​       I’m finally getting around to completing the blogs on the Wellings brothers. Albert Aloysius Wellings, or “Al” is the youngest, born January 4th, 1909 in East Boston, and was stationed close to Harold (Captain Wellings) while he served his first term in the South Pacific on Strong. Instead of focusing primarily on his list of career achievements (those will be listed at the end), it’s more interesting to me the role Al played as a support system to his older brother both before and after the sinking. Al was in the neighborhood so to speak, and as such was very accessible to Harold. He was also able to help him grease the wheels to get things done at times. The only source I had for this information was from letters written home to his wife Dolly, but there’s so much in just these small references to the accessibility and support of his brother. Few other men were so lucky to have family nearby so far from home.
     Al was a communications specialist, specializing in radio, radar and underwater sound. He set up various stations in the war zone of the Pacific, including the base where Strong frequently stayed between missions, Espiritu Santos in the New Hebrides. The first letter reference mentioned was early January 1943 as Strong was laying low in Dumbea Bay, Noumea, New Caledonia. Al met him at the ship and took him to visit his camp of tents where the radar base on Noumea was set up. Al and his men had developed the area into a comfortable base for the station:
     “We wound up for lunch at his home – a tent out in the country where his 17 officers and numerous enlisted men of his gang live.  They built everything – roads, foundations for their tents, galley, galley range, hot showers, stole and borrowed ice boxes, etc.  Really it was like “Boom Town” in the midwest.  Officers and men all turned out to build their camp.  They chose a grand location on a hill and the breeze is always good which helps keep away mosquitos.  Their “tents” have “built up” wooden foundations, wooden sides for about 3' then screens for the next three feet, the tent just covering the top.  I could rave on and on but will tell you more later.  He is doing a grand job.”
     The next reference is February 24, when Harold complained to Al that they hadn’t yet received mail. Al evidently had some connections that were able to remedy that situation and four days later they got a huge shipment of mail from home. From that point up until May, they got their mail on a regular basis. In April after they downed their first Japanese submarine, Al arranged to have 30 cases of ale delivered to Strong and her crew:
     “I must tell you a good story.  The night before we sailed on our last trip, we received a message from a ship which had just arrived from Al’s home port that they had 30 cases of Ale (qt. bottles) for us.  We thought it was a joke but investigation confirmed the message.  We didn’t know what to do as it was 2200 and we were sailing early in the morning and of course we couldn’t take it aboard.  Sooo – at 0500 we had a big motor launch from the tender with our working party and removed it from the ship to the recreation center (enlisted men) ashore.  They stored it for us.  Yesterday my boys certainly had a party and today there will be another.”
     During part of April Strong was holed up at Espiritu Santos, New Hebrides. Harold and a few of his officers along with the crew came down with a tropical flu. Al came by to visit and harass him out of his sick bed, then stayed around for a few days. His proximity was due to his arrival on a ship tender with the intention of setting up a radar station on Espiritu Santos. He visited the ship frequently while Strong was at port, and finally left to join his new base around the middle of May. Coincidentally during this time, Strong’s mail deliveries dried up. Al wasn’t in Noumea greasing the wheels anymore and things got behind, much to the chagrin of the captain and his crew.
 
     In early June, Al and Harold met up at the Officer’s Club on Espirtu Santos for scotch and beer. While the ship is in port, Al bunks in with his brother and they enjoy the time spent together watching movies and hanging out with the crew. During this month he gets to see his brother nearly every day. These visits were treasured, as it would be an unusual gift to have a close family member in the same spot fighting the same war and be able to share experiences, good and bad. This soon became very important to Harold.
     The next reference doesn’t come until July 13th, days after the sinking when Al flew to the hospital at Tulagi to be with him. He also provided some much needed comic relief to men who really needed it. From there they were put on a hospital ship and transported south to Guadalcanal, also where Al had formerly opened a radar base. Al found the time to come be with him there:
     “Yesterday afternoon Al arrived having flown down from his regular base up north.  Believe me he is a loyal brother.  I was most happy to see him.  Somehow to see one of your own under those conditions just adds a certain something that gives one new inspiration.  He will be here two or three days.”
     The guys were still there in early August and thanks to Al they started getting mail again, a welcome relief to the men recovering in hospital from the trauma and injuries associated with the sinking of the ship and loss of shipmates. This is the last reference to Al’s visits in the letters I have, but it’s clear to see that the relationship he had with his brother was enhanced by shared experiences and proximity in a turbulent war zone. How lucky he was to have that advantage, and in the delivery of the 30 cases of ale and prompt mail arrival the crew benefited, too.
 
     Al’s resume of accomplishments are in the gallery below. Click on the image to enlarge.
 
-Tammi
​

War History Online recently did a wonderful interview with Steve about The Last Battle, but he did mention The Castaway's War and the potential for a major motion picture for this book in the future!  We are keeping our fingers crossed for the possibilities. In the meantime, the link to the interview: https://www.warhistoryonline.com/press-releases/an-interview-with-stephen-harding-author-of.html

More later!

​Tammi

It’s time to talk a bit about our own Captain Joseph Harold Wellings. I’ve been procrastinating on this one for a couple reasons – it’s the easiest to write because I know more about this man as a person, and the hardest to write for the very same reason. Getting an email recently from his daughter Anne kind of kicked me back into gear. Instead of doing a chronology of his military achievements as I did for the first two brothers, this will be more personal. His history is more skillfully chronicled than I could ever do in an introduction done by John B. Hattendorf, the director of the Naval War College Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, in the front of the book titled “On His Majesty’s Service”, a compilation of letters, diary entries and official documents from the time Wellings spent with the British Royal Navy in 1940-1941. A copy of this book in its entirety in PDF format is available on my Navy Links and Research page, or you can contact the museum for a hard copy. Their address and contact information is also linked on this page of my site. It’s very interesting reading, especially the middle part of the book detailing his time with the crew of the HMS Hood, Britain’s most famous battleship of the time, sunk by the German battleship Bismarck on May 24th, 1941. Wellings was on board the HMS Rodney, one of the key ships that brought Bismarck down just 3 days after sinking Hood. The radio transmission transcripts on this event as detailed in the book are riveting.  A few documentaries on this subject can be found on-line, many are on YouTube, a couple of them by our own David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries, LTD.

He was born on April 23rd, 1903. For the purposes of this blog, the captain will be “Harold”, as he was called by his wife Dolly, or Dorothea. Getting back to our Harold, I was privileged to get access to his personal and military archives at the Naval War College back in 2012. I brought home a plethora of letter copies, letters he wrote home to his wife and child, and a few that had been written to him by family members who wanted to know the fate of their boys after the sinking of Strong.  From these letters, I developed my impression on his character as a man: as a husband, a father, a leader and captain.

Without fail, every one of his letters to his wife began with an endearment such as “sweetheart”, “my darling” or “dearest one”. Harold and Dorothea Bertelsen were married on January 23, 1937 in Boston. He wrote her several letters a week, sometimes two a day depending on what was happening in his world at any given time. He was a man completely devoted to his wife, while at the same time working hard to maintain and advance his career in the Navy.  I only collected letter copies from his time on Strong because my research is focused on that time of his life. More of these letters are excerpted in the book mentioned above. You see the same patterns of endearments, of longing, of missing her companionship, conversation and longing for her in more intimate ways that made me more than a little embarrassed and feeling a bit like a voyeur. This was heartwarming though, as many times time and distance can damage a relationship. With Harold, it only strengthened the depth of his love and devotion. He would close just as romantically, with “Your everything”, “Yours forever” and “Your own”.  He would make arrangements to have flowers delivered to her on special occasions and often sent home gifts such as beaded necklaces from the islands of the South Pacific. A man after my own heart.

As a father, he missed his little girl. Most of his letters included an “aside to Anne”, with a special note to her, sometimes asking about her time in school, sending pictures he cut from a Life magazine and daddy hugs and kisses. Anne had to have her tonsils out at age 4, and he wrote to make sure she got through her surgery okay and knew that he was thinking of her. One letter with an airplane was hand drawn by his second in command, Fred Purdy. On the edge of another letter page, was drawn a fancy car picture with the family drawn in for Anne to see. Another letter with a P.S. has him referring to himself as “Daddy Boom”. I had the chance to ask Anne about that when I met her in 2013 and if memory serves, it was because he was on a big ship that went “boom” on occasion. He would encourage her to write letters to send, as he loved hearing from her as well. During this time she went from 4 to 5 years of age, so it’s likely she had help in the writing. Unfortunately, I did not look for any copies of her letters.

As a leader and captain, he was unparalleled. I’m sure the man had his faults in all areas, however the predominant feeling from everything I’ve read is that he ran a grand ship. He was well respected and even loved by his men and the officers serving under him. When the ship sank, months later while he was recuperating in a hospital, he was personally responding to family members who wrote to him asking about the fate of their men who were still missing. He could have put out a form letter, he got so many. But he didn’t, and I have a letter copy to my family that shows the depth of his commitment to the ship and the lost men. His youngest brother Al was stationed in Espiritu Santo and other areas of the Pacific in the battle zone. As Harold lay recuperating, his brother Al was able to come be with him and keep him entertained. In April of 1943, Harold came down with a flu bug on board ship. At the time they were in port in Espiritu Santo, and while napping one day, he got a knock on his door. Brother Al came by for a visit. Al and Harold spent that day eating ice cream and watching movies. Thanks to Anne for reminding me of this and allowing me to share the story!

Harold returned to the Pacific a year or so after the sinking of Strong, and once again was a commander including a stint as the head of DESRON 2 for a while. Years later he had a career as the head man leading the Naval War College. He suffered a stroke in 1963 which ended his military career.  The good captain died on March 28th, 1988 in Newport, Rhode Island where he retired with his beloved Dolly. He was buried with his brothers in Arlington National Cemetery.

So to sum up, I could see myself really enjoying a good sit down with this man, sharing a good wine or whiskey and hearing stories of glory days. I so wish I’d had the knowledge that he was still around sooner, it would have been incredible to have contacted him. I’m so lucky to have so many other folks who have given me their time and their stories. Thank you all.

The next and last Wellings brother Al, well he’s going to get his turn soon. 

And while I'm thinking of it, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!!

-Tammi

Hello all,

There’s some news I’ve been waiting to share with you all, and now I can! For a while, the Hollywood moguls have been stringing Stephen Harding along on whether or not his book, “The Last Battle” would become a major motion picture. They finally got their ducks in a row, and the movie will be made by two MAJOR studios, The Picture Company in Hollywood, and Studio Canal of France! These partners have produced blockbusters over the years. Do some research on Google, their body of work is too much for this note, but suffice it to say Steve’s work is in good hands. The news of this movie to come has been circulated in the trades in the US and internationally. In addition, sales of “The Last Battle” are once again on the rise in the US and Germany. It remains to be seen who will direct and who will star in the film, but these studios have worked with guys like Liam Neeson, so talent of high caliber. They are already scouting locations for filming and within the next 2-3 years, we can expect a release. 

What could this mean for the future of his next book out, The Castaway's War, featuring the story of Lt. Hugh Barr Miller, Jr. and the crew of the USS Strong DD 467?  Lots of speculation by Steve and myself, but we'll just have to see if there is any domino effect. For right now, let's all congratulate Steve on the success of his book, and the future success of this wonderful movie!  See the link below for the official release!!!

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/studiocanal-world-war-ii-thriller-the-last-battle-1201655664/

There's more, so much more to share - but not yet. Until Steve gives me the go-ahead, I have to keep some things under my hat!  Believe me though, when I say the wait will be worth it!!!

Tammi

Update: Radio interview on WDAY Fargo, North Dakota from December 12tj: http://www.wday.com/radio/3902957-970-wday-heroes-heartland-demand-military-history

In the last blog entry I discussed the eldest of the brothers, the first “Gus”, as our own Captain Joseph Harold Wellings was also “Gus” to his friends. But the second brother needs to come before our Gus. In order to get this right I needed to do a little extra research, so thanks to Jocelyn Wilk at the Columbia University archives for her help! So this time, Rear Admiral Timothy (Ted) Francis Wellings.

Ted was born in Boston, Massachusetts on December 10th, 1898. In 1917 he became Midshipmen after an appointment to the rank by Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.  He became a crew member of the USS Maine in 1918, and then 1919 joined the crew of the USS Delaware. He saw duty on the USS South Carolina in 1920. As of September of 1920, he entered the Naval Academy and came out with the rank of Ensign, then headed to the USS North Dakota. In 1921 he was assigned to the Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet and duty on the USS Meredith. During his time on the ship, he attended training at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island, which lasted about six months. From there, he joined the crew of the USS Litchfield. In 1923 he moved to the USS Overton where he received a commission to Lieutenant (jg). During 1925 he was called to Washington, D.C. for temporary duty and instruction in Naval Communications. In 1926, back to sea and the USS Brooks. While serving on the Brooks, he achieved full rank and was commissioned a regular Lieutenant in September of 1926.  In 1927, he returned to Annapolis for post-graduate work, then on to the Naval War College in Newport in 1928. By 1929 he was part of “Train Squadron One, Fleet Base Force (Aide and Flag Lieutenant on Staff of Commander). He remained in this position until 1932, then back to the Naval Academy for more post-graduate work. He reported to the USS Idaho in 1935, and by 1936 was the Assistant Gunnery Officer. In 1937 he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Back to the Naval Academy in 1938, and more training. By 1940 he assumed command of his own ship, the USS Perkins. In 1941 the USS President Jackson, built by Newport News Shipbuilding in 1939, was undergoing conversion to fit her up for World War II activities in Willamette Iron and Steel Company in Portland, Oregon. Ted was sent there to oversee the job and assumed command of the ship. In March he was commissioned regular Commander, then Staff Commander of the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. During July of 1942, the ship was docked at the Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, Virginia. Wellings was busy with conferences in Washington, D.C. and spent time away from the ship.

In May 1943 he was appointed Captain for temporary service, and in October assigned to Task Force 122, Twelfth Fleet, serving in the Atlantic. The Twelfth was a consolidation of the U.S. Naval Forces with those of Europe under Admiral Harold Stark. By 1944, Ted was part of Service Force Atlantic Subordinate Command, Naval Operating Base in Norfolk. Later that year in August, he was assigned to the USS Wyoming as Commander. Wyoming was being used for Gunnery training at the time, operating in Chesapeake Bay (my great-uncle Billy actually trained here in 1942 prior to his assignment to Strong). Ted served there for a short time before attending more courses at the Naval War College. In 1945 he became a professor on staff at Columbia University teaching Naval Science and Tactics, also receiving the Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) with Gold Star from the country of France, for his heroism and bravery as an ally of France in World War II. He taught as a Professor of Naval Science without salary at Columbia until his resignation in 1949.

 Awards received during his career include the Legion of Merit, Gold Star, Victory Medal (Atlantic Fleet, USS Maine), Navy Expeditionary Force (USS Litchfield), Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (USS Brooks), American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp, USS Perkins), and the European-African-Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medal.

His biographical profile fails to indicate when he retired from the Navy, but he battled cancer and his health affected his decisions. His grandson Tim remembers him as a loving man who enjoyed Camel cigarettes and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Ted Wellings died in 1969. He was married twice, first to Antoinette. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his second wife Conna Hannah who passed in 1972. Ted had one child, a son Timothy F. Wellings, Jr, also Ted who died in 2013.

Thanks also to Cindy Hayes and Tim Wellings, his grandchildren, and to Anne Heffelfinger, his niece for their input and support!

Wellings brothers burials: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/wellings-family.htm

Next installment will be about our own Joseph Harold Wellings. 

Tammi

For a while now I’ve been thinking of doing something on the amazing Wellings brothers. Captain Joseph Harold Wellings of the USS Strong DD 467 and all three of his brothers attained the rank of Rear Admiral during their careers in the Navy. They had different paths (a couple actually intersected during WWII), but the same destination. There is so much to write about, I feel I must do this in four parts to give each brother his due and not overwhelm you with LONG blog entries. Their accomplishments, ranks, awards and titles are daunting and numerous. So the following blogs, one each week for the next four weeks, is just a tidbit on each brother, their careers and on four amazingly accomplished lives.

Their parents were John Augustus Wellings and Bridget O’Sullivan Wellings. Mr. Wellings was a railroad man all his working life.  An injury to his leg meant early retirement. His granddaughter Anne recalls he was a very cheerful man who ran a tight house. I can guess these qualities were instilled in his children along with self-discipline. There were three sisters as well: Eileen, Marguerita and Gladys. In birth order, the boys were:  Augustus Joseph or “Gus”, Timothy Francis, Joseph Harold (Harold to his wife and Gus to his Navy buddies), and Albert Aloysius. I’ll begin with the elder Gus.

Gus was born on February 3, 1897 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. In 1916 he joined the US Naval Academy at Annapolis as a midshipman where he played football and rowed crew. Gus saw action in World War I as he served on board the USS Rochester and USS Pueblo for Atlantic escort duty. In 1919 he became an Ensign, moved to the USS Virginia, then on to the USS Arizona where he served until 1921. He attended torpedo training in Newport, Rhode Island and moved on to the USS Arkansas where he remained until 1924. He earned a Master of Science in Ordnance Engineering at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 1927, then served on board the USS Utah until 1930. The Navy Yard was calling and he served shore duty for a couple of years before joining DESRON 1 (Destroyer Squadron 1) in 1932, a scouting force, and remained here until 1935. In 1937 he joined the battleship California as a Gunnery Officer until taking command of the USS Arctic in 1939.

As of May 1940 though, he reported to Bethlehem Steel where he served as the Inspector of Naval Material. In 1942 he became Director, Inspection Administration, Office of Procurement and Material, Executive Office of the Secretary, Navy Department in Washington, D.C., and was promoted to Commodore. This assignment lasted from 1942-1945, where he was awarded the Legion of Merit for “exceptionally meritorious” service, and received a letter of commendation. November of 1945 he became Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commander Service Force, Pacific Fleet, and coming with this assignment was the rank of Rear Admiral. In lieu of a second Legion of Merit, he was awarded a Gold Star and letter of commendation.

Between 1947 and 1948, Gus assisted in construction of the Eniwetok Atomic Proving Ground in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, operation SANDSTONE. Gus became Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Transportation in 1948. Later, he took on Navy Member on the Munitions Board Petroleum Committee, 1949, then Vice Commander, Military Sea Transportation Service, Washington, D.C. Between 1951-1953 he was Commander Amphibious Training Command, US Atlantic Fleet where his HQ was Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. Amphibious Group TWO was next on his command list, then the Office of Naval Materials, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. until retirement in July of 1954.

Awards he received were: the Legion of Merit with the Gold Star and Commendation Ribbon; WWI Victory Medal, Escort Clasp; American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; American Campaign Medal; WWII Victory Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Gus and his wife Rose had two children, Augustus J. Jr, and Rose. He passed away after a battle with cancer on November 29, 1956 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Next time, Timothy Francis Wellings.

-Tammi

The past few days have kind of been a blur as they always are at these functions. Something new, different and wonderful always happens. One new thing, Rocky Britton of the DD 467 and his daughter Darlene and son-on-law Randall are here. Rocky hasn't been back to a reunion in a while, so it was very nice having him and his family come. 

The other wonderful thing is the appearance of David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries, LTD. David had to be over here for a meeting in New York and a couple of other visits on the east coast, and he decided to make time to stop by Gettysburg to meet me and hubby Greg in person for the first time, see Andy Hoder again and to have a chat with our DD 467 guys, Jim Merriman and Rocky Britton. David arrived on Wednesday late afternoon with a smile on his face, and thankfully he left with one!  He had a great time meeting these folks of the DD 467/758 association. We went to dinner at Dobbin House Inn, the oldest building in Gettysburg dating to 1776, and had a wonderful conversation peppering him with questions about his work. Then we came back to the hotel to spend time in the hospitality room until we were tired enough to drop. After breakfast the next  morning David was on his way, but in his wake he left a lot of hope and inspiration for the future of this project to locate and document the wreck of the DD 467 in the Kula Gulf.  If anyone can do it, it's David and I would not even want anyone else to try and tell this story in documentary form. The guy is excellent at what he does and does it well. 

So to help others understand a bit more about his work here's a link to his web site, which is also on my Navy Research page: 
http://www.bluewater.uk.com/
For books about his underwater explorations and findings, see the Navy Research and Links page on the site. 

In other news, the early release of Stephen Harding's latest book, The Castaway's War, scheduled for May 3rd of 2016, Amazon's web site for pre-ordering the book which is sure to be a blockbuster! 
http://www.amazon.com/Castaways-War-Battle-against-Imperial/dp/0306823403/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442058498&sr=1-1&keywords=the+castaways+war

For other books by Stephen Harding: http://stephenhardingbooks.com/praise.html


-Tammi

Hail, hail, the gang's all here!  We even got a new/old guy, Rocky Britton. Rocky is here with his daughter Darlene and son-in-law. He and Jim Merriman are having a good time talking about the past. Today was a tour of the Gettysburg battlefield and Visitor's Center. I've included just a few shots of the diorama and a group shot of the guys from the bus. 

Tomorrow is a free day for exploring on our own, and Friday is Hershey, Pennsylvania and the chocolate factory!  We get to stop in Amish country on the way back to do some shopping. Looking forward to that!

Hey all,
Something unusual and wonderful has happened!  Da Capo Press has allowed Amazon to go ahead with pre-orders for The Castaway's War!!!  This is highly unusual, but very welcome. The book will get so much press in the next year, it's incredible. This is our book, about our ship and one of her men. Lots of the guys are mentioned, men Steve interviewed, people I interviewed, excerpts from letters and other documents - a lot of research and heart went into this book from everyone involved. I have already had a glance at the manuscript and have a very good feeling about it. I wish it could have been twice as long truthfully, so much had to be omitted due to publishing constraints. I hope to fill in some gaps with my own book if we ever do get an expedition. There are also so many other stories that could be told and any one of you could do the job as well. I'd be happy to help anyone with research if you choose to tell the story of your sailor.

True release is scheduled for the first of July 2016 around the 73rd anniversary of the sinking. 

-Tammi

Steve recently gave a talk about The Last to Die at Busboys and Poets, a local bookstore in Washington, D.C. CSPAN2 recorded it live and here for your enjoyment is the link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?327397-1/book-discussion-last-die  

Tammi