Chapter 2

THE STAFF OF COMNOB

PART I

 

An entirely clear, completely orderly account of the development of the Staff of the Commandant, Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), is, without doubt, an achievement highly to be desired. However, the achieving of absolute clarity in presenting that which was not in itself a systematic development is not readily accomplished. For the development of the staff, like the development of the Naval Operating Base itself, was not always a pre-planned, carefully worked-out growth. Indeed, the very fact that most of this growth took place in wartime, in the midst of numerous pressures, made it less likely that any great degree of system could be achieved in the building of such a staff as came to be needed by ComNOB for handling the many aspects of his duties and responsibilities.

It is the purpose of this chapter to show something of the building of ComNOB's Staff and to show some of the problems with which it had to cope and the needs which resulted in the establishment of certain of the billets. Some of this story has already

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been told, in the preceding chapter which dealt with the development of the Naval Operating Base command. There it was shown that before the Naval Operating Base had been established by General Order No. 154, 25 September 1941, Captain R. B. Coffman, in his capacity as Assistant Commandant, Eleventh Naval District, had built up some staff organization.

Of course it should be realized that, while a number of the officers in the San Pedro - Long Beach area reported to the Assistant Commandant as the senior naval authority in the northern part of the District, these officers did not all comprise a closely knit staff attached to the Assistant Commandant. Indeed most of these officers directed branch offices of the District Headquarters organization in San Diego and carried on their duties directly with their San Diego offices, only notifying the Assistant Commandant of their actions. This was in accordance with the precepts under which the office of Assistant Commandant had been set up; it was not desired by ComEleven that a separate District Staff should be established in the northern part of the Eleventh Naval District.

When the Naval Operating Base was first established in the fall of 1941, the Assistant Commandant who assumed command of the new base brought with him the already

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developed staff which had been Assisting him. New orders were issued to most of these men directing them to report to Comdt NOB for duty. For the most part, they continued in the work in which they were already engaged. A list of the officers forming this staff as of 25 November 1941, shows twenty-five officers in addition to Comdt NOB.1 At this time the quadruple billet of Executive Officer, Operations Officer, Neutrality Officer, and War Plans Officer was held by Lieutenant Commander W. W. Feineman; "Personnel, Rectg. and Mer. Mar. Res." is listed as assigned to Lieutenant Commander Clement B. White. Two security officers are listed; one of these, Lieutenant Commander R. H. Pence, was chiefly concerned with the safety of the oil terminals. There are also listed an OinC of Export Control, Los Angeles; the Senior Patrol Officer, Long Beach - San Pedro; an officer concerned with Local Harbor and Fleet Services (pilotage); the OinC of the Magnetic Ranges; an OinC of Public Relations; Ship's Secretary, Legal Officer, Communications and Radio Material Officer; two Chaplains concerned with Base activities and Navy Relief; the Public Works Officer and OinC of Construction, NOB, SP, to whom were attached a number of CEC officers concerned with local construction and maintenance. In addition to these officers there were several others

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attached in the capacity of assistants in the various departments.

After the entrance of America into the war, the neutrality and export activities ceased to have great significance and eventually were dropped as billets. As is indicated in more detail elsewhere, the Senior Patrol Officer was never precisely a member of Comdt NOB's staff; more exactly he was responsible to Comdt NOB in connection with that officer's duty as the authority concerned with the Shore Patrol in the San Pedro - Terminal Island - Laguna Beach area. Ultimately the billets of Operations Officer and War Plans Officer were made a dual billet. For the most part this officer was concerned with varied duties of Operations; with War Plans in the most precise, technical sense of that term he had relatively little to do, for Comdt NOB's chief connection with war plans was in participating in the Joint Army-Navy Plans which were drawn up elsewhere and in providing supporting plans and organization. Operations functioned in an important way in carrying out NOB's part in the execution of these plans. Upon the creation of NOB, the CinCC of Roosevelt Base (or the Fleet Operating Base, as it was called for awhile) assumed the added responsibility for NOB Public Works. Ultimately the Public Works Officer of NOB came to be the local authority for practically all the Naval construction

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being carried on in the San Pedro - Los Angeles - Long Beach area.

Until Roosevelt Base was commissioned on 1 September 1942, there was no Roosevelt Base command as such and hence no separate staff. As is evident, the staff, first, of the Assistant Commandant and, later, of Comdt NOB, exercised supervisory control over the shore installations then under construction on Terminal Island which for awhile were known as Fleet Operating Base and later were designated as Roosevelt Base. When Roosevelt Base was commissioned, Comdt NOB, (Captain Helm) assumed additional duty as Commanding Officer of Roosevelt Base. This dual billet continued until 2 June 1943, when Captain Frank C. Huntoon, who had assumed command of the new Small Craft Training Center at Roosevelt Base, was assigned additional duty as Commanding Officer of Roosevelt Base.2 In the meantime, duties in connection with Roosevelt Base which had formerly been conducted by various officers on Comdt NOB's staff were turned over to a staff which was organized for the new activity. It was realized that in many cases certain dual billets would offer too great a burden to be properly handled by a single officer. This was especially true in the case of such responsibility as was entailed in the work of Comdt NOB's Executive Officer who for a time

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carried on the work of a Chief of Staff and a Base Executive. It was seen that this burden was too great and the billets were separated, the office of Chief of Staff (later Chief Staff Officer) being created for Comdt NOB's Staff and the post of Executive Officer being assigned to Roosevelt Base.3

In the chart of NOB Headquarters and Roosevelt Base Officer Complement, drawn up by Lieutenant George E. Kenyon, NOB Planning Officer, and approved on 4 June 1942, by Comdt NOB (Captain Coffman), there are ten departmental heads shown.4 As will be evident from a study of this chart in connection with what has been written concerning Comdt NOB's organization in the preceding chapter, some of this administrative organization as shown on this chart was tentative or suggested rather than in actual use. And of course the ranks indicated are those suggested as desired rather than those actually held by the incumbents of some of the billets. For example, it was not until more than two years later, in 1944, that the Chief Staff Officer was promoted to captain, the rank really adequate for the duties and responsibilities of his position.

As indicated on this chart, Comdt NOB's staff would consist of a Chief of Staff and Operations Officer, Air Officer, Security, Communications, War

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Plans, Public Relations and Intelligence, Legal and Personnel, Public Works, Supply and Medical Officers as well as a number of assistants. As has been shown in the preceding chapter, ComEleven did not approve of the proposal, made In June, 1942, to create so large an organization for the Naval Operating Base, San Pedro.5 Enclosure E which accompanied Comdt NOB's proposal for this augmented Staff organization shows6 that as of 8 June 1942, in addition to the Commandant himself, there were twenty-two officers attached to the NOB Staff.

Lieutenant Commander W. B. Jones held the posts of Executive Officer and Operations Officer; Lieutenant George E. Kenyon, Planning; Lieutenant Jack W. Hardy, Legal, Personnel and Morale; Lieutenant Maurice J. Kelly, Officers' School of Instruction, duty Officer; Lieutenant Clyde W. Jones, Communications Officer and Radio Material Officer; Lieutenant Emmett E. Doherty, Ship's Secretary; Lieutenant (jg) Norbert M. Murray, Jr., First Lieutenant and Passive Defense Officer; Ensign Vernon F. Lyon, Public Relations and Intelligence; Ensign Robert T. Hartman, Public Relations; Ensign Millard G. Gamble, III, Ordnance and Gunnery Officer; and Ensign John L. Rhatigan, Gas Defense. The remainder of the officers attached to Comdt NOB were assistants in one or more capacities or were under instruction.

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Of course a number of these officers also had responsibilities as NOB Duty Officer or as CWO.

Ultimately, after the separation of the NOB and Roosevelt Base Staffs, the Executive Officer was eliminated from the Comdt NOB Staff and the billet of Chief of Staff created. Operations and Planning were combined; Personnel was set up to deal with Naval personnel only, the Chief Staff Officer acting as the principal Naval authority in NOB civilian personnel matters. Legal affairs were also separated from the Personnel Office. Ultimately also, NOB ceased to have a First Lieutenant as such; Public Works handled all matters of construction and maintenance. As has been indicated, passive defense affairs and cooperation with other activities in carrying out directives involved in the Joint Array-Navy Plans for Defense fell chiefly upon the Operations Officer and his assistants. The officers concerned with public relations and intelligence matters, while nominally attached to Comdt NOB, did not form specific departments as such. Public Relations and Intelligence throughout the war period continued to be handled by branches of the District Offices with whom Comdt NOB's officers established liaison.

Until the separation of the two commands in the summer of 1943, the staffs of the Naval Operating Base

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and of Roosevelt Base were so intermingled as to be not easily distinguished.7 That such was to a large extent the intention of Comdt NOB (who was also Commanding Officer of Roosevelt Base) appears from this statement in a letter to BuPers in May 1943, shortly before the two commands were separated:8

"1. The Comdt NOB, TI, with additional duty as Commanding Officer, Roosevelt Base, has used the personnel of the combined complements of the two subject activities indiscriminately to the best advantage."

The "Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, San Pedro, and Roosevelt Base, Terminal Island, California", dated l January 1943,9 lists the following departmental billets: Training and Drill Officer (Gunnery Officer), Chief of Staff, Executive Officer of Roosevelt Base, First Lieutenant, Damage Control Officer, Oil Loading Control Officer, Public Works Officer, Communications Officer, Security Officer, Intelligence Officer, Planning and War Plans Officer, Sub-Issuing Officer, Officer in Charge, Base and Fleet Post Office, Motion Picture Exchange Officer, Docking Officer, Legal Officer, Welfare, Athletic, and Recreation Officer, Fire, Police, and Traffic Officer, Ship's Service Department, Medical Officer, Supply Officer, Disbursing Officer, Chaplain, Transportation Officer.

The Gunnery Officer, Executive Officer, First Lieutenant, and Damage Control Officer10 this time

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were chiefly concerned with Roosevelt Base activities. The Damage Control Officer for the Naval Operating Base at this time was designated as "the Officer assigned as Public Works Officer of Roosevelt Base".10

By 1944 there were twenty-six staff departmental heads at the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), in addition to the Commandant. Distribution List A showed these departments in addition to Comdt NOB:11

[The list in the source document started with #2 - HyperWar editor]

  1. Chief Staff Officer
  2. Administrative Assistant to the Commandant
  3. Aide to the Commandant
  4. Area Insurance Officer
  5. Assistant District Postal Officer
  6. Training Aids Officer
  7. Communications Officer
  8. Damage Control Officer
  9. Educational Services Officer
  10. Housing Officer, 22 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, Calif.
  11. Legal Officer
  12. Officer In Charge, Allen Center
  13. Officer in Charge, Field Intelligence Unit
  14. Operations and Planning Officer
  15. Personnel Officer
  16. Physical Training Officer
  17. Port Pilots, c/o Target Repair Base, San Pedro.
  18. President, General Court Martial, c/o U. S. Discip. Bks.
  19. Public Works Officer
  20. Security Officer
  21. Staff Medical Officer
  22. Staff Supply Officer
  23. Sub-Issuing Officer
  24. Transportation Officer
  25. Welfare and Recreation Officer
  26. Venereal Disease Control Officer

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The increasing activity and the growth in scope of Comdt NOB's interests and responsibilities are reflected in the growth of this Staff organization. As the war had developed and especially as the war in the Pacific had mounted in tension, the military and industrial activity in the northern part of the Eleventh Naval District became increasingly complicated. The burden of handling the almost innumerable matters which arose from day to day fell upon Comdt NOB and his Staff. Many times either Comdt NOB or his representative was required to be present at important meetings or conferences. Moreover, it became evident that Comdt NOB could not personally attend to all the matters which called for attention, nor was it possible for his Chief Staff Officer to be everywhere at once. The need for an administrative assistant was patent. Hence, this billet was established. The Administrative Assistant represented the Commander, Naval Operating Base, on numerous occasions and helped lift the burden of administrative detail from the shoulders of Comdt NOB and his Chief Staff Officer. It so happened that the officer who held this billet was experienced in housing matters and played an important part in developing the Navy Housing Service in Long Beach.12

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In this connection, it became evident the services of a full-time Housing Officer would be required to handle the affairs of the Navy Housing Service. The other officers indicated in the above list were added to ComNOB's Staff from time to time as the need for them became apparent with the growth of Naval activity in this area. Further discussion of the duties of these officers is contained in another section of this chapter in which more detailed attention is devoted to the various billets.

No revision of the NOB regulations appeared in 1944. When the new "Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), California", April 1945, appeared, thirty-two billets composed the Naval Operating Base Headquarters Staff.13 These were in addition to the immediate administrative staff of the Commander, NOB, which consisted of ComNOB, his Chief Staff Officer, Assistant Chief Staff Officer, the Administrative Assistant to the Commander, and the Aide to the Commander. The Headquarters Staff was arranged as follows:14

"Planning Officer
Operations Officer
    Administrative Assistant to SOPA
    Navy Pilots
    Harbor Craft Base, San Pedro
Staff Supply Officer
Public Works Officer
Transportation Officer

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Legal Officer
Intelligence Officer
Security, Safety and Damage Control Officer
    Safety Engineer
    Assistant Patrol Officer (Terminal Island)
    Fire Consultant and Advisory Officer
Personnel Officer
    Women's Reserve Representative
Director of Training (Personnel Officer)
    Training Aids Officer
    Educational Services Officer
    Physical Training Officer
    Instructor Training Officer
Director of Welfare (Personnel Officer)
    Recreation Officer
    Civil Readjustment Officer
    Benefits and Insurance Officer
    Legal Assistance Officer
Chaplain
Communications Officer
Housing Officer
Historical Officer
Staff Medical Officer
    Venereal Disease Control Officer"

It should be understood, of course, that this was an allowed complement for the Headquarters Staff of ComNOB rather than an enumeration of those posts which were actually filled and carrying on their duties. For example, an Historical Officer is listed; however, the present incumbent in that billet did not come to NOB until late in July, 1945. It is also to be noted that some of these departments were combined under one officer; this situation persisted in some instances until after V-J Day.

Although there was need for an Assistant Chief Staff Officer, this post remained unfilled until the fall of 1945. After the detachment of Commander G. L.

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Dickson, the Administrative Assistant to the Commander, the assignment of another officer to that post was held in abeyance. A "Planning Officer" is listed as a member of the Headquarters Staff. However, the Operations Officer continued, as in the past, to hold this billet as well as his Operations duties past the end of 1945. It will be observed that the Administrative Assistant to SOPA, the Navy Pilots, and the Harbor Craft Base, San Pedro, were all placed in a position of close relationship and responsibility to the Operations Officer in view of the fact that their duties were so closely linked with operational matters concerning services to ships.

The Personnel Officer also carried added responsibilities as Director of Training and Director of Welfare, with certain groups of department heads under his direction. Other changes are to be noted in the arrangement of the Staff Organization for NOB when this 1945 list is studied in connection with that of 1943. Aside from the regrouping of Training and Welfare, respectively, there were certain other changes. Officer-in-Charge, Allen Center is not listed as a departmental head, as in 1943; however, this officer, as in times past, was still responsible to ComNOB who continued to have the facilities of Allen Center under his direct control. The Intelligence Officer listed

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in the 1945 "Regulations" is the same billet as that listed in 1943 as Officer in Charge, Field Intelligence Unit; this officer continued to be in charge of that unit. The President of the General Court Martial is no longer named as a member of ComNOB's Staff but "General Courts Martial, Receiving Station, Terminal Island", is carried as a District Staff post under the District Legal Officer. The Sub-Issuing Officer is no longer carried as a Staff post; this was due to the fact that the office had been changed to a full RPIO and was carried as an activity of NOB rather than as a Staff department. Finally, the Venereal Disease Control Officer had been placed in a sub-departmental position responsible to the Staff Medical Officer.

 

Part Two

In this section are discussed at varying length pertinent matters about the work of certain of the Staff Departments and certain other matters which particularly concerned ComNOB and his administration. These discussions relate to matters which appear to be of historical Interest. This section is not intended to cover all Staff billets In the manner of a manual or of the NOB Regulations.

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OPERATIONS AND RELATED MATTERS

As is to be easily understood, the Operations Department of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, was in the organization of the NOB staff from its earliest inception. As is indicated elsewhere, the Operations Officer has also had duty as Planning Officer. (Under the U. S. Naval Base Organization, this is a separate billet.) Because of the numerous and varied responsibilities which have fallen to the lot of the Operations Department It Is difficult to present a clearly integrated picture of the work of this organization. The chart of this office, drawn up early in 1944 at the time of the survey by the War Manpower Survey Board, is in the Appendix and may assist in clarifying the setup of this department.

The Operations Department has become one of the busiest and most heavily responsible of those which compose the NOB Headquarters. This is more clearly realized when it is understood that this department carries out so many of the duties necessary in executing the primary mission of the Naval Operating Base; service to the Forces Afloat. Primarily the Operations Officer and his assistants had cognizance over these matters:

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  1. All services to Naval vessels in the San Pedro - Long Beach Harbor area. These included the assignment of berths, anchorages, tugs, pilots, lighters for oil, water, garbage and trash, and boats from the NOB Boat Pool.
  2. All ships and snail craft built in the Los Angeles - Long Beach area were accepted and commissioned by ComNOB. During the fitting-out period these ships were under the cognizance of ComNOB and continued so until they reported for shake-down.
  3. Sub-boards of INSURVPAC were appointed and reports made up by NOB Operations Department. Also, hull board reports on district craft were made by this office.
  4. The ComNOB Duty Office was maintained on a twenty-four hour basis in the Operations Department. It was, of course, staffed on a rotating arrangement by other officers attached to NOB Headquarters.
  5. Ships present list was distributed by Operations.
  6. Correspondence pertaining to ships or related subjects was handled by Operations.
  7. Friendly and cooperative relations were maintained with other Naval activities, the Army, W.S.A., and Maritime Commission who called for services, information, etc.
  8. Friendly relations were maintained with the building yards and with the officials of the Harbor Commissions of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

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In addition to these affairs the work of the Administrative Office of SOPA and of the Liaison Officer for Forces Afloat was closely tied in with the activities of the Operations Department. The War Diary of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, was prepared in the Operations Department.

To enumerate the difficulties with which this department has had to struggle throughout the history of NOB during wartime would, in all probability, require a book in itself. There has been an unending effort to supply the vessels present and the harbor activities with tug and lighter service and with boats, a task complicated by the fact that rarely were there enough craft available to answer all needs immediately.15 At times the need for tugs and personnel to man them was especially critical and ComNOB made strenuous efforts to have more tugs assigned.16 In the summer of 1945, and afterwards, when more ships had returned to the harbor, the burden placed upon the garbage lighter service was extremely heavy and difficult to handle.17 With the return of many ships of the Fleet to the San Pedro - Long Beach

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harbor area, there was a greatly increased demand upon the Boat Pool for boats to transport liberty parties, stores, and provisions.18

SOPA ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

In June 1943, in accordance with Article 809 of the U. S. Navy Regulations, 1920, there was established at the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, the portfolio of the Senior Officer Present Afloat, San Pedro.19 According to Navy Regulations, such a portfolio is to be maintained in the custody of ComNOB when not in the actual custody of SOPA and is to contain pertinent files of orders and instructions received or issued by SOPA. Comdt NOB pointed out that the administration of the SOPA duties in the local harbor was not altogether satisfactory. This was largely due to the fact that many of the officers aboard the auxiliary ships and smaller combat vessels were not familiar with such matters, often were in port for only brief visits, and were usually very busy with affairs concerned with the repairs and supplies for their vessels. Comdt NOB requested that arrangements be made for setting up the administration of the office of SOPA in the Administration Building at NOB, Terminal Island, with a permanent staff to handle the work. There would be the advantages of assistance from the Operations

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Office, Communications Office, and Legal Office of NOB as well as the advantage of a staff with experience gained through continued handling of the affairs which come under the cognizance of the Senior Officer Present Afloat.20 Ultimately in 1945 such an arrangement was set up, under the supervisory cognizance of the Operations Officer, and supplied a much-needed service.

LIAISON OFFICER FOR FORCES AFLOAT

Prompted by numerous reports from commanding officers of Naval vessels visiting the Long Beach - San Pedro harbor that services rendered ships were not always satisfactory, ComNOB, on 16 April 1945, called an informal conference to discuss such services. Heads of local activities to whom these matters were pertinent, such as the Industrial Manager, 11ND, and the Assistant Industrial Manager, San Pedro, the U. S. Naval Drydocks, Naval Supply Depot, Port Director, Roosevelt Base, and heads of Departments of NOB Headquarters Staff were present at this meeting. A member of the staff of ComWesSeaFron also attended the conference.

With a weekly average number of arrivals and departures of Naval vessels of 416 at that time and because of lack of personnel, it had not always been

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possible for NOB to provide all that was desired in services to ships. It was found that inexperienced personnel in small ships had difficulty in negotiating their affairs with the many scattered activities in this area. Therefore it was believed necessary and desirable that required services be taken to the ship and then followed up by experienced staff personnel during the entire period during which the ship was in port. Such an arrangement appeared necessary in order that repairs and tests might be completed on the ship and that its personnel might have the best possible measure of leave, liberty, recreation and entertainment, have as much time as possible with their families, and have the best available living arrangements. It was evident that the regular personnel attached to NOB Headquarters departments and to the various component activities were all too thoroughly occupied to carry on liaison work of the sort desired. Yet ComNOB strongly desired that the "fullest measure of logistics and personal services to officers and men and ships of the Fleet" be rendered.21 Therefore he requested that steps be taken to establish a nucleus of officer personnel of high rank and experience for providing the necessary liaison between the shore activities and the Forces Afloat.22

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The Liaison Officer For Forces Afloat was set up.23 It functioned first under Commander Brooks Gifford and later came under the direction of Captain R. J. Bellerby. A system was set up whereby the visiting ships were boarded when they first came into port and then were visited every forty-eight hours thereafter by officers from the Liaison Office with the purpose of making sure that these vessels were receiving the necessary services and of rendering further assistance that was required. It was clearly set forth, in a notice published through SOPA that it was "the mission of the Liaison Office to make certain that Forces Afloat (were) receiving the necessary available services from the shore based activities in this locality, (and that) requests for the needed assistance (might) be referred to this office."24

It appears that in the earlier months of this undertaking the reasons for its establishment and its mission were not always thoroughly comprehended by some of the officials with whom the officers attached to the Liaison Office had to carry on their work. This situation was rapidly clarified however and the value of the services rendered by these officers was soon recognized not only by the forces afloat but also by the establishments ashore supplying the services.

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It is to be understood, of course, that the Liaison Officer for Forces Afloat was not subordinate to nor was his work a part of the responsibilities of the Operations Officer. This discussion of this NOB Staff function has been placed here because of the close relationship of the work of Operations and Liaison Officer For Forces Afloat.

A predecessor to this liaison service had been created in the fall of 1942 when, in compliance with the desire of ComEleven,25 Comdt NOB appointed Lieutenant Harry R. Taylor, (CC), USN (Ret), as a member from NOB on a board to assist personnel aboard ships which were undergoing repairs or conversion in the Eleventh Naval District.26

NAVY PILOTS

Pilotage procedures in the San Pedro - Long Beach Harbor at first glance may appear to have been somewhat complicated. Actually, these arrangements were not so involved. The Military Pilots, who in wartime guided ships in through the swept channel from the Station Ship to the examination anchorage, were attached to the Frontier Base - an activity which was a part of the Local Defense Forces of the Eleventh Naval District and hence not under the cognizance of ComNOB. From the examination anchorage to their berths alongside a pier or at an anchorage in the Outer Harbor, Naval vessels were piloted by either Navy pilots or

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contract pilots. These contract pilots had been commissioned as officers in the Coast Guard Reserve at the beginning of hostilities. The Harbor Craft Base, Port Director, San Pedro, U. S. Naval Drydocks, and Operations, NOB, all participated in the contract under which these pilots worked. However, these pilots, who were essentially ship handlers to bring ships alongside piers or to anchor, usually were ordered for Naval vessels by NOB Operations. This was a practical arrangement since NOB Operations Department was in a coordinating position and acted as a clearing house for information regarding arrivals and departures of Naval vessels in connection with its work of providing all the needed services.

Even before the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, had been established, but after the office of the Assistant Commandant had been given the responsibility of assigning berths and providing services to Naval vessels in this harbor, the need had become apparent for pilots who were commissioned officers of the Navy and attached for pilot duty. Accordingly, It was requested that officers qualified for this work be returned to an active status and attached to the Assistant Commandant for such duty.27 Lieutenant Commander Hans B. Olson, USNR, was returned to active duty and attached to the Assistant

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Commandant (subsequently Comdt NOB) as Navy Pilot. It was found that during the months of August, September, and October 1941, the services of this pilot in connection with the pilotage of Naval vessels in the local harbor were worth the equivalent of $10,930.00 or an average per month of $3,643.00. This saving to the government each month was estimated to be practically the equivalent of the pilot's salary for a whole year.28 Later, when visits of large naval vessels in the local harbor became comparatively rare, there was not so great a need for several Navy pilots; however, at least one was usually available.29

COMMISSIONING OF SHIPS

As of 26 August 1943, Comdt NOB was authorized by ComEleven to act as that officer's representative in "accepting and placing in commission vessels in excess of 1000 tons,30 in the San Pedro - Los Angeles - Long Beach area. Also Comdt NOB was to act for ComEleven in "complying with directives from the Vice Chief of Naval Operations relating to fitting out, availability and reporting for shakedown."30

In executing this great task the NOB Operations Officer and his assistants performed most of the many duties which had become a part of ComNOB's responsibility. When the vessels were ready, they were accepted and commissioned by ComNOB or his

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designated agent. After commissioning, the vessels had a fitting out period of approximately ten days. Then they were assigned for shakedown to the San Pedro Shakedown Group, an activity under the cognizance of COTCPac.

One hundred and eighty-five vessels were accepted and commissioned by ComNOB or his designated agent in the course of this program. The NOB Operations Officer carried on most of the detail work In this connection, working with the San Pedro Branch of the Central Commissioning Detail which was set up at Terminal Island to assist in this work. The largest number of vessels of any one type were the fifty-two APA's which were built at local shipyards and commissioned by ComNOB. These and other ships accepted and commissioned during this program are listed in the appendix.

The Commissioning Detail, mentioned above, was set up in May 1944, as a branch of the Central Commissioning Detail, West Coast.31 The Officer-in-Charge of this detail and his assistants were available to assist prospective commanding officers of vessels being built in this area in the outfitting of their vessels and in the training of personnel, both officers and enlisted men. Assistance was given in setting up the administrative organization of

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the ships and in obtaining stores and equipment. The builders and the Maritime Commission were dealt with through the Liaison Officer representative of the assistant Industrial Manager. After the ships had been accepted and commissioned, the Commissioning Detail was empowered to cooperate with the ships commanding officers and with NOB Operations in the work of deperming, degaussing, loading ammunition, stores and fuel oil, and operating the ships within the harbor breakwater.31 Throughout this commissioning program, it was understood that ComNOB was the authorized representative for this work and that all matters were to be handled through him. Hence, a very great burden fell upon Operations which handled most of the detail work in this connection.

In April 1945, the APA building and commissioning program was completed32 and the San Pedro Commissioning Detail effected a thirty-three per cent reduction in enlisted complement. ComNOB recommended that if the Central Commissioning Detail, West Coast, were disestablished, that the Branch Detail at San Pedro might be brought under the Liaison Officer for Forces Afloat.33 ComEleven believed that this was authorized already by ComWesSeaFron.34 In essence this was the policy that was

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followed after the end of hostilities and as the commissioning program gradually closed out.

STAFF SUPPLY OFFICER

The Naval Operating Base Staff Supply Officer was established as a department of the NOB Staff when Comdr. C. H. Miley, SC, USN, reported for duty at the Naval Operating Base on 23 September 1943. As Supply Officer on ComNOB's Staff Comdr. Miley acted or recommended to ComNOB or to the District Supply Officer on all matters pertaining to supply, accounting, disbursing, and commissary for the activities under the cognizance of ComNOB, Terminal Island. He was also available to the Eleventh Naval District Supply Officer on matters arising in the northern part of the District when so needed by that officer. The NOB Staff Supply Officer acted in the capacity of coordinator for all supply and disbursing work for all the activities which made up the Naval Operating Base. As such he was really a trouble shooter on all such matters. He was also the representative of the Eleventh Naval District in this area for all Bureau of Supplies and Accounts affairs. This Bureau work amounted, however, to a comparatively small part of the responsibilities which fell to the Staff Supply Officer, perhaps one of the heaviest duties performed by the Staff Supply Officer was that

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of inspecting the Supply Departments on all ships on which there were Supply Officers aboard visiting this area. This duty had been delegated to the District Supply Officers by the Commander, Western Sea Frontier. As the representative of the District Supply Officer in the northern portion of this District, NOB Supply Officer made these inspections.

It should be clear that the Staff Supply Officer of NOB did not operate the Supply and Disbursing facilities for NOB activities nor for NOB Headquarters. Pay accounts and disbursing for NOB Headquarters personnel were handled by the Roosevelt Base Disbursing Office. Other activities had their own supply and disbursing arrangements, either within the activity itself or in cooperation with another activity.

PUBLIC WORKS

It is clearly apparent that an undertaking of the magnitude of the development of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, involved work for the Public Works Officer and his Department which was considerable in scope and involved an extensive organization. A detailed technical discussion of the development and Internal activity of this Department at NOB belongs more properly to the history

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of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and its subordinate agencies. Hence, this section will not attempt to present an engineer's picture of the accomplishments of Public Works. Rather it is intended that some general account be included here of these services which this Department provided and those matters for which the Public Works Officer was responsible.

The Public Works Officer, as head of the Public Works Department of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, was responsible for "the design, construction, operation, upkeep, and repairs of all public works and public utilities in the several activities" of the Base. As Officer in Charge of Construction he was in charge of construction of "Public Works under contract in the San Pedro area." This responsibility included the construction work for the U. S. Naval Drydocks, Terminal Island, and for the Naval Air Station, as well as for the Naval Hospitals at Long Beach and Corona.35 During the course of the wartime history of NOB, the Public Works Officer from time to time was concerned with most cf the Naval construction activity in the northern part of the Eleventh Naval District.

A somewhat more detailed statement of the public Works Officer's duties and responsibilities is to be found in the "Regulations of the Naval

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Operating Base, Terminal Island.36

Even before the office of Assistant Commandant was established and of course before the advent of the Naval Operating Base, the need for an on-the-spot Public Works Officer had been recognized. ComEleven, through the District Public Works Officer, assigned Lieut. Comdr. Wm. H. Overshiner, CEC-V(S), USNR, as Project Manager for Public Works at the Naval Air Station, San Pedro, and for "other public works activities in the San Pedro-Long Beach-Los Angeles Area."37

After the Naval Operating Base was established in 1941 and work was under way on the construction of Roosevelt Base and the Drydocks on Terminal Island, the Civil Engineer officers who had previously been under the cognizance of the Assistant Commandant were ordered to report to ComdtNOB. Captain E. C. Seibert (CEC) USN, was ordered to report as Officer in Charge of Construction, NOB, and the other officers who had been working with him were ordered to report to ComdtNOB for "duty with the Officer in Charge of Construction", NOB.38 This was of course in connection with Contract NOy-4279, the contract under which the Roosevelt Base facilities were undertaken. From time to time, as the need was seen for further construction work which had not

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been foreseen nor included when this contract was originally drawn up, change orders were issued to Contract NOy-4279 and the work carried out accordingly.

In the latter part of November 1941,39 orders were received from the Bureau of Naval Personnel which designated Captain Seibert as Public Works Officer of the Naval Operating Base, San Pedro. As such he was made responsible not only for Public works activities of the NOB components but also for all other Naval units in the local San Pedro-Long Beach Area.40 The orders issued by ComEleven to the NOB Public Works Officer through ComdtNOB on 5 December 1941 gave him duties, in addition to his NOB responsibilities, in connection with the Section Base, San Pedro, the Navy Defense Housing Project, Long Beach, and the Naval Reserve Armory, Los Angeles, and for all other properties in this area then occupied by lease or permit by the Navy. These Included twelve activities in addition to the office of the Commandant NOB.41

in a letter written by the NOB Public Works Officer to ComEleven, summarizing the duties of the newly appointed officer, it was stated that the only extant Public Works organization was that at the

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Naval Air Station on Terminal Island. In view of the urgency of the work to be done, it was suggested that this organization be taken over intact and that a Supply Department be set up for NOB as soon as possible. In the meantime it was recommended that the Supply Department at NAS be empowered to make purchases greater than $500.00 in order to expedite the work going on in this area.42 The recommendations of the Public Works Officer were concurred in by the Commanding Officer of the Air Station and by ComdtNOB. However, Comdt NOB recommended that the Officer in Charge of the Navy Disbursing and Transportation Officer, San Pedro, rather than the Supply Officer at the Air Station, be empowered to function as the Supply Officer for NOB. ComdtNOB also recommended that this officer be authorized to make purchases over $500.00.43 A week after this letter with its endorsements was forwarded to ComEleven, ComdtNOB wrote to ComEleven urging the "earliest possible action on the recommendations ... in that there is difficulty in meeting Public Works demands for the activities in the Long Beach - San Pedro - Los Angeles area under present arrangements."44

In his forwarding endorsement on the letter of the NOB Public Works Officer to the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, ComEleven did not concur in the recommendation that a separate supply department

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be established for NOB nor did he recommend a change in the then existing system of supply.45 It is to be noted that before this ComdtNOB had requested BuNav to change the orders of certain officers at the Naval Disbursing and Transportation Office so that they might serve under NOB for supply and accounting duty.46 ComEleven had observed at that time that "doubtless the handling of allotments of certain activities under the direct jurisdiction of ComNOB would be desirable."47 ComEleven went on to recommend that the Officer-in-Charge of NAVDATO, San Pedro, be given orders for additional duty as Accounting Officer, NOB, San Pedro. However, it was stipulated that the accounting work done by this officer was to consist only of such stores and costs accounting as should be "necessary to keep budgets and allotments and make the necessary changes thereto" for ComdtNOB's Office, Roosevelt Base and NAVDATO.

(This discussion into supply matters is brought in here, in this discussion of the Public Works Department, because of its very obvious relation to the difficulties and problems of the Public Works Officer in the early days of the Naval Operating Base.)

The Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks approved the recommendations for the organization of the NOB Public Works Department and ordered an additional

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officer to assist the Public Works Officer in the administration of the new organization.48 With regard to the matters of supply already referred to, BuDocks stated that "reports indicate that a very considerable amount of time is lost when urgent purchases must be routed via the supply department in San Diego." BuDocks believed that the authority given the Officer in Charge of NAVDATO, San Pedro, would do much to eliminate this delay. Nevertheless, BuDocks "strongly recommended that this authority provide for purchases in excess of $500.00."

By the middle of July 1942, ComdtNOB considered that construction work at Roosevelt Base was sufficiently near completion to allow the transfer of the NOB Public Works Department from the Naval Air Station at Reeves Field on Terminal Island to a location on Roosevelt Base nearby. In his endorsement to the letter of the Commanding Officer of the Air Station to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, ComdtNOB emphasized the fact that "the development of the Public Works Department, Naval Operating Base, (had) depended entirely upon the facilities offered by the Naval Air Station during the interim of ... construction activities."49 Work of course continued to go forward on construction of the buildings and other installations of Roosevelt Base and this work included the provision of necessary facilities and equipment for Public Works.

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When the U. S. Naval Drydocks was about to be placed in operation it was made clear that the Commanding Officer of that activity wished to have his own Public Works organization. Plans had been worked out under which it was contemplated to have a single Public Works Department to care for the needs of NOB, including the Drydocks, but excluding the Naval Air Station which already had its own such office and would continue to carry on its own plubic works arrangements.

A proposal was sent in to VCNO early in March 1943,50 concerning the rearrangement of certain facilities at Roosevelt Base so that two buildings, which had been earmarked for Public Works use might be turned over to the Net Depot (then on Terminal Island) and a Naval Net Depot building might be received in exchange for use by the Drydocks for storage purposes. Other buildings were indicated as those to be used for Public Works purposes, plus an additional building to be built for a Transportation Shop. Further study of the subject led ComdtNOB to the conclusion that ultimately this might not work out for the general good of NOB and other Naval activities other than the Drydocks. It was believed that a situation might develop whereby NOB might be deprived of ready access to Public Works facilities, which the command had

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developed and then possessed. The Commanding Officer, Drydocks, had made it clear that such facilities would be extended "to activities other than the Drydocks insofar as the primary function of the Drydocks would not be adversely affected."51 ComdtNOB had been chiefly concerned in these matters with eliminating "unnecessary duplication of materials and manpower consistent with achieving adequate Public Works services for all activities concerned." Hence, it had been proposed to have a single set of Public Works facilities for all activities in this part of the Eleventh Naval District, including the Drydocks, but not the Air Station. The Commanding Officer of the Drydocks, however, had suggested that he take over the Public Works responsibilities for all activities of NOB with the exception of the Air Station, but that there be a separate organization set up under an Assistant District Public Works Officer to see to all investigation, design, and inspection of Public Works matters at activities not a part of NOB, with shop services to be rendered "by the Drydocks Public Works only and if the Commanding Officer, Drydocks, would deem that such services would not impair the services to be rendered to the Drydocks and other activities of the Naval Operating Base." ComdtNOB believed that such an arrangement would almost inevitably result in considerable difficulty "in attaining satisfactory

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factory service for any activity outside of the Drydocks." He realized, of course, the position of the Commanding Officer of the Drydocks in wishing to have his own Public Works organization under his own control and believed that it was feasible to set up a separate organization for that activity. Under this arrangement, the needs in this respect could be met for all activities of NOB as well as for other activities in the northern part of the District, and the needs of the Drydocks could be taken care of also. Hence it was recommended by Comdt NOB that a portion of Net Depot Building #50 be set aside for temporary use by the Drydocks for storage purposes, but that the new buildings originally planned for NOB Public Works be used for their intended purposes and not turned over to the Net Depot as had been proposed.

As of 1 July 1943, the Public Works Department at the Naval Operating Base was employing 692 civilians and expected to have 1192 civilians employed by 1 July 1944.52

When the Naval Manpower Survey Board Committee made its survey in January 1944, it found that the shops, despite their newness, were well organized and the project well planned. It judged that the Department was undermanned as far as civil engineer officers were concerned. Indeed, it felt that a

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complement of eight officers was moderate; all officers were found to be working in supervisory or executive capacities.53 The Senior Member of the NMSB recommended to the Secretary of the Navy that there be added to the complement one commander and one lieutenant commander as well as eighty-nine civilian workers.54

In the latter part of November 1943, authorization had been requested to increase the Shop facilities for NOB Public Works.55 Authority had been given shortly after the first of January 1944, to proceed with this work as a station labor project.56 However, by June 1944, it was necessary to increase the scope of this addition. Facilities for the Paint Shop were badly needed; some of [the] Public Works space had been taken over by SCTC and the need for additional facilities was keenly felt. Therefore ComdtNOB requested that a new project be authorized to construct a Paint Shop and Covered Building.57

As a result of the joint action of the Public Works Departments at Terminal Island and at San Diego and of the Naval Supply Depot at San Diego there were established at NOB Public Works and at San Diego in the fall of 1944 offices known as Utilities Sections. The Utility Section of NOB Public works was set up to take care of all matters concerned within the

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general term of public utilities. This included all matters related to electricity, gas, water and sewage disposal, requests for new services, changes, terminations, etc.57

In June 1945, ComNOB sent a memorandum to ComEleven in which he recommended a consolidation of Public Works facilities and services for NOB activities. In this memorandum was stated the premise for such consolidation:59

"There should be one completely integrated, adequately equipped and manned, Public Works Department, Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, to function under Commander, Naval Operating Base, for all Naval Operating Base activities.

"The Public Works Officer should be the Officer in Charge, under BuDocks, of ail Navy construction contracts and construction work under those contracts."

This memorandum went on to advocate the retention of the then existent layout with the Public Works shops, administrative, design, planning, and storage buildings located on Roosevelt Base near the NOB Headquarters Administration Building. Moreover, it was suggested that each NOB activity should have assigned to its staff a Resident Public Works Officer detailed to this work from the NOB Public Works Department, but placed under the command of the Commanding Officer of the particular activity for additional duty. It was believed that in this way every activity

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of NOB might have the benefits of an experienced Public Works Officer who was a member of that activity's organization but who was also integrated with NOB Public Works. Hence there would be the additional advantage of a large co-ordinated Public Works program for all activities of the Naval Operating Base. Such a program it was thought, would result in savings in personnel, maintenance money, equipment and supplies, and administrative storage space; uniformity of hiring and employment of personnel could be provided and there would be a contribution to unity of command. This system might also be extended to those Naval activities in this part of the District which were not a part of NOB.

In line with these considerations, the Public Works Officer of the Naval Operating Base prepared a study of this problem of consolidation which was sent to ComEleven, via ComNOB, on 1 August 1945.60 ComNOB concurred in the recommendations which were made in this letter.61 In it were set forth findings concerning the existing Public Works arrangements at the principal activities of the Naval Operating Base, conclusions and recommendations. It will be noticed that, among other things, the recommendation for the arrangement for Public Works responsibility in the northern part of the Eleventh Naval District followed much the same plan as that which ComNOB had suggested

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in hie memorandum already mentioned. However, the NOB Public Works Officer did recommend that the Public Works Officers for the Drydocks be ordered directly to that activity because of the duality of that command.

 

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, NOB

A study of transportation problems is to be found at greater length in another chapter of this history. However, mention of the NOB Transportation Department is pertinent in connection with the study of NOB Staff. The billet of Transportation Officer was established by ComdtNOB on 24 February 1943. The purpose of setting up this staff position was to place an officer in a position where he would be responsible for an effort toward conserving gasoline, oil, and rubber and toward extending the life of the Base automotive equipment.62

As Indicated in the 1945 Naval Operating Base Regulations, the Transportation Officer had full responsibility for all passenger and freight carrying vehicles assigned to the NOB Motor Pool. He was charged with providing adequate transportation for Naval personnel and employees of NOB to and from work. Providing transportation for drafts of men to and from rail connections was also the duty of the

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Transportation Department. In connection with transporting Naval and civilian personnel to and from work, it is to be noted that such service was very largely discontinued when the local bus service became adequate to take care of the needs of personnel working or stationed on Terminal Island.

Gas rationing applications of both Naval personnel and civilian employees came under the supervision of the Transportation Department, as did the general coordination of all the transportation functions of all the activities which composed NOB.

The Administration of the tire maintenance and conservation program and, in general, the protection of the tires used in the motor pool were responsibilities of the Transportation Officer. Close liaison was maintained with all public transportation agencies and Navy transport was coordinated so far as possible with these public facilities and with Navy water transportation arrangements so as to move all Naval personnel and employees as expeditiously and economically as possible.

 

LEGAL OFFICER

The Legal Department of the Naval Operating Base Headquarters Staff actually comprised two offices: the Legal Office and the Legal Assistance Office which came under the supervisory cognizance of the Legal Officer. This officer was in charge of ail the work

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of the Legal Department and acted as the Legal Aid to the Commander, Naval Operating Base.

The functions of this department, aside from the Legal Assistance Office, were: (a) disciplinary, (b) claims, and (c) admiralty matters.

The Disciplinary Section carried out these activities in the Long Beach - San Pedro area over which ComNOB was the superior officer: It had charge of all investigations, boards of investigation, and courts of inquiry which had been convened by ComEleven in respect to activities and personnel which were under the cognizance of the Commander, Naval Operating Base. Administrative reports concerning cases of the deaths of Naval personnel in the Los Angeles - Long Beach - San Pedro area were prepared by the Disciplinary Section of the Legal Department. This section gave advice to Commanding Officers of Naval activities and of Naval vessels in the harbor with respect to legal and disciplinary problems. Such matters were those involving apprehension of personnel by civil authorities, the serving of processes by civil authorities, the preparation of records of investigations, recommendations for trial by court martial. The Disciplinary Section also handled routine matters of discipline which pertained to officers and men of the NOB Headquarters Staff.

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The Claims Section of the Legal Department was arranged to carry out these duties: It prepared administrative reports on all accidents which involved damage to or by automobiles of the Naval Operating Base truck, bus and automobile pool. This included the presentation of claims on behalf of the United States of America and the processing of claims which were presented by others. The Claims Section also processed all other miscellaneous claims against the Navy Department which were presented to the Commander, Naval Operating Base.

The Admiralty Section performed these duties: It held surveys on commercial vessels returning to this harbor allegedly damaged by collision with Naval vessels both within and outside the Eleventh Naval District. It investigated and submitted administrative reports on damage to Naval vessels, docks or wharves by private ships or persons, and on alleged damage to private vessels, docks or wharves by Naval ships or personnel.

In addition to the responsibilities indicated above, various other duties which fell to the lot of the Legal Department made the Legal Officer one of the busiest men on the NOB Staff. In the latter part of 1945 and on into 1946, Lieutenant Commander Harris K. Lyle, USN (Ret) (later Commander), who

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became Legal Officer on 10 January 1945,63 came to be recorder for the examining board which handled the transfer of officers from the U. S. Naval Reserve to the Regular Navy. Naturally, this work entailed a great deal of attention in addition to the usual labors which fell to the lot of the Legal Officer and his assistants as already shown.

 

LEGAL ASSISTANCE OFFICER

The Legal Assistance Officer, as a Staff member of the Headquarters Staff of ComNOB was delegated these duties:64

  1. "The Legal Assistance Officer shall provide Legal advice and assistance to the Naval personnel of the Naval Operating Base and Naval vessels entering this harbor.
  2. "The Legal Assistance Officer secondarily shall furnish legal advice and assistance to the dependents of Naval personnel in this area."

This officer was established by ComdtNOB on 2 August 194365 and Lieutenant W. R. Harris was ordered to duty as Legal Assistance Officer. This officer, upon assuming the duties of his department, estimated that he might be called upon to provide legal advice and help to Naval personnel in the area amounting to 25,000 persons, to the dependents of such Naval personnel amounting to an estimated 50,000 persons, and to some Naval personnel and

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their dependents living in other localities who might require such assistance. It was suggested that the office space allotted this department be located in NOB Headquarters Administration Building on Terminal Island.

It was pointed out that with a considerable increase in the numbers of naval personnel and their dependents in the local area, larger facilities might be necessary.66 ComdtNOB in a forwarding endorsement to ComEleven stressed the "extensive influence and responsibility" of this new department and considered that "one well-staffed and equipped Legal Assistance Office for the Long Beach - Los Angeles - San Pedro area is sufficient for the time being; and better than having several such offices among the Naval Operating Base activities and other activities in this area."67

As had been suggested, the main office was set up in the Administration Building at NOB Headquarters on Terminal Island. Arrangements were made with the Navy Relief Society for the use of a room for giving assistance to dependents of Naval personnel and interview for such purposes were arranged by the Navy Relief Society. Arrangements were made for possible assistance from civilian lawyers through the cooperation of the local and state bar organizations.68

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According to the report submitted by the Legal Assistance Officer early in 1944, by the end of 1943 this office had handled 986 separate matters. Of these, approximately 50% were income tax cases; domestic relations cases comprised about 11% of the total. As has been indicated above, the civilian bar had cooperated with this department in giving assistance either gratuitously or, where a fee was allowable, at a reasonable rate.69

When the Navy Manpower Survey Board Committee inspected the Legal Assistance Department on 5 January 1944, it was considered undermanned and there were believed to be needed one lieutenant commander, two Wave ensigns, and four CAF civilian personnel. This board also recommended that all legal activities under ComdtNOB be combined in one department of which legal assistance to service personnel would be one sub-division. It was then understood that there was a possibility of all such legal activities, except the General Court Martial being centralized under one department head. The recommended increases in personnel were based on such probable unification. This, however, does not appear to have immediately taken place. When the Senior Member of the Navy Manpower Survey Board submitted his recommendations to the Secretary of the Navy no changes were recommended in

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the complement of one male officer, one Wave officer and three female civilians.70 This the Secretary of the Navy approved in a first endorsement of 21 April 1944.

It will be observed that in the Regulations of NOB, 1945, the Legal Assistance Officer is listed as coming under the Director of Welfare, but that in the chart of the Staff included in these Regulations this department appears as a supervisory responsibility of the Legal Officer. It should be here noted that the Legal Assistance Officer was "under the administrative supervision of the Director of Welfare only in respect to housing, office hours, and similar matters pertaining to office routine..."71

 

SECURITY AND DAMAGE CONTROL OFFICER

The various matters with which the Security and Damage Control Officer was concerned are discussed at much greater length in another chapter of this history. However, a brief statement concerning his work seems pertinent here. The billets of Security and Damage Control were combined in one office and the work carried on by one officer. This officer was charged with the general security of all the activities under the control of the Commander, Naval Operating Base. While Terminal Island was under Naval Jurisdiction during wartime by Executive Order, the work of the Security Officer was considerably involved in

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view of the fact that it was his responsibility to preserve the security of the Island, this was a rather considerable undertaking; the guarding of the Island installations from sabotage and the elimination of undesirables from the Island's working population involved a large amount of work and responsibility.

The Security and Damage Control Officer established and maintained liaison with the Security Officers of the local Army and Coast Guard forces, with the Police and Fire Departments of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and with the Plant Protection Departments of all activities which were engaged in war work on Terminal Island.

The training and supervision of a civilian guard force which patrolled Terminal Island and guarded the Lend-Lease docks area on a twenty-four hour basis was a responsibility of the Security and Damage Control Officer. Likewise, he was responsible for the training and supervision of the NOB Fire Department which served Roosevelt Base and the U. S. Naval Drydocks primarily.

FIRE PROTECTION CONSULTATION AND ADVISORY SERVICE

The Fire Protection Consultation and Advisory Service was established by the Bureau of Ships at the direction of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.72 This service carried on the following activities:

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  1. Worked toward reducing shipboard fire hazards.
  2. Assisted in obtaining the latest fire fighting materials for each Naval vessel.
  3. Witnessed the use of fire fighting equipment by enlisted personnel to insure that correct methods of fire fighting were used.
  4. Conducted tests of fire fighting gear to insure satisfactory operation with fire main pressures and pumping capacities actually available.
  5. Determined whether Bureau directives relating to shipboard fire fighting installations had been complied with.
  6. Made recommendations for reducing fire hazards and Improving the state of readiness of the ships' fire fighting equipment.

In carrying out these provisions, the Fire Consultant who was attached to the Staff of ComNOB worked in conjunction with the Consultants attached to the U. S. Naval Drydocks and to the Assistant Industrial Manager's Office. These experts inspected ships in this area to render these services to the forces afloat. During the time that the APA Commissioning program and the SCTC training activities were in full operation these consultants were considerably involved in the work of those programs.

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NOB PERSONNEL OFFICE

In the earlier days of the Naval Operating Base, the Personnel Office was a billet combined with other duties. In the course of time, however, this situation became, inadvisable in that the responsibilities of this work had become far too great. The Personnel Office was set up as a separate department of the Naval Operating Base Staff. As such, this department has handled the work incident to the personnel matters for both officer and enlisted personnel in a number of varied categories. This has involved a great deal of detailed work as is seen when it is realized that these responsibilities involved such variety.

The NOB Personnel Officer was responsible for the maintenance of records and the rendition of reports for:73

  1. Officers attached to NOB. This means, of course, those officers attached to the Headquarters of NOB, not to all the individual activities of NOB.
  2. Prospective Commanding Officers of ships which were being built in this area.
  3. Officers assigned for temporary duty. These were mainly in two categories: Those arriving from overseas and awaiting assignment by the Bureau of Naval Personnel; those hospitalized officers who were awaiting action on Medical Surveys.

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The NOB Personnel Officer issued temporary duty orders which were required by activities in this area. He also issued Air Priorities for Officer personnel.

For enlisted personnel the NOB Personnel Office maintained records and made reports for enlisted personnel attached to NOB and also for a number of other activities in the Los Angeles - San Pedro area. (The number of these activities for which NOB Personnel performed this service varied from time to time. In September 1944, the number amounted to twenty-four activities and a total of 487 men.) This office also prepared pay record vouchers, orders for transfer, etc. as they were required.

In addition to these more purely personnel duties, the NOB Personnel Officer had cognizance of a number of other matters. He was Director of Welfare and Recreation and as such had cognizance over these functions; he was also Director of Training and had cognizance of the work of the Audio-Visual Aids, Educational Services, and Physical Training Departments of the Naval Operating Base. He also had cognizance over the allotment and purchase of War Bonds.

With the end of hostilities, the work of the Personnel Officer and his assistants greatly increased.

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Very nearly every vessel that entered the San Pedro - Long Beach harbor brought officers whose orders required them to report to ComNOB — hence, to NOB Personnel Office. The handling of this huge debarkation load of officer records, the arranging of all matters connected therewith, and the issuing of orders or obtaining of orders for these officers made it imperative that the personnel attached to this office be increased. This was done, though never to the extent that the Staff of this Office was sufficient to handle the great burden thrust upon it. Moreover there was the additional load of handling many records and orders for officer and enlisted personnel who were about to be separated from the service or who wished to have the date of their demobilization postponed. Representatives of the Bureau of Naval Personnel were on duty in the Personnel Department to interview officers on matters concerned with changes of duty and to recommend possible assignments for these officers. The NOB Personnel Officer, upon instructions of the Bureau, issued the necessary orders to officers in this category. These and many other personnel problems added to the burden which was the lot of the NOB Personnel Officer and his assistants in the post-surrender period.

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EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND TRAINING

The Educational Services Department was set up at Naval Operating Base Headquarters in the fall of 1943 when Lieutenant (jg) Paul Witt, USNR, reported to ComdtNOB under Bureau of Naval Personnel orders as Educational Services Officer.74 The importance of providing educational opportunities of a non-military nature had been recognized throughout the armed forces. This department was set up to further this work at NOB and its component activities.

It provided immediate facilities as well as liaison between service personnel and educational institutions which were offering assistance to those men and women in the service who wished to further their education or improve their qualifications for obtaining work after leaving the service. The courses offered in this program were, of course, not designed to interfere or in any way to compete with the official training courses offered by the Navy as part of its program of advancing men in rating. When the program was established, the Educational Services Officer was authorized to:

"Organize voluntary classes in such academic subjects as mathematics, physics, English, foreign languages, etc., as the needs and interests of the personnel indicate.

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"Make available self-teaching textbooks in a variety of academic subjects.
 
"Assist and guide in the selection of correspondence and extension courses on the high school or college levels, provided by the Navy for Navy personnel through the U. S. Armed Forces Institute, Madison Wisconsin."

The Education Services Department also assisted in the task of geographical orientation of the Naval personnel through the use of newsmaps, films, booklets, and posters. To some extent war information was disseminated through this Office.

A training Aids Department came into being with the reporting of an officer for duty as Audio-Visual Training Officer in 1944.75 This officer had as his duty the assisting of Forces Afloat and shore based activities in the local area with various visual training aids, such as posters, mock-ups, etc., and with aural aids such as recordings and sound films. This department also assisted in the maintenance and repair of audio-visual equipment and gave assistance to instructors as to the best training aids obtainable for their courses and how to derive the greatest value from such aids.

PHYSICAL TRAINING AND PHYSICAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

The Physical Training and Physical Maintenance Program at the Naval Operating Base was put on a

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firmer and more thoroughly organized basis when the Bureau of Naval Personnel assigned an officer to the Base for full-time duty in this work. In the fall of 1943, Lieutenant Arthur Egendorf, USNR, reported to ComdtNOB under BuPers orders for duty as Physical Training Officer.76

To make the physical training and maintenance programs more effective this officer undertook this project:

  1. "Offered swimming instruction to all officers and men connected with ComdtNOB,
  2. "Organized classes in calisthenics and swimming for crews of ships in the harbor.
  3. "Assisted in setting up and coordinating programs for all activities under ComdtNOB.
  4. "Provided leadership and facilities for an officers' (Male and female) physical maintenance program."

In January 1944, Lieutenant (jg) Dorothy E. Mohn, W-V(S), USNR, reported to ComdtNOB, under orders of the Eleventh Naval District, for duty as Physical Training Officer for officer and enlisted Waves.77 She was intrusted with setting up and coordinating all physical maintenance programs for the activities which composed NOB and which carried Waves as a part of their complements.

As will be seen from the Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, the Physical Training Officer

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was responsible for coordinating the physical maintenance programs throughout the NOB activities and for making known to the officers and men of visiting ships what facilities were available for them for athletic purposes at Roosevelt Base and at the Receiving Station on Terminal Island.

WELFARE AND RECREATION

As the Staff of the Commander, Naval Operating Base, was organized according to the "Regulations" of April 1945, the Recreation Officer came under the cognizance of the Director of Welfare (Personnel Officer). The Welfare and Recreation Officer of NOB held a dual billet in that he was also Assistant District Welfare and Recreation Officer. In this latter connection his chief duty was the supervision of all inter-station athletic contests between Naval Stations in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, and Santa Barbara, California.

In his capacity as Welfare and Recreation Officer, NOB, he had the supervision of all inter-base athletic events for activities which were a part of NOB. He maintained liaison with ships present in the local harbor so as to serve them so far as possible in connection with their recreation and welfare needs. This included provision of information regarding

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athletics, entertainments, shows, reading material, etc. He was Officer-in-Charge of the NOB libraries and maintained a pool of books to be used by ships operating in this area. Supervision of librarians and library maintenance also came within his province. He acted as Officer-in-Charge of the Motion Picture Exchange and in that connection administered the distribution of films to activities in the area.

As is indicated in the Base Regulations, the Welfare and Recreation Officer was also in charge of the administration of the Welfare Fund. Before the Naval Operating Base was set up, funds were allotted by the Eleventh Naval District for Welfare and Recreation purposes. In the summer of 1941,78 funds totalling $3400.00 were allotted to activities in the San Pedro - Long Beach area. As the Fleet Operating Base was not yet existent in a commissioned status in the fall of 1941, the amount allotted to that activity was reallocated to the office of the Assistant Commandant.79

By the fall of 1942, it was evident that there was need of improved coordination of the welfare and recreation work of the Naval activities in the San Pedro - Long Beach - Los Angeles area and it recommended that an Assistant District Welfare and Recreation Officer be assigned to duty in this area, under ComdtNOB,80 to carry on this work. Proper liaison

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with the District Welfare and Recreation Officer being maintained, on 26 September 1942, it was requested that Lieutenant John M. Perry, USNR, be ordered to duty under ComdtNOB as Welfare and Recreation Officer of Roosevelt Base and the Naval Operating Base, San Pedro.81

The Welfare Department Fund was set up in February 1945, under the authorization of ComEleven.82 The Welfare and Recreation Officer was authorized by ComNOB to establish and administer this fund, the money for which was to be derived, as in the past, from the Ship's Service Department of Roosevelt Base, Terminal Island.

BENEFITS AND INSURANCE OFFICER

Early in 1943, assistance in matters of insurance and benefits was provided at NOB. Lieutenant John H. Goodwin, USNR, reported for duty in connection with insurance activities in the San Pedro - Long Beach - Los Angeles area.83 The Insurance Officer at the Naval Operating Base Headquarters was brought to this base, as to other ships and stations throughout the Navy, to further the service insurance program in accordance with the wishes of the Secretary of the Navy who earnestly desired that every person in the Navy carry as much National Service Life Insurance

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as possible.84 These officers were enjoined to make themselves thoroughly familiar with the benefits provided for Naval personnel and their families and especially with the provisions and benefits of National Life Insurance and U. S. Government Life Insurance. The insurance officer had the duty of publicizing the National Life Insurance and of interviewing personnel and encouraging their carrying and continuing their insurance policies. This officer received and processed new applications for insurance and arranged medical examinations where the applicant had been in the Navy more than 120 days.

NOB CHAPLAIN AND THE NAVY RELIEF SOCIETY

Since the work of the Chaplains Corps of the Navy and that of the Navy Relief Society are so closely related, it appears advisable to give some consideration to these two activities together.

Chaplains were on duty in the San Pedro - Long Beach area for some years prior to the establishment of the Naval Operating Base. During these years they were also active in the work of the Navy Relief Society. In October 1940, it was suggested that it might be advisable to have a chaplain assigned to duty at Reeves Field (Naval Air Station)85 and in November 1940, Lieutenant Commander F. T. Barkman was ordered to

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duty as an assistant to Chaplain Forsander, Senior Chaplain for the District in this area, and with additional duties at Reeves Field.86

The San Pedro Auxiliary of the Navy Relief Society was designated thus until 31 October 1935 when the name of the organization was changed to Long Beach Auxiliary of the Navy Relief Society. In May 1936, the Auxiliary was reorganized and became the San Pedro - Long Beach Fleet Auxiliary of the Navy Relief Society. On 20 May 1942, the word "Fleet" was eliminated from the title. The Chaplain on duty with this organization was known as the Eleventh Naval District Chaplain, Long Beach, until 7 December 1943 at which time the designation of this officer was changed to NOB Chaplain. The Eleventh Naval District Chaplain and, after 7 January 1944, the NOB Chaplain also served as Long Beach member of the District Rental Board.87

The mission of the Navy Relief Society is the assistance of Naval personnel, their dependents, widows and orphans.88 The Chaplain on duty in the Long Beach area was assigned extra duties in connection with administering the affairs of the San Pedro Long Beach Auxiliary of the Navy Relief Society. These affairs were chiefly the giving of advice and assistance, and the administration of the remedial

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loan service. Social service activities were carried on by a Visiting Nurse employed by the Auxiliary. The San Pedro - Long Beach Auxiliary handled pertinent matters in the area in which most of the NOB activities were located. In addition it was designated to serve a number of stations and activities outside this area but in the northern part of the Eleventh Naval District. There were twenty such activities.89

The organization of the Auxiliary comprised an Executive Committee, Women's Committee, Case-Section, Hospitalization Section, Loans Section, and Financial Section. The Commander, Naval Operating Base, served as President of the Executive Committee, the Medical Officer in Command at the Long Beach Naval Dispensary served as First Vice President, the Battle Force Chaplain as Second Vice President, the Treasurer was an officer designated by the President; the NOB Chaplain was Chairman of the Relief Committee and the Executive Secretary.

Among other reasons for the establishment of the NOB Chaplain was the need recognized for having some means of providing the advice and assistance of an experienced chaplain of the regular Navy for those chaplains of the Naval Operating Base activities who were new to the Navy and its procedures. In addition to these duties and his work as a member

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of the Rental Board, the NOB Chaplain, by appointment of ComNOB served as a member of the committee which took charge of handling the evacuees from points outside the United States.90

The duties of the Naval Operating Base Chaplain have been stated as follows:91

  1. "To inspect the work of the Chaplains attached to NOB activities at frequent intervals.
  2. "To advise, counsel and offer suggestions to the Chaplains of the Naval Operating Base concerning their work.
  3. "To arrange for services at units to which no Chaplains are assigned. Also for interchange of Chaplains of the different faiths so as to provide services for all.
  4. "To call meetings of the Chaplains of the Naval Operating Base for conferences, discussions, and adjustments of the matters pertinent to their work.
  5. "At the end of each quarter he shall make a written report to the Commandant, Eleventh Naval District, concerning Chaplains and their work."

There were assigned to the NOB Chaplain's Office an Area Jewish Chaplain and a Ship's and Dock's Chaplain.91

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

Before the United States had entered the War and before Roosevelt Base had been commissioned, but when construction of that activity was under way, arrangements had been made for communications facilities

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for Roosevelt Base and the Naval Air Station on Terminal Island.92 The communications office for Naval Operating Base and Roosevelt Base was installed in the Administration Building on Terminal Island and connected with the transmitter house on the base as was also the communications office for the Naval Air Station. According to the scheme originally contemplated, it was intended that the Naval Air Station act as the main radio station for NOB and that traffic between the two communications offices be handled by means of a direct teletype line.93

After 15 December 1941, when the Naval Operating Base took over the communications control for the San Pedro - Long Beach area from the Naval Air Station communications with San Diego was carried on by means of a direct teletype line, radio silence being observed on the Harbor Circuit between the Naval Air Station and Radio San Diego. After Roosevelt Base was commissioned on 1 September 1942, the amount of traffic greatly increased between ComEleven and NOB, toward the end of 1942, with the graving docks nearing completion, it was anticipated that there would be a still further increase in traffic in the future. With this heavy traffic existing and greater traffic expected, need for an alternate circuit was realized

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and therefore the Harbor Circuit was reestablished. It proved to be of considerable aid in handling peak traffic between NOB and San Diego.

In the meantime, in the summer of 1942, ComdtNOB had felt compelled to request that the cryptographic allowance for NOB Communications be revised upward from the Class Four Ashore which was still held as in peacetime. In the letter in which this revision of the allowance was requested, ComdtNOB pointed out that information which was normally addressed to ComEleven in higher cryptographic systems than those held by ComdtNOB was frequently needed in order to carry on the functions of the local activities. Providing this information required that it be sent by courier or be paraphrased, and re-encoded in some system held by ComdtNOB. The first means, by courier, incurred considerable delays; the second was very bad from the security standpoint. Therefore, It was requested that a higher cryptographic allowance be assigned to the NOB Communications Department.94

In 1942, ComdtNOB had asked that authority be granted to purchase locally a communications receiver.95 The Vice Chief of Naval Operations, as an alternative, suggested that NOB make use of radio facilities at either the Section Base, Harbor Entrance Control Post, or the office of the Captain of the [unreadable].96 These

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activities were not in a position to furnish facilities for carrying on radio communications on the Eleventh Naval District Harbor Circuit. Prompt action was necessary to obtain the receiver mentioned; so this was done and an airmailgram sent explaining the action which had been taken.97 Whereupon VCNO wished to know the circumstances which had brought about the establishment of a radio station at NOB, San Pedro;98 hence, ComdtNOB's letter giving the background of the communications organization.93

In this letter, in addition to what has already been discussed, ComdtNOB explained that since the outbreak of the war the work of the Naval Air Station had greatly increased and that difficulty had been experienced in obtaining radiomen and radio equipment for their own needs. Hence, if NOB Communications assumed radio guard for all local traffic, via the harbor circuit, it would relieve the Air Station communications organization of work which might better be handled by NOB. No mechanical or physical changes would be required nor would additional equipment be needed from the Bureau. At this time, mid-December 1942, no radio call was assigned to NOB. The radio call in use was assigned to the Naval Air Station (Radio San Pedro Aero). This caused confusion and extra work in that the Air Station was forced to

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break down all despatches coming in so addressed in order to ascertain whether the Air Station or NOB Communications Department was the interested party. It was suggested that a call be assigned to Radio San Pedro (Naval Operating Base) so as to relieve this difficulty.

At the end of December 1942, ComdtNOB requested that four more officers be assigned to the Communications Department to bring the coding board of five up to nine so as to be able to handle the increased traffic load. At this time, however, ComEleven stated that there were no communications officers available for assignment to NOB.99

ComEleven concurred in the reasons given by ComdtNOB for requesting augmented radio facilities, and recommended favorable consideration of the request.100 However, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations disapproved the request101 on the basis that "insufficient operational necessity had been shown."102 In compliance with the request of ComEleven that communication facilities on Terminal Island be reviewed so that further recommendations could be submitted,103 ComdtNOB Initiated a study.

Among the more important findings of this study were these: That in carrying out the various responsibilities of the Commandant, Naval Operating Base,

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NOB Headquarters functioned as the central operations office and all requests for service made by units of the Fleet entering the local harbor were made through NOB. The NOB Communications Department was, of course, used in executing these operational responsibilities. At that time (9 March 1943) there was maintained by that department the principal visual station in the area, but there was urgent need felt for direct radio facilities to handle traffic to and from ships. This need was especially felt in connection with working with task forces conducting operations out of the local harbor; such forces usually desired to maintain radio contact with NOB when entering or leaving the harbor or when conducting maneuvers. It was also urgently necessary that arrival reports be promptly received so as not to endanger ships by forcing them to lie outside the harbor. Another need for maintaining a radio station at NOB was in connection with providing fills of Fox transmissions which ships might have missed at sea and in connection with standing radio guard for ships while they were present under repairs. The duplication of work and attendant confusion and delay incident to the Naval Air Station having to handle all traffic coming in, whether for the Air Station or for other NOB activities has already been mentioned. It was emphasized that

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this situation was a hold-over from a pre-war set-up when the Air Station had maintained the principal communications office and visual signal station in the area and when the small amount of outside traffic had been so light that it could be handled easily. Obviously conditions had now greatly changed. It was further stated that since NOB had relieved the Naval Air Station of this responsibility and had come to maintain the principal local communications organization, Roosevelt Base, the Advance Base Depot at Port Hueneme, and the U. S. Naval Drydocks had been commissioned, shipbuilding had accelerated, and the amount of shipping from the harbor had greatly increased. It was felt that more than ever there was a great need for coordinated handling of communications. By centralizing radio, teletype, and visual communications in the NOB Communications Department, It was believed that personnel could be used more economically and the communications needs of the northern portion of the Eleventh Naval District could be served more efficiently. It was felt that the conclusion was compelling that NOB should be authorized to use the existing facilities for carrying on radio communications directly from NOB Headquarters under its own radio call sign.102

The authorized enlisted complement for the Communications

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Department was set up to cover only signalmen and radiomen. Other ratings were provided out of the general detail of NOB and Roosevelt Base.104 This covered yeomen and other ratings. With the exception of Chief Radiomen, signalmen, and couriers, many of the positions requiring enlisted personnel in the Communications Department ultimately came to he filled by Waves as were also positions on the coding board and elsewhere in this department by Wave commissioned officers. It should, of course, be understood that as of December 1943, the Communication Office at NOB Headquarters did not have a separate complement of either officers or enlisted personnel.

All these people were carried on the NOB complement and attached thereto.105

In November 1944, ComNOB wrote to the Chief of Naval Operations and reviewed the situation regarding radio facilities used and needed in order that NOB responsibilities might be carried out.106 It was pointed out that CNO had previously recognized the necessity for NOB Communications Department's maintaining the radio facilities necessary in the administration of the Base.107 However, there had not been any actual designation of a shore radio station at NOB, nor had equipment and personnel allowances been authorized to activate such a station. The radio facilities

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which existed at this time were being provided by sharing control of transmitting equipment installed at the Naval Air Station transmitter building and by borrowing a small amount of old receiver equipment no longer needed by the Air Station but procured under the allowance of that activity. Naturally, this condition was unsatisfactory and the material in use entirely inadequate in consideration of the radio needs of the activities served by NOB. Certainly, the Naval Air Station was not in a position, nor should be required, to supply the radio facilities needed by the NOB Communications Office. Therefore, Com NOB requested that "a U. S. Naval Coastal Radio Station be specifically authorized as an activity" of NOB and that "an equipment allowance be established therefore."106 On 26 January 1945 a radio station was formally established at the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, by the Secretary of the Navy when the radio facilities there were designated as "U. S. Naval Radio Station, U. S. Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), California" as an activity of the Eleventh Naval District under ComNOB.108 The NOB Communications Officer, Lieutenant Raymond E. Haskell, USNR, was nominated to be Officer In Charge of this radio station.109 Negotiations incident to setting up these new facilities on Terminal Island on Reservation Point continued through most of 1945.110

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The organizational structure of the Communications Department is rather clearly shown on the chart prepared at the time of the visit of the War Manpower Survey Board's Committee in January 1944. (This chart is to be found in the Appendix. Its study may obviate the reading of many words of description.)

This Communications Office, in the course of its development, came to be responsible for handling all the traffic for all activities in the harbor and outlying areas and for most of the ships in the harbor. In addition to the regular communication duties for NOB, this office also absorbed all communication duties for Roosevelt Base and the Small Craft Training Center on Terminal Island. The department consisted of three main divisions: the main communication center which was the controlling unit and which handled all landline traffic, the signal tower atop the Administration Building tower which was responsible for visual messages, and the radio organization (already discussed) which was responsible for radio dispatches and the Fox guard. NOB Communications also handled radio direction finder calibrations for Naval vessels. It should also be noticed that NOB Communications was responsible for the telephone switchboard and other telephone matters and that the work of the NOB Telephone

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Officer and the relationship with civilian telephone representatives came under the cognizance of the NOB Communications Department.

When the War Manpower Survey Board made its survey early in 1944, they estimated that the Communications Department was severely undermanned and correctly judged that the Department was hard pressed to handle traffic with its complement at that time.111 The possibility of using enlisted waves on the Signal Bridge was suggested. (This suggestion, however, was never put into effect.) ComdtNOB concurred with the Board's findings in general and with the suggestion that additional officers were needed. He submitted a table in which it was shown that with regard to enlisted personnel there was an approved complement of 30, a required complement of 75, and 39 on board; hence there were 36 additional enlisted personnel needed. In March 1944, BuPers changed the authorized complement for this department to 28 officers and 54 enlisted personnel.112

The work of this department has continued to increase and the numbers of personnel and the physical facilities have been augmented. With the close of hostilities and the return of many vessels of the Fleet to the San Pedro - Long Beach harbor, the burden of work and responsibility of the NOB

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Communications Department has tremendously increased in all respects and especially with regard to its visual signalling responsibilities and despatch traffic.

HISTORICAL OFFICER

In the "Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, 1945", the billet of Historical Officer is listed as a Staff Department and his duties set forth in some detail.113 The primary purpose of designating an officer as Historical Officer was to carry out the Navy Department instructions relative to the compiling of historical material and the writing of the administrative history of the Naval Operating Base.

In February 1945, instructions were sent out by the Director of Naval History concerning the preparations of the administrative histories of shore establishments.114 Inquiries were made at NOB Headquarters concerning officers who might be available for this work.115 When no qualified officer was found who could be assigned to this work, ComNOB requested that such an officer be ordered to duty for this purpose.116 No one being found in the Eleventh Naval District who was available for duty as historical officer at NOB, ComEleven sent a request to the Chief of Naval Personnel, through the Director of Naval History, asking that an historical officer be assigned to the Naval Operating Base Staff.117 In July 1945, Lieutenant H. B. Rouse was ordered to report to ComEleven118

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and shortly afterward was ordered by ComEleven to report to ComNOB as Historical Officer for the Naval Operating Base and Assistant District Historical Officer.

In his capacity as Historical Officer for the Naval Operating Base, this officer was engaged in the research and writing incident to the preparation of the Administrative History of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, from 27 July 1945 until his detachment in March 1946, prior to his separation from active service. It was not practicable to assign any Naval officer or enlisted personnel as assistants to the Historical Officer. Hence, the compilation and research as well as the actual composition of the text of this history were performed by the Historical Officer himself. A civilian secretary carried on the very necessary filing and typing activities of this office. Excellent cooperation was received by the Historical Officer from both Staff Departments and from NOB activities who made information and material available for his use.

It is not presumed that this billet will be continued as a separate Department of the Naval Base Staff.

VENEREAL DISEASE CONTROL AND MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SHIPS

The officer charged with the responsibilities

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of venereal disease control and the medical inspection of ships carried on his duties under the cognizance of the NOB Staff Medical Officer. The medical inspections of ships concerned these matters which affected the health and safety of the Armed Guard crews of merchant vessels: the living accommodations, food inspections, galley inspections, venereal disease control, examinations related to the general health of personnel, inspection of first aid equipment and the replenishment of this material, and the arrangements for the care of personnel who were in need of medical attention.

The Venereal Disease Control Office had cognizance of these matters:

  1. The Supervision of venereal disease control efforts among thirty activities in the Los Angeles area.
  2. The collection of statistical data from these activities.
  3. The analysis of all statistical data and reports submitted on this data.
  4. Establishment and supervision of first-aid prophylactic stations in the Los Angeles area.
  5. Liaison work between Naval activities, health departments, law enforcement agencies and Federal agencies.
  6. Venereal disease control educational work at Small Craft Training Center, Terminal Island.
  7. Duty as member of the Army-Navy Vice Control Board.

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MARINES AT NOB

Elsewhere in this history some attention is given to matters which concerned Marines. Some consideration is pertinent here to the service of Marine officers and enlisted personnel to NOB.

Before the Naval Operating Base had been established in the San Pedro - Long Beach area, Marines were serving at the Naval Air Station on Terminal Island performing guard duty and other customary security and defense services often assigned to Marine Corps personnel on Naval stations. This Marine detachment was not large enough to permit the assigning of any of its members to orderly duty in the office of the Assistant Commandant in San Pedro, when in the summer of 1940 that officer wished to establish such an orderly post.119 The establishment of this post was not approved by ComEleven at that time.120

In August 1941 the designation of the Marine Detachment, Naval Air Station, San Pedro, was changed to Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, Terminal Island, California.121 In late October 1941,

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a Marine Orderly Post was established in the office of the Commandant of the Naval Operating Base.122 After the Navy took over the jurisdiction or Terminal Island In March 1942, for a time the Marines on Terminal Island had the responsibility for maintaining a twenty-four hour motor patrol of the Island on orders of ComdtNOB as well as providing guards for prisoners at the Receiving Station on Terminal Island.123

In the fall of 1942, it was proposed that a Marine Barracks be erected at Roosevelt Base and that the Marine detachment at NAS be transferred hither and become an activity directly under ComdtNOB.124 Barracks were erected at Roosevelt Base and the Marine activity was placed under ComdtNOB and became known as Marine Barracks, Naval operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), California.125

On 4 December 1944, the Roosevelt Base Brig, which also served the needs of ComdtNOB headquarters for brig space, was placed under the administration of the Commanding Officer, U. S. Marine Barracks, Naval Operating Base, Terminal island, with the concurrence of the Commanding Officer of Roosevelt Base.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS

A Public Relations Office or Department, as such, was not a part of the Staff of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island. Public Relations matters were handled throughout the Eleventh Naval District by the District Public Relations organization. There was an Area Public Relations Office in the San Pedro - Long Beach area with which liaison was maintained between ComdtNOB and his Staff. This Branch of the District Public Relations Office handled ail such affairs. In the spring of 1942, Ensigns V. F. Lyon and R. T. Hartmann were designated to maintain liaison between all activities of the Naval Operating Base and the District Public Relations Offices. It was directed that:

"All requests for information intended for publication, for photographs or other arrangements of a public relations nature will be referred to the above-named officers for the consideration of the Commandant, Naval Operating Base."

In the latter part of 1942, there was need for additional space for the Port Director's Office in San Pedro and ComdtNOB suggested that the Branch Public Relations Office be moved to the NOB Administration Building on Terminal Island. It was pointed out that if this were done, the management of this Public Relations activity would be retained by the Assistant District Public Relations Office in Los Angeles. It

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was stated: "The Commandant, Naval Operating Base, San Pedro, has no need for a Public Relations establishment."128 There was an informal arrangement in effect with Los Angeles and San Pedro Area Public Relations Offices which required that publicity which pertained to or affected the Jurisdictional administration of ComdtNOB to be cleared through that official's office.129

In October 1943, Ensign Wilbur N. Burkhardt (later Lieutenant), USNR was assigned to the Staff of the Naval Operating Base "to be responsible to the Commandant for press relations."130 He was to work in close cooperation with the Area Public Relations Officer in clearing all releases through proper channels and served as the editor of all news releases which pertained to all NOB activities. He was also responsible to ComdtNOB for protecting the security applying to civilian newspapers and magazines.

Though the same officer, above designated, did not always carry on this work, liaison continued to be maintained with Area Public Relations for NOB activities.131 Later, in 1945, it appears that an increase of the Staff complement so as to allow for the position of NOB Public Relations Officer was requested. However, it does not appear that such an officer was designated under the NOB organization.132

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AMMUNITION AND ORDNANCE MATTERS FOR NOB

The Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, carried no officer on its staff to whom were delegated the responsibilities of handling ammunition and ordnance affairs. Such matters were made a part of the work of the District Ordnance organization. Before the present Assistant District Ordnance Officer reported to ComNOB on 1 March 1945, ordnance and ammunition affairs had become rather complicated in the San Pedro - Long Beach area.

Ordnance and ammunition matters were being carried on by two offices: One of these offices was that of the Assistant District Ordnance and Engineer Officer who was attached to the office of the Deputy Assistant Industrial Manager and also responsible to the Director of Material of the Eleventh Naval District. The other office was that of the Assistant Industrial Manager on Terminal Island who also had orders as Assistant District Ordnance Officer and whose representative for such work carried on ordnance activities. These officers were chiefly concerned with the industrial side of these activities and were doing good work from the engineering and industrial angle. On the other side, matters of material supply in this connection were not being handled under this arrangement as well as might have been desired.

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ComNOB was not in authority for ammunition handling, as such, though his Operations Department did act in a liaison capacity for ships' commanding officers. Ammunition was not being handled exactly as might have been desired in this connection, but as the exigencies of the wartime situation required. In a general way the arrangement was this: Commanding Officers of ships coming to the San Pedro - Long Beach area who needed to handle ammunition, either by taking on or discharging, would work through the authority handling their ship, usually the ABC, the Port Director, or the Commanding Officer of the Drydocks. Ammunition would be brought from Fallbrook Ammunition Depot and placed aboard the vessels. It had been found that from time to time storage space for ammunition was needed and a small ammunition magazine storage area was constructed at the Navy Fuel Annex, San Pedro, to care for this storage problem.

It was clear that a central authority was needed to take care of the Navy's ammunition problems as well as the ordnance work in general in the San Pedro - Long Beach area. In the middle of December, 1944, ComNOB requested that an officer to be designated as Ammunition Officer be assigned for duty in this area with orders attaching him to the Staff of ComNOB but placing him under the District Commandant.133 In

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this letter ComNOB pointed out that at that time about twenty different agents in this area were dealing with the Navy ammunition depots. This, as he said, caused a lack of coordination, uneconomical use of trucks, tugs and lighters, and considerable disregard for security. It was proposed that this Ammunition Officer maintain his office on a 24-hour schedule, that he have officers to board all incoming vessels to learn the ammunition needs of these vessels and to supervise the loading and unloading schedule of all vessels which had to handle ammunition.

The Ammunition Officer requested by ComNOB was not appointed to the NOB Staff. However, the delegation of Commander W. T. Woodard, USN (Ret), to take over the work of Assistant District Ordnance Officer in this area accomplished much the same purpose.134 It is true, of course, that Comdr. Woodard did not, in his capacity of Assistant District Ordnance Officer, become a member of ComNOB's Staff. However, he was given orders which placed him in this area in a position to act in a liaison capacity between ComNOB's Operations Officer and all activities of the District having to do with Ordnance and Ammunition matters. The Assistant District Ordnance Officer, under this new arrangement, took over all the work of coordinating and scheduling and, in general, of supervising and advising on all matters concerned with ordnance and

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ammunition in the Naval Operating Base area. The hitherto scattered and somewhat chaotic system or lack of system was resolved into an organization of all such affairs so that the procurement or discharge of ammunition could be accomplished safely and with the necessary dispatch. The Ordnance Section of the Office of the Assistant Industrial Manager in San Pedro was ordered to retain these duties:

"Procurement of, and installation on, merchant vessels and Naval Vessels, of all BuOrd equipment, including guns, torpedo tubes, directors, fire control equipment, etc., in the commercial shipyards of the San Pedro - Long Beach area.

"Supervision and inspection of repairs and alterations to all BuOrd equipment on merchant and Naval vessels in the commercial shipyards of the San Pedro - Long Beach area."

Essentially, however, the Assistant District Ordnance Officer, though not attached directly to NOB, acted as the NOB Ammunition Officer in that his liaison duties caused him to work in close cooperation with NOB activities and especially with NOB Operations Department. He coordinated the movements of all ammunition in the area to all Naval vessels and activities reporting to ComNOB. Requests for ammunition for NOB activities and for ships reporting to NOB were forwarded to the Assistant District Ordnance Officer for screening and that officer made all necessary arrangements for supply thereof. Clearances

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for necessary ship movements to insure safety of such arrangements were made with the Captain of the Port. All problems relating to the safe handling of ordnance material and especially ammunition were taken up with the Assistant District Ordnance Officer.

After the establishment and beginning of operations at the Naval Ammunition and Net Depot at Seal Beach most of the ammunition supplying was carried on by the Assistant District Ordnance Officer with that much nearer activity rather than with Fallbrook. This, of course, made for safer and quicker ammunition supply for ships and activities in the San Pedro - Los Angeles - Long Beach area.

ALLEN CENTER AND SHIP'S SERVICE

Allen Center, the Officers' Recreational Center at Roosevelt Base, was built as a part of the original group of buildings erected on Terminal Island at what was at first known as the Fleet Operating Base and later designated Roosevelt Base. This building contains facilities for officers' recreation and entertainment such as lounges, a bar, dining room, and sand bar. An officers' barber shop and a small ship's service store were also set up within the premises of Allen Center.

When first set up at Allen Center, the Officers' Club operated a Mess along the lines of an Open Mess.

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A Wine Mess was also organized.135 Later, Allen Center was organized as an Officers' Mess rather than as a club and the Wine Mess was set up as a part of that Mess. By the spring of 1943, with the growth of activity on Terminal Island and the very considerable increase in the number of officers aboard, the number patronizing the Officers' Mess in Allen Center had also greatly increased. It was felt that a change in the operation of Allen Center was advisable and Lieutenant Commander G. L. Dickson, Administrative Assistant to the Commandant, recommended that the officer appointed as Mess Treasurer or Officer in Charge should devote his activity "primarily to the morale, service and social end of the conduct of the Mess"; that a civilian manager be employed to work directly under the Mess Treasurer and "to be responsible for the fiscal control, and buying of food and liquor." This manager was to be paid from the income of the Mess. Lieutenant Commander Dickson thought that a satisfactory manager should be obtainable "for approximately $250.00 per month and his salary should be more than offset by the savings he will effect."136

In June 1943, Mr. Rexford L. Welch was designated by ComdtNOB as the Business Manager of the Officers' Mess and the Wine Mess, with responsibility, "under the Officer-in-Charge, for the procurement, preparation,

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and accounting for all food and beverages." Furthermore, it was stated that "he should have unlimited authority to employ, supervise, and discharge civilian personnel, except Public Works Janitors." The Officer-in-Charge was to be responsible to the Commandant, through the Chief Staff Officer, for all services within the Club and for the general administration of the Center and its service personnel.137 As a result of these arrangements more business-like and more economical operation of the Allen Center Mess resulted.

Increasing Officer personnel, food rationing, and lack of a sufficient number of mess attendants made it imperative that officers recognize the status of Allen Center Mess as a mess and not a club in the usual sense. An Officers' Club was organized at Allen Center on 1 May 1944 but later abolished and its assets, liabilities, and responsibilities assumed by the Commissioned Officers' Mess, Allen Center,138 in accordance with the directive of the Secretary of the Navy requiring all such organizations which were established on property owned or under the control of the United States to be operated as an integral part of the Navy.139

As of 1 January 1945, the dining room and sand bar at Allen Center were designated to be operated as a Commissioned Officers' Mess Closed. The lounges and bar of the Center were designated to be operated as a

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Commissioned Officers' Mess Open. The dining facilities of the Center were conducted as Open mess at certain specified times.140

Profits resulting from the operation of Allen Center resulted in a Welfare Fund being established and administered directly by ComdtNOB. This fund was established to be used for the common good of all activities. Among these expenditures were those for contributions to Navy Relief, improvements and additions to the equipment of Allen Center, entertainment of official guests visiting the area, and area public relations.140

As of April 1944, the money derived from operation of the slot machines in the bar at Allen Center was put in a fund separate from the Officers' Mess funds and other official funds. This unofficial fund was disbursed under ComdtNOB's direction for the welfare of personnel. Checks were sent each month to Navy Relief, Long Beach War Chest, and the Red Cross. The slot machines at Allen Center were rented because service and repairs for the machines owned by the Center were not readily obtainable.142 Later in June, 1944, an Officers' Club already referred to, was organized at Allen Center. This was composed of a group of Officers attached to NOB Headquarters; it accepted

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as its responsibility keeping Allen Center furnished, decorated and equipped and providing entertainment, athletic, and recreational facilities for local and visiting officers to enjoy.143 After it was set up, it took over the ownership and operation of the slot machines in the bar, the funds therefrom being disbursed under the direction of a governing committee of three officers for specific welfare purposes.

At the end of February 1946, the ship's service activities being operated by the Naval Base Headquarters Staff personnel were disestablished as such in so far as that system of operation was concerned. These ship's service components were to be disposed of as follows:144

  1. Store No. 1 (Allen Center): Disestablish. To be re-opened as an activity of Ship's Service, Roosevelt Base.
  2. Store No. 2 (Harbor Craft Base): Disestablish.
  3. Store No. 3 (Firefighters' School): Disestablish. To be re-opened as an activity of Ship's Service, Roosevelt Base.
  4. Store No. 4 (Naval Supply Depot): Disestablish.
  5. Gasoline Station (Naval Supply Depot): Disestablish.
  6. Barber Shop No. 1 (Allen Center): Disestablish. To be re-opened as an activity of Ship's Service, Roosevelt Base.
  7. Barber Shop No. 2 (Harbor Craft Base): Disestablish. May be re-opened as an activity of Harbor Craft Base, using Ship's Serviceman (Barber) ratings of Harbor Craft Base.
  8. Laundry (Harbor Craft Base): Disestablish. May be re-opened as an activity of Harbor Craft Base using Ship's Serviceman (Laundry) ratings of Harbor Craft Base.

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WAR SAVINGS BOND ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION

Shortly after the U. S. Naval Drydocks was commissioned and placed in operation in February 1943, the Commanding Officer of that activity requested that a War Bond Issuing Officer be assigned to this new industrial facility by BuPers. In June 1943, a bonded officer of the Supply Corps was assigned to duty at the Drydocks as Certifying Officer and Issuing Agent for War Bonds.

Before this time civilian payroll reservations had been processed by the Issuing Office In San Diego and, due to the delay incident to the use of the mails in delivery of the bonds, a high rate had not been attained for civilian participation in the War Bond program. However, with the establishment of the issuing office within the NOB command, delays in the issuance of bonds were removed, and there was a gradual increase in both military and civilian participation in the War Bond program. Ultimately a number of activities under ComNOB attained the Secretary of the Navy's Standard of Excellence of 90% of all civilian employees participating in the program for at least 10% of total gross pay. Eventually the War Bond Issuing Office at the Drydocks became the largest such office In the Eleventh Naval District, carrying a civilian account of 22,000 in June 1945. These civilian accounts were distributed

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among some seventy-odd Naval activities in the San Pedro-Long Beach-Los Angeles area. It is noteworthy that for several months prior to the end of the war, an average of well over a million dollars was accounted for in war bond issues each month.

From June 1943, to October 1944, the War Bond Promotional Officer for the Eleventh Naval District conducted all promotional phases of the work from his office in San Diego, with frequent trips to the northern part of the District and close liaison with the Issuing Officer at the Drydocks office. Increasing volume of work made it advisable that a promotional office be set up to carry on the work at NOB. Therefore, in October 1944, the War Bond Issuing Officer on duty at the Drydocks was transferred to NOB headquarters and became the War Bond Promotional Officer for all NOB activities as well as for other Naval activities in the northern portion of the Eleventh Naval District. In most cases each activity in the Eleventh Naval District carried a War Bond Promotion Officer on its staff. Usually this officer had this responsibility as collateral duty.

The duties of the full-time War Bond Promotion Officer attached to the staff of ComNOB were to work with the various officers who were carrying war bond promotion work as additional duty and to emphasize the need "of maintaining a high rate of bond sales both

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through 'extra' cash campaigns and by means of the civilian payroll plan and the military allotment plan." The War Bond Promotion Officer, NOB, also assisted in setting up permanent bond organizations which presented sales talks setting forth the merits of the Bond Program to incoming personnel. This office also distributed necessary posters, forms, reports, and sales suggestions. Periodic reports were submitted to the Navy Department in Washington and to the Eleventh Naval District. This War Bond Promotion Office also maintained liaison with the Southern California War Finance Committee. In brief, the War Bond Promotion Officer was the "coordinator" for War Bond sales throughout the northern portion of the Eleventh Naval District.

As of 1 October 1945, this office was disestablished.

BANKING FACILITY AT NAVAL OPERATING BASE, TERMINAL ISLAND

In July 1943, the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts inquired concerning the desirability of establishing a banking facility on Terminal Island.146 In his reply ComdtNOB stated that he considered that such a facility would be beneficial both to shore based personnel and to the crews of ships visiting the Base. Statistical information given at that time in this connection

--144--


showed:147

Number of Naval personnel   About 10,000
Number of civilian personnel   About 700
Amount of monthly disbursements   $2,900,000
Distance from the nearest general depositary   500 miles
Depositary now being used by Naval disbursing officer   Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (L.A. Branch)
Type of service to be rendered   General Banking.
Hours which the service is desired   0900 to 1700.

In a letter dated 6 September 1943,148 BuSandA requested the Treasury Department to designate a banking institution to operate the needed facilities at the Naval Operating Base on Terminal Island. By the end of January 1944, no action on this matter had yet been taken and ComdtNOB wrote to BuSandA inquiring as to what was being done and pointing out that there was need of a banking facility with the expansion of activity and the increase in personnel.149

The representatives of the Treasury Department and BuSandA, whose coming to this area was indicated in a letter of 9 February 1944,150 had not arrived when ComNOB wrote again on 9 June 1944.151 In this letter ComNOB stated that, on the suggestion of Captain M. L. Royar of BuSandA, enquiry had been made as to whether either the Long Beach branch of the Security First National Bank of Los Angeles or the Long Beach branch of the Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association desired to operate a banking facility on

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Terminal Island. The Security First National Bank did not wish to enter into such an undertaking, but the Bank of America was willing to do so. ComNOB accordingly recommended that the Bank of America be designated to operate the facility.

Authorization was granted for establishing a main banking facility in Building 10 of Roosevelt Base and a branch facility at the U. S. Naval Drydocks.152 The NOB banking facility on Roosevelt Base was established and opened for general banking services on 23 October 1944. The Bank was set up to serve these activities specifically: NOB Headquarters, Roosevelt Base, SCTC, Marine Barracks, San Pedro Shakedown Group, and Commissioning Detail. However, other activities were also permitted to use this service.153

PROPOSED COMMISSARY STORE AT NAVAL OPERATING BASE

The northern portion of the Eleventh Naval District contains no Naval commissary for Naval personnel and their dependents. The Army maintains commissaries in the San Pedro - Long Beach area to which access is, of course, limited. The nearest Navy commissary store available to personnel of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard is located at San Diego — much too far away to be of any service to personnel in the northern part of the District.

--146--


In the spring of 1941 there was a move under way to establish two branch commissary stores in Long Beach and San Pedro.154 Presumably these were to be conducted as branch activities of the commissary in San Diego since very nearly all activities in the northern portion of the District were at that time branches of District activities — before the establishment of the Naval Operating Base, San Pedro. It was thought that the stores under consideration should be located, if possible, on Federal property or Federal leased property. It was estimated that Long Beach Navy families would require a store approximately the size of the one then established in San Diego and that San Pedro Navy families would require one about two-thirds that size. It was suggested that commissaries might be located in San Pedro at the south end of Shed 57 and in Long Beach either In the neighborhood of the Navy Housing near Santa Fe Avenue or as an extension of the sheds at the Ontario Street Navy Stores Landing.

The Assistant Commandant (Captain R. B. Coffman) took up the proposal for the establishment of a commissary store in a letter to ComEleven, dated 22 May 1941.155 He recommended that such a store be established first in Long Beach and that another one be set up later in San Pedro. These stores were desired to serve the needs of a large part of the enlisted men's families

--147--


who would remain in residence in these cities. A location for the proposed store in Long Beach had been selected on the basis of economy of location, economy of establishment, and accessibility to the greatest number. On these bases it had been decided that a location in the westward part of the new low-rent housing project in Long Beach would be most accessible to those who would use the store. It was thought that a suitable building could be placed in this area without undesirably restricting the amount of space originally set aside for playgrounds for the housing project; it was also considered possible to use the same sort of construction as had been used in building the housing units. The urgent need felt by officials in this area for the establishment of a commissary was not an opinion concurred in by the authorities in Washington; the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, in July 1941, was of the opinion that there would be no justification for establishing a Commissary Store in the San Pedro - Long Beach area.156 And thus the matter rested for that time.

Toward the end of February 1943, ComEleven requested comment and recommendation from ComdtNOB as to the feasibility of establishing a Commissary in the Long Beach - San Pedro area.157 ComdtNOB's reply to this request was detailed and to the point. Local conditions were surveyed in a general way without

--148--


making a detailed survey nor an actual census of the number of prospective customer families; it was believed that thirty to sixty days might be required to make such detailed studies and that they were not justified for this purpose in view of the necessity of all hands being assigned to the prosecution of the war effort. ComdtNOB's statements at this time are pertinent in this connection and are here quoted:158

"4. It is substantiated that the facts currently are as follows:

(a) A centrally located Commissary Store would serve only a limited number of the many Navy families in the whole area. There seems to be no question that a well run Commissary Store in normal times draws from a wide area, but with gas rationing and tire saving the area of service is reduced and thereby to some degree limits the utility of the store. To serve the area properly would necessitate a store in each of three or four areas, viz., Long Beach with probably the largest number of Navy families; San Pedro next in importance followed by Roosevelt Base and Wilmington.

(b) Price ceiling now in effect for food products automatically correct situations where independent stores have heretofore taken advantage of Navy personnel by charging unreasonable prices.

(c) The point rationing of many food products prevents the peacetime practice of stocking up with case goods and with non-perishable goods. Instead of canned products the present trend is toward increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables which requires frequent trips to the grocer

--149--


or Commissary. Practically all of the vegetable departments of the Commissary Stores offered the least attractions and were not well patronized. If this apparent weakness is not corrected under current conditions, it would be an important argument against such a store.

(d) The current expansion of the Navy with its attendant requirement for enlisted personnel in the Fleet and ashore familiar with handling stores, and the difficulty experienced by activities in this area in obtaining qualified supply personnel for operations now in process of completion are important factors in considering the staffing of a Commissary Store at this time.

"5. It is the opinion of the Commandant that the facts stated do not justify the establishment of a Commissary Store in the Long Beach-San Pedro area at this time, and the 'man-power hours' required in making a survey of the number of Navy families in the various cities in this area in connection with locating a Commissary Store, likewise are not justified at this time."

Again the matter of establishing such a store rested.

By January 1945, the conditions in the San Pedro - Long Beach area had become even more crowded, with families of Naval personnel resident there; other conditions had changed somewhat; ComNOB now felt that the need of a commissary store was evident and that he was justified in requesting its establishment. Therefore, on 12 January 1945, he submitted such a request to the Chief of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, via ComEleven and BuPers.159

In requesting the authority to establish and operate a Commissary, ComNOB pointed out that, including

--150--


the families of Naval personnel serving overseas, there were 4000 Navy families residing in the local area; that although the Army operated a Commissary, it did not permit more than 100 commissary cards to be issued to Naval personnel; that it was believed that such a commissary as was suggested would greatly contribute to personnel morale. It was proposed to locate the Commissary within or adjacent to the new Homoja Housing Project and to use Army type temporary building which were available and could be moved to the site; hence, no additional buildings or money therefore would be necessary. Local civic officials had been consulted and it was understood that there would be no objection to the establishment of the Commissary. Another letter from ComNOB, dated 19 February 1945, repeated the substance of the above-mentioned letter and added the information that if the Frontier Base, San Pedro, were moved to Roosevelt as was then proposed, the refrigeration equipment assigned to that activity could be made available to the new commissary.160

In consideration of the above proposals, the Assistant Commandant (Logistics), Eleventh Naval District, wrote on [unreadable] February 1945 enquiring as to whether any additional commissary stores would be requested other than that suggested for the new Homoja Housing

--151--


Project in San Pedro and, if so, what their location would be.161 On 7 March 1945, in a first endorsement to this inquiry, ComNOB stated that when proposals for the Homoja Housing Project in San Pedro had been submitted originally there had been included the provision for a store in view of the fact that the project was so far from markets and transportation was inadequate; such a provision had been approved along with the rest of the Project. The present effort was being undertaken to make this a Commissary Store in order to secure better procurement and to benefit those Navy families in the San Pedro - Long Beach area who might be able to obtain transportation through the share-the-ride arrangements. Since other housing developments were located nearer markets and shopping districts, it was not proposed to establish commissaries unless it should appear necessary later; in this event an annex of the original commissary store could be set up.162

In his forwarding endorsement to ComNOB's recommendation for a Commissary Store,160 ComEleven disapproved of its establishment on the grounds that the proposed store would offer too limited service to the entire naval population in the San Pedro - Long Beach area. A few days after this disapproving endorsement had gone to Washington, it appears that the possibility

--152--


was raised of re-submitting the request, but for a location on Navy owned land on Terminal Island, just outside of Roosevelt Base.163

The Chief of Naval Personnel disapproved of the Commissary Store project in a second endorsement, observing that "personnel for subject project would not be available without a corresponding reduction in some other programs."164 The proposal, which had been re-addressed via the Chief of Naval Operations, was disapproved by that officer.165 In view of the recommendations contained In these three endorsements, the Chief of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts declined to grant authority for establishing a Commissary Store at that time.166 And thus the matter rested as of the date of this refusal, 9 April 1945. The possibility of the establishment of such a store in the coming post war development of the local naval activities is, of course, outside the scope of this history. Perhaps such a commissary may be set up as a part of the U. S. Naval Base organization. Assuredly, the need for such a store is felt by many of the Naval personnel attached to ships or to shore-based activities in the San Pedro Long Beach area.

--153--


SEWAGE DISPOSAL PLANT

In late 1943 and early 1944, there was the possibility that the runway at the Naval Air Station on Terminal Island (Reeves Field) might have to be extended. This would, of course, require an expansion of the Air Station area into the adjacent land occupied by the Sewage Disposal plant of the City of Los Angeles. At a meeting of the Committee on Congested Production Areas on 19 January 1944, these problems were discussed. It was not certain at that time whether the Reeves Field expansion would be required by the Nary. Word In this regard had not been received from Washington. It was agreed that the plant then existing was not adequate to take care of the needs for which it had been built originally and also to care for the Navy's waste disposal needs.

At this time negotiations seemed to be in a rather confused state, with contractual agreements unsettled as to the use of the City's plant by the Navy.167 It appeared that either the facilities of the then existing plant might have to be increased or the Navy might have to build its own plant. Possibly the site of the sewage disposal arrangement might have to be changed should further expansion of Reeves Field be anticipated. Apparently the contract for sewage disposal had not been arranged between the City of Los Angeles and the Navy because the city did not approve of the details of the contract.

--154--


In his commend on these matters to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Books agreed that if the Navy extended the runways at Reeves Field, the removal of the Los Angeles sewage disposal plant would be necessary, but that it was hardly justified until such expansion of the Air Station runways had been actually determined. Hitherto, the Bureau of Aeronautics had disapproved such expansion. It was further stated that a contract with the City of Los Angeles for the disposal of the sewage from Roosevelt Base would not offer a complete solution to the problem. Mention was made of a proposed project for a sewage disposal plant to be built by the Navy (BuDocks) which would take care of the needs of most of the Naval activities on the Island.168 ComdtNOB concurred in the premises of the Bureau of Yards and Docks in these matters.169

When the Assistant Secretary of the Navy wrote to the General Counsel for the House Naval Affairs Investigating Committee in April 1944, he indicated that definite action was to be expected soon in these matters. Apparently it was contemplated that if the runway was extended at Reeves Field, the existing Sewage disposal plant would have to be removed and the Navy would join with the City of Los Angeles in a cooperative arrangement for the disposal of the

--155--


Navy's Terminal Island sewage. If the City's plant were not removed, no contract with the City would be arranged and the Navy would undertake to erect its own sewage disposal plant.170

In August 1944, ComNOB wrote to the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, via ComEleven, regarding the probable merits of sites on which might be located a sewage disposal plant which should be so designed that an addition could be made to handle both Navy and Los Angeles sewage flow should it be determined that the existing City plant would have to be relocated.171 Of the four possible sites which were considered, two sites were located in areas on Terminal Island where it was known that the City of Los Angeles would strenuously oppose the location of such a plant on the grounds that it would interfere with their plans for the future development of their terminal facilities; a third site was in an area being used by the Maritime Commission and very much needed by it. The fourth site considered was not so well located for the purpose as were either of the first two. However, it appeared to be the only one available on the Island. It was land owned by the U. S. Government under the control of the Navy and no objection was anticipated from the City to placing the sewage disposal facilities there. ComNOB pointed out that these facilities were

--156--


urgently needed and requested early action on the site recommendation.

Matters in this connection continued in an unsettled state until early in 1945 when the Secretary of the Navy disapproved the project for improvement of the sewage collection system and construction of a new treatment plant on Terminal Island.172

--157--


NOTES & REFERENCES
CHAPTER TWO

  1. A9/NB49 (Serial 2393) MLG; 25 November 1941;
  2. NB66/P17-1/ (Serial 2022); 2 June 1943; NOB C/L.
  3. A3-2; 5 October 1942; NOB C/L 10-42.
    also
    BuPers ltr. Pers-326-rma; 25 September 1942 1st End on above, NB66/P17-2/K/ (Serial 4862) 10 October 1942.
    also
    A3-2; 5 October 1942; NOB C/L 11-42.
  4. Chart of Officer Complement for NOB Headquarters and Roosevelt Base; 4 June 1942.
  5. 1st End (29 June 1942) by Com11 on ComNOB ltr NB66/A3-1/C (Serial 1938); 8 June 1942.
  6. NS66/A3-1/C (Serial 1938) by ComdtNOB to ComEleven; 8 June 1942; End. E.
  7. Memorandum from ComdtNOB to Acting ComEleven; 29 January 1943.
  8. NB66/P16-1/MM/ (Serial 2019) 27 May 1943; ComdtNOB to BuPers, via ComEleven.
  9. "Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, San Pedro, and Terminal Island, California," 1943; pp. 36-55.
  10. Ibid., p 38.
  11. A6-4 (1944); Master Distribution List A.
  12. See Chapter VI, Housing.
  13. "Regulations of Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), April, 1945; pp., 9, 10.
  14. Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), Calif., April, 1945; p. 10.
  15. OPERATIONS

  16. Memorandum to Captain G.W.D. Dashiell, Port Director, San Pedro, from Comdr. Geo. E. Kenyon, NOB Operations Officer.
    also
    NB66/YG/(Serial 3015)/7 November 1944 (Approx.); ComNOB to BuShips, via Com11.

--158--


  1. NB66/YTL/(Serial 3487)/23 December 1944; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  2. NB66/YG/(Serial 1881); 12 July 1945; NOB Operations Officer to H-10 Water Taxi Co., Ltd.
    also
    NB66/YG/(Serial 1891); 13 July 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  3. NB66/582(Serial 1995); 24 July 1945; Operations Officer, NOB, to CO, Naval Ammunition & Net Depot, Seal Beach.
  4. NB66/P17-1/(Serial 2063) 8 June 1943; NOB C/L # 9-43.
  5. NB66/OF22/(Serial 2473); 5 August 1943; NOB Comdt., to SecNav, via ComEleven.
    also
    NB66/0P/(Serial 3252); 2 December 1944; ComNOB to CincPac, via ComEleven and ComWes SeaFron.
  6. NB66/A4-3/P16-1/00/(Sr)/(Serial 1150)/ 19 April 1945; from ComNOB to CNO, via Com11.
  7. NB66/P16-3/00/(gz)/(Serial 1331); 19 April 1945; ComNOB to SOPA.
  8. NB66/P16-3/00/(2:Sr)/(Serial 1180): 19 April 1945; ComNOB to Comdr. Brooks Clifford.
  9. NB66/P16-3/00/(re)/(Serial 1758; 28 June 1945; ComNOB to SOPA.
  10. ComEleven ltr Serial A-3398 of 7 September 1942.
  11. NB66/L9-3/(Serial 4658); 15 September 1942; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  12. PILOTS

  13. ASSTND/11/P16-3/00/(Serial 991); 12 June 1941; AssistComdt. to ComEleven

--159--


  1. NB49/H1/( Serial 2457); 1 December 1941; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  2. NB66/P16-3/00(Serial 5422); 17 December 1942; End-1 on ltr of Comdr. H. H. S. Olsen, D. M. USNR of 17 December 1942; ComdtNOB to BuPers, via ComEleven.
  3. COMMISSIONING OF SHIPS

  4. ND11/A4-1/(Serial (SD)-2191)/ F:MW/23 August 1943; ComEleven to ComdtNOB.
  5. NB66/P11-1 (2)/(Serial 804); 3 May 1944; NOB Memorandum.
  6. A4-2/cjh/3 July 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  7. ND11/A4-1/( A7-Sr)/(Serial W-1953) 21 July 1945; ComEleven to ComNOB.
  8. ComWesSeaFron Serial 68274 of July 1945.
  9. PUBLIC WORKS

  10. NB66/A1-1(PW); 23 September 1944; PWO (by Direction) to Admin Assist to ComNOB, Memo.
  11. "Regulations of the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island (San Pedro), Calif; April 1945," Section 607, pp. 20-22.
  12. QR(Overshiner, Lt.Comdr. CEC-V (S) USNR (PW); 11 June 1940; from District Public Works Officer to Lt. Comdr. Wm. H. Overshiner. CEC-V (S), USNR.
  13. ND11/00-S/WWW/(Serial Q-05990); 31 October 1941; ComEleven to Captain E. C. Seibert (CEC) USN.
  14. NB49/A3-l/(Serial 2407); 24 November 1941; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  15. ND49/A2-11/(Serial 2453)/1 December 1941; NOB C/L #3-41.
  16. NB/(San Pedro)/ (Serial P-4509); 5 December 1941; ComEleven to ComdtNOB.
  17. Ltr. of PWO of NOB to ComEleven via CO, NAS, TI., and ComdtNOB; 15 December 1941.

--160--


  1. NB49/A3-1/(Serial 2812); 16 December 1941; 2nd End. on above in note 42; ComEleven.
  2. NB49/S:H/(Serial 3008)/; 23 December 1941; from ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  3. P16-3/00/NT4-4-1 (D30)/(Serial S-541) Third End.; 24 December 1941; ComEleven to BuDocks, via BuSandA and BuNav.
  4. ComdtNOB, S.P., Mailgram 151859, November 1941.
  5. P16-3/00(DSO)/(Serial S586); 25 November; ComEleven to BuNav via ComdtNOB & BuSandA.
  6. ND11/(10)/LL/19 January 1942; Chief BuDocks to ComEleven.
  7. NB66/LL/(Serial 4139)/; 18 July 1942; 1st End. on CO, NAS T.I., ltr. NA26/L0(2480); 15 July 1942; ComdtNOB to Assist SecNav.
  8. Ltr. from CG, USNDD, to VCNO; N16/L24; 9 March 1943.
  9. NB66/NB49/N16(PW)/NB66/L9-3(1)/(Serial 536) RNE;mf/12 March 1943; ComdtNOB to VCNO, via ComEleven.
  10. NB66/LL(2)/WLM:MF/3 September 1943; PWO to Senior Member of 11ND Labor Board, Long Beach.
  11. QB/NMSB/10 January 1944; Inspection Report of NMSB.
  12. NMSB/ASC1V-htf/(Serial #1089); 3 April 1944.
  13. NB66/L1-2(PW)/NB66/A1-/L1-2/(Serial 3094) ComdtNOB to BuDocks, 20 November 1943.
  14. Spdltr. ND11/(1)/A1-1/C04-3B/; 6 January 1944; BuDocks to Comdt NOB.
  15. NB66/NS-60/(PW)/(Serial 1114)/NBG;LKY/22 June 1944; ComNOB BuDocks, via ComEleven.
  16. ON9/(Serial #P-15987); 13 October 1944; 11ND/C/L #132-44.

--161--


  1. NB66/A1-4/A4-1/(Dn)/(Serial 1617); 12 June 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  2. NB66/A1-1(PW)/LJA:HEW:jd/1 August 1945; Public Works Officer, NOB to ComEleven, via ComNOB.
  3. NB66/A1-1/0N9/NY13/2:MI/(Serial 2174); 13 August 1945; End. 1 on above ltr. of note 60; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  4. TRANSPORTATION

  5. NB66/L20/K(Serial 405); 24 February 1943; NOB C/L #4043.
  6. LEGAL

  7. NB66/A2-11/P16-3/00/(Serial 125) 10 January 1945; NOB C/L #1-45.
  8. LEGAL ASSISTANCE OFFICER

  9. Regulations, NOB, April 1945, Section 610 P. 23.
  10. ComdtNOB ltr Serial 2449; 2 August 1943, to Lieut. W. R. Harris.
  11. NB66/17-6A/ 7 August 1943; Legal Assistance Officer to ComdtNOB.
  12. NB66/A17-6/(Serial 2507) 10 August 1943; End-1 on above in note (3); ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  13. NB66/A17-6/(Serial 2621); 27 August 1943; Legal Assistance Officer to ComEleven.
  14. NB66/A17-6/A9-2/ 24 January 1944; Legal Assistance Officer to Judge Advocate General, via ComdtNOB.
  15. NMSB/AC:Nmr/Serial #1491/ April 20, 1944.
  16. NB66/P16-3/00/ Serial 285/ 26 January 1945; ComNOB to Lieut. Margaret H. Woodson (W) USNR.
  17. Ltr. of VCNO 0P-23-1/BH/(Serial 145823)/; 21 May 1943.

--162--


    PERSONNEL OFFICER

  1. Memorandum from NOB Personnel Officer; 22 September 1944.
  2. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

  3. NB66/A3-1/P11-1/( Serial 2957); 29 October 1943; NOB C/L #15-43.
  4. NB66/P11-1 (Serial 705); 15 April 1944; NOB C.L #6-44.
  5. PHYSICAL TRAINING

  6. NB66/P10-1/ (Serial 3079); 19 November 1943; NOB C/L #18-43.
  7. NB66/QR8/P10-1/ (Serial 132); 24 January 1944; NOB C/L #2-44.
  8. WELFARE AND RECREATION

  9. ND11/L-1-2/Mn(Serial J-731); 25 August 1941 ComEleven to Assistant Comdt.
  10. ND11/L1-2/A1/(Serial J-773); 8 September 1941; ComEleven to Assistant Comdt.
  11. ComdtNOB ltr to ComEleven of 8 September 1942.
  12. NB66/P-3/00/(Serial 4733); 26 September 1942; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  13. NB66/P21-1/(Serial 347); 1 February 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
    also
    NB66/P21-1/(6:Sr)/(Serial 519); 16 February 1945; ComNOB to Lieut. John M. Perry, USNR.
  14. INSURANCE

  15. NB66/L13-2/K/(Serial 317); 16 February 1943.
  16. BuSandA ltr L16-6 (FAI) / L13-2(25) of 26 October 1942.
  17. CHAPLAINS

  18. NA26/P16-3/00/( Serial 887); 22 October 1940; CO, NAS, to ComEleven, via Assist Comdt.

--163--


  1. Ltr. from Lt. Comdr. J.P. Foreander (ChC) USN, to Assist. Comdt, 11ND, & Pres. San Pedro - Long Beach Auxiliary, Navy Relief Society; 20 November 1940.
  2. NB66/A3-1 (Serial Q-1521-A2); 14 June 1944, Enclosure #10; P16-3/S32-l/A1-1.
  3. ND11/P8-2(a)/(AS-my) (Serial A-2558) 1 November 1940; 11ND C/L 98-40.
  4. ND11/P8-2/(Serial N-1052); 29 July 1943; ComEleven to Activities concerned.
  5. Memorandum of San Pedro - Long Beach Auxiliary, Navy Relief Society; 29 August 1944.
  6. NB66/A2-11/P16-3/00(Serial 1913); 20 September 1944; NOB C/L #22-44.
  7. COMMUNICATIONS

  8. ComEleven ltr. ND11/NR69/A6-2/S67/(Serial C-1642) 30 July 1941.
  9. NB66/A6/(Serial C279); 16 December 1942; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  10. NB66/A6-3/( Serial C-183)/ 21 July 1942; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  11. NOB, SP, despatch #151740.
  12. VCNO despatch #161402.
  13. NOB, SP, Airmailgram #202030.
  14. VCNO ltr. 0p-2-P-5/tcz/(Serial 1379720); 28 November 1942.
  15. NB66/P16-1/(Serial 5455)/ 31 December 1942; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
    also
    1st End. on above from ComEleven to ComNOB; ND11/00/P16-1-nb/(Serial Q-95017)/ 2 January 1943.
  16. ComEleven Conf. ltr. (Serial 0-2444); 24 December 1942.
  17. NCNO Conf. ltr. Op20-P5/(Serial 01130720); 25 January 1943.

--164--


  1. NB66/A6-1/< Serial C-56) mcd/ 9 March 1945; Conf. ltr. from ComdtNOB to ComEleven. (See. esp. para. 8.)
  2. ComEleven conf. ltr. to ComNOB: ND11/A6-2 (1) (ns)/(Serial C-211); 10 February 1943;
  3. NB66/P16-1/(Serial 2055)/ 5 June 1943; Communications Officer NOB to ComEleven.
  4. NB66/P16-1/(Serial 373)/; 8 December 1943; Communications Officer, NOB to ComEleven.
  5. NB66/567/(Serial C-0500)/10 November 1944; ComNOB to CNO, via ComEleven.
  6. CNO conf. ltr. 0p-20-A1-jdl/(Serial 907 2420) (SC/S67-1/; 23 May 1944.
    also
    CNO restr. ltr. Op-20-Bl-ck/(Serial 275 6820)/ 10 August 1944.
  7. Op13-1D-psp/(Serial 133213)/ 23 January 1945; SecNav to All Ships and Stations.
  8. NB66/P16-3/00/(Serial 403)/ 7 February 1945 ComNOB to ComEleven.
  9. NB66/S67/A6-2/(Serial 0371)/ 24 August 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
    also
    NB66/S67/A1/N1(FM)/(Serial 0391)/NBC:ms/ 14 September 1945; ComNOB to BuShips, via ComNav-Air Bases, San Diego, and ComEleven
    also
    NB66/S67/A6-2/(Serial 0456)/ 29 November 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  10. QB/NMSB/ 4 January 1944.
  11. NB66/P15-1/00/ 17 March 1944; BuPers to ComdtNOB.
  12. Regulations of NOB, April 1945; Section 628, p. 31.
  13. Ltr. from Director of Naval History; Serial CL-162; 19 February 1945.
  14. NB66/A12-1/(Serial 646); 5 March 1945; Chief Staff Officer, NOB to Heads of Depts.

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  1. NB66/A12-1/ (Serial 777) (3:To); 16 March 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  2. ND11/P17-2/(2)/ (Pa)/ (Serial Q-132-37); 18 June 1945; ComEleven to BuPers, via Director of Naval History.
  3. ND11/Al2-1/(A7-Sr)(Serial W-1945); 17 July 1945; 11ND Planning Officer to ComNOB.
  4. MARINES

  5. NA26/Kp(539)/ON6-mo/ 23 July 1940; CO, NAS to Comdg. Gen'l Dept. of the Pacific, via ComEleven and the Assist Comdt., S.P.
  6. ND/0N2(2)/A5-Tn)/(Serial A-2165) 29 July 1940; ComEleven to Assist. Comdt.
  7. ND11/A6-4/(A4-Hs)/(Serial A-1206); 19 August 1941; 11ND C/L #73-41.
  8. NB49/P16-3/(Serial 2112) cjh; 27 October 1941; from ComdtNOB to CO, Marine Detachment, NAS, T.I.
  9. Ltr. from CO, Marine Barracks NAS, T.I. to Quartermaster of U.S. Marine Corps, Washington; 3 July 1942.
  10. Ltr. of ComdtNOB to BuDocks, via ComEleven and VCNO; 7 October 1942.
  11. NB66/KK/(Serial 2111); 14 June 1943; ComdtNOB to Comdt. U. S. Marine Corps.
  12. NB66/N4-15/(Serial 3291); 4 December 1944; ComNOB to CO, Marine Barracks, TI.
  13. PUBLIC RELATIONS

  14. NB66/A3-2/K/(Serial 1810); 26 May 1942; NOB C/L #7-42.
  15. NB66/N3-1/(Serial 5127); 6 November 1942; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  16. NB66/A7-1/(Serial 2503); 10 August 1943; ComdtNOB to CO, Roosevelt Base.
  17. NB66/A7-1/(Serial 2824); 2 October 1943; ComdtNOB to All NOB Activities.

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  1. NB66/A2-11/A7-1/(Serial 845); 8 May 1944; NOB C.L #10-44.
  2. NB66/A7-1/NY13/(Dn)/(Serial 1597) 6 June 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  3. AMMUNITION AND ORDNANCE

  4. NB66/S78/(Serial 3385); 16 December 1944; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  5. A3-1(FPC-bii)/M111/ 2 March 1945; ComEleven to Ind. Man., USNDD, & AIM, San Pedro.
  6. Memorandum for all officers re: Wine Mess from Lieut. Comdr. W. B. Jones, Exec Officer; 30 July 1942.
  7. JE:19 April 1943; Memorandum for ComdtNOB and Chief of Staff from Lieut. Comdr. G. L. Dickson, Admin. Asst.
  8. NB66/JE/(Serial 2155) 21 June 1943; ComdtNOB to Officer in Charge, Allen Center.
  9. NB66/JE(Serial 3247); 1 December 1944; ComNOB to All Officers attached to NOB Headquarters.
  10. SecNav ltr. (C/L) Pers.-56-REB-JEc/ 30 June 1944.
  11. NB66/JE/(Serial 3381) 16 December 1944; ComNOB official memorandum.
  12. NB66/P10/JE/(Serial 2434); 31 July 1943; ComNOB to CO's, NOB Activities.
  13. NB66/JE/(Serial 672); 8 April 1944; ComNOB to Captain C. C. Jersey, Senior Aide to ComEleven.
  14. NB66/JE/(Serial 1333); 27 July 1944/ ComNOB to CO, USNDD; End-1 on CO, USNDD ltr. P21-1(c)/ Serial 801)/ 22 July 1944.
  15. NB66/JF/A4-2/3:Ck/ (Serial 602) 19 February 1946; U.S. Naval Base Memorandum #5-46.
  16. WAR BOND PROMOTION OFFICER

  17. The information contained in this section is based on a written statement submitted to the Historical Officer by the War Bond Promotion Officer, Lieutenant Commander W. S. Hudson, (SC) USNR, shortly before his detachment in October, 1945.

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    BANKING FACILITY

  1. BuSandA ltr L12-1/EG(AR) of 7 July 1943.
  2. NB66/L12-(Serial 2450); 2 August 1943; ComdtNOB to Chief BuSandA.
  3. BuSandA ltr. L12-1EG(AR) of 6 September 1943.
  4. NB66/L12-KD1)(Serial 136); 24 January 1944; ComdtNOB to BuSandA.
  5. BuSandA ltr. L12-1/EG(AR); 9 February 1944.
  6. NB66/L12 (Serial 1025); 9 June 1944; ComNOB to Chief, BuSandA.
  7. BuSandA ltr. L12-l/EG(AXF); 18 July 1944.
    also
    BuSandA ltr. L12-l/EC(AXF); 2 August 1944.
  8. NB66/L12-1 (Serial 1975); 21 October 1944; NOB C/L #24-44.
  9. COMMISSARY STORE

  10. Ltr. from Lt. Cdr. W. Feineman to Comdr. S. P. Dunham, San Pedro; 29 April 1941.
  11. ASSTND/11/jj56-3/Serial 741 cjh/ 22 May 1941; Assist Comdt. to ComEleven.
  12. BuSandA Fifth End., JJ-56-3/NB11(SBB), JJ56-3(32), 3 July, 1941, to BuNav.
  13. JJ-56-3(HAB) 5-1641; 20 February 1943; ComEleven to ComdtNOB, SP.
  14. NB66/JJ56 (Serial 499) TEH:js/ 9 March 1943; ComdtNOB to ComEleven.
  15. NB66/JJ56-3/Serial 124/ 12 January 1945; ComNOB to Chief, BuSandA, via ComEleven and Chief BuPers.
  16. NB66/JJ56-3(2:Sr ) (Serial 520); 19 February 1945; ComNOB to Chief BuSandA; via ComEleven and Chief BuPers.

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  1. ND11/J56-3/NB66/(Serial S-6879)/ 26 February 1945; Assist. Comdt. (Logistics) 11ND to ComNOB.
  2. NB66/JJ56-3 (1:Sr)(Serial 661); 7 March 1945; End-1 on ComEleven ltr. ND11/JJ56-3/Serial 6679; 26 February 1945; ComNOB to ComEleven.
  3. Ltr. 2:Te; 15 March 1945 from Captain W. B. Jones, Chief Staff Officer, NOB, to Captain C. C. Jersey, Senior Aide to ComEleven.
  4. Pers-21A-ch; 27 March 1945; End-a on ComNOB TI, ltr. NB66/JJ66-3(2:Sr) Serial 520 of February 1945; 22 March 1945 Chief of Naval Personnel to BuSandA, via CNO.
  5. Op30-14 1a/ Serial 169230/ 3 April 1945; End-3 on ComNOB. TI ltr. NB66/JJ56-3(2:Sr)/ Serial 520 of 19 February 1945. CNO to Chief of BuSandA.
  6. JJ56-3/NB66(SBI)/A4-2/ 9 April 1945; Chief BuSandA to ComNOB.
  7. SEWAGE DISPOSAL

  8. Report of Committee for Congested Production Areas; 19 January 1944.
  9. ND11/N4-1/C-8A/ 28 January 1944; Chief Bureau of Yards and Docks to Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
  10. NB66/A18-3/(Serial 324); 18 February 1944; ComdtNOB, to ComEleven.
  11. A18-3/SECP-228-amh/ 21 April 1944; Assist SecNav to Mr. Robert R. Cline, Jr., General Counsel, House Naval Affairs Investigating Committee.
  12. NB66/N26-7(PW)/(Serial 1445) 14 August 1944; ComNOB to BuDocks, via ComEleven.
  13. NB66/N25-7(PW)/(Serial 586); 26 February 1945; ComNOB to Mr. Frank Gillilan, President Board of Public Works, Los Angeles.

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