Steel] Naval Yard in nearby Quincy MA) was being worked on around the clock.

COMMISSIONING DAY:   The ship, with a full complement of sailors, officers, and a detachment of Marines, was officially handed over by the civilian contractors to the US Navy on June 30, 1943.   Readers of this blog will remember that a few months ago, one of George Pitts’ daughters found this booklet in her father’s stuff, scanned it and sent it to me. (Note that George wrote “June 30, 1943” on the cover.)

Here is the next to the last page of the booklet:

“Doyle” is Raymond Doyle, Communications Officer.   You can read what Norm Bayley, Commander of the Marine Detachment says about his roommate (Doyle) in Baked Beans, Volume 1.

6-6-15

James D. Harker reported aboard the Boston on Oct 29, 1944, while the ship was anchored in Ulithi.   Jim arrived just as the ship retired to anchorage after the Second Battle of the Philippine Seas.   Two days later, the Boston, reprovisioned, went right back into the thick of things as the Philippines Campaign was still in full swing.

Harker left the ship on May 14, 1946, after serving in the skeleton crew in Bremerton, WA, that mothballed the ship post-Occupation Duty.         Photo submitted by his son, Michael Harker.

 

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About submitting photos:   We are happy to share photos of your relative(s) who served aboard CA-69.   Please note:   there will be a delay, sometimes a LONG ONE, before your submission will appear on the site.   As we are able, we will also add your photo to the CREW RECORDS.   Please be patient.

YOUR SPAM FILTERS: Don’t block us out before we even get started!   Photo submissions must be sent to either steve@kellys.org or bill@kellys.org.   We’re sorry, but the burden is on you to make certain we are not relegated to your spam or junk folder.