USS Curtiss AV-4 Reunion Assoc
On Wed, 7 Apr 1999
JOHN C EKSTADT Email address wrote:
Contact: John C. Ekstadt
17390 Greenview Circle
Lakeville, Mn. 55044-9559
Phone 612 / 891-5954
e-mail J_Ekstadt@webtv.net
Website: http://www.usscurtissav4.com
Thanks very much!
John
Ship's Company
On Sun, 8 Dec 1996
James E. Burress jburr@juno.com wrote:
147 CODYERIN DR
HENDERSON, NV 89014-0147
702 898-0447
I AM INTERESTED IN, 1. FINDING AN OLD SHIPMATE WHO SERVED ON THE USS
CURTISS AV4, AND ALSO WAS SHIPS COMPANY ON THE USS GARDNER BAY DURING
1952. HE WAS AN AV. BOATSUN 3rd CLASS. NAME WAS JOHNNY
FIKE AND HAILED FROM JASPER ALABAMA.
AND NO.2, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BOTH AFORE MENTIONED SHIPS PLUS THE USS
KENNETH WHITING (AV14) ADDED TO YOUR LIST OF SHIPS DURING THE KOREAN
'CONFLICT'.
THANKS, WILL BE BACK.
SWCS JIM BURRESS, RETIRED NAVY SEABEE
On Board
On Tue, 7 Jul 1998
"T. F. (Ted) Loughlin" Email address wrote:
un_org: U.S.S. Curtiss AV-4
ed note: all we got, waiting to hear from Ted to get more.
1 Division
On Sun, 17 May 1998
RAY HEYWORTH Email address wrote:
phone: 541-567-6758
comments:
Hi, Guys,
I served on the USS Curtiss from August 1950 - July 1953. 1st year and a
half Seaman 1st Division, the rest of the time I was a CSSN as a belly
robber. Honorably discharged july 30 1953
Update:
I got your message from my sister. Say Ted here is a man 2 get in touch
with it is:
Francis A Pavlu 9255 Magnolia ave. Sp #293 Santee, Calif. 92071-3168.
And put U.S.S. Curtiss ( AV- 4) Association. I have joined the
Curtiss club, and get a news letter every so often. It only cost ten
dollars a year 2 pay 4 his stamps stationary. they have a reunion every
year, they are going 2 Alaska this year.
Oh by the way a belly robber is a COOK.I will catch you later.
Ray E.H.
CSSN RAY HEYWORTH
Ship History
On Thu, 27 Aug 1998
Ted Loughlin Email address wrote:
Attached is some of the info you requested about this ship. Hope it
helps. Barker was my grandmother's family name back in Bradford,
England.
Ted Loughlin
USS Curtiss AV-4
Type: Seaplane Tender
Commissioned: 1940
The ship resembled an ocean liner that had the upper decks sliced off
about two thirds of the way toward the stern, leaving the after main
deck clear to hoist aboard seaplanes for maintenance or repair. It
housed the ships crew and all squadron personnel.
It contained a "Sickbay" with a doctor and operating room. All the
facilities for the support of seaplane squadrons were aboard, including:
hangar, workshops, small boats, aviation fuel tanks, photo shop,
aviation torpedo shop and storage, aviation munitions storage, etc.,
etc.. The Curtiss was scrapped in 1957.
The Curtiss was hit during the attack on Pearl harbor but was quickly
repaired and restored to duty. She also took a Kamikaze hit just below
the bridge down several decks into sick bay and a hit in the hanger area.
After the war the ship was converted for use in the atomic tests at
Bikni Atoll. Some of the spaces were converted to laboratories and a
lead lined elevator was installed leading from a laboratory up to the
hangar. The elevator was to bring the test bombs up from lead lined
storage compartment in the lab up to the main deck level for transfer
to boats for transport to the bomb site.
After the tests, the Curtiss was the flagship Of Rear Admiral Bogan,
COM 1st Task Fleet. The labs were used as hobby shops, etc.. The ship
then only had a crew of about 175, many of them "Plank Owners" who had
been aboard since the ship was commissioned. It participated in
maneuvers in Alaska and Hawaii. It was very good duty.
When the Korean war broke out, the ship was returned back to the
original mission of serving as a base for seaplanes. It was quickly
overhauled and refitted at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in
San Francisco, then in proceeded to Iwakuni, Japan, in the inland sea.
Japan was still under allied occupation and Iwakuni was in the
Australian occupation zone. There had been a Japanese airbase there
during the war. It was now an Australian base with a small contingent
of U. S. Air Force personnel.
The Curtiss anchored off the airbase, using the ramps and buildings for
maintenance; supporting them with living facilities, shop facilities,
parts, stores, and fuel. The planes were normally moored at anchor
between the Curtiss and the base. The seaplane squadrons supported were
two U. S. Navy squadrons and two Australian RAF squadrons. They were:
USN - VP42 and VP47, Aussies - RAF 205 and RAF 209. The Americans flew
Martin PBM's. The Aussies flew Sunderland's. Other squadrons were
rotated in, but I left The Curtiss just before Christmas 1950 to
recommission the Essex class aircraft carrier, USS Bon Homme Richard
CV -31, in Bremerton, Washington.
