USN Officer Group - USS POPE - POW

[tigerfan]

USN Group to Captain William R. Wilson.  His navy career started in 1932 and  he retired in 1963.  From Sept. 1938 to July 1941, as a LT., Cpt. Wilson was stationed at the US Embassy in Tokyo.   On July 3, 1941 he was ordered aboard the destroyer USS POPE as the executive officer.  The USS POPE saw action at Macassar Strait and Badoeng Strait and on March 1, 1942 they were sunk at the battle of Java Sea.  For his actions at the battle of Java Sea Cpt.  Wilson was awarded the Legion of Merit.  His citation reads more like a navy cross award.   

 

The survivors of the USS POPE were picked up on March 3, 1942 by the Japanese and taken to a POW camp.  Cpt. Wilson was transferred several times between POW camps and on Sept. 9, 1945 finally headed home aboard the USS IOWA.   After WWII Cpt. Wilson commanded other ships including the USS THOMAS E. FRASER,  USS PAWCATUCH and USS PONCHATOULA.  The USS PONCHATOULA was an oiler and the last ship he commanded.   

 

It appears that Cpt. Wilson was destined to spend a lot of time in Japan.  His career started there,  ended up a POW in Japan for pretty much the entire war and went back at the last part of his career.

 

Included in this group are two of his uniforms, medals, commission pennants, photos, copies of citations, souvenirs and photos from the PONCHATOULA, etc. etc..   Among his awards is a rare WWII Dutch Bronze Cross and a Japanese Sacred Treasure medal with case that he received at the latter part of his career.  One very neat item is a simple two piece soap container.  At first look I didn't think anything of it until I realized there was something hand stenciled on the cover.  It reads: USS POPE 225 - Balikpapan 24-1-42  -    Off Bali 19-2-42  -  Java Sea 3-1-42  and has an outlined destroyer at the top.  Inside the container was a note he left behind.  The note will be in one of the following photos.    

 

This group has a special meaning to me because of the Ponchatoula connection.  The USS PONCHATOULA was named after the Ponchatoula River which flows through Ponchatoula, Louisiana.  I am originally from Western NY and currently live in Western NY but years ago I lived in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and graduated high school from Ponchatoula "Ponchy" High.   Anyway I could go on and on but have a look,  it's a neat group.  

 

 

[dhcoleterracina]

Fantastic group. I love that he kept the Commissioning Pennants. 

[TBMflyer]

Spectacular! So nice to see such a complete group of items, thanks for posting this. I love groups like this with photos, medals, uniforms and most importantly, the vets story!! BTW, you are going to want to get some material over the foam in the wooden case so it doesn't react with the metal of the medals, ask me how I know.

Mark

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Fantastic grouping, glad to see it all together and fully documented. 

 

PONCHATOULA was home ported at Pearl Harbor and I served with her on fleet exercises and on WESTPAC.

 

These are 1950's-1960's period patches from the PONCH when Captain Wilson would have been her CO

 

 

 

 

[Hermanus]

Thanks for showing this extraordinary and very nice group. As I mentioned in the medals section, this Dutch Bronze Cross group is very rare.

The Netherlands awarded a group of awards to US Navy personell, from 1942 to 1946, who fought alongside the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies 1941-1942.

They did the same to US Army personell who fought at Market Garden in september 1944. Mainly soldiers of the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Division.

 

You mention that Wilson was the XO of the Pope. He wasn't. He was the Gunnery Officer of the Pope. XO was Lieutenant Richard Antrim who received a Navy Cross for his actions on the Pope. For his actions as a POW Antrim received a Medal of Honor. Wilsons Legion of Merit citation also states that he was the Gunnery Officer of the Pope. A small oversight.  

 

I really love this group. If you have more pictures, keep them coming! ☺😊👍👍

 

Regards

Herman

 

 

 

 

 

[trenchbuff]

Incredible group.  What a career!

[tigerfan]

Here is a copy of his Bronze Star citation.  Meritorious service while a POW.

 

 

[WAHOOMAN]

Fantastic Group!!  I really like the story behind behind this grouping.  Thanks for sharing.  

[tigerfan]

6 hours ago, Hermanus said:

Thanks for showing this extraordinary and very nice group. As I mentioned in the medals section, this Dutch Bronze Cross group is very rare.

The Netherlands awarded a group of awards to US Navy personell, from 1942 to 1946, who fought alongside the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies 1941-1942.

They did the same to US Army personell who fought at Market Garden in september 1944. Mainly soldiers of the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Division.

 

You mention that Wilson was the XO of the Pope. He wasn't. He was the Gunnery Officer of the Pope. XO was Lieutenant Richard Antrim who received a Navy Cross for his actions on the Pope. For his actions as a POW Antrim received a Medal of Honor. Wilsons Legion of Merit citation also states that he was the Gunnery Officer of the Pope. A small oversight.  

 

I really love this group. If you have more pictures, keep them coming! ☺😊👍👍

 

Regards

Herman

 

Had a brain freeze while posting this.  My eyes saw "GO" and my fingers saw "XO".   

 

 

 

 

[collectsmedals]

What a great group, and so well documented! I love it!

 

Do you have any idea what he did to earn the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure 3rd Class?

[KASTAUFFER]

Glad to see more pics of the group Roger!  I need to send that pin to you that belonged to his wife.

 

Kurt

[dskjl]

Great group, so nice to see such a complete representation.  Well done.

[tigerfan]

45 minutes ago, collectsmedals said:

What a great group, and so well documented! I love it!

 

Do you have any idea what he did to earn the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure 3rd Class?

 

 

 

Don't know exactly what he did but here is some paperwork referencing the medal. 

  

[GIKyle]

This was a great read- thanks so much for sharing this special and unique group!  Complete with a lot of history- it doesn’t get much better!

[Hermanus]

Do you have a citation for his second Legion of Merit? I noticed he has an oak leaf cluster instead of a silver star. Could it be an Army award?

 

Regards

Herman 

[Hermanus]

34 minutes ago, Hermanus said:

 

34 minutes ago, Hermanus said:

Let me rephrase this as i can't correct my post..

Do you have a citation for his second Legion of Merit? I noticed he has an oak leaf cluster instead of a gold star in both his ribbon bars. Could it be an Army award?

On the medals and the mini's there is a gold star affixed.

34 minutes ago, Hermanus said:

 

Regards

Herman 

 

[tigerfan]

Here is a copy of the "oak leaf cluster" citation to the Legion of Merit.

Notice he is referred to as "colonel" near the end.

 

[Dave]

1 hour ago, tigerfan said:

Here is a copy of the "oak leaf cluster" citation to the Legion of Merit.

Notice he is referred to as "colonel" near the end.

 

 

 

 

That's what happens when someone copied another citation and didn't do "CTRL+R" to replace Colonel with Captain. 😄 (only partially kidding...but I wouldn't be shocked if that were the case...but of course, no CTRL+R existed back then, like it does today).

 

This is a fantastic group. An absolute stunner! Thank you for sharing it!

[Hermanus]

On 3/18/2021 at 9:02 PM, tigerfan said:

Here is a copy of the "oak leaf cluster" citation to the Legion of Merit.

Notice he is referred to as "colonel" near the end.

 

 

So, can we say this is an Army award? It says "oak leaf cluster" written at the top.

 

Did he serve in an Army command in Korea?

[LYONSJ9]

Fantastic group! So cool the uniforms and other items are all together with the awards as well.

 

-Jimmy

[manayunkman]

The group that has it all.

[cagedfalcon]

@tigerfan

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Thanks, Paul