RECOLLECTIONS

Franz Wessel 1988

“Talking to an old Shipmate”

For the invasion of Hollandia, New Guinea, Rear Admiral Barbey had chosen the Swanson as his Flagship and had spent quite a bit of time aboard the ship. Seeing him on deck one day, I worked up the courage to speak with him. I told him that I had sailed with him when he was Skipper of the U.S.S. New York. He showed some interest but of course I knew he didn’t remember me. Then I reminded him that during one of his Captain Inspection’s he stopped to talk to me, while we were all standing at attention. I told him I was the fellow who lost a finger and suffered injury to two other fingers during Gunnery Practice in Culebra, Porto Rica. Also, that he had given his approval for me to go to Annapolis for Officer training. Physically I failed to pass. Then he remembered me.

He was a good Skipper on the New York.

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“The day before I left the Swanson”

I don’t remember the particulars as to how some of my shipmates and I from the Black Gang found out that our beer rations were stored in the Chain Locker. Nor do I remember who the other shipmates were. But, boy do I remember drinking the beer! The ship was at anchor in the harbor in Hollandia.

As we consumed the beer and with our thoughts to keep the place tidy, we tossed the beer cans overboard. After a period of time, we finally looked outside. There was a stream of beer cans floating out to sea. The cans didn’t sink as we thought they would do. Well, we figured it was time to leave but that’s not the end of the story.

That same afternoon I was in charge of the 16-20 Auxiliary watch in the forward fire room. Still feeling the effects of the beer and not being as observant as I should have been, the boiler safeties blew and I believe they blew more than once. The Officer of the Day came flying down the hatch in the forward fire room to find out what was wrong. Looking at me it was quite evident what the problem was. The O.D. told me in no uncertain terms that if I hadn’t been scheduled for transfer to the States the next day, he would have me Court Martialed.

Beer was a rarity aboard the ship, and during those long months in the South West Pacific, there was only one time I recall when beer was put aboard to be rationed out to small parties as they left the Ship in the motor whale boat for consumption ashore. This was during that period.