USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Wenham > Wenham in World War II : war service of Wenham men and women and civilian services of Wenham people > Part 5
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For two months he was transferred to the 55th Fighter Squadron (8th Air Force) and stationed at Colchester. The squadron's planes
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
were being used for reconnaissance work and Clarke's work was to keep them flying.
"Little Wenham was about half-way between Debach and Col- chester. It was a small village half the size of Wenham, Mass., but although I went through it often in trucks going from one place to the other, I was never able to stop. I covered England pretty well from top to bottom but I didn't like it."
Richard Clarke was honorably discharged at Sioux Falls, So. Dak. October 29, 1945.
Presidential Unit Citation for missions successfully completed by the 863d Bomber Squadron.
Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 5 battle stars for the battles his ship was in from D-Day to VE-Day. World War II Victory Medal
GEORGE COLBURN CLEMENT entered on active duty in the Army of the United States on April 5, 1942 as a Private, and was sent to Fort Riley, Kan. for basic training. He was promoted o Corporal and attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Riley. On graduating in December 1942, he was appointed Second Lieutenant and transferred to the 2nd Cavalry Division, Ft. Clark, Tex. as a Platoon Leader. His next assignment was to Director Headquarters, Louisiana Maneuver Area, Map Section. In June 1944 he was pro- moted to First Lieutenant.
In March 1945, Clement was transferred to Ft. Ord, Calif. and immediately shipped to Leyte in the Philippines. Here he was assigned as troop officer with the 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division stationed south of Manila. The cavalry unit was not mounted and served as infantry. Their duty was to clear remaining Japs from the surrounding hills and jungle.
In September 1945, the 1st Cavalry Division landed with the Airborne Division (the first troops to land) in Tokyo and became part of the occupation forces.
George Clement returned to the States and was released to inactive duty at Ft. Devens, Mass. November 1945.
American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Philippine Liberation
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
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Wenham in World War II
DEAN EDMUND COGSWELL enlisted as a Private in the Army of the United States on October 10, 1940 and was assigned to the 211th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft), a National Guard unit which had recently been called into federal service. He served with this unit as a Private and Private First Class at Camp Edwards, Mass., and Camp Hulen, Texas. ' On May 6, 1941, he was commissioned from the ranks and continued service with the 211th as Munitions Officer and Assistant S-3. Immediately after Pearl Harbor, his unit moved to Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Calif., where they established AA protection for the Naval Base, Hamilton Field (USAAF), and other vital military installations in the San Fran- cisco Bay area. Cogswell was promoted to First Lieutenant on February 1, 1942 and to Captain on September 30, 1942.
On October 1, 1942, Cogswell was transferred to Camp Davis, N. C., where he attended the Anti-Aircraft School, receiving further training in automatic weapons. From the School he was assigned to the 486th Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft). He assisted in its activation on December 10, 1942 and at that time assumed command of Battery "C." In March 1943 he became Battalion S-3 (Training and Operations Officer) and early in May was assigned duty as Battalion Executive, a post which he held, apart from intervals as Battalion Commander, until the conclusion of the war in Europe.
The 486th was re-designated as the 486th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons) (Self-Propelled) in February 1943. As such, the 486th received some of the first armored AA half-tracks and cooperated with the AA School in writing training manuals on the equipment and also made a training film, which Cogswell has never seen, since the 486th left the country before the film was re- leased. He would still like to know how he looks on the screen.
The 486th sailed for England on the Queen Mary in December, 1943, and upon arrival at Semley, England on December 10, was attached to the 3rd Armored Division, with which it served through- out combat. The 3rd Armored commenced landing on Omaha Beach on June 23, 1944, having been held up by the storm which had made a shambles of Omaha Beach in the five preceding days. The 3rd with the 486th attached, became a part of General Hodges' First Army, and as such participated in the reduction of the Vil- liers Fossard Salient before St. Lo, the St. Lo Breakthrough, the closing of the Falaise Gap, the Battle of Mons, the penetration of the Siegfried Line around Aachen, the Battle of the Bulge, the cap- ture of Cologne, the closing of the Ruhr Pocket, and were preparing
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
to cross the Elbe at Dessau when the halt was called to further ad- vance of American forces.
The 486th had the primary mission during this period of furnish- ing AA protection to elements of the division, and in this role the Battalion is officially credited with destroying 30 hostile aircraft and probably destroying ("Category II") 16 more. However, due to the tremendous fire power of their armored half tracks-some mounts had 4 caliber .50 machine guns in a turret, each gun firing 500 rounds per minute-the unit was mainly used in ground combat action. In this capacity batteries of the Battalion operated with the forward elements of the division and especially with the division armored reconnaissance battalion. For an AA outfit, "the 486th did very well, capturing some 1700 prisoners, destroying a dozen tanks (one tank was captured by the judicious use of a hatchet, toma- hawk style, plus a hedgerow breaching charge) and a variety of other Jerry equipment, including 3 armored railway trains. I didn't have anything to do with this, other than lending my moral support, but I am proud of the outfit and that I was at least a part of it."
After V-E Day, Cogswell served with an occupation unit until returned to the States in October 1945. He went on terminal leave October 30, and was relieved from active duty, with rank of Lieu- tenant Colonel, on February 27, 1946.
Distinguished Unit Badge (Battle of Mons)
Belgian Fourragere 1940 (Mons, Bulge)
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African, Middle Eastern Campaign with 5 stars.
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
ROGER EDWARD COLBERT* enlisted on January 5, 1942 in the U. S. Naval Reserve. After training at Aerographer's School, Lakehurst, N. J., he was assigned to the Naval Air Station, Atlanta, Ga.
He was assigned to the USS Cowpens (CVL 25), a light cruiser, and served on her as Chief Aerographer. The Cowpens was in Task Group 58 and Colbert served on her through the entire action of the 3rd and 5th Fleets between August 1943 and May 1945.
Roger Colbert was honorably discharged on October 9, 1945.
Navy Unit Citation awarded to USS Cowpens.
*This paper is based only on facts obtained from the first questionnaire.
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Wenham in World War II
Good Conduct Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 15 battle stars. Philippine Liberation Ribbon World War II Victory Medal
FREDERICK HAROLD COOK was commissioned as Ensign in the U. S. Naval Reserve in August 1942, and reported for duty at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H. for indoctrination. Upon completion of this course he was ordered to duty at the Naval Air Technical Training Centre, Norman, Oklahoma, where he was de- signated as one of four regimental commanders. After serving approximately ten months in Norman he received orders to report to the Commander Air Force Atlantic Fleet for further assignment to sea duty.
"A few days later, I joined Patrol Bombing Squadron 203 and in a matter of weeks we departed for the South Atlantic area where we joined Fleet Air Wing 16. VPB 203 flew Martin Mariners which are land based sea planes, and the base to which we were assigned and from which we operated was Aratu, Brazil. This was a small sea plane base constructed by the United States about thirty miles north of Bahia from where the squadron flew anti-submarine, anti-shipping, and convoy escort operational flights. Eight months later, we were ordered to Galeao Island, which is the central base for the Brazilian Air Force located in Rio Harbor. Here we car- ried on similar types of operations. During the next two years, we were constantly moving up and down the coast of Brazil, operating from such points as Natal, Belem, Aratu, and Rio. Upon occasions, detachments of planes were ordered to operate from seaplane tenders anchored at strategic points at sea. Although tender duty is not gen- erally considered too desirable, there were always plenty of volun- teers because of the fact that on board a seaplane tender one could get such things as state-side milk, butter, steak, etc.
"During our two years of operation in the area, the Air Wing of which we were a part was credited with the sinking of quite a few German submarines and two German surface raiders. My own unit was credited with the sinking of these raiders and received a letter of commendation, inasmuch as there was enough crude rubber aboard these two ships to extend Germany's dwindling rubber supply one year. After these ships were sunk, most of the rubber came to the surface and we spent days locating it for American ships who sal- vaged it from the sea.
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
"Life in Brazil was interesting at points but extremely dull in the long run. Rio itself is a beautiful city, but the Cariocans, as the natives were called, tend to be somewhat jealous of the United States, and we were continually cautioned not to step on their toes. Aside from Rio and Sao Paulo, the whole of Brazil is, in my opinion, a primitive and unkempt country and the natives are welcome to any and all of it. In June 1945, after the cessation of the war in Europe, we were ordered to San Juan, Puerto Rico where our squad- ron was decommissioned and from where we proceded individually back to the United States. After spending thirty days leave in the United States, I received orders to report to NAS Quonset Point, R. I., where I was assigned duties as head of the Air Craft Crash and Rescue Division. Strangely enough this proved to be the most tense and exciting duty that I had any time during the war. There was still a lot of flying at Quonset at the time, and it was our job to pick them up when they fell-a little gory at times, but it kept one on his toes."
Cook was released to inactive duty on November 8, 1945.
Unit Citation
American Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
KENNETH ARTHUR COOK entered on active duty as an Apprentice Seaman in the U. S. Naval Reserve on March 10, 1944. He took basic training at Sampson, N. Y., was advanced to S2/c in April 1944 and sent to Armed Guard School, Sheldon, Va. He went next to Fort Pierce, Fla. for amphibious training, was ad- vanced to S1/c in June 1944 and in August was assigned to the USS Leo (AKA 60) (Assault Cargo Ship).
The Leo was sent to the Pacific in October 1944. Cook was ad- vanced to Gunner's Mate 3/c and with his ship took an active part in the invasion of Iwo Jima (February 19, 1945) and the invasion of Okinawa (April 1945).
At Iwo Jima, the ship's mission was to land equipment, war dogs and troops of the 4th Marine Division. From her deck, Cook says that they "witnessed the flag-raising on the island. While in the in- vasion of Okinawa our ship was credited with shooting down a Jap plane. Our mission there was to land thousand pound bombs, drums of aviation gas, personnel and equipment for Marine Air Group 31.
"After the war was over, we carried Chinese troops from French Indo-China to the northern part of China. Altogether, our ship cov-
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ered 73,000 miles in the Pacific." In the course of their travels they blew up some floating mines, and entered Tokyo Bay where they had a chance to visit Yokohama and the Yokosuka Naval Base.
The Leo docked in Seattle, Wash. from China on December 6, 1945. Kenneth Cook came across the country in a troop train and was honorably discharged at the Fargo Building in Boston, Mass. on December 18, 1945.
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with stars for Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
World War II Victory Medal
SIDNEY ROBERT COOK entered on active duty in the U. S. Naval Reserve as Apprentice Seaman on April 29, 1943. He was sent to NTS, Newport, R. I. for boot training and with the rate of Seaman 2/c was transferred to Armed Guard Center, Brooklyn, N. Y. where he made Seaman 1/c on August 9, 1943.
He was ordered to Montreal, Canada, to pick up his first ship, the M. V. Point Cabrillo, a seagoing tug. "My duties on the ship were those of a gunner on a 50 cal. machine gun. The ship traveled the Canadian coast and up to Greenland. From there we towed a dredge back to New York. Our engines failed in a storm but we were taken in tow by our DE. After a short stay in New York, we were sent through the Canal to Pearl Harbor and returned to San Francisco with one of the dredges that had been used to clear the harbor after the Jap attack and was no longer needed."
Cook was transferred to the SS Shiloh, a tanker, and went aboard on March 24, 1944. "My duties on the ship were those of 20mm. gunner. I had to keep my gun in A-1 condition. My gun station was on the stern of the ship. I got the ship in New Jersey, and after a run to Southampton, England and one to Glasgow, Scotland, loaded with high octane gasoline, we went straight to the Pacific. We were carrying fuel to the fleet ships for the invasions of the Mar- shalls, Marianas and Philippine Islands. The oil was drawn from us while under way into large Navy tankers and pumped from them to the Navy ships."
He ran into Warren Stevens who was on the USS Niobrara, an auxiliary oiler, off the Marianas. He returned to New York in March 1945 after a year in the Pacific, and was sent to Shelton, Va. for advanced gunnery training on 20mm., 4'' 50 cal., 3" 50 cal., and
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
5" 38 dual purpose guns, after which he was ordered to Treasure Island, San Francisco to await re-assignment.
His new ship, which he joined June 2, 1945, was the SS J. Sterling Morton, a Liberty ship. "We carried a cargo of medical supplies to the Philippines and Japan. My duties were those of 20mm. gunner."
He returned to California and was assigned from the San Pedro Receiving Station to the USS South Dakota (BB-57). "A battle- ship was quite a change after two years of armed guard duty on merchant ships" and at first Sidney Cook says he felt quite lost. He remained on her until August 8, 1946 and was honorably dis- charged in Boston on August 15, 1946.
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal
World War II Victory Medal
ARTHUR WILLIAM COOLIDGE entered on active duty in the U. S. Navy as Apprentice Seaman on May 28, 1943, and was sent to NTS (Naval Training School), Newport, R. I. for recruit train- ing. He was advanced to Seaman First Class (Cox) on July 10, 1943 and on completion of training was sent via the Receiving Sta- tion at Boston to his first ship, the USS Canberra (CA 70) and joined her the day she was commissioned, October 12, 1943. She was a new heavy cruiser named after the Australian cruiser sunk at the first Battle of Savo Island. He was advanced to Quartermaster Third Class after the shakedown, January 1944.
As one of the heavy escorts for the carriers of TF (Task Force) 38 and 58, the Canberra took part in some two dozen actions in the next twelve months, including the first attack on Truk, Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Okinawa and Formosa. In this last engagement, the first carrier raid to penetrate Empire waters, the Canberra was torpedoed, less than 100 miles from the nearest Jap arm air fields. She did not sink but her engines could not be used, and she had to be taken in tow by another cruiser, the Wichita. Two days later, on October 16, 1944 another Jap torpedo sent the USS Houston to join her. The Houston, like the Canberra, was the second cruiser of her name in this war, and was also in tow of a cruiser, the Boston. Making the best of an apparently hopeless situation, Admiral Halsey ordered the cripples to take a course that
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it was hoped would decoy a substantial part of the Jap Fleet within range, and the ruse came close to working. The fleets were within 200 miles of each other when apparently the Japs discovered what was in store for them, and fled under cover of darkness and poor flying weather. "While we were in this area, the Houston got tor- pedoed for the second time, the Canberra shot down the plane that hit the Houston and the destroyers shot down three more." After emergency and temporary repairs at advanced bases, the Canberra returned safely to the United States, and all hands got a little wel- come stateside leave during repairs.
Coolidge's next ship which he joined April 1, 1945 while the Can- berra was stateside was the David W. Taylor (DD 551). On this destroyer he took part in June 1945 in the Jaluit attack and sup- ported the Kerama Rhetto landings (Okinawa operations).
"About the only incident I can remember and tell without having to give a life history of all the men on the ship was an incident that we happened to see in Okinawa while our squadron was alongside the USS Cascade.
"It was our first time in the place and we were fortunate in be- ing moored close to the beach where we could get a pretty good look at the Marines and Seabees mopping up. They had things pretty well secured except for one Marine who was operating without any of his usual equipment. Unarmed, we watched him pursuing his Nipponese objective at great speed. Some two or three hundred men of Destroyer Squadron 46 thought she was pretty cute too- but being less fortunate than our Marine we could only enter into the spirit of the thing. We cheered lustily. At one point in the chase, this particular operation of the Okinawa campaign went along the beach and the Marine heard our cheers, stopped, waved, and continued; to what end, I do not know!
"From July 1 to V-J Day we supported mine sweeping operations and made shipping strikes in the China Sea. After V-J Day we occupied Kyushu, Wakayama and Nagoya." Coolidge was advanced to QM 2/c on January 15, 1946 while the Taylor was still in Jap- anese waters.
The ship returned to the States in February 1946 and on March 11, 1946 A. William Coolidge was honorably discharged.
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with stars for Marshall Island
Operation, Asiatic-Pacific Raids, 1944 and Western New
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
Guinea, Marianas, Western Carolines, Leyte and Okinawa operations. Philippine Liberation Ribbon World War II Victory Medal
WILLIAM HUMPHREYS COOLIDGE reported for active duty September 22, 1941 as a Lieutenant Commander USNR, and after a month at the Local Defense Force School in Boston, was ordered to duty as O-in-C, Harbor Entrance Control Post, Portland, Me.
HECP's were a development of this war and their two primary missions were to help friendly vessels to enter our harbors and to deny admittance to the enemy. Both Army and Navy officers and enlisted men were on watch at all times. Navy identified all approaching ships through patrol vessels, visual signals, radio and radar. Navy controlled magnetic and sonic devices for detecting the presence of surface or submerged ships. Army controlled mine fields and Coast Artillery guns. Navy controlled patrol ships and nets and booms which were placed in all ship channels.
A pipeline from Portland to Montreal carried tremendous quanti- ties of oil for eastern Canadian industry, and the protection of tankers arriving from Caribbean ports was of vital importance. The HECP log carried names of over 1350 merchant ships enter- ing the port during the five years of its operation.
Portland was the operating base for Navy vessels preparing for escort duty, shore bombardment and other Atlantic Fleet activities. Task Forces preparing for such landings as that at Normandy were trained at Portland. The battleships Iowa, New Jersey, Massachu- setts; the Cruisers Augusta, Quincy, Tuscaloosa, Philadelphia, and many others had battle practice in waters off Portland. HECP logged some 1480 Navy and Coast Guard combat warships entering Portland during the war.
German submarines were active in the waters between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia but it is probable that most of them were on ob- servation rather than attack missions. HECP Portland had good evidence of enemy submarines approaching the net defenses on three separate occasions, including one sighted on the surface. These vessels were promptly attacked by fleet destroyers but we have no report on the success of the attacks. It is probable that most of the rumors heard by civilian population were caused by anti-aircraft or long range gunnery practice by vessels of the fleet, which firing could be heard or felt many miles away on shore.
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On March 14, 1945, Coolidge was assigned additional duty as Commander, Portland Detachment, Northern Group, Eastern Sea Frontier, in which capacity he was responsible for the Navy end of the Joint Army-Navy defense of the coast of Maine. This duty re- quired close cooperation with Army, Coast Guard, Fleet, Military and Naval Intelligence, and other commands. On July 10, 1945 he was promoted to Commander, and on July 30 was assigned further additional duty as Liaison Officer between U. S. Fleet Units at Portland and Commandant First Naval District. Naval Districts serve as service stations for the fleet at all times and in wartime they assume certain defense functions. The fleet is under a separate command. Coolidge's new duties involved maintenance of efficient operation where both Fleet and District were involved.
William H. Coolidge was released to inactive duty with the rank of Commander on February 27, 1946. Commendation from the Commandant, First Naval District, reads in part: "You were charged with these important and varied duties and accomplished them in an outstanding manner showing an unusually high degree of tact, intelligence, ability, and devotion. In the control of Fleet and other traffic in and out of Casco Bay, you met the most exacting re- quirements of the Fleet commands based there."
Commendation Ribbon
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal
EMILE ELEDORE CORMIER* entered on active duty as Apprentice Seaman in the United States Naval Reserve on May 24, 1944. He took the regular training course at USNTS, Sampson, N. Y. and was advanced to S 2/c in July 1944. He was sent to Fire Control School, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where he spent four months.
Cormier joined the USS Gratia, (AKS-11) and sailed with her to the Pacific. In December 1944 he was advanced to S 1/c. The Gratia took part in the liberation of the Philippines.
Emile Cormier was advanced to Fire Controlman 3/c in August 1945. He returned to the States and was honorably discharged February 18, 1946.
American Campaign Medal
*This paper is based only on facts obtained from the first questionnaire.
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Personal Records of Those in the Armed Forces
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Philippine Liberation Ribbon World War II Victory Medal
EUGENE PATRICK CORNING entered on active duty as a Pri- vate in the Army of the U. S. on October 8, 1942. He was sent for basic training to the 857th Ordnance HAM (Heavy Auto Main- tenance) Co., Camp Pickett, Va. and was then assigned to the Medi- cal Corps, but transferred again to the 857th Ordnance. On Novem- ber 22, 1943 he went overseas with this unit and served with them until December 8, 1945, when it was broken up at Camp Kilmer, N. J.
"I served in North Africa for a short time guarding prisoners of war who were working on the docks of Oran. This wasn't too long as we left for China in about two months. On the way, as we were passing Crete, we were attacked by German dive bombers but they were driven off. We landed at Bombay, India and traveled across India by train for 9 days. Went up the Brahmaputra River on a river boat for 2 days and then we were flown from Assam to Kun- ming, China and from there we were on the move more or less.
"For a year our base shop was located at Chanyi. We then moved to Queyang and from there we operated up to the front lines." Corning worked with a heavy maintenance and repair section super- vising a crew of five men. His grade at this time was T/4 (Tech- nician 4th grade).
"We also convoyed supplies and flew repeatedly 'over the hump' to India, where we repaired vehicles being brought into China. From India we returned as mechanics on the convoys being brought over the Burma Road into China.
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