Author: steve

10-22-11

Several weeks ago, we got an email from Bob Knight, who, like my father, is a plank owner — a member of the original crew aboard the Boston.   Bob asked us if we knew anything about a bell that the crew of the Boston brought back after the War.   Naturally, I did not, so I recommended Bob contact Art Hebert at the Shipmates website   –   they are, afterall, the keepers of the histories of all ships named Boston.

A few weeks later, I got an email from Ms. Lola Heiler-Stillman, who is preparing a lecture on one of the treasures of the “The Emerald Necklace Conservancy”   (the Fens in Boston’s Back Bay) — specifically, a monastery bell rescued from Sendai by the crew of the Boston while on Occupation Duty just after the Surrender.   Now my curiosity was piqued and at just about the same time both my brother Bill and I googled the bell.

I am now fascinated by this chapter in the history of CA-69.   Lola sent me a copy of an article from April 1946 that shows the then-Parks Commissioner standing next to the bell on the Boston Common. (It was later moved to the Fenway.)   The article says the 450 pound bell was shipped from San Francisco (for the whopping fee of $42.80) and later presented to the city by Captain Marion Kelly (who captained the ship throughout Occupation Duty).

Ms. Heiler-Stillman continues to research the particulars of how the bell came to Boston.   Her lecture is scheduled for March 20012.   I wish her good luck in finding helpful information.   (I will post further info on this lecture as I get information.)

How about it readers?   Anyone know anything about this bell?   Anyone’s dad or grandfather talk about this magnificent object?   While about two-thirds of her crew had been sent home by early November 1945, at least 400 men were still aboard her in late 1945 when the Boston made her final voyage home from the War in the Pacific.   Any bit of information would be helpful to flesh out this fascinating Boston story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from: www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8GZX_Japanese_Temple_Bell_Boston_MA_USA

10-16-11

10-13-11

I couldn’t let this day pass without calling attention again to the incredible story of the tow of the Crippled Cruisers during the Battle of Formosa.   I’m not going to spend much time on the details (see last year’s posts several pages back.)   The Boston was at the heart of a week-long nightmare that saw her sister cruiser (Canberra) torpedoed once and replacement ship Houston torpedoed twice over three days.

Very briefly, TF 38.1 came under air attack on Oct 13 and Canberra (CA-70) was slammed by an aerial torpedo.   Admiral Halsey ordered the Cruiser Wichita to take her under tow, and positioned light cruiser Houston to take her place in the formation.   A day after joining this task group, Houston was slammed by an aerial torpedo and was severely damaged.   Admiral Halsey ordered the Boston to take her in tow.

What follows here is Naval Historian Samuel Eliot Morison’s account of the actual setting-up of the tow between the Boston and the Houston.   (Note: this is happening just before midnight on a moonless night  – ships operating “darkened” to foil enemy reconnaissance.)

“A moderating wind and sea made the process of passing the towline from Boston to Houston less troublesome than in the case of Wichita and Canberra, but there were some new complications. Boston was rigged for passing the towline from her starboard quarter but found she could not keep station off the port (lee) side of the deeply settled Houston.   Consequently, she had to take a new station to windward of the cripple and re-rig the line on her port quarter.   The night was so black that when Boston’s stern was finally brought up to Houston’s stern, “nothing of Houston could be seen from Boston’s bridge, and conning had to be based on telephoned reports from the fantail.”   After the hawser was secured at 2320, great difficulty was experienced in bringing Houston around from her dead-in-the-water heading of W by N, through the eye of the southwest wind, to the desired course of about SE by S, but the turn was finally completed by six bells in the midwatch, 15 October, and the tow proceeded at a speed of five to six knots on course 150 °. As the line appeared to be too short to give the proper catenary, Houston bent on her anchor chain paid it out to the extent of 120 fathom.”

{pages 99 and 100 “Leyte” by S.E. Morison}

p.s.   “six bells in the midwatch” is 3:00 am (I had to look it up.)

steve

9-24-1

Compliments of Lois Dekay

Jean Edward Dekay, S1c, CA-69

Enlisted: Los Angeles

Jean joined the Boston on January 13, 1944, while she was anchored in Pearl Harbor.   Jean was aboard the ship for all the action and battles.   He left the ship on Nov. 6, 1945, after serving on Occupation Duty in Japan.

8-27-11

Here’s one more picture from the Cruise Book that I could not resist posting.   In other pictures, we’ve seen barbers and dentists and navigators and signalmen – glimpses of life aboard the ship.   Bear in mind that the Boston was a heavy cruiser –   a ship designed to hold almost 1900 men.   it was a self-contained unit –   they had a hospital, a store, a print shop, a fully equipped bakery and kitchen, their own “fresh water” (desalination) plant, etc. etc.

They also had a soda counter (they made their own ice cream) called a “Gedunk” with goodies for sale at certain times for off-duty men.   I have looked up the term Gedunk and found several possible explanations for roots of the word   –   but nothing definitive.   Perhaps one of our oldtimer friends can set us straight . . .

Our dear friend Lynn Kochis, daughter of crewmember Augustus Harris, tells me that when she was a growing up whenever the family would go for ice cream treats Augustus would tell they kids they were going to the Gedunk.