Milford chronicle., 1953-04-03
Rear Admiral
Lockwood Pratt
Is Retired
(continued from flrst No.,

continued from first page)
craft of today have come a lone
way from the flying Jenny in which
Ensign Pratt learned to flv. hut he
Ieels that even now the Navy is
only standing on the threshold Of
the future of flight. Thresholds are
not new for Admiral Pratt. He was
a pioneer in trans-Oceanic fving
lie assisted in the inauguration 0f
air mail service in the Caribbean
area preparing for Lindberg's pre-
mler flight from Miami to Panama
IN 1928. He surveyed the Gulf of
Mexico for Naval Air Bases: as
camouhage officer, he supervised
the development of camoufage COL
Ors for Naval aircraft.
During World War II, he person
ally participated from the first davs
OF the War in the Pacific. When the
Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor.
Admiral Pratt, who had bv then
been advanced to the rank of Lien
tenant Commander, was Command
ing Officer of the USS CHILDS.
seaplane tender for Fleet Air Wing
TEN. based in the Philippines. AS
the U. S. Forces were pushed south
ward, these elusive seaplanes at
tracted increasing attention from
the Japanese Air Force. On Janu-
ary "a, 1912, the CHILDS was sur
rounded by a Japanese Task Force
near the Celebes Islands in the
East Indies, and simultaneously was
attacked by Japanese dive-bombers
So skillfully did Captain Pratt
maneuVer his ship, keeping in the
cover of a dense rain squall, that
the CHILDS came through unscath-
ed. His ship shot down the leader
OF the attacking aircraft and dis
persed the others. For this action.
Captain Pratt was awarded the
Bronze Star, one of the four COM
bat decorations which he received
during the war.
He commanded the Aircraft Car
rier USS BISMARK SEA during
the Leyte and Lingayen landings
in the Philippines and in the Battle
Of Two Jima, where after five days
Of intense fighting the BISMARK |
SEA was sunk by concentrated
kamikaze attacks. He was decOra-
led with the Legion of Merit and a |
Gold Star in liel Of a second such |
award for his part in these actions
rs we'll as his part in recovering
he survivors of the BISMARK SEA.
In April 1916 Captain Pratt re-
.urned to Washington to prepare a
post war plan for Naval Aviation.
n 1948 he returned to sea duty as
Commanding Officer of the Air
raft Carrier, USS PHILIPPINE
SEA, which served during that tour
n both the Atlantic and Mediter-
anean Fleets.
His last sea duty, 1951-1952 was
n command of Carrier Division
in the Atlantic Fleet.
of the Anti-Submarine
warfare carriers WRIGHT, CABOT.
'AIPAN, and MONTERREY.
Doc" Pratt will be no stranger
'hen he returns to Delaware be-
ause this has always been his
ONE, and although his business
will necessitate spending
luch time in Washington and in :
ew York, the Pratts plan to spend ,
S much time as possible at their +
ONE. in HCnlOpen Acres, at Reh0- ,
9th Beach. Mrs Pratt. too, is Il
ative of Milford. She was the for r
Ter Mary OsmOnd Grier, and her !
lOther, Mrs Frank L. Grier. still =
YES in Milford. The Pratt's daugh- .
II, Mary Lynn, was recently mar i,
ed to Mr.. J. w. Lukens, Jr., of ;
warthmore, Pennsylvania, and =
leir son, John Lockwood Pratt.
II, who is now in st. Albans
choOl in Washington, will enter
ale University this fall. n
Admiral Pratt's two brothers. c
r. Lynn Pratt of Chicago, and ?
r. Gene L. Pratt, of Fairhaven, \
ew Jersey, are well-known in e
elaware. Admiral Pratt is a men, 6
er of the Episcopal Church, a :
ember of the Milford Masonic
Odge. the Army-Navy Club in
'ashingtOn, the New York Yacht =
ub, and the RehObOth Beach
)untTy Club.