These items are from Ballentine’s and the 6th U.S. Fleet’s visit to the Istanbul area, and an album from this visit with the Governor & Major of Istanbul, Fahrettin Kerim Gökay.
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Description
Admiral Ballentine Souvenirs – Photo Album From Istanbul & U.S. 6th Fleet. The copper ashtray with applied silhouette of the USS Albany CA-123, was part of 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean during the 1950 era. The album contains images from Admiral Ballentine’s visit aboard the USS Salem, CA-139, another cruiser assigned to the 6th Fleet in the Med, and visiting dignitaries in Istanbul, and military forces of the Turkish army, along with personal time with the Governor & Mayor of Istanbul, Fahrettin Kerim Gökay, who’s calling card with note was found in the album. There are 20 photographs in the album, all taken by a photographer from Beyoğlu (Beyoğlu is a district on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn. It was known as the region of Pera surrounding the ancient coastal town Galata which faced Constantinople across the Horn. Wiki.)
The blue cloth cover of the album show some fading and wear, with something stuck to it, which probably will clean. I tacked down with small dabs of glue behind some of the photos for photographing purposes, leaving the others alone, as the photos were never glued down totally to the pages. Overall in very good-fine condition.
John J, Ballentine (1896 -1970). Graduated United States Naval Academy, Class of 1917. After graduating he served during WWI on the U.S.S. Nebraska, and a few years later was aboard the U.S.S. Arizona in 1920. Later that year Ballentine reported for flight training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, with additional training with U.S. Army Air Corps, Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida, and in pursuit plane training at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas.
May of 1921, he reported to the Atlantic Fleet, Torpedo Plane Division, for duty with the first torpedo plane squadron in the fleet. In June of 1922, he was Officer In Charge, Naval Air Detail, Naval Proving Ground, Dahlgren, Va, where he served until February 1926. During that time, he worked with Carl Norden, a Navy consultant, who designed his first bombsight in 1922, and then Lieutenant Ballentine put it through its original tests, and later tested the first production model; he also controlled from the ground, the first airplane operated under radio control.
In the late 1920’s, Ballentine assumed command of Observation Squadron 11, serving in the Asiatic and made to special trips to Tokyo, Japan to make official inspection of Japanese naval aviation and aircraft manufacturing facilities.
During the early years of WWII, he was the executive officer of the U.S.S. Ranger in 1941, and later that year assumed command of the U.S.S. Long Island, a converted merchant ship with a flat top only. On January 2, 1943 he reported to the Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Massachusetts, to fit out the U.S.S. Bunker Hill, which he commanded from her commissioning from May 25, 1943 to February 5, 1944. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal for “conspicuous gallantry in intrepidity in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assaults on Rabaul Harbor and the invasion and occupation of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943.
In February 1944, he was promoted to Rear Admiral, and reported for duty as Deputy and Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commander, Aircraft, Pacific Fleet, at Pearl Harbor until October 1944. After a brief duty as commander of Carrier Division 7, under Admiral Halsey’s 3rd Fleet, from June until August 1945, with his flag in the U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard. On August 15, planes from his division in the 3rd Fleet were launched against Japan, not knowing at the time that two atomic bombs had been dropped on Japan. Admiral Halsey sent out instruction to recall all aircraft from the attack on the Japanese homeland. In his message, he said that all pilots will not shoot down any enemy aircraft with vindictiveness but to shoot them down in a “Friendly” manor (at this point the order related to Kamikazes apparently unaware of the surrender talks then beginning between the Allies and Japan. The Bon Homme Richard dealt with 70 some Kamikazes that day. Halsey ordered all ships in the fleet, to raise their battle flags, and for all officers to send up their own flags. Ballentine said in his diary, it was the first time he had flown his flag in action, Shortly after, he was reassigned as Fleet Liaison Officer for the Commander in Chief, and Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces, Pacific. Ballentine had the honor of landing at Atsugi Airport on August 30, 1945, in the airborne occupation of Japan and of escorting General of the Armies, Douglas MacArthur to the surrender ceremonies aboard the U.S.S. Missouri on September 2, 1945.
He was awarded the Legion of Merit (second gold star), and the citation better sums up his importance in the Pacific Theater, ” …for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States as Liaison Officer between the CinCPac (Nimitz) and the Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces for the Occupation of Japan (MacArthur) from 30 August to 20 December 1945. Rear Admiral Ballentine, as the representative of the CinCPacFlt accompanied the Supreme Commander on his flight into Japan on 30 August 1945 and thereafter rendered outstanding service and displayed commendable initiative in connection with the arrangements for the formal surrender of Japan, the recovery of Allied personnel from Japanese prison camps, the repatriation of the Japanese from overseas, the seizure of Japanese naval vessels, stations, and equipment, and the removal of mines from Japanese waters. Rear Admiral Ballentine’s conduct was at all times with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”
He had several assignments after the war, and in July 1947, assumed command of Carrier Division One, in the Mediterranean in the U.S.S. Midway, that winter, and then commanded the Sixth Fleet in the U.S.S. Roosevelt 1948-49. In April of 1951, he became the Commander Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1954. Much, much more in his career to go into here.
