While the living conditions on submarine chasers were challenging at best and miserable at worst, some of the photographs of celebrations on board make me think that there must have been some good stories of pleasant moments to tell after the war. Christmas dinners on board the chasers are an example. Photos like the one posted this month in the SC 254 Crew Photos collection show chaser officers and crew making what looks like a pretty successful effort to create a festive environment in the cramped quarters below decks. It certainly makes me appreciate the comparative comforts of Christmas dinner in a warm house!
My best wishes to all, for a Merry Christmas this year.
--Todd Woofenden, editor
Additions to the SC 254 Crew Photos Set
Added to the SC 254 Crew Photos set are several images, including the Christmas Dinner photo shown here, and an exceptionally rare view of the Listening Room.
The armory, forward of the radio room, doubled as the Listening Room, in which the hydrophones were operated. The image added to this set shows a sailor operating one of the two hydrophones (The C-Tube hydrophone and the MB-Tube hydrophone), and is possibly the clearest image of this space that I've seen. To the crewman's right is a speaking tube to the pilot house. The two sides of the stethoscope-type earpieces are connected to the two channels, left and right, of the hydrophone. The wheel is used to turn the device.
SC 235 Photo
Added to the SC 235 photo set is a photo showing crewmen on deck, forward of the pilot house. Thanks to Debra Kelley, granddaughter of crewman Lorenzo Capone, for permission to post the image.
Photos in National WWI Museum Collection
Thanks to Jonathan Casey, archivist at the National WWI Museum, for submitting scans of two images from a newly acquired collection: