Embarkation - U.S.S. Clamour - AM 160

Call sign:
November - India - Victor - NovemberF 1-160

ex-AMc-137

Until 10 June 2013, anyone could post to this 'blog without leaving an email address or any other way of contacting them. I must change this as the daughter of Stephen Land posted and left no way for me to thank her. I apologize if you want to say something about this site, but I must have a way to contact members of the Clamour Community.

FROM THE ROUGH LOG

"SAILING AS BEFORE"

Here begins the photolog of pictures taken aboard the USS Clamour. The pictures were taken by Robert "Salty" Nielsen, Seaman First Class (you can contact Bob at saltynielsen-at-gmail- dot - com), who served on the Clamour from the time of the ship's commissioning until September (maybe October) 1945. Some photos were taken by the ship's captain, Davis Newton Lott, USNR.

The pictures were taken with a Certo Dollina camera. The camera was given to Bob by a high school classmate, Norman Merchant, in September of 1942. It has an f-stop of 4.5, quite large for it's day. Bob loaned it to his fellow sailors and there are approximately 45 photos, showing the crewmen.
As I write the words for this weblog (March 2009), Bob is now 83 years of age. His memory is sharp, but not perfect. Some of the pictures contain information that is "shakey". Sometimes he didn't know all the names of the people seen in these photographs.
From Wikipedia's Clamour entry you can learn about the mechanical features of the ship.
USS Clamour
USS Clamour (AM-160) was an Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was built to clear minefields in offshore waters, and served the Navy in the Pacific Ocean.

Haze Grey and Underway

U.S.S. Clamour   AM-160 Bremerton Washington
24 December 1942

She was launched 24 December 1942 by Willamette Iron and Steel Works, Portland, Oregon; commissioned 14 March 1944, Lieutenant Commander Davis Newton Lott, USNR, in command; and reported to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

World War II Pacific Ocean operations
Clamour arrived at Pearl Harbor 22 May 1944, and made two voyages as convoy escort to Kwajalein and Eniwetok between that time and 11 September, when she cleared Pearl Harbor for continued escort duty based at Eniwetok. She guarded convoys to the Marianas, adding Ulithi to her ports of call in November, Tarawa, and Majuro in May 1945, and Iwo Jima in June. She sailed from Eniwetok for the last time 10 August, bound for overhaul at Bremerton, Washington.

Post-War Decommissioning
On 13 January 1946, she arrived at San Diego, California, where she was decommissioned 12 June 1946, and placed in reserve. On 7 February 1955 she was reclassified MSF-160. She was scrapped in 1959.

After WWII, Robert Nielsen plied his hand at a number of trades, eventually settling into surveying after trying drafting, hard rock mining (the iconographic hole in the side of the earth image), and raising a family. How he managed to hold onto these photographs is something of a mystery. Yet, here they are. Over time, I've posted a photo here or there and slowly, shipmates have contacted Robert. These "reunions" are often bittersweet as they contain fond memories of friendships and harrowing memories of wartime.

Bob and I have done our best to properly identify the names that go with the faces in these photographs. If you read this, and have photos from the Clamour, please leave a comment or email me. If you know of an error let me know that, too. I will endeavor to put more up about the history of this ship as it becomes available.



Here begins the War Diary for the U.S.S Clamour.
11 May 1944




All the names, ranks, home towns, are given from left to right and from front to back in these photos.
Below are:





L. - unidentified
Ray Bradshaw, Electrician's Mate
William "Bill" Winter, Electrician's Mate
Karl Heitmann,
Chief Motor Machinist
Idaho

Edward "Eddie" Drobnick

This photo is of (at the time) Lt. Commander Davis Newton Lott. He was promoted to the rank of Commander in September or October of 1944 and transfered to a staff post under Admiral Chester Nimitz. The new Captain's name is Lt. Cmndr. Malcolm D. Balbirnie, USN. (he was a Mustang). As I write this on March 12, 2009, Cap'n Lott is living in Marina del Rey, California.














Rufus David Temple



















Lt. Cmdr. Davis Newton Lott, down with the mumps



















Jonathan Carver Goss, Ensign and later Lt., J.G. (Lieutenant Junior Grade), Goss was from the West Coast.



















John Carver Goss appears to be sleeping peacefully.



















Henry (Hank) Wilder, Lt. Executive Officer
Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Last known to be living in Pasadena, CA





















Robert "Bob" Wiggins - Mason City, Iowa


George Bryant - Midlothian, Texas, sonarman 3rd Class





















Robert "Bob" Wiggins, signalman 1st Class


















William "Bill" Peyton - Oakland, California, Bos'n Mate 1st Class


Augustus John "Zeke" Zidek -- N.J. or Pennsylvania, Bos'n Mate 2nd Class


Thompson -- St. Louis - first name un-remembered, Cox'n
(or Bos'n Mate 3rd Class)











George Bryant, Midlothian Texas, Sonarman. Nielsen calls him the best Helmsman on the Clamour.










William "Bill" Boyle - Texas


Big Willie Warrick - New Birmingham, Alabama, cox'n


Paul Rudolph Ryan - Biloxie, Mississippi, cox'n


Otto "To" (said: toe) Wallis - Biloxie, Mississippi





Bernard "Bernie Ray" Langston - Sunny Valley, Tennessee, Carpenter's Mate 1st Class


Spence


2 unidentified






Left - Unidentified


William "Bill" Boyle - holding Evans


Evans, storekeeper


Right - Unidentified











Maximilio Gonzalez, Radioman 1st Class


Edward "Ed" Ricker, Radioman 3rd Class











James "Jim" Cronin, Watertender 2nd Class (pre-war sailor)


Denman "Dennie" Keith Dayton, Sonarman 3rd Class


Chief Warrant Machinist Wing












Sheeler, Seaman


Jesse Acosta, Seaman


Villalpando Seaman


Jesse V. Alcala Seaman




Walter "Walt" Bogdanski, Motormachinist 2nd Class


Joesph "Joe" Cox, Motormachinist 2nd Class


Mark Best Motormachinist, 1st Class and later Chief Machinist


Sorrel or Sorrell










Robert "Bob" Nielsen, Seaman


George Culley, Quartermaster, 2nd Class (pre-war sailor)

Theodore "Ted" Klemick, Seaman and later Q.M., 1st Class

Robert "Bob" Wilson, Seaman, later Q.M. 2nd.