From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Vol. A, 1991, Navy 
Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History 
Division, Washington, D.C.

Antrim, Richard Nott

A lakeshore county in northwestern Michigan, organized in 1863; Bellaire 
is its county seat

Richard Nott Antrim-born in Peru, Indiana, on 17 December 1907-entered 
the Naval Academy in 1927 and graduated on 4 June 1931. He served 
briefly in the 11th Naval District before reporting to NEW YORK (BB-34) 
as fire control officer. Detached from that battleship in April 1932, he 
received fliht instruction at the Naval Air Station (NAS), Pensacola, 
Fla., before serving consecutive tours of sea duty in SALINAS (AO-9), 
NITRO (AE-2), and TRENTON (CL-11).

Subsequently ordered to the Bethlehem Steel Corp., Quincy Mass., Antrim 
assisted in fitting out PORTLAND (CA-33 and after her commissioning, 
served as a division officer in that heavy cruiser until the spring of 
1936. After that time, he became assistant first lieutenant in 
CROWNINSHIELD (DD-134) before undergoing instruction in lighter-than-air 
(LTA) flight at NAS Lakehurst, N.J. Antrim subsequently received his 
naval aviator (LTA) designation, qualified for duty as an airship, kite, 
or free-balloon pilot. In the spring of 1938, Antrim arrived on the 
Asiatic Station and served as executive officer of BITTERN (AM-36) 
before joining POPE (DD-225) in December 1939, as her executive officer. 
The outbreak of war in the Pacific in December 1941 found Antrim still 
serving in that capacity.

During her brief wartime career, POPE played a significant part in two 
major engagements fouht by the venerable Asiatic Fleet destroyers-the 
Battle of Makassar Strait and the Battle of Badoeng Strait, as well as 
in the last act following the Battle of the Java Sea.

In the former, POPE delivered close-range attacks that momentarily 
helped to delay the Japanese landings at Balikpapan. During the action, 
Lt. Antrim cooly selected targets for his guns and torpedoes, placing 
his shots so accurately in the midst of a large Japanese convoy" and 
thus inflicting damage to several enemy ships. After the Battle of 
Badoeng Strait, POPE's commanding officer, Comdr. Welford C. Blinn, 
reported that his executive officer was "highly deserving of 
commendation for the meritorious performance of his several duties 
before and throughout the action." Citing Antrim as a "ready assistant 
in navigation fire control, and torpedo fire," Blinn recommended him not 
only for a destroyer command but for a "decoration deemed appropriate." 
Antrim later received a Navy Cross for this service.

The Battle of the Java Sea (27 to 28 February 1942) ended all Allied 
hope of stemming the Japanese onslaught. In the wake of that action, the 
smashed Allied fleet attempted to escape the cordon of Japanese warships 
rapidly tightening the noose around Java. Among the small groups was one 
composed of the British heavy cruiser HMS EXETER, the destroyer HMS 
ENCOUNTER, and POPE.

The ships slipped out of Surabaya, Java, on the evening of 28 February, 
but were spotted the next day by Japanese aircraft. A surface force of 
cruisers and destroyers located the fleeing trio, and a fierce action 
ensued, with EXETER and ENCOUNTER after having put up a stiff fight, 
going down under a deluge of Japanese shells. POPE, however, fought on, 
managing to make a temporary haven in a passing rain squall.

Unfortunately, the destroyer-one of those Asiatic Fleet flushdeckers 
"old enouh to vote"-could not elude her pursuers. Ultimately, damaged by 
Japanese bombs, from aircraft summoned from the carrier RYUJO, and by 
shells from the Japanese force, POPE began to sink, but not before all 
but one of her men had reached safety in life rafts and the destroyer's 
sole motor whaleboat. Antrim, wounded in the action, helped to gather 
the life rafts around the boat to facilitate the disribution of what 
meager supplies were available to the men. His devotion to duty during 
the ordeal inspired and sustained his shipmates' morale.

For three days and nights, POPE's survivors doggedly stuck together as a 
group until picked up by a Japanese warship and transferred to Japanese 
Army authorities at Makassar, in the Celebes.

There, Antrim performed an unforgettable act of personal bravery. During 
the early part of his imprisonment at Makassar in April 1942, he saw a 
Japanese guard brutally beating a fellow prisoner of war (POW) and 
boldly intervened, attempting to quiet and reason with the guard, as 
others, and some 2,000 POW's closed in about the scene.

However, the Japanese ignored Antrim's entreaties and continued beating 
the prisoner unmercifully. After receiving some 15 blows with a hawser 
and the kicks of three other guards, the victim was almost insensible. 
At that instant, Antrim stepped forward. The expressions of the Japanese 
changed to incredulity as the lieutenant volunteered to take the 
remainder of the battered man's punishment. This action threw his 
captors off balance and drew a roar of acclaim from the Allied POW's 
gathered around. Antrim's stand, while saving the life of the other man 
also saved his own and won new respect for the American officers and 
men. Later, his leadership in serving as a spokesman for his fellow 
POW's earned them an improvement in camp living conditions. For his 
conspicuous act of valor at Makassar in the spring of 1942, Antrim later 
received the Medal of Honor.

Subsequently when the Japanese forced Antrim to take charge of a labor 
detail assigned the task of constructing slit trenches for protection 
during air raids, he carefully rearranged the construction work plans 
approved by the Japanese and gained their approval of his own ideas. 
Under the eyes of their captors, the POW's duE the slit trenches all 
right, but in a curious pattern recognizable from the air as a giant 
"U.S." which clearly and craftlly identified the occupants of the 
trenches. This audacious action possibly saved hundreds of prisoners of 
war from mistaken bombings by Allied planes. Antrim carried out the plan 
in spite of the fact that discovery of his trick would have resulted in 
instant beheading! For that alteration of construction work Antrim 
received a Bronze Star.

Ultimately liberated after the war in the Far East ended in August 1945, 
Antrim returned to the United States and enjoyed rehabilitation leave 
before attending the Repatriated POW Refresher Course at the Washington 
Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. in May 1946. He then brushed up on his pilot 
training at NAS Lakehurst and later completed a course at the Naval War 
College. The valiant officer-who had been listed as missing since the 
sinking of POPE in March 1942-received the Medal of Honor and Bronze 
Star from President Harry S. Truman in ceremonies at the White House on 
30 January 1947.

Later, following a brief stint at the Fleet Sonar School, San Diego, 
Calif. in June and July 1947, Antrim went to sea in command of the 
destroyer TURNER (DD-834). He next underwent further instruction at NAS, 
Lakehurst, before assuming the duties of Assistant for Lighter-than-Air 
Planning and Programs Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), 
Washington, D.C. in December 1948.

Foilowing further Washington duty-with the Policy Advisory Staff, 
Department of State, and the Psychological trategy Board-Antrlm 
commanded the attack transport MONTROSE (APA-212) before returning to 
the capital for a brief tour of duty as Head, Amphibious Warfare Matters 
Section, Office of the CNO, prior to his retirement on 1 April 1954.  He 
was advanced to rear admiral on the retired list on the basis of his 
combat awards.

Rear Admiral Antrim died on 7 March 1969 in Mountain Home, Arkansas.
