Are you looking for information about someone who served aboard the USS Cumberland Sound? Do you have information that you’d like to share? This is the place to leave comments.
© Stephen Clay McGehee 2011 – 2017
Unless otherwise noted, this work is copyrighted by Stephen Clay McGehee.
Material identified as being contributed by others is copyrighted
by the persons contributing that material.
I found my dad on a group photo on this site. His name was Frank Frederick and would like to talk with anyone who knew him while he was on the Cumberland Sound.
Hi,
Thanks for your work on this site. Believe my father “Hubert T. Duncan” was on the Cumberland Sound but not sure of dates but think it might have been after Tokyo and during the “lab ship” days at the Bikini Atoll. I have his Goggles from “the bomb tests” but sadly did not ask him enough about his service before he passed away.
I am very seriously wanting to catch up and find out more about what his navy life was like. I understood he was a gunnery officer but that’s about all I know. Thanks for having this site and I hope to continue searching.
With appreciation for your work on this site.
Tom Duncan
Thanks for stopping by, Tom. I have added your father’s name to the roster. It is marked as “son” for the source. I hope to locate a complete roster at some point so that we have something documented showing the names of the men who served on the Cumberland Sound. If you’re able to send a photo of those goggles, I’d love to add that to the web site. Let me know, and I’ll send you an email that it can be sent to.
Stephen,
Sure. Will be happy to send a picture. Just let me know. Also in going through his stamp collection found two envelopes from the ship. I will send pictures of those as well.
Tom
Done – it should be waiting in your In-box. Thanks!
Stephen,
Back in 1977 I lived next door to a widow who gave me an envelope with the “atomic bomb test bikini atoll” postmarked 7-1-1946. Her husband was E. L. Dodds, Staff, Commander, JT1 c/o U.S.S. Cumberland Sound AV17. Didn’t find him listed as a crew member. Would you like a scan of the envelope ?
Ken
Absolutely, Ken – Thanks! You can email it to scm(at)adjutant(dot)com (Like your email address, by the way – 73, KN4AM)
Thank you for establishing this website. My father, William “Bill” Cox served on this ship as a 17-year old (he joined the Navy at 15, lying about his age to get in). If there is still anyone around who knew him, I would love to learn more about him. He never really liked to talk about his experiences in the war.
You have helped clear up a mystery for me. I always remembered him saying that he was at a nuclear test, but I could never figure out how a Navy guy would have ended up at the Nevada tests. I never thought about the Bikini Atoll testing; now the puzzle has come together.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Mr. Cox. It wasn’t until I set up this web site that I learned about the role of the Cumberland Sound in the atomic bomb tests. My father left the ship before that time, so the only mention he ever made of the atom bomb was that he and a few others from the ship borrowed a Jeep and drove to Nagasaki to see the bomb damage. To say that it made a big impression is putting it mildly. He just couldn’t imagine that one bomb could have that much destructive power. The whole idea of radioactive fallout wasn’t known to them and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have official permission from anyone to go there – they just went. I’ve got some video of him describing that, but just haven’t processed and uploaded it yet.
Did anyone know of a Eugene Polanski that was on this ship at some point? He was likely to be only 17 at the time so obviously not an officer. He was my grandfather and all I know is that he was on this ship at some point.
Good morning, Jill – thanks for writing. Hopefully someone will respond who knew your grandfather. If you haven’t already done so, you might try looking through the group photos here to see if you can find him in one of them. Click on the photos to see the full resolution images. Several folks have found their relatives that way. My plan is to add the full ship’s roster as soon as I get the time. I know where and how to get it, but just haven’t had the time yet. Please check back again.
Ok great! Can’t wait to see the full roster! Thank you
My grandfather, john bernell koel, was on this ship. I cant find him in the group photos. I never met him, he passed before i was born.
Thanks for adding him to the unofficial roster. You might try looking through the 1944 and 1947 Muster Roll – http://cumberlandsound.org/muster-roll/ . You might find more information about him there.
I found him on the Muster Roll 1944 on page 19. Mom wanted me to see if i can find him in the photos.
My friend Tom Taylor served on the USS Cumberland Sound in 1945. He passed away. I salute him as he joined his shipmates yesterday.
Brian, thank you for remembering another member of the Cumberland Sound. There are very few remaining. May he rest in peace.
Did anyone know Roland Krueger from Max, North Dakota. I would like to connect to learn more.
Did anyone know my dad, Roland Krueger from north dakota? I would like to connect to learn more.