Wompatuck News

WOMPATUCK NEWS The War Years Remembered Depot employees hear pep talk by the ammunition depot’s commanding officer, Captain Davis. With this year commemorating the 75th Built on what was once farm land, this is now the South Shore Conservatory anniversary of the end of World War II, vast area also contained barracks for once housed the naval commandant, his I’m reprinting a past issue written by the enlisted Marines and a scattering of wife and sons. Knowing many of the late Peg Charlton from her book “The houses for Navy personnel and their “Depot kids” in the ‘30s made us quite War Years Remembered” covering the families. aware of a military presence in town long Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot and before Pearl Harbor. Bethlehem Shipyard’s role during the Even then, in the late ‘30s, it was as war. Charlton died last July at the age of though we lived with an “at war” 95. mentality. The awareness of impending Jim Rose, FOW News Editor and disaster and ultimate U.S. involvement Historian was very clear to us when in 1939 the Nazis, having already seized most of A Background Sketch of Hingham’s Europe, overran Poland on September 1st. Military Past, 1909 – 1941 I was fourteen and still recall the event In 1909, the Naval Ammunition Depot clearly. opened in West Hingham on land off Fort Another reminder of the war raging overseas came in 1940 with the arrival of Hill Street that earlier had been acquired a dozen young English evacuees fleeing by the Navy. In a few short years the Peg Charlton’s 1942 graduation photo. torpedoes, ammunition, and mines stored She volunteered as a Nurse’s Aide the London air blitz. Ranging in age from and assembled there would supply the during the war. six to thirteen, they lived with Hingham North Atlantic Fleet. families and attended school here for the By 1914, the Depot, also called the Today the former Depot is divided duration of the war. “Magazine,” boasted a complement of into two areas that are known as Bare The summer of 1940 saw start-up Marine personnel and civilian workers. Cove Park and Conservatory Park. What plans for home defense. As war clouds darkened the skies of Europe, defense Issue 57 Friends of Wompatuck Fall Issue Page 1 preparations began here. As early as become vulnerable targets. double. When he arrived at the school, I March ’41 the Hingham National Defense This unexpected influx of troops and could not be located immediately and that Committee had formed. Civilians were equipment came with such swiftness we caused untold confusion. At about the asked to register for emergency service as hardly had time to grasp it, when on same time, I had heard the rumor of a home defense volunteers. Schools for December 9th, we suddenly found possible air strike and had been trying civilian air raid wardens began the ourselves facing another unnerving frantically to call home, but no calls were summer of 1941 in the John A. Andrew situation: a full-scale air raid alert getting through. I thought, “Oh my God, community house at 178 North Street near (perceived to be the real thing) was they’ve blown up the ammunition depot!” Lincoln Statue. sounded. Soldiers from Camp Hingham, In September 1941 the Navy recently built on farm land on Prospect announced its plans for the construction Street, were on patrol; air raid alarms rang of a naval ammunition annex off Union out; schools were evacuated. What had Street. Public hearings were held and been learned over the past months by our were well attended by concerned citizens. civilian defense teams was put to its first The Navy acquired seven square miles to test. build this ammunition storage facility My Ride Home Captain Davis within present day Wompatuck State The drive home was one I will never Park, a part of which was then called I recall vividly that ninth day of forget. As we approached Wollaston Third Division Woods. Families who December 1941. It will remain etched in Beach around 2 p.m. soldiers with anti- lived there were evicted. All roads my memory for all time. My uncle, aircraft guns were out in force waving all entering from Hingham and surrounding having served in World War I, returned to cars through at top speed. When we towns were blocked off except for the service with the Army Air Corps Fighter reached Neck Street in Weymouth, access road that ran from Union Street to Wing in Boston. By noon, his barricades were blocking Route 3A. We the main gate. headquarters had begun to receive contradictory messages from New York were stopped and had to show an I.D. to City of a bona fide air alert: red lights, prove we lived in Hingham before we yellow lights - our planes, enemy planes - could proceed over the Back River imminent attack; the real thing? Reports Bridge. My dad spoke hardly a word to spread quickly that enemy bombers were me the entire trip, and I had the sense to off the coast and heading our way: stay quiet. German planes rumored to be one hour When we pulled into our drive, my Annex ammunition magazine away, their numbers not known! At 12:30 mother had my kid brother bundled up, Come fall, the East Coast was warned a “yellow” air raid warning reaffirmed the her car packed with food and warm to be on guard against German air attacks. rumor. clothing...ready to flee! Just exactly where Hingham would likely become an would we flee to? As it turned out, we objective for enemy strikes. went nowhere, for within an hour, fire Relations with Japan in the fall of whistles sounded “all clear.” 1941 were very strained; yet when the Earlier in the day, the rumor of the attack on Pearl Harbor came on December sighting of an unidentified plane had 7th, our total disbelief left us in such triggered fears of a real air threat, and as a shock as can never be described. result, local defense measures were Overnight, the Hingham (population quickly set in motion. roughly 7,800) found itself an emerging, * 2300 Boston police and riot squads bustling war center. Army convoys were mobilized. rumbled over its roads as troops were * All civil defense units were called preparing to guard the town, which had out for 24-hour duty. become a viable munitions center now Recreation Center on Main Street (now open to possible attack. a private home). * Autos were barred from entering the city. The Depot with its stores of high Shortly after, my uncle called my dad * Early Christmas shoppers on the explosives, the Annex, and the soon-to-be at work to pick me up at school in streets were ordered inside stores. Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard would Brookline and get back to Hingham on the Issue 57 Friends of Wompatuck Fall Issue Page 2 * Civilians were told to remain in their A Brief Look at Hingham Shipyard With the sudden influx of defense homes. workers and military families, the January 1942: 150 acres were acquired population of our small town rose rapidly * All hospitals were on alert. to build the Bethlehem Hingham shipyard overnight. Rentals were scarce in on Hewitt’s Cove, which at the turn of the Hingham, and soon a federal housing The military were mobilized, and 400 century had been the Bradley estates polo project was started off High Street to Army trucks rumbled down from Fort grounds, and later in 1935, the site of the house these new “transients.” Devens to help defend the Navy Yard in 300th Anniversary Pageant. From then Later, in 1944 with the sub menace Charlestown. The Army rushed anti- until 1939, it operated as the Bayside over, the Yard shifted to building LSTs aircraft weapons and 1,200 soldiers from Airport for light planes, and lastly as Don (Landing Ship Tank) for our navy. Camp Edwards into Quincy and Rand’s Dude Ranch. As teenagers we’d Initially, in late 1942, 40 LCIs (Landing surrounding areas. Batteries (artillery bicycle over to watch the doings. Craft Infantry) were built for the British emplacements) were established at the February 1942: Construction began Navy. Between June 1942 and June 1945, Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot and and the Yard would soon start building 227 ships were built at Beth-Hingham. South Weymouth dirigible base. convoy ships, destroyer escorts, on sixteen outfitting piers and shipways. Its Defense For Our Town largest building, the steel mill, covered almost ten acres. In the closing weeks of December June 1942: The first keel was laid, and 1941 the town was declared a dim-out three months later in September the first area. This was the beginning of frantic destroyer escort (DE) eased down its preparations for we knew not what would “way.” come. The top halves of automobile October 1943: A world record was set headlights were painted black. After dark, when DE K556, the H.M.S. Halstead, cars were to be driven no faster than 15 commissioned for the British Navy, was m.p.h. showing only parking and tail laid keel to launch in 119 hours (four days lights. A flashlight with a special filter Bombs unloaded from an ammo train and 23 1/2 hours). In the beginning, DEs was okay, but if you foolishly lit a at the Depot. were built for delivery to the British cigarette, you were in big trouble! A The air threat closed down the Quincy Navy. British crews arrived here to pick single light hung from each railroad gate.

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