Navy Good Conduct Medal "Orphan" dated bars

[army historian]

I hate it when I run into Navy Good Conduct Medals either miss bars, or as in this case missing the medallion. This man enlisted on 1 Aug 1923 and retired 16 Dec. 1946. He was a Chief Water Tender. His named Navy Good Conduct Medal "Dennis Ledbetter" and was dated between 1927 and 1933. I have an older blank medallion I will use for now. I have found Navy Musters for these ships:

USS Nasville 21 Aug 1940, RC 31 Aug 1940

USS Henderson

USS Robin from Nashville to Apr 1942

USS California – 1943 – CWT

USS Liddle DE- 206, APD 60

Another Survivor group.

Interesting information on the USS Liddle APD 60:

1944–1946

Between 11 February and 29 June 1944 Liddle escorted convoys on three round trips across the North Atlantic from New York to Wales, Gibraltar, and Tunisia. Upon returning to New York she was converted to a Charles Lawrence-class high speed transport and reclassified APD-60 on 5 July.

Departing New York on 22 September, she arrived Hollandia, New Guinea, on 4 November for duty with the 7th Fleet. She left New Guinea on 17 November to screen a supply convoy bound for Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands, and arrived off the beaches on 24 November. On the same day she got underway to escort an LST formation to the Palaus, and returned to Leyte on 29 November.

Liddle embarked 141 troops on 6 December for a flanking operation in the Leyte Gulf area. After landing her troops at Ormoc without casualty on 7 December, Liddle came under attack from Japanese aircraft. Though splashing five attackers, she was hit on the bridge by a kamikaze and seriously damaged, necessitating her return to San Francisco on 16 January 1945 for repairs. While she was being refitted, a sign on her quarterdeck read: "This Ship Lost 38 Officers and Men. She is Anxious to Get Back Into Action."

By 22 February the ship was again underway to rejoin her division in liberating the Philippines. From 29 March to 5 June Liddle escorted convoys and trained for future landings. She then transported Australian troops to the Netherlands East Indies, and supported the landings at Brunei Bay on 10 June and Balikpapan on 1 July.

[Laurence Strong]

Hello Captain Albert

Interesting bars and history. As it is not my area of expertise....could you explain what exactly is missing please?

Many thanks

Larry

[army historian]

Laurence, the missing piece is the medal plachett itself. See pictures. This is an example of another medal. Ledbetter's medal would have his name engraved "Dennis Ledbetter" with a date between 1927 and 1933, as the next to bottom picture. The bottom picture is his medal with the replacement plachett. Captain Albert

Edited May 12, 2013 by army historian