Narrative by: 		Commander William B. Goggins,
Executive Officer - USS MARBLEHEAD
This is the first and one of the best recordings we have obtained. Commander Goggins gives a good personalized account of his experiences on the USS MARBLEHEAD when that ship was hit by bombs from Japanese planes. He also tells of his experiences on Java and his escape from that island. Many of the facts cited, by Commander Goggins are brought out in the movie "The Story of Doctor Wassell". Extensive quotations from this narrative also were used in the first volume of "Battle Report."

Narrative of the U.S.S. MARBLEHEAD November 25, 1941 to February 6, 1942 as Related by Commander William B. Goggins, Executive Officer
This is Commander William B. Goggins, Executive Officer of the MARBLEHEAD, dictating an account of experiences on the MARBLEHEAD from the time war started until I left the ship in Tjilatjap, Java, a casualty.
About a week and a half before war began, a task force was formed of the MARBLEHEAD and destroyers escorting, the BLACK HAWK, which departed Manila, went south through the Philippines and went down to Tarakan, Borneo and Balikpapan, Borneo. The MARBLEHEAD and one division of destroyers went into Tarakan and the BLACK HAWK and another division went down to Balikpapan. We went into the port on a visit, with the consent of the Dutch, presumably to replenish fuel after our run to the southward.
We stalled for time in these ports waiting for developments. During this period we maintained a state of readiness and were alert for any developments, it being known that conditions were very tense and that, anything might happen. During this period we made one or two mail trips, the destroyers went after our mail. We maintained contact with the local Dutch authorities, both the oil company and the Navy. 

While we were in Tarakan the MARBLEHEAD was fueled to approximately sixty or seventy percent capacity, that is my recollection, and it became necessary to deal in such a way that we would appear to be remaining there to get additional oil if possible.
At about 2:30 on the morning of the eighth of December we received a message that the Japanese had commenced hostilities and to take appropriate measures. I called the Captain and we went to General Quarters and set Condition III watch. The messages about the commencement of hostilities were read over all circuits to the crew and that night we departed Balikpapan, Borneo to act as troop convoys, one of the extra expeditions was in connection with the attack made by Commander Talbot's division at Balikpapan.

The MARBLMEAD had been in Soerabaja with a turbine casualty and was then operating on three propeller shafts, having a maximum speed of 28 knots. On account of this, it gas decided that the BOISE should support the attack at Balikpapan, The BOISE started out to make this attack, but in going through one of the straits in the Malay barrier she struck an uncharted reef and was disabled to the extent that she could not participate in any further operations in her condition. She returned and we transferred the fuel from her and the Admiral and his staff, Admiral Glassford.
We left there at maximum speed and proceeded northward to support the destroyers who had already departed for Balikpapan. We did not arrive off Balikpapan during the attack, but came up from the southward shortly after the attack began and met the destroyers returning and escorted them to Soerabaja. We were supposed to furnish support against strong surface craft and also against any air attacks that might take place. This operation was carried out successfully by the destroyers and we all returned from Soerabaja safely. There was no surface or air attack during the retirement from Balikpapan.

We spent a short time in Soerabaja and then later went out and anchored in the Soenda Strait, where a task force was being formed, a striking group commanded by Admiral Doorman of the Dutch Navy. At a later date it was intended that another attack be made at Balikpapan under very much the same conditions. The MARBLEHEAD and one division of our destroyers proceeded north through Makassar Straits during daylight in an effort to reach Balikpapan early in the morning.

During our trip up through the straits we were shadowed by Japanese plane. That evening after dark we received a reconnaissance report from one of our PBY's that a strong Japanese cruiser and destroyer fleet was lying in wait for us. After we had approached within about 200 miles of our objective, it was decided that it would be folly to attempt a surprise attack - the moonlight was very bright, it was almost as bright as day, and we were a weak force against a strong force, as I recall eight cruisers and fourteen destroyers. We decided that it was best to retire and not attempt to make a fight of its inasmuch as the disposition of the enemy was such that we could not hope to launch torpedoes into the convoy due to the fact that the cruiser and destroyer dispositions were at a distance from the convoy greater than the torpedo run that we could hope for.

I would like to refer back now to another operation which we attempted. We had received word that there was a Japanese convoy at Menado in the northeast corner of the Celebes, and we were given orders to go up there and make an attack. We proceeded all the way up there and during the night that we were supposed to make the attack we got word that the Japanese had left, there was no one there and so we had to turn around and return.

On the third of February the MARBLEHEAD went to the Soenda Strait where a striking group was being formed to attack a strong Japanese convoy which was known to be coming down from the north. We got into the Soenda Straits found the HOUSTON, the DE RUYTER and the TROMP and a number of destroyers there, and as we came in to anchor, Admiral Purnell came down in a PBY plane for a conference on the Dutch flagship with the commanding officers. The Captain left the ship went over to the DE RUYTER and left orders for me to go alongside the PEC0S and fuel to capacity.

I was making my approach to the PECOS when the PBY planes which had taken off after leaving the Admiral, reported that the fleet was being attacked by Japanese bombers. There was a high dense cloud over us and we did not see any planes, but the frantic messages from the plane, our own plane, indicated that an attack was imminent.

Accordingly, I backed away and circled around and eventually went out through the channel into the outer roads where it had been reported by the HOUSTON and a destroyer that a plane had crashed. I did not know what the plane was, but thought it might be the PBY. We searched around out there for the planes at the same time keeping a bright lookout for Japanese planes.

I later learned that the plane which had crashed was a Japanese fighter which had been shot down by our own PBY, although we did not know that until later.

Not finding any plane in the roads, and the attack seeming to have passed clear, we returned to the anchorage and I went alongside the PECOS where the Captain was waiting for me.

That night we got underway, as I recall, at about midnight and we formed up outside and headed eastward. With us under the command of the Dutch Admiral, Admiral Doorman, were the DE RUYTER, the HOUSTON, the MARBLEHEAD, the TROMP and a screen composed of the BULMER, STEWART, EDWARDS, BARKER, and the Netherlands destroyers PIET HEIN BANCKERT and VAN GHENT. We were headed on a course approximately east, zigzagging with the destroyer screen around us.

At about 9:49, according to the log, we sighted aircraft on the port beam at a fairly high altitude, flying on a course to the westward towards Tjilatjap. Apparently they were looking for us, and it is my guess that they had noted our presence the day before and were returning to bomb the ships. We immediately scattered at high speed and sounded air defense,

At this time I was on the bridge, and at air defense, in accordance with previous orders from the Captain, I went below. His idea was that if I were below and anything happened to him then I would be available to take over the command. At air defense it is necessary to clear from topside all people who are not at anti-aircraft stations. The dangers from near-miss fragments are very great and it was necessary to get as many people as possible in a protected location.

Our air defense stations were to man the anti-aircraft batteries, 3” and .50 caliber, lookout stations, set condition Zed below and disperse all other personnel upon the main deck where the side plating of the ship would protect them from near-miss fragments.

At air defense I went below and cruised the main deck to see that everything was alright, that people were properly stationed, that Zed was set, and that people were lying down, that is, those who did not have stations. I checked up particularly to see that the aviation gasoline tanks had been dumped. Had these caught fire, the entire stern of the ship would probably have been lost.

It was unfortunate that I was wearing shorts at the time, as were several other officers. The crew was in dungarees for flash protection, but due to the heat a good many people either took off their top shirts or some of them even took off their undershirts, which was distinctly a bad idea.

I recall going down the main deck on the starboard side, seeing everybody very cheerful and in good spirits, and I remember remarking to one of the men that the HERON had fought off a formation of Japanese bombers all day and that it looked as though we would be alright. The damage control parties were all at their stations and ready. The men were all lying down. I went forward on the port side and up to the wardroom.

At this time the ship was maneuvering at high speed, the guns were firing, and our 3" ammunition was being rapidly exhausted at the guns, An ammunition party from men on the 6” battery and others was rapidly formed in the wardroom country and began bringing up ammunition from the forward 3" magazine group and running it aft on the port side and up No. 2 hatch to the guns. We had considerable quantity of ammunition in an office which had been the first lieutenant's office, but that was going so fast that it was necessary to get up as much as possible right Away.

During the attack, a wave of planes would come over and the battery would fire. As the planes got almost directly overhead, the .50 caliber would start firing and the resulting racket was tremendous, even down below in the wardroom where I was with the ammunition party. In this compartment were Ensign Coburn, Lieutenant Blessman, the senior aviator, and myself. Just forward of us in the passageway where the ammunition was being whipped up was Lieutenant Good— hue.

I do not recall how many attacks came over, but each time they came over there would be a salvo of bombs dropped and we were doing quite well, the Captain was avoiding the salvos, and everything looked pretty good to us down below. We could hear the cheers of the people on the deck when planes were shot down. I was to understand that three were shot down by our AA battery. One plane, which tried to make a suicide landing on the ship, was cut to pieces by the .50 caliber machine gun when it got close enough to hit and landed in the water and exploded not very far from the ship.

I do not know exactly what time the bomb hit. I remember that I was leaning against the edge of the wardroom table and watching the ammunition party and helping keep them in order. They were carrying boxes of four aft at double time. I remember just before we were hit, the gunner, Gunner Clendenin, dashed through the wardroom crying out “All gunner’s mates on the AA batteries to set fuses”, and a number of these men departed. The gunner left then and I did not see him again.

The first thing that I recall happening was that the ship was shaken, apparently by a hit astern arid I just started to go forward and up the hatch to find out what the trouble was when the lights went out and there was a terrific explosion. My sensation was that the whole after end of the ship was coming right at me. I do not recall that the noise was particularly loud, but the shock was rather severe and I was struck by something, I don’t know what it was, on the left hip, which afterwards I discovered to be black and blue.

The wardroom was immediately full of a mass of wreckage. I could not see very well on account of the lights having all gone out. At this time I was standing about six feet from the forward door of the wardroom and I saw that I was almost completely surrounded by wreckage. Apparently I had not been hit, but I could feel an intense heat from the flash of the bomb. There is a product of combustion after the bomb has exploded of very hot gas and I was standing in this hot gas and I could feel myself burning. The heat was so intense that the bulkheads, the paint on the metal and the linoleum was sizzling and catching fire. Wherever this hot gas remains in contact and is not blown away it ignites anything that will burn. That means paint or anything else. My clothes did not catch Lire, but I was severely burned.

I did not see anybody around me. I did not see Coburn or Blessman again. I did not see anyone that I recall except a signalman by the name of Murtch, who was between me and the wardroom doors the forward starboard door. The door was piled high with debris, but there was a small space above it through which we could climb. Murtch climbed through and I followed him and went up on deck.

There was by this time a good fire burning in the wardroom and below steam was escaping from some pipes that had been cut. All the lights forward were out and the party which had been working on the ammunition apparently started up on deck, taking with them the wounded.

I remember looking in my cabin at the top of the ladder and hearing someone in there groaning. Apparently there was a doctor or someone with him. He was lying on my transom, but it was dark in there and I did not stop to see what the trouble was, but went out and up on the bridge to find out what the conditions were.

I climbed up to the bridge and found that the Captain was alright, and the rudder indicator showed that thc rudder was jammed full left, and he said that he had no steering control. What had happened was that the bomb had hit in the sick bay and had cut off all inter-communications and ship control forward. The ship was circling as I recall at about 28 knots. The ships around us were keeping clear and were a1so circling and were firing at the planes overhead.

I wont down the ladder to the main deck and started aft to find out what the difficulty was with the steering. I could see a number of wounded, mostly burns, being taken aft, some of them were lying on the main deck. I recall particularly one of the Chinese boy’s lying there who appeared to be in a pitiful condition, but there wasn’t anything that could be done for him at the time.

Thc people who were on the damage control were already starting on the fire forward. I did not know what had happened aft. I went aft on the deck  - someone asked me what was the matter with my neck and I then learned that a piece of shrapnel had clipped the back of my neck and that blood was running down my uniform. I did not know this until someone asked me, and I said, “I’m alright”, but I can see that I had been pretty badly burned - I had second degree burns I found afterwards and my skin was burned and hanging in folds on my arms and legs. I had been burned in all areas not covered by my clothing. Other men who had been burned or wounded were being taken aft, the forward dressing station having been abandoned.

I went back on the main deck and I could see the hole the bomber hit forward. It had hit the bilge of the motor launch on the starboard side and had dropped down through leaving a hole which looked about one foot in diameter in the weather deck and there was a lot of steam, smoke and flame coming up No. 1 hatch. I can recall this particularly because the flame and smoke was hot and burned me as I went by.

The anti-aircraft battery was intact and was still firing and they were apparently doing alright.

I went aft on the deck and started to find out what was going on. I found that we had been hit on the stern somewhere and I climbed up to Battle Two to see if I could get communication with the steering gear. I got up there alright, there was no one there, and got to the voice tube and called down to the steering gear. Of course, the telephones were out of commission, sound power and otherwise, but there is a voice tube in Battle Two to hand steering and I tried to call down there. There was no answer and I afterwards learned that that was because the people down there had all been killed. A bomb had hit the stern just abaft the after twin and had penetrated down into the steering gear and wrecked it.

I climbed down to Battle Two and went down the No. 3 hatch to find out if anything could be done about steering. I got down to the foot of the ladder and found Dr. Ryan there with his people dressing wounded as best they could. He started to put some tonic acid jelly on my leg, but it appeared to me that there were many others who needed it worse than I did, especially some who had some severe wounds from shrapnel and really required his attention.

I went back and found that, the fire party was starting down the escape hatch and were attempting to put out a large fire which was then burning in the after end of the ship in the Chiefs’ quarters. The bomb that hit down there had wounded a number of people, had killed some and had blown the whole chiefs’ quarters forward into the after engineering compartment. I did not see this because it was impossible for me to get down there at the time. Having found that this damage would have to be corrected before anything could be done, I started forward again.

Dr. Ryan gave me two morphine pills - I did not want a shot because I did not want to be immobilized, but he gave me two pills which he said would help relieve the pain a little and he told me to hold them under my tongue, but by this time I had swallowed them and when I got up on deck my knees save way under me, probably from the action of the morphine. I sat down on something by the loading machine for about a minute and then was able to get up and go forward again.

The crew was taking care of the damage. The damage control people and others were already hard at work and it was with the greatest calmness and determination. I saw no one who was excited. I saw no one who was raising his voice or shouting. Our drills had stressed the necessity for silence during emergency drill, of all kinds and they were carrying it out during the actual battle. Everywhere I saw men and officers were proceeding to correct damage and to care for those who needed assistance.

I went forward again and up to the bridge and reported what had happened aft as near as I could tell and at this time the senior medical officer, Dr. Wildebush, saw me and said that I would have to lie down, so I went down the ladder from the bridge one level to the conning tower, which was near enough to the bridge so that if I were needed I might be able to render some assistance.

I was outside the conning tower when the forward damage control party from central came up on deck. There had been a near miss close aboard on the port side right under the IC room, which had flooded that compartment and it was flooding central and other compartments adjacent thereto. The people in central tried to come up through the regular hatch, up on deck, but were unable to do so because of the fire burning over their heads. Accordingly they abandoned central through the leg of the tripod mast, which leads from there up into the char house.

This tube is large enough for easy transit, except that, it is now pretty well filled with voice tubes and wiring of one kind or another. Some people didn’t think you could get up through there, but they all did. The last one to leave was the ship’s tailor, who was a member of the party, a man by the name of Delugh, who had been on the ship from the time it was commissioned. Delugh was a man who was rather fat and it was not thought that he could get through this escape hatch at all, so Delugh told everybody to go ahead of him so that if he got stuck ho wouldn’t trap anybody below. I saw them all outside the conning tower just before I entered it and Delugh managed to get up alright, although with some abrasions. They were all in good shape and immediately went about their business to correct damage. Lieutenant Blasdel, I recall particularly, was one who was up there in his party. I believe the damage control officer, Lieutenant Commander Drury had already come up.

I went into the conning tower and sat down and waited for developments. From time to time people would come through and inform me of the progress being made with the steering gear and with the control of the fire. The damage control officer came by once and told me what was going on and later on I saw the Chief Engineer.

My burns were beginning to become very painful and I trimmed off about two inches of my sleeves and trousers in order to keep them from rubbing on the burned areas. Murtch, the signalman, who had been in the wardroom with me, came down with a little can of gun grease and said that while it wasn’t quite the thing to put on burns, at least it would keep the air off, and wouldn’t hurt, so I rubbed this grease over all my burns and pain stopped considerably and I was much more comfortable.

I was in the conning tower from this time on until I was taken ashore in Tjilatjap.

At this time the ship was steaming at about full speed, about 28 knots, with the rudder jammed hard left and listed ever, with the Japs circling overhead trying to make another attack. I don’t recall much about what happened, except that there was some shooting and we were not hit again. We continued to circle for sometime and in the afternoon I learned that they had been able to get the fire out over the steering gear and get down there. It was impossible to get through the hatch into the steering engine room because it was jammed shut so it was necessary to cut a hole in the deck with torches and go down that way. They told me that they cut the oil lines to the water bearing gear in order to get the pressure off the rams and get the rudder amidships. It is impossible to steer a ship of the MARBLEHEAD type with the engines alone, unless you can get the rudder amidships. After this had been done we were able to have some control.

In the meantime, damage control had rigged a sound power line abridge to the engine room so that it would be possible to control the engines. During this entire period until this had been done the ship continued to circle with no control of any kind and I remember looking up at the halyards and seeing an emergency signal flying that the ship was out of control.

As soon as we had steering control, we left and headed south. It was not possible to go to Soerabaja because the Japs were bombing that every day around noon time and might get the ship there. We headed off down through Lombok Strait at high speed with two of our destroyers escorting us in case anything happened. Whether there were any other escorts, I do not know, but can he learned by an inspection of the log.

During this period all hands were correcting damage, the anti-aircraft battery was standing by ready to shoot again in case they came back. The fires were eventually under control and the ship became more or less manageable. The log indicates that the STEWART and EDWARDS went along with us.

As a result of the attack, there were, as I recall, fifteen killed and around thirty odd wounded. The only officer killed was Lieutenant Blessman, the senior aviator, who was just a few feet from me in the wardroom.

I did see the main deck of the ship and the condition there was indescribable. The blast of the bomb had showered fragments the entire length of the deck, the hot gas had burned people from the vicinity of the explosion all the way back practically to the No. 3 hatch. People who were under No. 2 hatch were burned and hit by fragments which had come down the main deck about one hundred feet and turned the corner and hit then. All the lockers on this deck, clothing lockers of the men, had been exploded open and all the clothes thrown out on the deck, which had caught on fire, that is most of them, and burned. The safe in the post office, which is in the vicinity of the explosion, had been blown open. There is a safe forward of the wardroom under the hatch which was about ten fret away from me, that had been blown open also and the contents dumped out on the deck.
These were confidential publications and I was told latter that they were gathered up and properly disposed of.

I forgot to mention that when I got to the conning tower I sent a message on my own responsibility asking for fighter support. I got the position from the bridge and the messenger took it back to Radio Two which was still in commission. Radio One was out of commission, all the alternating current for the receivers having been severed by the explosion of the bomb.

All that afternoon and night the correction of damage continued, the details of which I do not know because I was in the conning tower and was becoming more and more helpless. I found that I was getting stiff, couldn’t move. My boy, Chang, brought up a mattress from somewhere, that is someone brought it - I believe it was one of the Chiefs, and Chang brought up some linen to put on it and I lay down in the conning tower on this. During the night a number of other people stayed there, the forward part of the ship having become flooded and all the officers rooms in the lower level were flooded with oil and water and they had no place to sleep and quite a number of people were sleeping in other locations, that is, those who did sleep.

The Doctor was in the conning tower during the night when he could get some rest. He was back and forth to the wounded all night long, but he would come in and stay for a little while.

That night we continued to steam at high speed down through Lombok Strait, the idea being to go to the westward to Tjilatjap, a port on the south coast of Java where there were some repair facilities and which had not yet been bombed by the Japanese.

As I recall, next day we had air defense sounded again. Apparently Jap reconnaissance was over us, but no bombers showed up.

The ship was in such a condition that I doubt if we could have withstood another hit and our steering control was not very good, and it was obvious that we would not be able to maneuver as radically as would be required. All night and the next day and the following night and day the ship was controlled by orders given over the sound power line to the forward engine room - one third ahead on one engine and full speed ahead on the other engine and so forth, to keep the ship on some reasonable course. One of the destroyer Captains told me later that she certainly steered wildly going down through that strait. He had quite a time to keep clear of her because in the darkness she would suddenly veer over and head for him and he would have to give her everything he had to get clear. We had no gyro left and the magnetic compass was well out due to the bombing, so the course was judged pretty much by the destroyer steering.

I’d like to add that during this same attack the HOUSTON was struck on her No. 3 turret by a bomb which killed the entire turret crew - I believe 42 men and some others who were down below in after damage control. I did not see what happened to the HOUSTON after that.

It was the opinion of the people who were watching at the time that the Japs went principally after the HOUSTON and MARBLEHEAD and did not attack the Dutch ships as vigorously as they did us. I don’t know whether that is true or not, but it was believed so at the time.

The near miss forward on the port side had put a large number of holes in the bottom and one very large one, which had been told to be to be about ten by thirteen feet. The forward end of the ship was filled up rather rapidly, but in spite of everything that could be done, she sank lower and lower forward and everything that was available was put on getting the water out of the ship forward. I was told that at one time the free board on our forecastle was down until it was about three feet. The damage control parties, however, managed to keep the ship afloat and on the sixth of February we arrived off the entrance to Tjilatjap harbor. We had to stop there and take tugs to tow us in because it was not possible to steer the ship through the mine field. Tugs came, towed us in and we got in there as I recall about noon.

As we came in through the channel to our dock, we passed the HOUSTON and the entire crew of the HOUSTON was on deck and as we went by them, they gave us a very lusty cheer. Apparently no one led this cheer, nor did anyone lead the cheer that was given the HOUSTON by the crew of the MARBLEHEAD as we passed her.

We tied up to the dock and the Dutch had waiting for us a hospital train. Arrangements had been made to take care of us all and went ahead just as soon as we were tied up. The more seriously wounded were put on the hospital train and I don’t know when it left, but very soon after I was landed with some others. The Doctor thought he could take us back on the ship with him and put the three officers and some of the other wounded ashore in an overnight dressing station in Tjilatjap. It was not really a hospital, but it had the facilities for dressing wounds and beds in which we could be placed. We were taken ashore in stretchers and put in ambulances and taken to this dressing station, and then, as time permitted, our wounds were dressed and we were kept there during the night. I don’t remember exactly how many were in this hospital. The following morning - I should continue that on the night of the sixth when I went to the hospital, my Chinese boy, Chang, came along with my things and stayed with me as long as he could. During the evening at the hospital he went out and got some Ovaltine and two bottles of liquor, which he thought I might need. He had all my money, a suit of shorts, my shaving gear and some underwear and a few little things in a bag which he carried along.

The next morning we who had spent the night at the dressing station were put in ambulances and taken to the Petrinella Hospital in Jogjakarta. We left Tjilatjap at about 8:00 o’clock in the morning in field ambulances, which are very rough and uncomfortable. The heat was terrific and we had practically no attention, except an occasional drink of water or a sandwich on the way. We rode almost the entire day in these ambulances and arrived in Petrinella Hospital as I recall at about 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon.

This was perhaps the most painful and trying part - riding in those ambulances. There were four in each ambulance and we went in a sort of a convoy, one driver leading who knew the way - they lost the way once. To our dismay, answers to inquiries as we were proceeding always said that it was “just a little farther”. Well, it was a distance of 200 kilometers.

We got to the hospital it about 5:00 o’clock the evening of the seventh, were carried into the main lobby where the Dutch doctors and nurses were waiting for us. The Petrinella Hospital was originally a mission hospital operated by the churches in the Netherlands - it had been taken over by the Dutch Army and militarized, all the personnel taken into the Dutch Army, Dutch nurses and the doctors. We were sorted out and taken in to have our wounds dressed. Our wounds had been dressed the night before and we had been bandaged. When they dressed our wounds at Petrinella that night they took off all our bandages and put on tanic acid Jelly. I was given a shot before I was dressed and woke up the next morning to find myself in a very nice room by myself with Dutch nurse and a Javanese nurse looking out for me.

The hospital is a white stucco building all on one floor, tile roof, beautiful garden, trees around it, very clean, beautiful polished floors, all equipment modem and with plenty or nurses and doctors in attendance. We received the very finest care at this hospital. Those that had shrapnel in them were operated on and everything done to make our men comfortable. The hospital authorities relaxed their rules about smoking in the wards and permitted our men to smoke, something that had never been done. The local Dutch people heard of our arrival and a number of them called to see us to find out it there was anything they could do. I understand that a collection was taken up locally to buy ice cream and cigarettes for the men.

Shortly after we arrived at the hospital, Lieutenant Commander Corydon M. Wassell, U.S.N.R., arrived from Admiral Hart’s staff in Soerabaja to supervise the care of the wounded and to look out for the records, etc. I saw him first about the second day after I was in the hospital. During this time he had been given funds by the Admiral with orders to see that all of our wants were taken care of. He made the rounds several times a day to see the men and the officers.

There were three officers - myself, Lieutenant Goodhue and Ensign Coburn. Dr. Wassell lived at the local hotel and, as I say, made the rounds every day, sometimes two or three times. The flying field at Jogjakarta was being used by our flying fortresses under Colonel Ubang and there were a number of their people also in the hospital and the army pilots, doctors and chaplains came around frequently to see us. We remained at the hospital during this entire period receiving the very finest care and attention from the Dutch.

Frequent air raids in this city were the cause of some alarm, although there was no bombing. Apparently reconnaissance was going on by the Japanese to locate this field and find out when would he a good time to bomb it. Those who could walk would go into the shelters which were built in the hospital, but, those of us who were helpless were put on a mattresses and slid under the bed, which was about the only thing that could he done. That was the air raid shelter for those who were unable to walk.

After about two weeks it began to be apparent that the Japanese were going to take Java. Our Dr. Wassell learned from the local army that everyone was going to be evacuated and they advised him very strongly to get the wounded out. Accordingly, Dr. Wassell got In communication with the Admiral’s staff which had moved from Soerabaja to Tjilatjap. They told him to bring to Tjilatjap all the wounded who could stand a rough deck passage. Dr. Wassell believed that we could all he taken out and accordingly we were put on a train and taken to Tjilatjap, There were ten of us that could not walk. They occupied bunks in the hospital car, the others rode in a sort of coach.

We got down to Tjilatjap along in the afternoon and were taken over to the large house which was being used by the men of the Admiral’s staff. There wore no hospital facilities whatever for us and the Doctor was forced to get cots and put us on the porch of this house for the night. Everyone was taken away that  night or after we left except the ten of us, which it was decided would have to be returned to the hospital. I might add that this was about as I recall about the 25th of February.

Accordingly, the following morning we had to return immediately to the hospital being as there was no hospital car or other facilities available, the Doctor got two freight cars and put us, still on the cots, in the freight cars and we rode back to Jogjakarta in these cars. It doesn’t sound as bad as you might think, as the side doors of the care were open and one could get a fairly good view of the countryside which is very beautiful, but it was hot and it was quite dirty. The Dutch locomotive burnt brickettes, I think.

We arrived in Jogjakarta that afternoon at about 3:30 and were met by the staff of the hospital as well as a number of Dutch ladies who were waiting for us with cold drinks and hot coffee, etc. We were transferred to stretchers and rested about fifteen minutes in the station while we received refreshments.

During this period we noticed while we were waiting in the station there was a company of British soldiers who didn’t seem to know where they were going. Someone told me that they didn’t have any officer with them. They were on their way apparently to Tjilatjap if they could get a train. Train service was at this time pretty hard to get because the Japs were beginning to bomb the railroad and strafe the trains. We returned to the hospital, the ten of us and Dr. Wassell, and were scrubbed up that night and made comfortable again in the same bunks that we had before.

Every day we were having air raid alerts — the sirens would go and we would be put under the beds, then all clear and out we came. At this time I knew that unless I could get up on my feet and walk that I had no chance of ever getting away, so I managed after some effort to get on my feet and walk around the room.

As I recall, the Doctor nude arrangements with Colonel Ubang that we could be taken out on one of the planes — they were then evacuating their people to Australia. I think they were going to Broome. The planes would stay in the air all day to keep the Japs from hitting them and come down and land just about dark, fuel and load with personnel and fly them out that night.

As I recall, it was a Sunday and I don’t know the date, that the Doctor came over and said that they had told him that. They thought they would have room for us that night. That afternoon the Japs hit the airfield with bombing and strafing and caught a Liberator on the field and burnt it up. I think that that plane was our ride. We heard about that shortly after the attack. That night the Doctor told me that if he would wait on the telephone and they had room they would call him up — he sat on the telephone all that afternoon and all that evening. During the night we could hear the planes come in and eventually take off one by one, but no word came so we did not get our ride to Australia.

It began to look pretty dismal at this time because there was no way of getting transportation to Tjilatjap, the only port now open. The trains weren’t running and trucks and so forth were not procurable. That night the army gave the Doctor a Ford car which had fifty kilometers on it — Ford deluxe sedan —and when they left that night the Dutch began blowing up the field and spent the night blowing up ammunition, shot big holes in the field, etc., so the Japs could not land on it.

The following morning the Japs flew directly over the hospital with a large formation of bombers and gave the field a very thorough going over with everything. It made a tremendous racket and of course it was largely a waste of bombs because the work had all been done before hand. They were just one day late.

Then on the second of March the Doctor came rushing into my room and told me to get onto the dolly that they wheel you around and not to ask any questions, that we had no time to lose. He assembled one car load of us and put us in the Ford in front of the hospital and took us over to the hotel. None of us had any clothes — we were wearing pajamas that belonged to the hospital. I managed to grab my bag up on my way and save that. Some of the men had no shoes and none of them had clothes. They took us out to the lobby of the hotel — the doctor went back for the rest. A British mobile anti-aircraft battery was passing Jogjakarta on its way to Tjilatjap to try to evacuate. The Doctor had persuaded the Captain of this battery to take us with him down to Tjilatjap so he put the people who were in the best shape in a couple of trucks in this British convoy and the rest of us in the Ford and at about 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon we started out for Tjilatjap with the speed very slow — not over twenty kilometers per hour.

We were in a long train of trucks, well spread out so that if we were bombed they wouldn’t get too many, and started off in the heat and there was no assurance that we could make it. On the way now and then a truck would fail and the British would wheel it off the side of the road and threw gasoline on it and set it on fire so the Japs couldn’t get it.

We were at the rear end of the convoy. We had three men in back and the Doctor and myself in the front seat, the doctor driving, of course. One of the men had had a shrapnel wound in his bladder and had to have a catheter in it, and it was necessary to lift him around and lock out for this thing also. He was in some pain and was always miserable.

We took roads which were well grown over with trees so that we would not be easily sighted by the Japs who were then flying all over the island. All day long we continued to Tjilatjap. At about 5:00 in the afternoon we stopped and the British made tea and had something to eat. We went along the convoy, we had been at the rear end of it, and our people waved to us that they were alright. The Doctor decided that the best thing to do was to go to Tjilatjap and try to make arrangements to go. So we went on ahead and got to Tjilatjap, not having anything to eat.

We got to Tjilatjap at about 10:30 that night. We drove up in front of the Grand Hotel, where our staff had been staying and the Dutch liaison officer, Lieutenant Schmidt came out in his bathrobe and said that we were too late, that they had all gone. Our Navy had all shoved off. However, the British Captain in charge of this battery had arrived a couple of hours before with one of our men who had a shattered elbow and had put him on a destroyer that had left that night. We then took the three wounded men in back over to the little hospital and the Doctor brought me back to the hotel where we managed to get a room with a bed in it and we spent the night there. The facilities of the hotel were very primitive and the town was full of refugees and soldiers and there was much activity. The Dutch had hoped to hold Tjilatjap as long as possible in order to evacuate as many people, as they even thought they might he able to hold it for some time.

The next morning when we got up there was an air raid and considerable scurrying around out in the court yard, a couple of Dutchmen came running up and asked if we had any weapons, which, of course, we did not have. They said that parachute troopers were landing and that everyone would have to fight. This, however, turned out to be a false alarm, fortunately. Then the all clear was sounded about one later. The Doctor tried to make arrangements to get us on a ship or something and spent some time in the morning doing this. We learned at this time that two ships that had gone out with refugees the night before had been sunk off the entrance and that some survivors had been brought in that morning. This did not look like a very cheerful prospect to us at least. During this entire time the other wounded had been riding all night in the trucks with the British and came in at about noon. The Doctor went down on the docks where the convoy stopped and brought the men back up in his car. They were all tired and hungry and lay down on the bed and sat in some chairs and went to sleep.

The Doctor managed to get us something to eat and we all eat around and had some kind of rice and stew. This was about 1:00 o’clock. The Doctor then left again with a Dutch sailor by the name of Gelarins, who was the assistant to Lieutenant Schmidt, the liaison officer, He and Gelarins were gone until about 3:00 o’clock, when he came back and said that he had managed to persuade the Captain of a little ship to take us with him. Then we were all put in a sort of bus our Navy had had there. Gelarins got ahold (sic) of about three mattresses which, I remember he remarked, that if they were thrown overboard they would float and I think Gelarine thought we would probably need them.

We got down to the dock about 5:00 o’clock and put the wounded, three or four of them still had to be carried, in a little launch and we all got in with what little gear we had and then went out to this ship, which was the motor ship JANSSENS, KPM, interisland steamer — about 3,000 tons. It was a diesel ship. It was already over-crowded with refugees. There were the Dutch officers who had blown up the Naval base at Soerabaja, torpedoed British seaman, Australian soldiers, fliers, women and children, Dutch Navy ratings, and our own wounded. They had a Javanese crew and I think there were about 450 people on this ship. We had no place to sleep except on the deck. All they would promise was deck space, so we got the mattresses set out on one of the decks, put our wounded on them, and the rest of us were helped up into the place where we were to live. They had the officers up in a little sort of smoking room and dining room and that’s where I was assigned.

I might add at this time that when the British convoy arrived in Tjilatjap with our wounded that there was one man missing, a man by the name of Hopkins had been taken ill on the way and had been left by the British with one of their men at a hospital about 35 miles back. The Doctor was much disappointed about this, but there was nothing he could do about it, except get a promise from the British that they would go back and get our man it they could. They said that they would get him and their own. They had left one man who had broken both legs on a motorcycle accident about the middle of the previous afternoon. I do not know whether Hopkins ever got out, and I don’t believe he did. I do not know if the British ever got out of Tjilatjap either.

We got on this little ship and after dark went out through the channel and through the mine field. We were very fortunate in that off the entrance we encountered very severe tropical thunderstorms. With a reduced visibility and heavy rains, lightning, etc., we managed to get through and I believe that this storm saved us from being sighted by submarines off the entrance. That night no one slept very much. There were not enough life boats for everyone but they did get everybody a life preserver and most people wore them all night long — as a matter of fact some of them wore them all the rest of the voyage.

The next morning when we looked out we thought we would be well to the south of Java, but were disappointed and rather alarmed to find that we were steaming to the eastward from the south coast of Java, and inquiries about this to the Captain proved that the Dutch Admiralty had advised the Captain of the ship to proceed about 800 miles eastward before striking south, with the idea that we would have a better chance of evading the Japanese, who were lying in wait for all these ships south of the Malay barrier. This didn’t look very good to me and the Doctor and I discussed this and decided we would be very lucky if we got through there because planes were flying over head.

At about 9:30 that morning large formations of Japanese bombers, say about forty of them, flew over head on their way west. We thought our number was up, but they didn‘t pay any attention to us. They were after bigger game. I afterward learned that they had severely bombed Tjilatjap that morning. We got out just in time apparently, and the great damage was done. We felt rather unhappy about our prospects now that the Japs had definitely seen us.

The Captain, who was a civilian, of the ship, a regular ship chartered by the Dutch, pulled in close to the beach, with the idea of, it anyone got into the water, we might he able to got to the shore. So he steered very close to the beach and continued on a course to the eastward. About an hour later, we were sitting in this sort of dining room when there was a tremendous racket, and two or three Japanese Zero Lighters popped over the hill and began making runs on the ship. They didn’t bomb us, but they fired explosive 20 mm bullets, and .30 caliber into the ship which did considerable amount of superficial damage and was quite dangerous. Some two or three places fire started, but was quickly put out. No .30 caliber machine guns on the bridge were manned by the Dutch sailors, who continued to fire at these planes as long as they made the run.

Everyone who could move dashed down the ladder to the deck below where some protection would be had from the steel hull of the ship. The compartment in which we were sitting was literally riddled with machine gun bullets, as were all of the cabins of the ship. Fortunately none of our wounded were hit, but there were about eight casualties; two of which Dr. Wassell said he thought would die alright. They were pretty badly hit. I watched them patch one of them. He had about three holes in his back. People had dived down below and had thrown themselves on the deck. Well, the attack was over in a very short time arid we managed to get back up to where we belonged. In spite of my wounds, and bandages, I was able to get down one deck below at least to a relatively safe place, the other people I could not see at the time, hut they were all carried into a relatively safe place and we were alright.

The Captain then headed the ship into a little bay, Patjitan, which into a very small bay to the eastward of Tjilatjap. We went in there and anchored very close to the beach, within two or three hundred yards, and after a powwow in the Captain’s cabin it was announced that all those who wanted to leave the ship now could do so, and a large number of people left. I think about 160 left at this point, some of the women and children and Dutch left, a few Dutch officers, not very many. I only recall one particularly who was a Captain who had a broken hip and was ab1e to move with great difficulty. They took him shore. The people who had been hit by machine gun bullets were also landed at this time, there being found out that there was a little hospital not very far away.

Dr. Wassell went down and saw our own wounded and came back and said he had asked them all if they wanted to stay with the ship or land, the idea being that if they did not want to make the attempt to get to Australia that he would stay with them and I would too. Well, the Doctor and I were both rather doubtful about our chances because it looked as though the bombers would certainly be back that afternoon and get us. The men all said they wanted to stay with the ship, so we all decided we would stay. Then about two hours later there was another alarm, and we all dove down below again, but whether it was a false alarm or whether the planes didn’t see us, I don’t know. The ship was pretty well camouflaged with green and yellow paint and they may not have seen us.

We remained there at anchor all afternoon, worrying about whether the bombers would be back and at a quarter to seven that night it was beginning to get dark, we went out to the entrance and headed south for Australia. This ship had one Diesel engine which made good its speed of about seven and a half knots. It was, therefore, not necessary to even attempt to zig zag, so we steamed on a steady course. We had bright moonlight and didn’t feel very cheerful about evading the Japs outside. However, we steamed on north and were not sighted by anyone. I learned that the Japs not only had p1anes out there, but had destroyers, cruisers, submarines, and one or two carriers. We did get through this whole thing.

About the third day out, the steering gear broke down and we ran in circles for about two hours while attempt was made to repair it. This failing, we steered by hand all the rest of the way to Australia.

We continued on our way, eating, and sleeping the best we could and the Dutch doing everything possible for our wounded, for their comfort, etc.

About on the eleventh of March, we were then pretty well down off the coast of Australia, we sighted a big PBY and everyone felt very much more cheerful.

The following day, along in the afternoon, there was a commotion on deck, I went out to see what it was and there was a submarine on the surface, astern of us, following, and we didn’t know if it was friendly or not, and the consequences if it were enemy were obvious. We were then on a course east. The Captain then changed course to the south and the submarine continued on an easterly course, the inference being then that it was a friendly submarine. About this time a big Lockheed came whizzing out from the island, over the submarine and over us, and of course we then knew the submarine was friendly, or it would have submerged.

We got into Freemantle, Australia the following day which was Friday, the 13th, anchored in the road, the Doctor sent a message in saying we were there. The following morning we pulled in along side the dock in Freemantle harbor and the wounded were taken off to the Hollywood Hospital where our wounds were dressed again for the first time since we had left. There were no facilities and practically no dressings on this ship, so nothing could really be done except to watch our condition. We went out to the Hollywood Hospital, and our wounds dressed, and the men were put in the wards, and Dr. Wassell, at the invitation of Captain Groescold, who was then Commander of Base Force, Southwest Pacific, took me over to Captain Groescold’s house, where we had a fine lunch and turned in.

I weighed 146 pounds when I got to Australia, but was otherwise in good shape.

I remained there for about ten days and put on the WEST POINT with a number of other officers who were returning to the States, and arrived in San Francisco without further incident on the 24th of April and went to the Mare Island Hospital.

When I got back to the States in ‘42 I was sent to the Navy Department for temporary duty before my assignment at Pearl. The office of Naval History called me up and asked me to tell my story. I told it into a tape recorder. The other day I recalled this and over the phone asked for a copy of the transcript. They were very good about it and sent me a copy. My secretary made a copy (copies) which I wanted for my children. I had her make an extra one for you and it is enclosed. The first part is kind of erratic and disconnected and doesn’t make much sense. I could easily have done better I suppose, but the latter part is a little mere coherent. You will understand that I had to leave out many impressions which were not naval history but personal. For instance there was the time we stopped the car and you sent the native boy up the cocoanut tree to bring down some green cocoanuts for the cool milk in them. I remember that we gave him a silver coin about the size of a dime and how happy he was with it. You said it was more money than he he’d ever seen in his life. I should sit down with what few notes I have and fill out all the details possible, not for anyone else but just for the children to have. And how about that Dutch captain who bummed a drink of scotch from you at each end of that big bridge? Or the Malays that didn’t pump the water up to the top of the Grand Hotel in Tjilatjap!

Doc, I’ll never forget that incident when we were drinking the beer in the Janssens when the zeros strafed us and we dove under the table to finish the beer before going to the air raid shelter and with the bullets whizzing around us like bees from a busted hive. I can never fashion a decent explanation for that; we must have been NUTS!

We were so distressed to hear about your accident and that you were confined to the wheel chair. I suppose everyone who has had a full life of adventure and service must pay a price for it here. At least it seems that those I know must do so. May be that a payment here relieves one of a greater one in the hereafter. Sunday it was pointed out to us that penance in this life was much cheaper than in purgatory. So it ought to be remembered that we hove many blessings that we are not always aware of.

Doc, I am going to hit the sack now after a strenuous day “in the mines”. The whole family joins me in the very best love to you and Madeline. I wish that we could see you and talk over the good old days; and they were, because they wore companionship with the finest people that ever were. Love to you both, Bill.