Franklin Roosevelt War-Dated Navy Dispatch For Officer Earmarked For Sub-Tracking Hydrophone School In New London, With Spanish Flu Connection!
Franklin Roosevelt
various, June 10-14, 1918
Franklin Roosevelt War-Dated Navy Dispatch For Officer Earmarked For Sub-Tracking Hydrophone School In New London, With Spanish Flu Connection!
TDS
Two World War I-dated official naval documents relating to an officer assignment in June 1918, including one signed by future 32nd U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), then in his role as Acting Secretary of the Navy. Both documents are printed on special letterhead and bear numerous manuscript dockets, hand-stamps, and clerical signatures. Two sheets, 4pp total. June 10-June 14, 1918. Various places including Washington, D.C. and aboard the naval engineering training battleship U.S.S. Kearsarge. Expected wear including toning, flattened transmittal folds, as well as isolated wrinkles and tiny chips. Both pages show either double- or triple-hole punches, most with reinforcement rings. Else very good. 7.875" x 10.325". Comes with the former collector's research printouts about the naval officer and his vessel U.S.S. Kearsarge. From The Doug Wertman Collection.
On June 10, 1918, Lieutenant-Commander Jacob L. Hydrick (1887-1918) was ordered to leave the U.S.S. Kearsarge, a pre-dreadnaught battleship used from 1916-1919 as a naval engineering training ship, and report to the Naval District Base at New London, Connecticut. Although not explicitly stated in his reassignment papers, Hydrick was probably already at this point earmarked for inclusion in the Hydrophone School at New London. This school, established in September 1917, trained underwater sound operators to detect submarine activity. In fact, a trial class of 50 officers was formed in July 1918, and perhaps Hydrick was among these. At any rate, Hydrick did so well in New London that at the time of his death six months later, he was head of the Hydrophone School .
The lot includes:
1. A 2pp typed document on "Navy Department / Washington" letterhead, signed by Franklin Roosevelt as "Franklin D Roosevelt" in his role as Acting Secretary of the Navy at center right. June 12-14, 1918. [Washington, DC] Bearing three additional signatures verso, including Hydrick's signature as "J.L. Hydrick," and other clerical signatures.
FDR's memorandum to Hydrick reads in part:
"1. You are hereby detached from duty on board the Kearsarge; will proceed to New London, Conn…. for such duty as may be assigned you at that Base.
2. This employment on shore duty is required by the public interests…"
2. A 2pp typed document on "U.S.S. Kearsarge" letterhead, signed by Hydrick and three others. June 10-14, 1918. [Hampton Roads, Fort Munroe, Virginia.] Clerical notations indicate that Hydrick received his orders on the same day, June 10th, and had traveled approximately 461 miles north to New London, Connecticut by June 14th.
Commander Jacob Lawton "Happy" Hydrick, from Orangeburg, South Carolina, attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis on a scholarship, graduating in 1907. During his decade of naval service, Hydrick had worked on several naval vessels, and was commended for his conscientiousness and genial deportment. Tragically, Hydrick contracted influenza - likely the dreaded Spanish Flu then ravaging Europe and the United States - in late November 1918 while attending his brother-in-law's funeral. Two weeks later, Hydrick died at age 31 of pneumonia at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia; he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Franklin Roosevelt himself would also contract the Spanish Flu around the same time. The ambitious Assistant Secretary of the Navy had sailed to Europe in a camouflaged troop transport ship in early July 1918. Over the next month, FDR would visit England, France, and the Western Front, meeting foreign dignitaries and American servicemen, and inspecting naval installations at ports, shipyards, and underwater minefields. On his homeward journey in September 1918, FDR came down with the Spanish Flu and soon developed
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Franklin Roosevelt
various, June 10-14, 1918
Franklin Roosevelt War-Dated Navy Dispatch For Officer Earmarked For Sub-Tracking Hydrophone School In New London, With Spanish Flu Connection!
TDS
Two World War I-dated official naval documents relating to an officer assignment in June 1918, including one signed by future 32nd U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), then in his role as Acting Secretary of the Navy. Both documents are printed on special letterhead and bear numerous manuscript dockets, hand-stamps, and clerical signatures. Two sheets, 4pp total. June 10-June 14, 1918. Various places including Washington, D.C. and aboard the naval engineering training battleship U.S.S. Kearsarge. Expected wear including toning, flattened transmittal folds, as well as isolated wrinkles and tiny chips. Both pages show either double- or triple-hole punches, most with reinforcement rings. Else very good. 7.875" x 10.325". Comes with the former collector's research printouts about the naval officer and his vessel U.S.S. Kearsarge. From The Doug Wertman Collection.
On June 10, 1918, Lieutenant-Commander Jacob L. Hydrick (1887-1918) was ordered to leave the U.S.S. Kearsarge, a pre-dreadnaught battleship used from 1916-1919 as a naval engineering training ship, and report to the Naval District Base at New London, Connecticut. Although not explicitly stated in his reassignment papers, Hydrick was probably already at this point earmarked for inclusion in the Hydrophone School at New London. This school, established in September 1917, trained underwater sound operators to detect submarine activity. In fact, a trial class of 50 officers was formed in July 1918, and perhaps Hydrick was among these. At any rate, Hydrick did so well in New London that at the time of his death six months later, he was head of the Hydrophone School .
The lot includes:
1. A 2pp typed document on "Navy Department / Washington" letterhead, signed by Franklin Roosevelt as "Franklin D Roosevelt" in his role as Acting Secretary of the Navy at center right. June 12-14, 1918. [Washington, DC] Bearing three additional signatures verso, including Hydrick's signature as "J.L. Hydrick," and other clerical signatures.
FDR's memorandum to Hydrick reads in part:
"1. You are hereby detached from duty on board the Kearsarge; will proceed to New London, Conn…. for such duty as may be assigned you at that Base.
2. This employment on shore duty is required by the public interests…"
2. A 2pp typed document on "U.S.S. Kearsarge" letterhead, signed by Hydrick and three others. June 10-14, 1918. [Hampton Roads, Fort Munroe, Virginia.] Clerical notations indicate that Hydrick received his orders on the same day, June 10th, and had traveled approximately 461 miles north to New London, Connecticut by June 14th.
Commander Jacob Lawton "Happy" Hydrick, from Orangeburg, South Carolina, attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis on a scholarship, graduating in 1907. During his decade of naval service, Hydrick had worked on several naval vessels, and was commended for his conscientiousness and genial deportment. Tragically, Hydrick contracted influenza - likely the dreaded Spanish Flu then ravaging Europe and the United States - in late November 1918 while attending his brother-in-law's funeral. Two weeks later, Hydrick died at age 31 of pneumonia at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia; he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Franklin Roosevelt himself would also contract the Spanish Flu around the same time. The ambitious Assistant Secretary of the Navy had sailed to Europe in a camouflaged troop transport ship in early July 1918. Over the next month, FDR would visit England, France, and the Western Front, meeting foreign dignitaries and American servicemen, and inspecting naval installations at ports, shipyards, and underwater minefields. On his homeward journey in September 1918, FDR came down with the Spanish Flu and soon developed
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