The Allies Respond....
Between May and September 1942, 14 German U-Boats prowled Gulf of Mexico waters sinking 58 ships of over 300,000 tons. - Alabama, The History of a Deep South State, University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, 2004. In the South Pacific the battles of the Solomon Islands continued with a fearful toil of the U.S. Navy.
Below, the USS Enterprise, the last U.S. carrier afloat in the eastern Solomons, takes punishment, but does not sink in the fall of 1942.
But the tide of war was changing....
"Between the 4th and 22nd November, 1942, the face of the war changed its entire expression. On the 4th, (General Bernard) Montgomery won the battle of El Alamein. On the 8th, American and British forces landed in French North Africa. On the 22nd, the Russians closed the pincers behind the German 6th Army in Stalingrad." - Volume II of the Dairies & Letters of Harold Nicolson, Atheum, New York, 1967.
For Bishop Holliman, radio seaman from Irondale, Alabama, the war was heating up. After 40 mm machine gun practice in Rhode Island, his destroyer, the USS Butler, began sea trials, sailing out of Philadelphia and into the North Atlantic of the New England coast. It was October and November, and the sea was rough. And so was the shakedown cruise.
Below, the Butler, all of 1,000 tons in size, sailing from her commissioning port of Philadelphia in 1942.
Below, a letter to Bishop's sister, Loudelle Holliman Ferrell, and his brother-in-law, Charles. Recently, the Rev. Charles Ferrell had taken an appointment at the United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Alabama as the senior pastor. Bishop describes the fatigue and intensive training necessary to prepare the crew and ship for war duty, but does not forget niece and nephews.
Notice his reference to the second front, the Allied invasion under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower of North Africa. Also, the sinking of a U-boat by another destroyer on post with the Butler.
"If you see a sub, don't report it. Maybe it will sink us."
Below, the Charles Ferrell's and 'a new nephew', John Melton Ferrell, named after his uncle, Melton Pearson Ferrell (1908-1958). Left to right, Charles Halford, Charles, Carolyn, John and Loudelle. Loudelle and Charles wrote often to her brothers, Bishop, Ralph and Melton Holliman, during the war.
Next post, more stories and photographs of an Alabama family at war....
Have questions about Holliman family history? You are invited to join the Hollyman Email List at Hollyman-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com and the Hollyman Family Facebook Page located on Facebook at "Hollyman Family". Post your questions and perhaps one of the dozens Holyman cousins on the list will have an answer. For more information contact Tina Peddie at desabla1@yahoo.com, the list and Facebook manager for Hollyman (and all our various spellings!).
For additional information on Hollimans, check out http://hollimanfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/ .
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