The midland journal., 1945-03-30


our vicinity. One had our number
on it and struck the ship squarely
in No. five hold, killing seven sol
diers of the stevedore crew and a
merchant seaman"
Steedley was busy helping to
man an antiaircraft gun on the
bridge, and Wood was assisting to
extinguish fire on deck. When the
fire was out, Wood went below to
help remove the dead men from the
hold.
'The concussion had ripped large
holes in both sides and the bottom
Of the ship, and she settled fast,
the stern resting on the bottom in
seven fathoms Of water" he re-
counts.
The order to abandon ship was
given after as much gear as pos
sible had been removed to nearby
vessels.
Next day, it was thought that
there might be chance to save
the ship, and an emergency volun-
teer crew was sought to go aboard.
Both Wood and Steedley volun-
teered, but after few hours all
hope of saving the vessel was aban-
doned. The two cadet-nidshipmen
were returned to England and were
back in New York on July z, one
month after participating in the
greatest invasion in history. Their
ship had been lost, but the precious
cargo of soldiers, jeeps and guns
had been put ashore in France.
They're at Kings Point now.
Dudley Example Of Sea Heroes.
Almost two years earlier, on the
other side of the world, another
cadet-nidshipman had played a dra-
matte part in landing operation.
He is Robert H. Dudley of Yonkers,
N. Y, who was assigned to a trans
port in the task force which took
the first contingent of U. S. marines
to Guadalcanal. Dudley was placed
in charge of landing boats from
his vessel, and the disembarking
was proceeding successfully when
% Japanese torpedo planes at
tackled the ships.
Antiaircraft gunners on merchant
vessels and warships alike went
into action Immediately, and skip
pers of the various vessels ordered
maneuvers to dodge the torpedoes
from the enemy planes. The ac-
curacy of the fire from American
guns excelled that of the Jap avi-
ators, however, and every one Of the
% planes was shot down.
One ship in the landing force
was lost-when a flaming Jap plane
struck on its deck and set it afire.
This was Dudley's vessel from
which all marines and cargo had
been disembarked.
Dudley was assigned to another
ship loaded with provisions bound
for Tulagi, and a few days after
the Guadalcanal episode, Dudley
again heard the order, abandon
shipl," as this vessel was torpedoed
and sunk on August 81.
Dudley and IL members of the
crew spent the ensuing IA days
in a. lifeboat with the most meager
supplies of food and water.
ION the 14th day, we sighted
land, and naturally exerted every
ounce of our fast-waning energy
to pull ashore" Dudley reported.
1--WE landed on a coral reef, and
every man fell face forward, ex-
hausted. The sharp edges of the
coral inflicted severe cuts about the
body of every one Of us, but we
just didn't seem to have the strength
to move again, so we lay there on
the reefs, almost unconscious, for
several hours. The natives found us
and brought us water"
Dudley spent the next two months
in army and navy hospital before
returning to Kings Point, where he
graduated on February 8, 1943, re-
ceived his license as third mate, and
went back to sea as an officer help
ing deliver the goods.
Saved Shipmate's Life.
An example of valor and dis
regard of his own safety was shown
by cadet midshipman William M.
Thomas Jr. of Alameda, Calf, who
was awarded the Distinguished
Service medal by President Roose-
welt for his heroism in dramatically
] saving the life of a shipmate.