Identified Navy Yeoman’s Sun Helmet – SOLD

Description

Identified Navy Yeoman’s Sun Helmet, with finely stenciled Yeoman 2nd Class rate on the front.  The helmet is named inside to “Bill McCune, who served on the USS Anacapa (AG-49).  The helmet is made by the International Hat Co. and dated October 16, 1942.

Bill McCune served in the Pacific during WWII, for three years on the USS Anacapa being part of the invasions of Tarawa, Kwajalein, Saipan, Guam, The Aleutians.  The ship was a “Q-Ship,” a heavily armed (former merchant ship) with concealed weapons designed to lure enemy subs into making surface attacks. Her crew were all carrying U.S. Navy papers, but dressed like merchant seamen, as part of their decoy missions. The ship carried heavy logs to simulate a cargo so as to ride lower in the water.  In her time as a Q-ship, she sunk no enemy subs but engaged a few with depth charges.

 

.

Bill McCune at center (courtesy William McCune-Wiki) “Yeoman & Storekeepers USS Anacapa.

 

Late in 1943 she was relieved of Q-ship duty and served out the rest of the war as an armed transport, based first at Pearl Harbor and later at Anchorage. Bill McCune served on the Anacapa  at ports of call which included; Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Ulithi, Truk, Adak, Attu, & Dutch Harbor, and more. The ship was built with a shallow draft, and flat bottom, making her very adaptable to close in-shore work of unloading supplies, and other duties required, to those places without improved ports.  She was quite often the first ship to re-suppy island based Marines as soon as heavy beach fighting was over.

 

This close in-shore/ on shore work is the reason for the need of these light weight summer helmets.  This one shows use from many ports of call, with worn spots on the front visor, stains from sweat, oils, etc. All intact however, with the original issue chinstrap.

This helmet is accompanied with a re-photographed image of McCune in his whites seen above, and photocopy of him in later years and short wartime biography.

A great history, both for the sailor, and his ship.

Both images courtesy of William McCune/ Wiki.