Almost missed this stamp from a set of 6 showing military vehicles associated with Jersey. It was only when I was looking through the Jersey stamp bulletin that I noticed there was a ship in the background. The scene is from Operation Nestegg – the Liberation of Jersey in May 1945.
The best I can make out is that it is LST 285. The only other possibility would have been USS LST 289 but on 30 November 1944 she was decommissioned and transferred to the Royal Navy and it is very unlikely that she would have carried the initials US in front of her number.
LST-285 was laid down on 16 August 1943 at Ambridge, Pa., by the American Bridge Co.; launched on 24 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs R. A. Shaw; and commissioned on 13 December 1943.
During World War II, LST-285 was assigned to the European theatre and participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and the invasion of southern France in August and September 1944.
From the Memories of Jack H. Langston (edited for language !)
We got our orders February 21, 1944 and boarded LST 285 in Bayonne, NJ at about 1630. The ship left Bayonne at 0800 the next day for Boston and I had galley duty all the way up the East Coast that day. We arrived at Boston about 2200 and left for Halifax, Nova Scotia the next day at 1100. We arrived in Halifax at 1600, February 26, 1944 and some of the fellows had liberty, I stayed aboard. We remained docked in Halifax until the next day, February 28,1944 when we left for England across the North Atlantic on this "floating bathtub", "large stationary target", the LST. I will now divert to my diary format.
2/28/44 Left Halifax for England (This was Convoy SC 154 – Peter C)
2/29/44 Water fairly rough. Have top bunk (three high). Chow pretty bad so am living mostly on almond Hershey's.
3/1/44 Going along fairly well--Cit, Karsh and I play a lot of casino. Very rough at night. A time or two I was awakened holding myself in my bunk it was so rough. Very cold topside and went up one time and saw icicles as large as your body hanging from our davits. Rarely go up to topside and ship is pretty stuffy without fresh air.
3/2/44 Beautiful day.
3/3,4,5/44 Fairly rough water-have a small escort--approximately 45 ships in convoy.
3/6/44 Nearing the Azores--had submarine scare
3/7/44 Near Spain and Portugal.
3/8/44 Changed course from Azores, 750 miles from Bordeaux., France
3/9/44 Changed course to due North and picked up more escort vessels. Have General Quarters (GQ), night and morning all the way.
3/10/44 Very calm--changing course often. Had sub alert lasting three hours Sub reported sunk at 2300 Sighted first airplane.
3/11/44 Off coast of Ireland going NNE--fairly rough.
3/12/44 Water very rough.
3/13/44 Sighted Ireland at 1635. First land seen since 2/28/44. Saw airplane while topside with a fellow from West Virginia named McKinney. While with him we asked him "what is that out yonder McKinney" and he said "that there's a flying machine" We thought that was a pretty funny colloquialism.
3/14/44 Traveling down the Irish Sea. Water green and the land very pretty. Airplanes flying overhead.
3/15/44 Anchored off of Milford Haven, Wales at 1030 and left at 1800 for Plymouth, England. While anchored saw some British airplanes, Lancasters.
3/16/44 Anchored of Plymouth at 1730 - had first liberty -Town was pitch black (black out). City had been bombed to pieces. We saw numerous ruins. The city was like stepping back in time 50 years.
3/17/44 Ship tied down at Castledown Wharf to unload - had 210 tons ammunition. We traded diesel fuel in our bilge for water. 3/18/44 The LCT that we had lashed to our top deck was launched sideways from the deck. Had liberty and went to the show with a buddy, Coppock. I believe this is the time I pulled a stupid thing. All of the guys that went on liberty had a ticket to Glenn Miller's concert that evening. We younger guys went with some older guys who got some Haige & Haige scotch whiskey. We could not carry it around in the bottle so we (8 of us) proceeded to finish the two bottles on the steps of an air-raid shelter. Well, one of the old English ladies thought that was terrible and that we would contaminate their shelter and berated us sharply. Anyway, after drinking all of that scotch and going to the hot un-air-conditioned movie, I got sick and rushed to the restroom, but did not make it and while holding my hand over my mouth the pressure was so great, I puked all over my uniform. I had to go back to the ship and gave my ticket to a British sailor. How stupid.
3/19/44 Nothing doing just recuperating.
3/20/44 Finally got paid but had plenty of money anyway
3/21/44 Sent money order to Dad who said that he would match whatever I sent home
3/24/44 Left Plymouth for Fowey by train--travelled first class--slept most of the way--beautiful country Arrived at 1100 in Fowey--Hiked to camp about I 1/2 miles
3/25/44 Attending classes (lectures) in amphibians operations, handling gas casualties--very interesting. I forgot to mention a First Class Pharmacists Mate John S. Gren from Providence, RI who was in our group. He apparently was a policeman and quite a bit older than most of us. He was arrogant, egotistical and thought he was smarter and better than any of us HAs (Hospital Corpsman). Well, by the time we got to Fowey everyone including the Doctors hated his guts. While we lived in the Quonset huts, some of the guys from another hut went in back and fashioned a mock grave. It had old dead weeds, empty cans, broken bottles and a tombstone reading "Here lies the body of Pharmacists Mate First Class John S Gren. We went on long hikes and us HAs used to sing" John Gren's body lies a molderin" in the grave, John Gren's body lies a molderin" in the grave, John Gren's body lies a molderin" in the grave, as we go marching on" "Glory, glory to the HAs, Glory, glory to the HAs, Glory, glory to the HAs, as we go marching on !". All of this time he would be walking with us and I guess didn't get it. He never changed.
3/26/44 Had liberty in Fowey--everything closed. Very historic place--one movie house.
3/27/44 Classes continued--camp built by Seabees--Quonset huts--plenty of dirt and dust. See movies every night also my first USO show overseas.
3/31/44 Left Fowey for Plymouth by truck--roads lined with huge stores of ammunition and bombs. Country very hilly--beautiful though. Received first mail since leaving the States.
4/5/44 Movies aboard ship. Had swell time on liberty. Bought some British colonial stamps and started collection. Huge amount of PAs, LSTs, destroyers, etc. anchored in Bay--Cruiser Augusta was there.
4/12/44 Got paid again--really was welcomed.
4/14,15,16/44 Had movies every night aboard ship.
4/17/44 Practiced handling patients, made Vaseline gauze bandages for burns and 4 x 4s. Had an air-raid but no bombs were dropped--thank God.
4/18/44 Practiced air attack on ship--assimilated patients.
4/24/44 Left Plymouth at 0930 for Falmouth--arrived at 1700 Reports of possible air raid on Plymouth by Nazis due to huge concentration of ships
4/26/44 Had practice drill in raising patients from small boats then lowering them down to the tank deck.
4/27/44 Left Falmouth at 0630 for Portland and Weymouth area in convoy--fairly heavy convoy Had a rhino and barge tied behind us Seabees on rhino
4/28/44 Arrived in Weymouth harbour at 1100. Reported German E-boats waiting for our convoy. Shelled and torpedoed other LSTs at 0130--three reported sunk--huge amount of casualties. We were never touched. (Exercise Tiger – Slapton Sands – USS LST 289 was one of the casualties but managed to return to port - Peter C)
4/30/44 All liberty in Weymouth area is restricted. Expect troops aboard soon.
5/1/44 Ship loaded with Army equipment and troops--have ten ducks and a large number of trucks aboard also personnel.
5/2/44 Soldiers slept on deck, ate on deck with own mess gear. Met a fellow from Oklahoma City who knew Dad. All soldiers were veterans of the African Invasion.
5/3/44 Pulled out of Weymouth harbour into Bay off Portland.
5/4/44 Left Portland at 0200 on manoeuvers--traveling in huge convoy--arrived at Torquay at 1800. Unloaded supplies on rhino--pretty hard in rough sea--finished unloading about 2230. This was all practice for the coming invasion.
5/5/44 Received six Army casualties from a duck at Torquay. Left Torquay at 1000 for Portland--arrived at 1800. Travelled in large convoy. Three LSTs reported sunk by German E-boats night before we left. Report was false.
5/7/44 Had ice cream second time since leaving the States. Had 3 GQs at night--2400, 0230, 0530.
5/8/44 Got medical supplies.
5/9/44 Received more medical supplies. Had liberty in Weymouth--very nice city--went dancing--no sign of bombing.
5/10/44 Had lecture on first aid.
5/11,12/44 Nothing doing except for a few details.
5/13/44 Harbour is still filled up with LSTs, LCTs, PAs and LCIs.
5/14/44 Ship went out for target practice--shot several hundred rounds of shells at sleeve towed by an airplane--no hits.
5/15/44 Weymouth had an air raid--several bombs dropped. Anti-aircraft and rocket fire was terrific. Planes reported shot down over channel. Shrapnel falling on ship. No GQ. Had good news--our group is being split up. I am being sent to LST 75. Started to pack. Very glad to leave this ship Captain is a dud.
5/16/44 Got all packed in preparation for leaving ship at 1000 did not leave today as LST 75 is out to sea somewhere--expect to leave in three days.
5/17/44 Ship went out on gunnery practice, but due to foul weather was forced to return to harbour. Went on liberty in Weymouth and had chow--did not fill me up. Found swell place for fish and chips--ate like a horse for one shilling. Had a few beers (bitters about 1 % alcohol) went to a movie and back to the ship.
5/18/44 Got mail from home.
5/19/44 Received more mail. Had a "bottle" problem aboard ship with some of the crew. Still waiting to be transferred Nothing new aboard ship. Still have to wear undress blues.
5/20/44 Ship went out on new manoeuvers--lowering our ramp down onto the stern of a LCT--being tied up to our bow. Took too long. Crew got paid and we did not.
5/21/44 Ship left buoy and tied up at the hard (dock) to take on water and defuel oil--pulled out about 2100 to go back to the buoy. Received mail. Still no sign of LST 75
5/22/44 Was awakened at 0430--ship was to go to Falmouth--orders changed at 0600 (this is an example of the type of Captain we had--indecision). Got a letter from home. LST 75 finally showed up.
Everything was packed in 1/2 hour to leave LST 285 and we did at 2000. Boarded LST 75 at 2300. Helped unload sea bags from small boat and got screwed on sacks. Gren still unbearable. Had GQ at 0130--slept well all night. Got paid finally and we played poker etc. in the mess halls when the Captain came through. He was concerned about our getting settled and having a good time. As he passed through the mess halls he asked if everyone was having a good time and they said yes and he said anything that is good for the morale.
Upon her return to the United States, the ship was decommissioned on 27 June 1947 and struck from the Navy list on 1 August 1947. On 26 March 1948, she was sold to the Kaiser Co., Inc., of Seattle, Wash., for scrapping.
LST-285 earned two battle stars for World War II service.
Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence -1945)
Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
Length 328' o.a.
Beam 50'
Draft (light) - 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft (sea-going) 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft (landing) 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
Speed 12 kts (maximum)
Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts while displacing 3960 tons
Complement 7 officers, 104 enlisted
Troop Accommodations 16 officers, 147 enlisted
Boats 2 LCVP
Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons) Typical loads One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was 2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors 4 - Single 40MM gun mounts 12 single 20MM gun mounts
Jersey 2013 88p sg?, scott?
Sources: Jersey Philatelic Bulletin; NavSource Online; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships; Memories of Pre- and Post-WWII BY Jack H. Langston - http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/shi ... s-jhl.html.
http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/sc154.html
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sc/index.ht ... 54!~scmain
Peter Crichton
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