Description:

Extensive archive of documents and ephemera related to the late-war service of U.S. Navy sailor Robert W. Griggs, who served aboard the destroyer minesweeper USS TOLMAN during the Okinawa campaign, during which she shot down an approaching kamikaze, and performed occupation duties at Sasebo. He later served aboard the repair ships USS VESTAL (of Pearl Harbor fame) and USS PANAMINT prior to his discharge. The archive includes: "A Manual of English Conversation" by Yoshio Kogure (Kumamoto: Minseishmposha), November, 1945, 32pp. oblong 12mo., a Japanese-English phrasebook produced by an enterprising publisher during the occupation; A U.S. Navy dispatch form to which Japanese 1 and 10 sen coins have been affixed by tape (a second 1 sen coin missing), with Griggs' notes on conversion rates below; a Japanese 50 sen note; eight additional duplicate dispatch forms, one announcing the Tolman's departure from Eniwetok to Sasebo, two describing her minesweeping efforts off the Japanese coast, a fourth reprinting a message from a Japanese ship to the Tolman requesting permission to dock, with Griggs' note "He didn't do too bad for being a Jap...", etc.; an Imperial Japanese Telegraphs form sent by Griggs to a family member in Pennsylvania dated March 10, 1946, announcing his departure from Tokyo to return home; three additional blank Imperial Japanese Telegraph forms; a pencil sketch by Griggs of radioman J.W. Eckman, dated Sep. 9, 1945, with a note on the verso indicating that it was made at "Roosevelt Base" at San Pedro, California; a typed program for church services aboard the USS Tolman, dated March 18, 1945 a typed program for morning church services aboard the USS Vestal, dated May 6, 1945; a printed program for church services aboard the USS Panamint, dated Jan. 6, 1946; a Japanese pocket calendar for the year 1946; six Christmas postcards addressed from Griggs to "Mac", one bearing a photo of the Tolman and six an unidentified ship with the hull number "31"; a program for the commissioning of the destroyer USS HARWOOD, the last vessel of the war built by the San Pedro Yard of the Bethelehem Steel Company, also listing all the ships built by this yard during the war; three rotogravure photos of U.S. Navy destroyers, one identified as the Tolman; two shipboard-printed menus for Christmas dinner aboard the Tolman; a newsletter printed aboard the Tolman, dated Jan. 9, 1946; a typed "Plan of the Day" for crew aboard the Tolman, dated Dec. 25, 1945 and addressing regulations for shore leave in Sasebo, among other subjects; six additional pieces of unidentified Japanese ephemera; Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner menus from the Naval Training School at Richmond, Virginia, both dated 1944; four pages of notes taken by Griggs during "Chemical Warfare Classes" at the Naval Research Lab in Anacostia; Griggs' draft notices; a handwritten copy of Griggs' service log; photostat copies of his service log and discharge papers; Griggs' Pennsylvania veterans' compensation forms; a two-page telex printout describing the progress of naval demobilization efforts, dated Jan. 18, 1946; and several newspaper pages and clippings. The archive together paints an interesting picture of naval life at war's end. Should be seen.

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April 30, 2019 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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