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USS Salamonie (AO-26) Souvenir Ash Tray


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Brian Keith

I live in the county where the Salamonie River originates and the museum Im associated with has a display of artifacts about the USS Salamonie. Included is this ashtray I bought on the internet.

I suspect this was cast at a larger naval facility that may have had a generic mold, except for the ships name. Note the: generic sailing ship as the center of the tray; crisp lettering for Twenty Five Years Continuous Service less clear lettering, USS Salamonie AO-26. The Salamonie was commissioned in 1941, so 25 years would be 1966. I wonder if there were a lot of Navy ships that qualified as Twenty Five Years Continuous Service for the mold to be made. Anybody have a similar tray with a different name? Anybody think Im way off base with my speculation? Any input/insight? Thanks in advance. Thanks for looking.

BKW

 

I am interested in any Uss Salamonie items.

post-1549-0-52245800-1490325987.jpg

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  • 6 years later...
Salvage Sailor

Aloha Brian,

 

That may be a shipboard ashtray or presentation piece made in the Oiler's machine shop just prior to her decommissioning in 1968

 

Nice ash tray, thanks for posting it  More Here -->>  US NAVY ASH TRAYS - Butt Kits, Ceramic, Cast, Shipboard, etc.

 

AO26USSSALAMONIE001.JPG.f3638fb8069d84ad99e17c333e4d6f8a.JPG

 

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The ship name caught my eye.  The following is from my research on the convoy which carried my brother to N. Africa.  

 

"UGF 5 that left Hampton Roads, Virginia. The convoy carried roughly 50,000 men and totaled 32 ships including 14 troop carriers, 3 tankers carrying fuel, 2 cargo ships and 13 Escorts—one battleship and 12 destroyers. There were no ships lost to submarine attack, however the escort oiler, USS Salamonie lost its steering on the fourth day out and rammed the side of the Army Troop Carrier, USAT Uruguay, with 5000 men aboard.  The bow of the oiler penetrated the side of the Uruguay creating a 70-foot hole amidships and drove the tankers bow into the ship’s hospital, leaving 13 Army soldiers killed and 50 injured.  The impact lifted three soldiers from their bunks and dropped them on the deck of the tanker.  Two were lost at sea but the third rode with the tanker to Bermuda where both ships went for repairs."

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