RECOLLECTION

R.J. Kilgas 1989

“SWANSON MEMORIES”

Entering the Navy September 9, 1942 at Great Lakes Receiving Station in Illinois, was a complete change of life for me, and others too, I’m sure, having never left the State of Wisconsin before.

I was in for lots of surprises at boot camp, the things I remember were marching, chow halls, inoculations, changing uniforms at least ten times daily and inspections by every nut that had a rate in the Navy! O’K!

I can’t forget the work details and saluting everyone from Chief on up! Also our camp was new, which meant no hot water for showers or to shave while we were there.

Leaving the Great Lakes Receiving Station for Norfolk, Virginia in October 1942, the next day we were in Norfolk, and assigned to the Swanson. Early the next morning we were aboard the Swanson and shortly afterwards all lines were cast off and we were underway to sea. The ship began to roll from port to starboard and back again. By this time it was “chow down”. The ten of us that came aboard that morning went below to the mess hall. We all sat at the same table; Elmer Isza and I must have been hungry; the other eight were seasick and left the mess table in a mess. Elmer and I ate good in spite of the mess on the table.

Before the day was gone; contact was made with a person destined to be a life long friend, he was Reggie Alston. A southern drawl was new to me and I wanted to hear more. I asked if he always spoke that way, and he said “Yes and I never had a pair of shoes on, until I got in this dang outfit!”

The days passed fast and that was due to Fillingim, Fleury and Watts, the second division bo’s’n who were always on our backs! Also standing lookout watch on the bridge with E.O. Patton, J.J. Deming, A..J.Bennett, Elmer Isza, Wally Kasper, Kurber and Billy Husted and of course Papa Pool.

The officers standing the watches were the Hills; one short and one tall, and a guy named John Lindsay with his 12 quart pail, so he would have a place to put his supper when it became rough.

Haircuts were necessary for inspections and to look presentable. After a few months of practice on my friends, I became efficient and soon hair cuts were given nearly every place on the ship including the chief’s quarters, wardroom, Captain’s quarters, the bridge, and the fantail, During inclement weather hair was cut in the passageways. One day while cutting hair near the ships store and Head some one distracted me and I sniped the tip of the guys ear, quickly I applied toilet paper to the part of the ear that was left!

A few days after leaving Casablanca we made contact with a submarine and General Quarters was sounded. I headed for my battle station as a talker on a 20mm gun located beneath the bridge. Nearing my station, Captain Robertson spotted me with my new Arab slippers on, he yelled out: “Kilgas go back and get your shoes on!”

A few months passed and soon we were ready for the invasion of Sicily. A few days before leaving for the invasion we were anchored in Bizerte Lake in Tunisia, North Africa. I remember the guys talking about a gal named “Gerty”. They called her “Dirty Gerty from Bizerte”. The scary German Air Raid, the night before we sailed for the invasion didn’t look good for us.

After we sailed the weather turned bad. I was glad I wasn’t in the Army. We could see invasion supplies floating past our ship. The smaller troop ships were taking a beating.

In the early morning hours of D-Day we were rammed by the USS Roe, amidships on the port side, leaving us dead in the water. Then came the word to “Prepare to abandon ship!” I headed for the starboard side life line, and with one leg on each side of the life line I began to inflate my life vest. Then came the word to “Jettison ship!” instead of abandon ship. (Throw overboard all unnecessary weight.) What fun that was! The mess cooks threw over the side the bowls and trays. The deck force headed for the gear locker – yep – you guessed it! Wire brushes and scrappers were the first to go, then the paint and other things.

We traveled at slow speed for Malta for temporary repairs. A beautiful place carved out of rock. When we were about to leave Malta, the night before the German Bombers gave us a going away party. I had become a gunner on the 20mm beneath the bridge. The next morning after the raid, we went top side to look for shrapnel near our battle stations. Yips! Just behind where I was strapped to the 20mm there was a hole in the deck, it looked like a hole made from a 50 caliber machine gun. Suddenly I wasn’t interested in souvenirs.

Next was the trip through the Panama Canal. We came into Colon from the Atlantic side. We had to dock for some reason and then came the down pour of rain, before we had the lines secured to the dock. We were soaked, so we took our wet clothes off and in the water we went. It rained so hard, no one on the bridge could see us and neither could people standing 10 feet away. Only a few were in the water when it quit raining and the bridge wanted to know why?

The trip to South Pacific was beautiful, except for the party on the equator! What an experience!

I don’t remember the place in New Guinea. We anchored about a mile out. Liberty had been granted that day and I had the gangway watch 8 to 12 PM. All the liberty party was suppose to be aboard near the end of the watch. A liberty party boat came alongside with a passenger that had too much white lightning and he was not able to ascend the sea ladder, and I had a big problem, as the sea was choppy. It was a good thing the Captain Gig was gone. I used one of the boat falls and lowered a line to the Coxswain who put a few hitches on the sailor and we hauled him aboard. We put him into his sack. Isn’t that right Gordon!

Some time later we were patrolling somewhere between a few islands when suddenly we were confronted with a Betty Dive Bomber with bay doors open and making a run on the ship. General Quarters sounded and the 5” guns couldn’t bear on target because of the low approach of the Betty. To make matters worse Riggins, Pappy Ellis, Nelson Fire Controlmen were repairing the stable element which meant no control of the 5” guns. With every thing in manual we couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Bridge finally had to call in a few P40’s to end the problem.