elsie item issue 65 - USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

Scavengers at Milne Bay!LCIers Meet some “Blighters from Down Under”byWilliam R.Doran, LCI (R) 342LCI(L) 342, later converted into an LCI(R), was at anchor in Milne Bay Harbor, New Guinea, duringJune of 1943. The days were hot and humid and the crew hadn’t had any recreation or even beenashore for quite some time; therefore, the Skipper gave port and starboard liberty to the crew.Bill Cannon, a Signalman from Lubbock, Texas, and I partnered up and started walking toward theAussie airbase on the main road. Near the edge of the airbase there was a lot of thick jungle witha small clearing which we decided to explore. There we discovered the fuselage of an old bomber.All the valuable operational equipment had been removed, but we saw some conduit which wethought we could use to make bracelets and rings. Since some of the jungle was even growingthrough the openings of the plane and it looked like it had been junked, we each took a handful ofthe conduit and headed back to the ship.We reached the main road and were greeted by an Australian officer with two enlisted men whowere carrying side arms. The officer asked where we had acquired the conduit and what we weregoing to do with it. After telling him, he said, “You would call us bloody blighters if we took somethingoff your ship, wouldn’t you?”Shaking in our shoes we said, “Yes, Sir.” He then told us to get into their jeep and took us toPoint Ladava where he put us in a chicken wire brig just outside his office with one of the enlistedmen as a guard.We spent about a half an hour there before the other guard came from the office and informed hispartner, “We are to take them to Admiral Barbey’s flagship, the USS Rigel.” Then we were reallyshaking!When we arrived aboard the Rigel we were taken down ladder to the brig. Then, just as the Rigelguard was acquainting us with our new home another enlisted man called down the ladder andsaid that we were to be taken back to our own ship.The next day our Skipper, who in civilian life was a lawyer, sent our Executive Officer andEngineering Officer to the airbase to get information on the problem. They found out that therewere no charges filed against Cannon and myself by the Commanding Officer of the airbase.However, a representative from the airbase was sent out to tell our Skipper what had happened.Our Skipper summoned a meeting in the wardroom where the incident was discussed. When themeeting was over and the Aussie had left, our Skipper came to where we were sitting—and worrying.We asked him what was going to happen next. With a very serious look on his face he said,“You both better pack your sea bags; you are going to Mare Island.”18