Interesting Sea Story from a black WW-2 Sailor

[Griff Murphey]

Spoke with one of my patients yesterday, 85, went in at age 15 in 1943. He spent the war in a PC subchaser escorting convoys in the Carribean. At war's end they were in Havana, Cuba, which was a neutral port. He said there were a lot of U-boats and a couple of Italian subs that came in to be surrendered with the end of hostilities. According to him the Germans and Italians went on liberty just like the americans did. The thing that aggravated him was that they could go into some establishments that would not let the American black sailors into.

And no there was no buddy-buddy socialization of Yanks and Kreigsmarine.

My patient at age 85 moves and looks like a man in his 50's, still has a full head of coal black hair. Yes he is the real deal, we have talked often over 20 plus years. Yesterday he showed me his WW2 ID card.

[mike24d20]

One of Americias greatest generation . People back then supported the US, now people want the US to support them.

[blackhawknj]

Interesting story. Nice to know that segregation and prejudice were not limited to the USA.

[Oyaji]

Ever hear of Texas native and Navy Cross recipient, Doris Miller?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miller

Dorie Miller..jpg

[dave]

Yeh, but sadly he did not hit any planes. Hell, he had never been trained on firearms, only a stove.

[phil441]

But ya gotta admit..... He gave it his best effort.

[lonegunman762x51]

The Army Air Corps had black flying units, the Army had black combat units,,,,,,,,,,,,,they Navy had cooks. My dad was a paratrooper and every kid he grew up with served during the war. These days, most of America would surrender or try to serve by taking the Taliban off their "friend" list.

It is getting harder to find a WWII vet and it will be tragic when they are all gone.

[Griff Murphey]

I looked to see if I could find anything on exactly which subs might have surrendered at Havana and can't find any. Three U boats were surrendered at Portmouth, USA, and one at Delaware. I am very much inclined to believe him and I wonder if one or two German subs hit Havana for a last liberty, made contact with US forces, then proceeded to US ports to formally surrender, possibly under escort.

[dave]

Were belligerents allowed to 'liberty' in neutral ports?

[Griff Murphey]

Were belligerents allowed to 'liberty' in neutral ports?

This story was said to have occurred immediately AFTER VE Day.

During WW-2, Most neutral ports were crawling with agents from both sides. Axis blockade runners would not chance a neutral port, normally, as the Allies essentially owned the high card in sea power. Vigo, in Spain, harbored a German u-boat supply ship, as shown in the movie DAS BOOT. Of course, the fascist Spaniard government was in bed with the Nazis, having a policy of selective cooperation with Germany.

The German supply ship BESSEL was active at Vigo. German re supply ships were also allowed at Cadiz and Las Palmas. Later in the war when it became apparent that Germany was losing, Spain shut its ports to the Germans.
There had to be some encounters on liberty, between merchant seamen, anyway

[meterman]

Were belligerents allowed to 'liberty' in neutral ports?

My cousin's husband was a boatswain's mate, serving in the Armed Guard units aboard merchant marine vessels. He told me one time that they were in a neutral port in the Mideast, and I don't remember if it was Egypt or Iran or just where it was--too many years have passed. Anyway, they found a little sailor's tavern and were inside, having a few beers. Somebody noticed that down at the end of the bar were some German U-boat sailors, also enjoying themselves. No great hand-shaking, no trading souvenirs, no back-slapping. They all just glared at one another. All the US guys realized that some day those guys might be looking through a periscope at them. He did have one ship go down, and got to spend some time in a liferaft.

He said that on payday for the merchants, they would pass the hat and all of them would throw in money to give to the Navy guys. After all, most of the Navy guys were out there for $50 a month or so, and the merchants were making money hands over fists. And they were mighty thankful for the Armed Guards to be out there with them, trying to protect them.

He really loved the Navy, and always said that he wished that he had made a career out of it.

[dave]

I worked with a WW11 Merchant seaman. He said they signed on a ship and were not paid till they hit the US again, at which time they were rolling in money. There were no pay days while at sea. He never mentioned overseas "liberty". He was on the Russia run at least twice. If they did not sign back on a ship within a month or so of coming home they would be drafted. He and several buddies finished a cruise in New Orleans once, got paid and moved into a whore house, rented the joint for month or so, food, booze and women included. Then went out to sea again, broke! Also had a cousin who was one, from in NYC and I never really knew him.