I spoke with Pat yesterday. He was delighted to have recieved the photographs from Mr. Creekmore. Pat indicated that he did not remember LST-981 being there but thought that the other ship might have arrived while he was on shore leave. He also recalled that the 312 and 384 were positioned differently and it made sense that the damaged ships might have needed to have been moved out of the way. It is possible that the photos were taken of the three ships in a different location.
Pat mentioned during the phone conversation that the officers and the crew were relocated to a rest camp for two to three weeks after the bombing. He said that the officers were kept with the crew to watch over them. Pat said he was later temporarily assigned to another LST but couldn't recall the ship. It wasn't long before he was back on the 312 - to take her back on a slow voyage for repairs.
THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD
1 year ago
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Just so you'll know...
I have another blog now...
www.mingolming.blogspot.com
to keep my sanity and help me have a diversion from the seriousness of life.
Feel free to drop by and contribute at any time...
thanks David..
Your posting's are my favorite and I have throughly enjoyed reading about your Uncle Pat. Good way to preserve the history if your family.
mb
David-
I think - as you and I discussed on the phone today - that Rev. McElduff thought that the Lord had spared his life twice in less than a two-month period. I believe the robot bomb missed his inboard 981 while almost tearing the two outboard ships to pieces (the 312 and 384 plus the heavy loss of lives on both these LSTs). Isn't that what he is saying? I was confused a bit at my first reading of his remarks - his talking about his ship striking two mines on June 6 D-Day, then a newly-invented weapon (the buzz bomb) hitting two LSTs the very next month that were moored to his ship and little or no distance apart from each other- in London and not on the shores of France! I'm very curious now to know that the 981 was the ship moored to the dock (at Deptford), the LST moored to its port side was the 384, and our 312 was moored (tied) to the 384. The bow doors of all three LSTs looked toward London and Tower bridges.
-Pat
Email from Pat recieved 04/22/08
My husband's grandfather was in command of the LST 384 when it was buzz bombed. He died in the attack. We've always thought how sad for him to survive Normandy only to die tied up in the River Thames. He was Lt. John H. Miller, Jr and if there is anyone with any information on him, we'd sure appreciate hearing about it at millertym5@verizon.net
I ran across some naval records - Report of Change. Patillo Ainsworth Finlayson and a Donald William Russell sailed with USS LST 382 as of October 31, 1944.
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