US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Pianning for Paring the Japanese Toenaih 511
Admiral Turner didnotsail inthe McCuwley upto Guadalcanal . . . just
prior to the New Georgia Operation, He became suddenly sick with both
dengue fever and malaria and went aboard the hospital ship Solute then
anchored in Noumea Harbor. He was a patient there for over a week. I went
out to see him every forenoon and took him important dispatches and correspondence
for him to read. On several successive days he asked me to bring
out to him a bottle of liquor, I wouldn’t do it. Several times he really begged
me to do it.so
Commander Landing Craft Flotillas recalls:
[Turner’s} health was apparently good until just before ‘Toenails,’ when
he was at Noumea planning the operation with General Hester. I was in
Guadalcanal . . . when I was informed that Turner was on the hospital ship
in Noumea with both malaria and dengue fever. I was somewhat worried that
I might be called upon to do that show, being No. 2 at that time, with no
preparation at all. However, he bobbed up serenely and got up to Guadalcanal
just in time. . . .31
Administration of Task Force 32 during this period when Rear Admiral
Turner was busy in Guadalcanal was to be exercised by Captain A. B.
Anderson, Chief of Staff, CTF 32, who with a small portion of the staff would
remain in Noumea at the Administrative Headquarters of Commander
Landing Craft Flotillas, Third Fleet (Rear Admiral George H. Fort).
Rear Admiral Anderson, in 1962, recalled:
I set up the office in two quonset huts in the city. One was used to house
part of the enlisted personnel. I, with Merck [Flag Secretary] moved into a
house on the outskirts of Noumea formerly used by George Fort and Benny
Decker {who] stayed with us for a couple of weeks, then went afloat.
The McCdwjey, with other ships of the Force, was to pick up troops and
train them in forward areas preparatory to the New Georgia Operation.
Admiral Turner saw no reason for a number of officers and a large clerical
force to be in the flagship when space was required for personnel of the
Landing Force. Also, when the flagship was away, he wanted an office in
Noumea to handle the day to day things that came up. Shipments of landing
craft were arriving and he wanted them indoctrinated and trained before
being sent forward. Admiral Fort had already gone forward with some of his
Flotilla. Benny Decker (his C/S) was left in Noumea to train new additions.
I was to work with him on this.sz
While enroute to Guadalcanal on 10 June, 1943, TU 32.8.2 made up of
five transports with six destroyers to guard them, and under the command
mABA to GCD, letter, 2 May 1962.
mVice Admirai George H. Fort, USN (Ret. ) to GCD, letter, Apr. 1965. Hereafter Fort.
“ Anderson.