Fantasy

23 August 2014

USS RASHER (SS 269)


I have met many interesting people since I arrived in Rhode Island, but none more so than WW2 veteran Bill.  Bill was a US Navy submariner who served in the Gator class submarine USS Rasher, which was based out of Fremantle in Western Australia in 1943/44.  She racked up an impressive array of kills, the second highest in the US Submarine service during WW2, and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.

The Rasher went on to continue a very interesting career, being refitted into a radar picket boat for the Korean war, and refitted again as an auxiliary submarine for the Vietnam war.

Bill was onboard Rasher as a young sonar man throughout the war and he told many tales over a beer or two....or three.  Of great interest to me also was the fact that Bill was the first sailor to use the experimental underwater telephone aka GERTRUDE to speak to a submarine from a surface ship.  This really tickled me as I've taught a lot of people how to do that over the years.

USS Rasher's Battle Flag from WW@

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Rasher_(SS-269)

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Scorpion-The-Patrols-Rasher/dp/1557507600

7 comments:

  1. It takes a special kind of courage to be a submariner - a courage I don't posses

    Great story

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    1. Sure does - both my sister and Brother in law are submariners .
      I did a two week cruise on an old Oberon class boat in my early days and that was well enough for me!

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  2. Sounds like a great chap, not sure you'd get me in one of those though.

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  3. Great story Paul. Vets have so much to tell and teach us, they just need someone like you to listen.
    There's a folksinger, ex RCN submariner who lives in Canada now, Tom Lewis, who has some great songs that talk about life underwater: http://www.tomlewis.net - you'd be the chap to appreciate him, depending on your musical tastes.
    Cheers, MP

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  4. You're really luckyto have met him. Unfortunately the old boys are slowly vanishing and all the untold stories with them.

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  5. Fantastic story! I have had the good fortune to speak with a few Veterans over the years and they have some of the funniest and often amazing stories to tell.

    Thanks for sharing Bill's.

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  6. What an incredibly interesting person to meet. Great storys.
    cheers

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