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LT. COMMANDER WILLIAM G. CONRAD : 1908 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY AND LOG OF A KEEN EYED DETAIL ORIENTED LIEUTENANT COMMANDER THROUGH THE PRE WORLD WAR I ERA TO WORLD WAR II

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is a fascinating manuscript relic of one man's service in the United States Navy from pre World War I with notes to 1942 handwritten by Lieutenant Commander William G. Conrad USN [Nov 1889 - 29 May 1966]. The diary served the author in two ways: The 102+ page diary/journal portion of this notebook details the years of 1908 through his final entry of 16 Sept. 1919. Beyond the diary Conrad lists his ships and their movements 8 August 1908 to 20 October 1942. We learn that he enlisted in the Navy on March 11, 1908 and on March 19 they "arrived at Newport, R.I." "8/1 received actg' app as Yeo 2 Cl"; "8/8 transferred from Newport to U.S.S. Mississippi arrived at Boston 11:30 pm." Very detailed, he included arrival and departure dates and the locations were varied - including (not all listed) Cuba, England, France, Panama, Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Azores, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Balboa, Bermuda, Scotland and many ports within the USA. Other entries include men lost sea, dates, names and causes of death. Still other entries included more historical information. Here are some snippets: "12/5/1908 - marines were transferred from all ships of the navy by an act of congress......" "1/25/1909 - up anchor at 2:00 am for Havana Cuba & steamed into harbor about 11:00 am o'clock just as the Maine did 11 years ago...." "11/11/1918 - word received today that the armistice with Germany was signed at 5:00 am which of course concludes the war. The receipt of the word at 1 pm was the cause of much rejoicing and blowing of whistles by all ships in the harbor....." "5/17/1919 - navy seaplanes nc1 and 4 landed on Fayal Azores island on attempted cross-Atlantic flight. The nc3 which started with impedition was lost. L. Hawker British Navy started yesterday from St Johns for an aerial flight to Ireland." [Note: Harry George Hawker was a pioneering aviator. In 1919 hawker with McKenzie grieve attempted to cross the Atlantic in a flight to win a 10,000 pound prize offered by the "daily mail".] "5/19/1919 - today at about 4:18 pm we suddenly received word that the nc3 was about 7 miles outside of the harbor of Ponti Delgada....." The ships and other duties include: U.S.S. MISSISSIPPI, BATTLESHIP; U.S.S. CHARLESTON; U.S.S. CHEYENNE; U.S.S. OREGON; NAVY YARD, MARE ISLAND; U.S.S. BUFFALO; U.S.S. CHAUMONT; MINE SQUADRON; U.S.S. NEW YORK; U.S.S. ARKANSAS. The 4" x 6 1/2" is well worn, the leather cover is ripped and the cover is loose with a page or two also loose but is complete and legible and overall Fair+.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Fair+

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