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Contact Info
Home Town Fall River, MA
Last Address Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Nel lived in Fall River for many years and in Tiverton, Rhode Island, for the past 47 years.
Date of Passing Jan 27, 2007
Location of Interment Notre Dame Cemetery - Fall River, Massachusetts
Navy veteran of WW II, USS Halford (DD-480).
Commissioned: 10 April 1943
Decommissioned: 15 May 1946.
Received 7 Battle Stars for service in the Pacific during WWII.
USS HALFORD DD 480
COMMANDING OFFICERS & BATTLE STARS
Lieutenant Commander G.N. Johansen, USN 10 April 1943 to 1 March1944
Lieutenant Commander R.J. Hardy, USN March 1944 to 1 March 1945
Commander R.J. Oliver, USN 1 April 1945 to 1 April 1946
Lieutenant Commander M. Johnson, Jr., USN April 1946 to Inactivation
During World War II, USS HALFORD earned seven Battle Stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Medal for participating in the following operations:
1 Star/Consolidation of the Northern Solomon Islands - 1 February 1944
1 Star/Bismarck Archipelago Operation
Green Islands Landing'- 15 February to 19 February 1944
Antishipping sweeps and bombardments of Rabaul and New Ireland - 24 February to 1 March 1944
1 Star/Pacific Raids - 1943
Marcus Island Raid - 31 August 1943
Wake Island Raid - 5-6 October 1943
1 Star/Marianas Operation
Capture and Occupation of Saipan - 14 June to 16 July 1944
Capture and Occupation of Guam - 12 July to 9 August 1944
1 Star/Western Caroline Islands Operation
Capture and Occupation of Southern Palau Islands - 6 Septembe to 14 October 1944
1 Star/Leyte Operation
Leyte Landings - 10 October to 29 November 19
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
1 Star/Luzon Operation
Mindoro Landings - 12 December to 18 December 1944
Lingayen Gulf Landings 4 January to 18 January 1945
HALFORD has also earned the Navy Occupation Service Medal for the period 7 to 20 September 1945.
Other Comments:
CINCPAC MSG TO PACIFIC FLEET
October 30, 1944
DATE: OCT 30, 44 FROM: RDO HONOLULU TO: PACIFIC FLEET INFO COMMANDER IN CHIEF UNITED STATES FLEET USS HALFORD DD480
THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF PACIFIC FLEET DESIRES TO EXPRESS TO ALL OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE FLEET HIS PRIDE AND GRATITUDE FOR THE COURAGEOUS AND AGGRESSIVE MANNER IN WHICH THEY HAVE DONE THEIR UTMOST TO DESTROY THE ENEMY IN THE RECENT FIGHTING IN THE PACIFIC.
TO THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN THE AIR ON THE SURFACER AND IN OUR SUBMARINES "WELL DONE".
TO THOSE BRAVE MEN WHO HAVE GALLANTLY GIVEN THEIR LIVES TO ACHIEVE VICGORY FOR OUR COUNTRY OUR REVERED AND LASTING RESPECT X THEIR HIGH EXAMPLE WILL INSPIRE US ALL IN THE COMPLETION OF OUR TASK OF DESTROYING THE ENEMIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
Displacement 2924 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 376' 5"(oa) x 39' 7" x 13' 9" (Max)
Armament 4 x 5"/38AA, 2 x 40mm, 10 x 20mm AA, 5 x 21" tt.(1x5), aircraft catapult.
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 38 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 15 Knots, Crew 273. Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Puget Sound Navy Yard June 3 1941.
Launched October 29 1942 and commissioned April 10 1943.
Decommissioned May 15 1946.
Stricken May 1 1968. Fate Sold April 2 1970 to National Metal & Steel, Terminal Island, CA and broken up for scrap.
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Name History:
William Halford was born in England 18 August 1841, and enlisted in the Navy in 1869. While serving on board Saginaw, which had run aground near Midway 29 October 1871, Halford was one of four who volunteered to sail the ship's boat 1,500 miles to Honolulu for help. After great suffering the party reached Kauai Island 19 December after 31 days at sea. In attempting to land through the heavy surf, all but Halford were drowned, but he managed to reach shore and bring help to his shipmates in Saginaw. Halford received a commendation for his bravery and served until 1910, when he retired. Promoted to Lieutenant on the retired list, he returned to the Navy in 1917 and died 7 February 1919 at Oakland, Calif.
Combat Operations/Theater:
1 Star/Consolidation of the Northern Solomon Islands - 1 February 1944
1 Star/Bismarck Archipelago Operation
Green Islands Landing'- 15 February to 19 February 1944
Antishipping sweeps and bombardments of Rabaul and New Ireland - 24 February to 1 March 1944
1 Star/Pacific Raids - 1943
Marcus Island Raid - 31 August 1943
Wake Island Raid - 5-6 October 1943
1 Star/Marianas Operation
Capture and Occupation of Saipan - 14 June to 16 July 1944
Capture and Occupation of Guam - 12 July to 9 August 1944
1 Star/Western Caroline Islands Operation
Capture and Occupation of Southern Palau Islands - 6 September to 14 October 1944
1 Star/Leyte Operation
Leyte Landings - 10 October to 29 November 19
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
1 Star/Luzon Operation
Mindoro Landings - 12 December to 18 December 1944
Lingayen Gulf Landings 4 January to 18 January 1945
HALFORD has also earned the Navy Occupation Service Medal for the period 7 to 20 September 1945.
Historical Notes:
One of six Fletchers that were scheduled for completion with four guns and a catapult. Only three were so completed. The experiment was dropped when new carriers began to arrive into the fleet, then the ships were reconfigured back to a modified Fletcher class design with the missing 5"er added, minus the deckhouse, between the added and original stern mounts.
During her war service, HALFORD steamed a total of 181,885 nautical miles which started as she steamed under the Golden Gate Bridge on 5 July 1943 and set her course westward. During the initial three months of her career, the ship spent weary days and nights perfecting the battle organization of the new ship, and it was with confidence that she set out to meet the enemy.
Convoying heavy units from Noumea, New Caledonia to Pearl Harbor was their initial duty. September brought HALFORD into contact with the enemy. With a fast-moving task force of carriers and cruisers, she raided Marcus and Wake Island. This was enemy territory within easy bombing range of the Japanese homeland.
HALFORD was one of six destroyers constructed with a cruiser catapult and scout observation plane mounted on the deck house aft of number two stack. Because of the tactical changes, HALFORD returned to Mare Island, California in the fall of 1943 for alterations which replaced the catapult with a dual-purpose, five-inch 38 calibre gun mount, and a quadruple 40MM anti-aircraft gun.
By 6 December, HALFORD, with increased fighting power and a new profile, departed from San Francisco for the South Pacific. Subsequent convoy duties took the ship to Pearl Harbor; Funafuti; Espiritu Santo, Now Hebrides; and Tutuila, Samoa. HALFORD was also assigned the task at Christmas time of protecting the enormous troopship LURLINE, loaded with marine reinforcements destined for Guadalcanal.
While based at Purvis Bay, Florida Island, HALFORD supported the beachhead at Bougainville, screening supply echelons and participating in coastal bombardments. Anti-shipping sweeps followed along the coast of New Ireland, punctuated by counter-battery fire off the East Buka Passage. Along with HALFORD on this mission where the destroyers WALLER and WADSWORTH. During the month of January 1944, these three destroyers also destroyed strategic Japanese facilities on Choiscul Island.
As command ship on 14 February 1944, HALFORD supported the landing and occupation of Green Island. Ten days later, the ship in company with Destroyer Squadron 45, made an anti-shipping sweep through St. George Channel, Bismarck Archipelago. At this point the squadron was joined by another division of destroyers to continue up the west coast of New Ireland.
Dawn on the 24th of February revealed a small enemy merchant vessel at the entrance of Steffin Strait. HALFORD with the other ships sank the enemy ship and destroyed two beached patrol vessels. Following three days of anti-shipping sweeps south of the strong Jap naval base at Truk, HALFORD returned to Purvis Bay for logistics.
During spring of 1944, HALFORD was busied with escorting supply units to the northern Solomon Islands. Operations were interrupted only long enough for refueling, taking on provisions and mail. An eight day respite at Sydney, Australia, brought a Welcome respite for the crew.
HALFORD then commenced the longest cruise of her career early in June with the campaign for the Marianas. The initial phase of the operation was the bombardment of Tinian's west coast defenses, followed by night harassing fire and the screening of heavy shore bombardment units. On 19 June, HALFORD joined the famed Task Force-58 to participate in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea -- the "Marianas Turkey Shoot." It was here that HALFORD saw the destruction of 350 Japanese planes and the routing of enemy units attempting to destroy our beachheads on Saipan.
While footholds were being secured on Guam, HALFORD covered beach demolition units giving close bombardment support to Ground forces and rescuing a number of friendly Chamaros who had escaped through the Jap lines. Operations for HALFORD in the Marianas and Western Carolines were completed with her support of the occupation of Anguar and Peleliu.
An interesting phase of HALFORD's war career began with the campaign for the recapture of the Philippines. On 18 October, she was with the SEVENTH Fleet, invading Leyte Gulf with the pro-bombardment group.
On the night of 24 October, after six days of shore bombardment and night harassing, HALFORD as a special attack group, met a Japanese force of battleships, cruisers and destroyers, launched their torpedoes just before the heavy ships opened fire on the invaders with their main batteries. The Japanese naval force suffered an overwhelming defeat.
During the remainder of her stay in Leyte Gulf, HALFORD and the other ships of the force underwent daily enemy air attacks during the month of October 1944. After a few days of operations with the THIRD Fleet out of Ulithi, HALFORD returned to Leyte Gulf on 2 December to patrol the Island of Leyte. Four days later, she was assigned to protect a damaged merchant ship east of Dinagat Island. The crippled vessel was sunk that afternoon by a torpedo from a single light Jap bomber which managed to break through after three Jap planes had been driven off by gunfire.
From 12 to 19 December, HALFORD was assigned to escorting supply echelons to Ormoc Bay and troop ships to Mindoro. Two more enemy planes were added to HALFORD's score during these operations.
From 9 January 1945, after delivering troop transports landings at Lingayen Gulf, HALFORD, as part of a covering force, patrolled the entrance to the gulf. When the ship departed for Saipan early in February, she had knocked down one enemy fighter, Participated in the Rosario shore bombardment, and took part in the San Fernando shipping strike when she destroyed three small cargo ships, a landing craft and several barges.
After Sixteen months of war in the Pacific, an operational casualty in Saipan necessitated HALFORD's return to the Navy Yard at Mare Island, California. (Franks comments here: "Actually we were under attack by Jap bombers and were ordered out of the anchorage while we all made smoke. The "operational casualty" occurred when our radar failed to pick up a high octane fuel tanker that dropped anchor right in the channel when we were all under attack. We fortunately rammed the ship in the crew's quarters, otherwise we both would have been blown sky high. I believe two crewman of the tanker lost their lives. Our bow rolled up like a rug against the forward 5 inch gun mount. We shored up in the mess hall to prevent sinking and backed up till the next day until we could weld on plates to hold the bow together." Two months later, on 26 May 1945, the ship was back in the Pacific, proceeding to the Marshall Islands via Pearl Harbor, to escort troop transports from Eniwetok Island to Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
In the early part of August, HALFORD received orders which took her, together with a number of other destroyers and escort carriers to Adak, Alaska as part of the North Pacific Fleet. While enrouto from Eniwetok to the Aleutian destination, the long-awaited news of V-J Day was announced.
On 31 August, HALFORD, with a task force composed of light carriers, cruisers, and destroyers, steamed from Ominato, Northern Honshu, Japan, under the command of Admiral F.J. Fletcher, this force effected the initial occupation of the Ominato Naval Base and surrounding areas.
Upon completion of this assignment, HALFORD, in company with the remaining four destroyers of Destroyer Division 89, plus the flag ship PANAMINT, returned to Adak, Kodiak, and on to Juneau, Alaska by 27 October 1945.
Lieutenant Commander G.N. Johansen, USN 10 April 1943 to 1 March1944
Lieutenant Commander R.J. Hardy, USN March 1944 to 1 March 1945
Commander R.J. Oliver, USN 1 April 1945 to 1 April 1946
Lieutenant Commander M. Johnson, Jr., USN April 1946 to Inactivation
During World War II, USS HALFORD earned seven Battle Stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Medal for participating in the following operations:
1 Star/Consolidation of the Northern Solomon Islands - 1 February 1944
1 Star/Bismarck Archipelago Operation
Green Islands Landing'- 15 February to 19 February 1944
Antishipping sweeps and bombardments of Rabaul and New Ireland - 24 February to 1 March 1944
1 Star/Pacific Raids - 1943
Marcus Island Raid - 31 August 1943
Wake Island Raid - 5-6 October 1943
1 Star/Marianas Operation
Capture and Occupation of Saipan - 14 June to 16 July 1944
Capture and Occupation of Guam - 12 July to 9 August 1944
1 Star/Western Caroline Islands Operation
Capture and Occupation of Southern Palau Islands - 6 Septembe to 14 October 1944
1 Star/Leyte Operation
Leyte Landings - 10 October to 29 November 19
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
1 Star/Luzon Operation
Mindoro Landings - 12 December to 18 December 1944
Lingayen Gulf Landings 4 January to 18 January 1945
HALFORD has also earned the Navy Occupation Service Medal for the period 7 to 20 September 1945.
