April 9, 1942

Thursday
Up at 515 and general quarters at 530.
Nice day but warm.
Had alert at 1700 and had to leave supper.
Alert lasted 1/2 hour and back to supper.
Turn in at 2100.

April 8, 1942

Wednesday
Up at 0530 and general quarters at 0545.
Well I have two birthdays, one yesterday and one today.
Still underway and about 350 miles out of Suva.
Turned in at 2100 but a general quarters at 2130 which lasted for half hour.
Contact may have been a black fish or sub.

April 8, 1942

Wednesday
Up at 0630.
Underway at 1300 for San Diego.
April 8 my birthday.
Past thru the Fiji islands until sunset.
The Caster, the Henley, and the Crescent City comprised the convoy.
Crossed over the international date line at 2220 which set the clocks back to the next day.
Turned in 2300.

April 7, 1942

Tuesday
Up at 0630 and went ashore again and bot some more things.
Came back at 1800 and turned in at 2000.

April 6, 1942

Up at 0500 and general quarters at 0515.
Today is Easter back home.
Anchored in Suva Harbor at 1157.
Went ashore and bot a few souvenirs and back at 1900.
The stores do not seem to be very much to us.

April 5, 1942

Up at 0500 and general quarters at 0530.
Today is Easter and it dont seem very much like Easter.
Still underway for Suva and a nice day with nothing unusual happening.

April 4, 1942

Saturday
Up at 0600 and underway at 1130 for Suva Fiji Island.
The U.S.S. Caster was also with us and one destroyer.
The weather was good and nothing happened.

April 3, 1942

Good Friday
Up at 0600.
Took a walk in the town which is not much of a town to me.
Saw several Australian soldiers but mostly natives and a few Chinese.
The marines were setting up the equipment that we brought over.
Glad that we did not have to stay here.
The rainy season evidently must be starting as the showers are quite frequent.
The bottom of the bay is made of coral and you can see 25 or 30 as the water is crystal clear.
Bot some postage stamps and a few cards.
The stores are very small and they sell only useless items as far as souvenirs are concerned.

April 2, 1942

Thursday
Still at anchor at Fila.
Just another warm day and nothing of any importance has happened.
So far up to this time and beginning at Mobile we have traveled 18,764 miles.
We have traveled 10,701 since we left Panama on Jan. 1st.

April 1, 1942

Wednesday
Up at 0600 aboard the U.S.S> Crescent City anchored in the harbor at Fila, New Hebrides Islands.
Was over to the makeshift docks for a while and took a look around.
So far to-day nothing has happened and it looks as though we may get everything ashore before the Japs get wise to us.

March 31, 1942

Tuesday
At anchor and still unloading.
The day is hot and the night is clear and a new moon.
Everything is quiet so far so I guess no one knows we are here yet.

March 30, 1942

Monday
Up at 0600.
At anchor in Efate harbor and getting a good start at unloading.
Nothing unusual.

March 29, 1942

Sunday
Up at 0445 and general quarters at 0500.
Anchored at 1105 at the Island of Efate in the New Hebrides.
Started unloading anti aircraft guns, etc.
Very nice harbor and a few houses which look very nice with red roofs and clean
There is a number of natives with their canoes around the harbor.

March 28, 1942

Saturday
Up at 0500 and general quarters at 0530.
General quarters again at 1000 and it proved to be another escort.
It consisted of two American destroyers the Perkins and the U.S.S. Chicago, the H.M.S. Australia, H.M.S. Archilles, H.M.N.J.S. Leander.
If everything goes well we should be in Efati to-morrow at noon.
Our own convoy still is intact and consists of the U.S.S. Crescent City, U.S.S. Caster, U.S.S. Cuyama and two destroyers the U.S.S. Henley and the U.S.S. Helm.

March 27, 1942

Friday
Up at 0530 and general quarters as usual.
Yesterday was Wednesday and to-day is Friday.
So far today nothing much has happened.
A plane, a Lockheed Hudson patrolled near us and it proved to be a friendly plane of the United Nations.
At 8:30 in the evening we had a sound alert and the Henaley dropped two depth charges.
Turned in at 2200.

March 26, 1942

Thursday
We crossed 180 Meridian at 2400 so we missed Thursday and to-day is Friday.

March 25, 1942

Wednesday
Up at 0530 and general quarters as usual.
The weather is very warm.
Today at noon we were 14 degrees 36 minutes south and 178 degrees 39 minutes and we should cross the international date line at 0100 and to-morrow is Friday.
So far to-day nothing has happened.
We are about a hundred miles north of the Fiji Islands.
We passed about 40 or 50 miles north of Horne Island and the mountains could be seen in the distance.
It was the first land since we left Hawaii.

March 24, 1942

Tuesday
Up at 0530 and under way as before.
The Henly held funeral services for a seaman who died yesterday and he was buried at 1130.
It has been another hot day.
We are 13 degrees South and 174 degrees 30 minutes and the depth is 1300 fathoms.
Turned in at 2030.
Up again at 1930 for general quarters.
Destroyer drop 4 or 5 depth charges on a supposed submarine.
Secured and turned in at 2230.

March 23, 1942

Monday
Up at 0530 and general quarters as usual.
Rain all day.
Had a submarine sound contact at dinner time and left dinner for a half hour.
An another submarine was reported sighted at about1930 and we went to general quarters the 3rd time today.
Turned in at 2100 and it sure was warm.
We are now about 100 miles north of Samoa.

March 22, 1942

Sunday
Up at 05:35 and underway as usual.
Weather too hot nothing unusual so far.
Will change that nothing unusual as we had an alert at 1800.
Turned in at 2000 and slept on topside.

March 21, 1942

Saturday
Up at 05:30 and under way as usual.
Our destination was changed and now we are on a course to Fila in the New Hebrides Islands.
The weather is very warm and no wind and we are evidently in the tropical doldrums.
So far to-day everything is quiet and we are carrying out our daily routine.
About 1800 had an alarm which lasted about 1/2 hour.
One destroyer dropped a depth bomb.
Turned in at 2100.