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PT CREWS AND OFFICERS - PAGE 2
The Iron Men of Wooden Boats -
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CLICK ANY PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW
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Officers of Squadron Six aboard PT 124, May 1943. In the foreground, Ens. Alexander W. Wells, Lt. Clark Murray. In the background, l-r--Ens. Richard North, Lt. Craig C. Smith, Lt. Clark W. Falkner, Ens. Bartholomew J. Connolly III, and Ens. B.P. Percy. Wells, Percy, Falkner, and Connolly all faced the "Tokyo Express" during the Guadalcanal fighting; The PT 124 sports two Japanese flags, representing claims for torpedo hits on Japanese warships during the campaign. When this picture was taken Ron Six was based in the Russell Islands; Lt. Falkner was the squadron commander. (PT Boats Inc.)
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Crew of PT 43, enroute to the South Pacific, October or November 1942. Front row, l-r: Ens. James J. Cross, unknown, unknown, QM3/c L.D. Elman, Ens. Andrew J. Floyd. Back row, l-r: TM2/c Patrick Holland, MM2/c Gerald R. Tigner, unknown, MM1/c Eldon O. Jenter, MM2/c Robert E. Marsh. The three unknown sailors are likely GM2/c Clifford Batchelor, RM2/c Richard H. Ferchen, and SC2/c G.G. Rozell. Holland, Tigner, Marsh, Ferchen, and Batchelor all died while riding PT 37 the night of february 1, 1943, when the PT was hit by a 5-inch shell that exploded in her gasoline tanks. Jenter, who was manning the engine room, was the sole survivor of the resultng explosion, which also claimed the lives of Ensigns James J. Kelly and John C. Duckworth.
(PT Boats, Inc.)
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RM2/c Richard H. Ferchen of PT 43--somewhere in Panama, summer 1942. (courtesy of Randy Finfrock)
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Lt. Cmdr. Alan R. Montgomery (left, at torpedo director) and Lt. John M. Searles (right, at the helm) aboard PT 60, summer 1942. (From "John F. Kennedy in World War II" by Richard Tregaskis.)
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The second Melville officers' training class, July 1942. Many of these young men would go to Squadrons Five and Six; a few would face the Tokyo Express in the Solomons. Some would not return. (courtesy of George Brooks)
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