Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Software, E-Resource Audio Recording Howard Catton Gilbert Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: Naval Armed Guard; Sea Devil (troop ship); Prowess (Liberty ship)
- Location of Service: Farragut, Idaho; San Diego, California; Australia; New Guinea; Calcutta, India; Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Boatswain's Mate Second Class
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/9602
Growing up in Seattle in the 1930s, Howard Gilbert developed a fascination with the water and ships. Enlisting in the Navy once the U.S. entered World War II was almost a foregone conclusion. He served on a troop ship and Liberty ship in both Pacific and Atlantic. Being on the water didn't remove him from action or its consequences: he saw two ships in his convoy sunk by a German submarine, and his troop ship took on wounded from the battle for New Guinea.
Howard Catton Gilbert Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayDescription of the Naval Armed Guard; pay differences between the Merchant Marines and the Navy gunners; difference in discipline serving on the Merchant Marine ship as opposed to a Navy ship. 00:12:19.5 - 00:13:59.3
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PlayDropping off Army troops along the New Guinea coast; hearing firefights at night; Japanese shooting at the ships; coming into the wrong end of the bay on Wakde Island off the north coast of New Guinea; Japanese attempting to repair their air field on the island; bringing casualties from the field hospital back to the US. 00:24:43.3 - 00:28:22.1
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Howard Catton Gilbert Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayShifts of four-hour watches, looking for enemy submarines and aircraft; lack of sleep; the excitement of docking at US port for fresh, insect-free produce; new sailors on the ship having trouble eating bread due to weevils. 00:00:13.0 - 00:01:49.7
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PlayFacing a strong storm in the Tasman Sea while serving on a Liberty ship and the damage it caused; learning how to sleep during storms by holding on to a pipe near his bunk; continuing the habit of holding on while sleeping after returning from the war. 00:01:52.1 - 00:03:23.5
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PlayGerman submarine attacking his convoy near Gibraltar, hitting two of the ships. 00:06:57.4 - 00:07:56.4
About this Item
Title
- Howard Catton Gilbert Collection
Names
- Gilbert, Howard Catton
- Reed, Helen
- Park County Veterans History Project
- Hammond, Janet B.
Home State
- Washington (State)
Headings
- - Gilbert, Howard Catton
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: Naval Armed Guard; Sea Devil (troop ship); Prowess (Liberty ship)
- Location of Service: Farragut, Idaho; San Diego, California; Australia; New Guinea; Calcutta, India; Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Boatswain's Mate Second Class
- Dates of Service: 1943-1946
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [4 items] -- Photograph (collected 1943-2002)
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2002-07-11)
- Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-03-22; 2006-03-22)
- Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2006-09-30; 2006-10-05)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2006-09-30)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/9602
Cite as
- Howard Catton Gilbert Collection (AFC/2001/001/9602), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image
- online text