Survivors of Ship Sinkings

[army historian]

Coxswain Herbert Bradley Wall
657 22 66 U.S. Navy, USS Griswold DE-7, and
USS Bismarck Sea CVE-95 (Sunk 21 Feb. 1945)


Medals and Awards:

Navy Combat Action Ribbon

Medals bar mounted:

Navy Good Conduct Medal bar suspension

American Campaign Medal

Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 Silver

World War II Victory Medal

Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 Br. Stars



Campaigns:



Asiatic Pacific Theater:

Guadalcanal-Tulagi landings (including First Savo) USS Griswold

Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal USS Griswold

Leyte Landing USS Bismarck Sea

Luzon -Lingayen Gulf USS Bismarck Sea

Iwo Jima Invasion USS Bismarck Sea (Sunk)



Herbert Bradley Wall (Bulkhead) was born on1 February 1925 in Wake Forest, North Carolina. His father was George Addison Wall, and his mother was Lillie. He did not finish high school, and was working for Glen Royall Textile Mill in Wake Forest N.C. Glen Royall Mill was originally built in 1900 by Frank Royall as Royall Cotton Mills, refining cotton for textile purposes. The village of Glen Royall is now listed on the National Register of Historical Palaces.Glen Royall Mill Village Historic District (Wake Forest) 8/27/1999. He enlisted in the Navy on 11 August 1942 at Raleigh, N.C., at the age of 17. His training was at the Navy Training Center, Northfork, VA. for 6 weeks.



Herbert Wall or “Bulkhead” as he was nicknamed was assigned (Plank Owner - Original or first crew on a new ship) to the USS Griswold DE-7 (Destroyer Escort). On a ship a “wall” is called a “bulkhead” that is where Herbert’s nickname came from. The USS Griswold, was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 28 April 1943. She was one of the first destroyer escorts to arrive in the Southwest Pacific. Her first assignment was a shakedown cruise in and around Bermuda. Bermuda Islands or the Somers Isles) are a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometers (1,100 mi) northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometers (840 mi) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The nearest landmass is Cape Hatters, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometers (640 mi) west-northwest. The Griswold cruised through the North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. Griswold headed for the Pacific, reaching Bora Bora, Society Islands, via Northfork, VA, and the Panama Canal on 23 July 1943. Immediately pressed into service, she escorted convoys through the South Pacific, until April 1944. On 12 September 1943, she conducted a 4-hour attack on a Japanese submarine off Guadalcanal, and although debris and an oil slick rose to the surface, she was not credited with a kill. Wall remember this event, and said he felt they should have been credited with a “Kill.”



Undaunted, Griswold struck again 3 months later and this time recorded a kill. At 2200 on the night of 23 December 1943, patrolling off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, [Lt. M. C. Walley commanding] she was dispatched to investigate a periscope sighting. Alert sonar operators picked up the contact immediately, and held it for the next 5 hours. The destroyer escort conducted a series of attacks inflicting damage on the sub.as the determined ship conducted attack after attack on the elusive Japanese raider. Oil slicks and air bubbles after the sixth and seventh attacks told Griswold that her quarry was hit. This was confirmed shortly before 0300 on 24 December 1943, when a periscope poked up out of the water. The Griswold went in for the kill. This attack [the 8th] was with twelve depth charges, which tore the I-89 apart. Cork, planking, oil, and body parts shortly appeared on the surface. The tenacious ship and crew were credited with the sinking of I-89.The ship’s crew was congratulated by the command for a good Christmas present. . Wall remembered this event and commented on the debris. The USS Griswold left the Pacific in April 1944



At this point Herbert Wall volunteered to transfer to the USS Bismarck Sea (again Plant Owner). USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was launched on 17 April 1944 by Kaiser Co., Inc., Vancouver, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract as Alikula Bay; sponsored by Mrs. M. C. Wallgren, wife of Senator Monrad Wallgren. She was renamed Bismarck Sea on 16 May 1944; and transferred to the Navy on the 20 May 1944. She was commissioned the same day, with Captain J. L. Pratt in command.



One of Herbert’s assignments on the Bismarck Sea, was he served as the Gun Captain of the port side forward #1 40mm Twin gun mount. During July and August 1944, Bismarck Sea escorted convoys between San Diego, California, and the Marshall Islands. After repairs and additional training at San Diego, she steamed to Ulithi, Caroline Islands, to join Admiral Kincaid’s 7th Fleet. During 14–23 November 1944, she operated off Leyte in support of the operations and later took part in the Lingayen Gulf landings (9–18 January 1945). On 16 February, she arrived off Iwo Jima to support the invasion.



On 21 February 1945, despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, two Japanese kamikazes hit the Bismarck Sea, the first one on the starboard side under the first 40 mm gun (aft), crashing through the hangar deck and striking the ship's magazines. The fire was nearly under control when the second plane a “Betty” twin engine bomber (Mitsubishi G4M), struck the aft elevator shaft, exploding on impact and destroying the fire fighting salt water distribution system, thus preventing any further damage control. Shortly after, the order was given to abandon ship. Within minutes a huge explosion ripped off the entire stern of the carrier and she rolled over and sank. She sank with the loss of 318 men. Three destroyers and three destroyer escorts rescued survivors over the next 12 hours, between them saving a total of 605 officers and men from her crew of 923. Survivors were then transferred to Dickens and Highlands.



According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Edmonds directed the rescue operations of the remaining hands, saving 378 of the carrier's crew including the commanding officer, in spite of darkness, heavy seas and continuing air attacks. Thirty of Edmonds' own crew went over the side to bring the wounded and exhausted carrier men to safety. The Bismarck Sea received three battle stars for her World War II operations.



Herbert Wall survived the sinking of the Bismarck Sea. Herbert was at his combat station the starboard forward 40 mm twin gun mount when the order to abandon ship sounded. Herbert did not want to jump off the flight deck or from his gun mount, so he made his way down the right side of the for’sel were a Officer and Petty Officer were arguing over who should go first. There was a monkey line down to the water, Herbert did not hesitate, nor join in the argument but went over the side on the monkey line into the water. He tried to swim away from the carrier, but kept getting pushed back by the waves. He though he would die there and then. He remembered the terrible lonely feeling he experienced in the water. This is a common feeling in combat and is hard to explain. This experience commented on by survivors is the terrible loneliness experienced at these times, especially among survivors of sinkings. I am sure Wall had experienced these feeling while in the water. Another common experience is the lost of the reckoning of time (time becomes immaterial and only the event and its sequence remains, as if it occurred within a time vacuum). I experienced this phenomenon during and right after a fire fight in Vietnam. Herbert and I talked about this phenomenon as we recounted the same experiences to each other.



He remembered the explosions and hot metal and flaming debris hitting the water around him. He had lost both his shoes and socking. He remembered the bodies floating fully suspended not up and down. He managed to past the fantail and thought he might make it. He did not remember how long he was in the water (in these types of experiences time seems to stand still and is immaterial). It was anywhere from a half hour to 2 hours. He remembers topping a wave crest and a searchlight hitting him. He was picked up by the USS Edmonds. He was barely able to climb the cargo net the Edmonds had put over the side for the survivors, especially the last few rungs. Herbert was transferred to one of the two APA’s, he does not remember which. He also said he was eventually taken to Guam.



USS Dickens (APA-161) arrived at Iwo Jima for the initial assault landings on 19 February. She remained off Green Beach under famed Mount Suribachi until 25 February when she sailed for Saipan carrying casualties and 455 survivors of USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95).



USS Highlands (APA-119) Arrived on 16 February at Iwo Jima and commenced unloading on the beaches the morning of 19 February. For the next 6 days the transport unloaded troops and supplies during the day and retired under escort cover each night. Japanese air attacks were heavy during this period, claiming the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) in a kamikaze attack 21 February and damaging several other ships, including USS Saratoga (CV-3). In addition to her regular duties, Highlands received over 150 survivors of Bismarck Sea on 22 February, as well as casualties from the hard-pressed Marine units ashore.



The USS Highlands and USS Dickens departed Iwo Jima 25 February and debarked casualties at Saipan. His record states at this point: “CASU 63 – CASU 6 (COMFAIRALA FLAG)”. This appears to be Commander for Naval Air Station Alameda. CASU = Carrier Service Unit---Units established to take care of the maintenance of the VB A/C such as PV's / PB4Y's. Due to the fact that these units were designated VB's the CASU was assigned instead of the PATSU. Wall was a 3^rd Class Petty Officer Boatswain’s mate and Coxswain. Coxswain Herbert Bradley Wall was separated from the Navy on 19 November 1945 at the U.S. Navy Personnel Center, Nashville, Tennessee.



After the war Herbert decided not to go back the textile mills, as there was no real future there. He studied and got his High School Diploma, and even started studying electronics. He got a job as a lineman with Pacific Gas and Electric (P. G. & E.). He worked out of San Rafael, Marine County in California. He retired after 35 years service. He moved with his wife to Eureka, CA. where I met him and interviewed him in November 2009. I got copies of all his paperwork and his original medals, for helping him verify his entitlement to the Navy Combat Action Ribbon, and submitting the SF-180.

[army historian]

Here is BM3 Herbert Wall's Medal Bar.

Edited December 1, 2009 by army historian

[Chris Boonzaier]

http://www.kaiserscross.com/183501/199401.html

Here is one that fits in here pretty well... :-)

[army historian]

Thanks for posting Chris, That is a neat write up and nice medal and booklet. I was begining to feel no one was interested in the subject. Cheers Captain Albert

[army historian]

Thanks for posting Chris, That is a neat write up and nice medal and booklet. I was begining to feel no one was interested in the subject. Cheers Captain Albert

Here is a sketch of transport ship Aveyron. Also would you be interested in selling or trading the medal group? Cheers Captain Albert

Edited December 23, 2010 by army historian

[army historian]

Here is my latest addition to this theme. It is a named Dress Blue Coat with ribbons. CAPT Alan Ray graduated from the US Naval Academy in the class of 1941. His first assignment was aboard USS LEXINGTON as an assistant gunnery officer. He was aboard the fateful ship on May 7, 1942, when Lady Lex was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Ray later served as the gunnery officer aboard USS PRINGLE, and later as XO aboard USS JOHN A. BOLE.

During the Korean War CAPT Ray was the CO of USS HORACE A. BASS. HORACE A. BASS was tasked with landing Marine Recon and Navy UDT teams (the forerunners of today's SEALs) along the Korean coast to disrupt North Korean supply lines. Cheers Captain Albert

CAPT Ray's 37 page oral history can be read here: http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/11271 <br style="">

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