History of ATR-7  -  Page 27

    No time was wasted at the base in Trinidad for ATR-7 had been put on report for having a sloppy man on the gangway watch. This crew is in the "workingman's" Navy. It was not until late evening on Wednesday 25 July that the ship underway once again. A secret despatch ordered them to sail from Trinidad, B.W.I. to Cristobol, Canal Zone with the two barges in tow and accompanied by YTB-192.
On Tuesday afternoon 31 July, ATR-7 reached Portobello, Panama and anchored in the harbor. Here they broke up their tow. ATR-7 spent most of the day in the anchorage not far from a little native village. A couple of natives passed by in a small boat carrying big stems of green bananas. Later the ship was shifted several miles over near Gatun Range to another anchorage near the canal entrance. with the exception of the Captain and SK1, no one went ashore.
    On two occasions the crew saw battle damaged destroyers emerge from the canal entrance, heading for some east coast shipyard. The ships had huge holes around the bridge and superstructure from the Jap suicide planes. Up to now the war was a remote theater that the crew only heard of by radio or newspaper.
    Business finished in Cristobol, C.Z., ATR-7 hauled up the anchor Friday morning 3 August, Left Colon harbor and sailed north for their old port -- Miami, Florida.

REMAINDER AVAILABLE ON REQUEST :)

   

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