| The picture shows a front and back view of the (2) 1944 U.S.S. Grady & U.S.S. Formoe Ship Launching Pin Back Buttons in this lot. These launching badges are believed to have been saved by a shipyard worker. They were found in a Staten Island, New York attic with many others dating from 1941 to 1944 when many ships were launched to do battle in World War II. They had been hidden away in that attic from the 1940s until 2008. The ships were launched from The Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock of Kearny, New Jersey. These pinback buttons are imprinted in black on a tan or beige background. There are paper inserts in the backs. They are marked on the two sides as follows: U.S.S.
U.S.S. GRADY
AND
U.S.S. FORMOE
LAUNCHING
APRIL 2, 1944 THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO.
NEWARK, N.J.
BUTTONS, BADGES, NOVELTIES AND SIGNS The pin back buttons each measure 1-1/2'' wide. They are in very good condition with some spotting and surface rusting on the back as pictured. Below here, for reference, is some information on the U.S.S. Grady and U.S.S. Formoe: U.S.S. Grady (DE-445)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Career (US) Laid down: 3 January 1944
Launched: 2 April 1944
Commissioned: 11 September 1944
Decommissioned: 2 July 1946
In service: 13th Naval District, 27 April 1947
Out of service: 18 December 1957
Struck: 30 June 1968
Fate: sold for scrap, June 1969 General characteristics Displacement: 1,350/1,745 tons
Length: 306 ft. (93 m) overall
Beam: 36 ft. 10 in. (11.2 m)
Draught: 13 ft. 4 in. (4.1 m) maximum
Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h)
Range: 6,000 nm at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament: 2 - 5''/38, 4 - 40 mm AA, 10 - 20 mm AA, 3 - 21'' torpedo tubes, 1 Hedgehog, 8 depth charge projectors, 2 depth charge tracks. U.S.S. Grady (DE-445) was a John C. Butler class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. Post war she proudly returned home with three battle stars to her credit. Grady (DE-445) was named in honor of Marine Corporal George Francis Grady who was awarded the Navy Cross for bravery on Gavutu in the Solomon Islands. She was launched by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey, 2 April 1944; sponsored by Miss Margaret Grady, sister of the namesake; and commissioned 11 September 1944, Lt. Comdr. Francis R. King in command. World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Grady conducted her shakedown training at Bermuda 2 October - 2 November. Returning to Boston, Massachusetts, the ship sailed 17 November for Norfolk, Virginia, escorting transport U.S.S. Chilton (APA-38), and from Norfolk continued through the Panama Canal to San Diego, California, where she arrived 4 December. Grady sailed immediately via San Francisco, California, for Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 15 December 1944. Until 23 December she operated with the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Saratoga (CV-3) during flight qualifications, rescuing three downed aviators. Supporting Iwo Jima and Saipan operations
With the American offensive in the Pacific then entering its climactic phase, Grady departed 26 December 1944 for Eniwetok and Ulithi, arriving the latter base 10 January 1945. For the next month the ship acted as escort to a vital tanker group engaged in refueling units of the U.S. 3rd Fleet at sea, units then engaged in air strikes against Formosa and the Chinese mainland. She then proceeded off Iwo Jima 10 February to screen escort carriers during the pre-invasion bombardment. During the assault 19 February Grady patrolled in an antisubmarine screen, and departed the area 2 March en route to Saipan. Supporting Okinawa invasion operations
Arriving at Saipan 5 March, Grady refueled and departed the next day for Espiritu Santo. Upon her arrival 19 March, the ship joined in preparations for the upcoming Okinawa invasion, last giant step on the long sea road to Japan. She got underway in convoy 25 March, and after stopping at Ulithi arrived off the invasion beaches 9 April. As the bloody fighting raged ashore, Grady and the other ships engaged in equally fierce radar and antisubmarine picket duty were savagely attacked by Japanese suicide planes. The U.S.S. Grady and the U.S.S. Metcalf downed one of the kamikazes 16 April while at station D-37 off Okinawa. The escort vessel escorted five fast transports to Saipan 5 May - 16 May, and then returned to the picket stations off Okinawa, occasionally helping to provide antiaircraft fire in the huge transport anchorages. Supporting Philippine operations
Grady continued this arduous duty until 28 June, when she sailed for Leyte Gulf. Arriving 1 July in the Philippines, she was assigned as offshore patrol vessel and remained in the islands until 5 November 1945, twice making convoy voyages to Okinawa. End of war assignments
Grady began the long voyage home 5 November, 2 months after the surrender of Japan. Cruising via Manila Bay and Pearl Harbor, she arrived at San Pedro, California, 26 November. Scheduled for deactivation, the ship was towed to San Diego, California, and decommissioned 2 July 1946. Reactivated post war as a training ship
Placed in the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, Grady remained inactive until 27 April 1947, when she was placed in an ''In Service in Reserve'' status. For the next 3 years the ship served as a Naval Reserve Training vessel under the 13th Naval District. Based at Bellingham, Washington, she cruised for 2 or 3 week periods training reservists. Grady was placed in an ''In Commission In Reserve'' status 1 August 1950, and recommissioned in the active fleet 21 November 1950. The ship was placed under the 12th Naval District at San Francisco, California, continuing her important role as training ship for reserve officers and men, and as school ship for Fleet Sonar School, San Diego, California. Final decommissioning
Grady decommissioned a second time 18 December 1957 and was placed in reserve at Stockton, California. Grady received three battle stars for World War II Service. *************************************
U.S.S. Formoe (DE-509)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Career (US) Laid down: 3 January 1944
Launched: 2 April 1944
Commissioned: 5 October 1944
Decommissioned: 27 May 1946
In service: 27 June 1951
Out of service: 7 February 1957
Struck: 1 October 1968
Fate: Loaned to Portugal 7 February 1957 General characteristics Displacement: 1,350/1,745 tons
Length: 306 ft. (93 m) overall
Beam: 36 ft. 10 in. (11.2 m)
Draft: 13 ft. 4 in. (4.1 m) maximum
Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h)
Range: 6,000 nm ay 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted
Armament: 2 - 5''/38, 4 - 40 mm AA, 10 - 20 mm AA, 3 - 21'' torpedo tubes, 1 Hedgehog, 8 depth charge projectors, 2 depth charge tracks. U.S.S. Formoe (DE-509) was a John C. Butler class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy, in addition to other tasks as assigned, such as patrol or radar picket. Post war she proudly returned home with two battle stars to her credit. The U.S.S. Formoe (DE-509) was named in honor of Clarence Melvin Formoe, born 25 January 1909 in Seattle, Washington. Formoe served in the Naval Reserve from 25 November 1930, on active duty after 1 July 1941. While serving in the Air Scouting Force at the Naval Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class Formoe was killed in action during the Japanese Pearl Harbor attack of 7 December 1941. He was posthumously commended for his efforts to repel the attack in utter disregard of his own safety. Formoe was launched 2 April 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. A. L. Bolshazy; and commissioned 5 October 1944, Lieutenant Commander J. C. Spencer in command. World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Formoe arrived at Manus from the U.S. East Coast 15 January 1945, and ten days later sailed for Morotai to join a troop convoy bound with reinforcements for Lingayen. She entered Lingayen Gulf 10 February, and for the next month and a half operated in the Philippines, guarding minecraft and exploding the mines they swept in Baler Bay and Casiguran Sound, and sailing as escort from Lingayen to Leyte. From 21 March to 30 March, Formoe patrolled off Panay in a picket line covering landings there, then continued her Philippine escort duty, making one voyage to Manus to bring landing craft north. The escort departed Subic Bay 18 April 1945 to stage at Morotai for the invasion of Borneo. She arrived at Tarakan 1 May escorting the amphibious force, and from 3 May to 30 May off Borneo, acting as headquarters ship for Captain Charles Gray, the officer commanding all naval activities at Tarakan. In addition to driving off several Japanese air attacks, she fired in four separate shore bombardments to support the troops advancing ashore. Between 2 June and the close of the war, Formoe ranged widely on escort duty, calling at Leyte, Hollandia, Ulithi, Manila, and Okinawa. End of war operations
At Manila at the close of hostilities, she began occupation duty with a return voyage to Okinawa, then served as escort for the flagship of Fleet Air Wing 1 for most of the remainder of her career, calling at Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as in Tokyo Bay. She returned to San Francisco, California, 20 January 1946, and was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Diego, California, 27 May 1946. Reactivated during the Korean crisis
Recommissioned 27 June 1951, Formoe sailed from San Diego, California, 5 October 1951 for Newport, Rhode Island, her home port. For the next year she trained in New England and Caribbean waters, then served from October to December as training ship at the Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida. She had similar duty the next autumn, otherwise continuing her east coast and Caribbean operations until sailing from Newport 13 September 1954 to rejoin the U.S. Pacific Fleet. From February through June 1955, and again from October 1955 to March 1956, Formoe carried out tours of duty in the Far East, taking part in hunter killer operations and serving as station ship at Hong Kong. Formoe received two battle stars for World War II service. Final decommissioning
Upon her return she prepared for foreign transfer at San Francisco, California, where she was decommissioned 7 February 1957 and transferred the same day to Portugal under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She served in the Portuguese Navy as Diogo-Cão (F-333). She was eventually sold to Portugal in December 1968. |
