Memories

I am going to end my Welch articles with more information on Eldon (Cub) Welch. In Shifting Scenes he reports on his family and some of his military service during World War II.

While still living in Ekalaka, Cub married Marilyn, the oldest daughter of R.J. Price. At the time, Price owned the Super Valu Store. If my memory is correct (and many times it is not) I believe Marilyn was married to Jack Hough who was also a part of the Super Valu Store group. R.J. Price and his family came from Wyoming to Ekalaka.

Now I am going to share some of Cub’s memories of his service during the war.

“I spent almost four years in the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving two of those years in the Armed Guard Navy Gunners, on Merchant Ships,” he wrote. “My first time at sea was on an oil tanker that was torpedoed fifty miles off the coast of Trinidad. The name of the ship was S.S. Silver Arrow. I made “Hells Trip to Mermanske” on the S.S. Beaureguard and several trips to Africa on the S.S. Richard Henry Lee, a liberty ship. I was then transferred to the Amphibious Forces and sailed from Louisville, Kentucky through the Panama Canal to Hawaii, where we picked up Marines and equipment.

I spent about two years in the Pacific, taking part in several invasions. I witnessed the famous “Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima” from the deck of L.S.T. 715. We had picked up a load of troops at Hawaii, and were on our way to join up with a Convey to occupy Japan when they surrendered.”

He goes on to give his possession and rank during his final time in the service. I never knew, as many of you probably did not, that he was a witness to the “Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima.” Thanks to all the men and women, many of them from Carter County, who saved the world from Germany and Japan.

Cub ends his article with this statement:

“I consider myself very fortunate to have been raised in Carter County among the early day settlers. They were great people and I shall never forget them. I am very grateful to those who have made such a tremendous effort to publish the “Shifting Scenes”, which will at least record the names and some of the history of those great people.”

And now with the Ekalaka Eagle being very gracious, I would like to present Cub’s poem which is quite long, but interesting. You will find it on pages 335-336 of Shifting Scenes Vol. III.

The Sinking of the Silven Arrow

by Eldon Welch

It was early in the year of forty-two

That myself and four others joined the crew

Of the Silven Arrow as she put out to sea

Just five navy gunners including me.

We had a British captain tried and true

The rest were a well mixed merchant crew.

Only the captain was allowed to know

That our first destination was Curacao

As we sailed down the eastern seaboard coast

The masts of sunken ships stood out like ghosts,

We plowed through miles of cargo afloat

Grim testimony to the German U boat.

When we passed through the Keyes it was already night

And shortly thereafter our ship was in flight.

The captain himself had seen a U boat.

And tankers were the second most prized ships afloat

We ran all that night in a zig-zagging course

That they’d plotted our route was a danger of course

The island of Curacao was a much welcome sight

After escaping the U boat that was seen in the night

We took our cargo of thick crude oil

The thoughts of what lay ahead failed to spoil

A night on the town

That was owned by the Dutch

And ruled by the crown.

The captain opened his orders and scuttlebutt came down

That our next destination was far off Capetown.

We picked up an escort, the first we’d had yet

A British destroyer and two Canadian corvette,

We steamed for miles through waters serene

But always on our minds was what couldn’t be seen

The deadly enemy submarine.

Early one morning off the Trinidad coast

The U boat struck with the stealth of a ghost,

A might explosion

That rocked the whole ship

Knocked us out of our bunks

And we knew we’d been hit.

I looked from the deck in time to see

A geyser of oil coming down over me.

I raced for my gun tub with my friend just ahead

The last time I’d see him for he soon would be dead,

He ran off the fantail temporarily blind

By the geyser of oil that had struck from behind.

I ran to a lifeboat to get him some aid

From a crew just leaving who were apparently afraid.

They paddled away and didn’t even try

But left him there alone to die.

We stood by our gun with our hopes running high

That the U boat would surface and we’d give him a try

And see how he liked it when his turn came to die.

A chance at the U boat was our one big desire

But we couldn't stay aboard for our ship was on fire.

It soon was apparent that if we were to survive

We must leave the ship or be roasted alive.

The British destroyer approached from the rear

And we all gave out with cheer after cheer.

As we jumped off the ship and started swimming their way

It dawned on me that it wasn’t our day,

As they dropped a life raft that floated away.

Then the ship turned tail and left the scene

Fearing torpedoes from the submarine.

As the destroyer disappeared all our hearts sank

For our desperate plight we had our ships crew to thank.

We swam for hours in a desperate try

To stay ahead of the oil for we knew we would die,

If it ever engulfed us it would plug the pores in our skin.

The oil got closer, we were four desperate men.

Two were irrational and out of their minds

When lo and behold what should I find

But four pieces of timber at the edge of the oil

It was our only chance if death we would foil.

We clung to the timbers with two of our members too weak to try

We called on the Almighty and prepared to die.

Suddenly we heard the roar of a plane

He flew over but didn’t see us...despair once again

Soon there was another that flew over heard

Circled, dipped his wings and it was plain that he said,

“I’ve spotted you sailors and I know you’re not dead.”

Then off he flew disappearing from sight

We could plainly see his flashing signal light

Not long thereafter, just a short time had passed

When away on the horizon appeared a ship’s mast,

It revived our hopes that we’d be rescued at last.

She was a welcome sight as she plowed through the waves

And we knew we weren’t destined for watery graves.

T’was the USS Barney and her gallant crew

Stopped in among us and a heaving line threw.

Down over the side went two stalwart men

The first to be rescued were our unconscious friends.

They had a man aboard ship whose name I don’t know

But it was positively amazing how far he could throw,

The first line missed me but a short distance away

He called out for me to hang on and stay.

The next one he threw passed over my head

Some distance behind I heard the plunk of the lead,

I grasped onto it firmly and made the line fast

They helped me over the side — I was rescued at last.

Sitting on deck was a tub of kerosene

Willing hands helped scrub me clean,

Then off to the showers and into clean clothes,

A trip to the galley and our spirits soon rose,

We put into Trinidad, the port of Spain,

But were destined to see the Silven Arrow again.

Into the hospital for a very short stay

Then put on the Ranger and sent on our way.

Back to New York, which was our home port

To pier ninety-two we were told to report.

When sailing from Trinidad, it was quite plain to see

The Silven Arrow still burning, adrift on the sea.

We were happy to be back from that ill-fated trip

But sad and subdued by the loss of our ship.