Pelham Bay Naval Training Station
| Pelham Bay Naval Training Station | |
|---|---|
| Rodman's Neck, Pelham Bay Park, The Bronx in United States | |
| Site information | |
| Owner | City of New York |
| Operator | US Navy |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°51′58″N 73°48′37″W / 40.86611°N 73.81028°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1917 |
| Built by | Ewing & Allen, Architects |
| In use | 1917–1919 |
| Fate | Demolished |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
|
Pelham Bay Naval Training Station was a World War I-era United States Navy training facility located on Rodman's Neck, a peninsula at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, New York City.[1] Located near City Island and Westchester County, it was operational from 1917 to 1919.[2]
History
Prior to the creation of the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station, a national guard base was set up in the heart of Pelham Bay Park. The 280 acre[3] site was designed by the architectural firm of Ewing & Allen[4] and included a ninety acre hospital.[3]
The camp also featured entertainment facilities provided by the Knights of Columbus, the Y.M.C.A.,[4][5] and other organizations including the American Red Cross and the American Library Association.
Curriculum
The camp offered a number of sequential training courses, with mastery of a given course being required to advance to the next one.[3]
- First: Inoculation period of 21 days in the Isolation Camp (also known as the "Probation Camp").[4] During this time, the trainee also learned about naval regulations and some basic seamanship topics.[3]
- Second: Month-long seamanship course.[3]
- Third: If qualified - Three weeks of either Petty Officer's School, Radio school, Quartermaster School, Gunnery School, or Boatswain Mate schools.[3]
- Fourth: If qualified - Two months of Officers' Material School or the Naval Auxiliary School.[3]
Influenza pandemic of 1918
The camp suffered from the Influenza pandemic of 1918 from late 21 September through late 21 October 1918, and again in December 1918.[6][7] There were 2,399 cases of influenza, with a total of 145 deaths.[6]
Personnel
Commandants
- Commander William B. Franklin until 25 February 1919
- Captain Julian Lane Latimer, captain of USS Rhode Island, assumed command of the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station New York, 25 February 1919 - later Judge Advocate General of the Navy 1921 - 1925
Librarians
A number of Queens Borough Public Library staff members took a leave of absence, and were placed at the Naval station via the efforts of the American Library Association. The station's library staff included:
- Blanche Galloway - Librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Jamaica Branch Librarian.[8]
- Wilhelmina Harper - Assistant librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Jamaica Branch Children's librarian.
- Amy E. Doncourt - Hospital librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Flushing Branch assistant librarian.[9][10]
Other personnel
- Richard W. Dorgan - served at the naval station.
- James F. Duffy - served at the naval station.
- Humphrey Bogart - The actor was one of the trainees.[11]
- Edward G. Robinson - The actor was one of the trainees.[12]
See also
- USS Idalis (SP-270) - A Bronx built ship that was used for training and patrol duties.[13]
- J. Rich Steers, Inc. - Then known as Henry Steers, Inc. constructed some or all of the barracks.[14][15]
References
- ^ Ells, Mark D. Van (2015). America and World War I. Interlink Publishing. p. Chapter 5. ISBN 9781623710675. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ Twomey, Bill (2007). The Bronx, in Bits and Pieces. AuthorHouse. p. 103. ISBN 9781600080623. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rockwell, T. R. (November 1918). "What A Naval Training Station Really Is" (magazine). MotorBoating. XXII (4): 8–9, 20. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ a b c Ewing & Allen, Architects (1918). "The Pelham Bay Naval Reserve Training Station". The Architectural Forum. Billboard Publications. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ Lloyd, Nelson (1918). How we went to war. New York, C. Scribner's sons. pp. 134–138. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ a b "HyperWar: SecNav: Misc. Reports 1919: Influenza". www.ibiblio.org. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Influenza spread in US Navy September 1918". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ Galloway, Blanche (1918). "A Woman Among Ten Thousand Bluejackets". Bulletin of the American Library Association. XII (January - November 1918). American Library Association: 222–225. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "ALA Handbook". Bulletin of the American Library Association. 10 (January - November 1916). American Library Association: 628. 1916.
- ^ "Public Libraries". 25 (1). Chicago: Library Bureau. January 1920: 225. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Did You Know? Fun Facts About NYC's Parks | THIRTEEN - New York Public Media". THIRTEEN - New York Public Media. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ Beck, Robert. Edward G. Robinson Encyclopedia. McFarland. p. 334. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
edward g robinson world war one.
- ^ "Idalis (S. P. 270)". www.history.navy.mil. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ Newark Advocate article, 08/10/1917 "General Strike May Stop Work on Army Camps"
- ^ St. Petersburg Independent article, 08/10/1917 "Settle Strike By Agreement"
Further reading
- Trippett, Josephine (1918). "Sketch of a Naval Emergency Hospital". The American Journal of Nursing. 18 (8): 683–687. doi:10.2307/3405867. JSTOR 3405867. – An eyewitness account of the training station by one of the American Red Cross nurses