was the last to edit U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Destroyer Escort 402 - Photo Album - PART 1
on Aug 5th, 2012 at 10:23 PM
created U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Destroyer Escort 402 - Photo Album - PART 1
on Aug 20th, 2010 at 4:40 AM
Topic: U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Destroyer Escort 402 - Photo Album - PART 1
Topic type:
Altamonte Springs resident L. Reux and former Sanford and Lake Mary resident Neil J. Fischer served aboard the U.S.S. Richard S. Bull D.E. 402 in World War II from 1944 to 1946. These are photos from their tour of duty.
|
Neil Joseph Fischer served on the Destroyer Escort Richard S. Bull during World War II. He enlisted the day before his 18th birthday on 5 October 1943 and served as a Gunner's Mate 2nd Class. Neil died on 15 April 2010 in Savannah, Georgia after an over 15 year battle with cancer. While going through old documents and photos, a scrapbook containing 43 pages of original photos taken on and of the Richard S. Bull was found. |
Neil Joseph Fischer, Sr. circa 1990 |
| On 15 May 2006, Daddy responded to an e-mail I sent him about the small size of the Richard S. Bull. Hi Sweetie, It was a little ship. We had a crew of 185 and we were really crowded on board. It didn't bother me because I slept by my gun. It was rear quad 40mm that was designed to fire 80 rounds a minute. Your old daddy adjusted his to fire 125 rounds per minute. I was glad I did when I saw a goofy kamikaze coming down my sights. He didn't make it or I would not be writing this note. Love, Daddy In researching the photos, crew member Herbert Arnold sent this email 13 Aug 2010 explaining its origins: "...During the war years we were unable to have cameras aboard ship. However, there was one person assigned as a photographer. I think his name was Abe Steinberg. After the war when he was discharged from the Navy he took the film home and had the film developed. He contacted each of us and asked if we would like a copy of the pictures. I ordered a copy and it is the same copy of films that your dad has and you have now. I remember your dad but I do not remember particulars after all of these years. All Gunners Mates and Torpedomen served in "O" division. They were a great bunch of fellows and we all got along well together..." Below you will find a photo of each page as it appears in the scrapbook and a link to individual photos found on the page. If you can identify anyone in the photos or any of the locations, please send me the information and I will update. Please refer to a photo by page number and photo location. Example: Page 34, top row, 2nd photo. The small photos are about the size of a business card, the larger ones about 3x4". An * indicates that Daddy is in the photo. Contact: KimMarieFischer @ gmail.com if you can identify any of the crew members or locations. |
|
Related Items (212)
Documents (200) 
- Casteel Descendants
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 22 - TR1
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 39 - BR3
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 39 - BR2
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 39 - BR1
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 38 - TR3
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 38 - TR2
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 38 - TR1
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 38 - MR3
- U.S.S. Richard S. Bull - Page 38 - MR1
- 190 more like this >>
gildeagirl
said J. Reed Gattmann
Dear Ms. Fischer,
I was so delighted to find your post and photos of your dad's service on the Bull. His passing marks another loss of The Greatest Generation and our nation. I fear the world will never again see the likes of men like him.
My father, J. Reed Gattmann, served with yours, remembering his time aboard as, "the most memorable thing I experienced in my lifetime." He was the first officer to report to Brown Shipyards in Galveston, TX as the not yet launched ship's first lieutenant, coordinating the arrival and installation of navy equipment into the ship. He came there from Boston following service in a destroyer making two round trips to England escorting convoys carrying much needed troops and material to the European Theatre .Prior to that, he was a navigation instructor for the officer training school (90-day wonders) at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Fortunately for me, he met my mother there at a dance, although she was, "on the arm" of her high school sweetheart turned hero, Lt. Thomas McGrath.
Commissioning followed launching and LCdr Gardes assumed command with Lt. Mosley as Exec. Dad was #3 as First Lieutenant in charge of the Deck Division. He also served as the ships navigator given his previous sea experience and training duty. Unfortunately, these three officers were the only ones aboard qualified to command the ship underway as the others had little or no sea experience. The needs of the service changed all of this rather quickly, and by the time the ship transited the Panama Canal, several others could con the ship underway. Stops in San Diego and San Francisco enroute to the Pacific gave them opportunities for close-in ship handling.
I could go on . . . and on . . . but will cut this short with the notation of my dad's exposure in several of the photos on your site: p. 25, top right, #3 is an individual shot of Lt. Gattmann, by then the ships Exec. On page 26, Top Row #3 is an image of all the ships officers, including the Division Commodore, Cmdr Bewick, the shorter/smaller officer to the right of Dad. On page 42, Bottom Row #1 is my dad manuvering the Bull during underway replinshmemt, taking fuel, food, supplies and mail aboard. His image appears in several others, but this will suffice for an introduction.
Dad remained in the navy after the armistice as a reserve officer. He started the Naval Reserve Unit in CA (where I was born and raised), and was recalled to active duty three times: commanding a destroyer in Korea, a division of destroyers during the Cuban Missile Crisis and again early in the Viet Nam War. He retired in 1974 after thirty-two years of service as a captain, having also retired from the construction business in Los Angeles.
I would love to share more with you if you wish. One of the proud moments in my life was introducing my son, W. Reed Gattmann, to the crew of the Bull at their reunion in 1994, shortly after my father's death. Reed was not yet two, but the photos of the event have allowed me to share stories about his grandfather on many occasions. Reed has continued the family tradition of military service, and will start his second year at the Air Force Academy next week. Our son wanted little to do with my service, the U. S. Coast Guard, because we don't any aircraft that fly Mach 2+!
Following seas,
Kurt Gattmann
Tags: J. Reed Gattmann, U.S.S. Richard S. Bull